Taking the "In" out of "Indefinite"

Can the U.S. imprison 1,000 Mariel boatlifters forever? Yesterday, the Supreme Court said no.

Comments

[Patrick]

I don't have a firm understanding of why we want to hold these people indefinitely in the first place? If we've decided not to deport people to Cuba, then it seems like you just have to let these people back into society when they've served their time. It's creepy when the government's position is to hold people unless it can be demonstrated that they should be let go... seems like it should be the other way around.

[Matt]

Patrick: My admittedly imperfect understanding is that they would be delighted to return the two to Cuba, but Cuba won't accept them, which is the crux of the problem.

The cool thing about that set of opinions is that it is almost entirely an exercise of Mr. Justice Scalia and his alleged sock puppet Mr. Justice Thomas slap-fighting over statutory construction in the majority opinion (Scalia) and dissent (Thomas). Thomas, to the bemusement of Sen. Reid, holds his own.

[SR]

I'm starting to think Scalia doesn't especially want the Chief Justice position. He's bitch-slapped the Bush administration and L&O conservatives twice in 24 hours.

[Thomas Paine's Goiter]

I'm starting to think Scalia doesn't especially want the Chief Justice position. He's bitch-slapped the Bush administration and L&O conservatives twice in 24 hours.

I think that's exactly why he's done it. Trying to show no allegiances.

[Call me snake]

"Are you a homosexual, Tony??? Do you like men?"

"That Goddamned Castro is shitting all over us!!!"

[Call me snake]

"Never underestimate....the OTHER GUY'S GREED!!!!HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

-Frank Lopez

[Call me snake]

Pardon me, I saw "Mariel Boat Lift" and I went on a Scarface tear...it's a condition akin to epilepsy. Wait a minute....

"I like you Tony, there is no lying in you....Unfortunately I can't say the same about your associate Omar Suarez."

-Sosa

[R C Dean]

I don't have a firm understanding of why we want to hold these people indefinitely in the first place?

Because they can't legally be in the United States. They are not legal immigrants, so just by setting foot on US soil, they are breaking the law and subject to arrest and detention. Ordinarily, we detain them just long enough to send them back, but too many countries decline to take back violent criminals.

This creates a dilemma. They can't be sent where they belong. They have no legal basis for being on the loose in the US. If we grant them some kind of legal status that allows them to live in the US, we are rewarding law-breaking, creating incentives for other countries (hello, Mexico) to dump their criminals on us, and putting violent criminals on the street.

On the other hand, indefinite detention really sucks.

Which is the least worst alternative? Rewarding violent criminals who are in this country illegally with visas and an open door? Indefinite detention? Beats me.

[raymond]

They are not legal immigrants, so just by setting foot on US soil, they are breaking the law and subject to arrest and detention.

I believe that's not true. If I'm not mistaken, Cubans get asylum as soon as their feet touch the ground - or something to that effect.