Trump's Orders Feature Nonexistent Emergencies, Illegal Power Grabs, and Blatant Inconsistencies
But at least he restored respect for a tariff-loving predecessor by renaming a mountain.
Immigration
The Problem With Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order
Former Rep. Justin Amash explains why President Donald Trump's interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment is wrong.
Debating Birthright Citizenship (Again) [UPDATED]
The arguments are not new. The willingness of an Administration to act on them are.
Federal Judge Blocks Trump's 'Blatantly Unconstitutional' Birthright Citizenship Executive Order
“I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Judge John C. Coughenour.
Federal Court Issues Temporary Restraining Order Blocking "Blatantly Unconstitutional" Trump Birthright Citizenship Order
The TRO blocks the order for 14 days and is a sign that courts are highly skeptical of Trump's position.
Mexico Embraces You
Plus: Sovereign children, Angela McArdle interview, botox fraud, and more...
36 Hours
Plus: Inside the DOGE disputes, Day 1 analysis with Mike Pesca, fleeing San Francisco, and more...
Mike Pesca: How Will Trump 2.0 Transform America?
Mike Pesca reacts to Trump's inauguration and slate of executive orders on the latest Just Asking Questions.
Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order is Even Worse than Expected - and Even More Blatantly Unconstitutional
It applies to children of large numbers of legal visa-holders, as well as those of undocumented immigrants.
Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Doesn't Just Apply to Undocumented Immigrants
Children could be denied citizenship even if their parents are here completely legally.
Day 1
Plus: Pardoning the Proud Boys, revoking birthright citizenship, Elon Musk's not-a-Nazi-salute, and more...
Trump Signals a Crackdown on Legal and Illegal Immigration
The president plans to suspend refugee resettlement and declare a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump's Illegal First-Day Executive Actions
Several of his announced actions are likely to be illegal, especially some related to immigration.
The Laken Riley Act Reminds Us: If a Law Is Named After Someone, It's Probably Bad
Riley's murder was an atrocity. But the law bearing her name is a grab bag of authoritarian policies that have little to do with her death.
Biden Didn't Cause the Border Crisis by Being too Lax on Enforcement
David Bier has an excellent analysis on this point.
Massachusetts Court Weighs Whether All Prostitution Is Sex Trafficking
Five "traffickers" arrested for responding to an undercover cop's sex ad are challenging their convictions in the state's high court.
The Laken Riley Act is Unjust - and a Trojan Horse
The act doesn't target violent criminals and sex offenders, and is likely to harm innocent people and divert resources from genuine anti-crime efforts. It also makes it easier for state governments to try to impede legal immigration.
More on Birthright Citizenship and Undocumented Immigrants
Legal scholars Amanda Frost and Paul Gowder have both published notable new articles on the subject.
Why MAGA Is Fighting Over High-Skilled Immigration
Plus: A listener asks the editors about subsidies for trains, planes, and roads.
Biden Strengthened the Refugee Resettlement System. Will Trump Undo It?
Refugee resettlements last year hit a 30-year high, but that progress is fragile.
Bernie Sanders Is Still Wrong About Immigration
The Vermont senator criticized the H-1B guest worker program, drawing praise from the most toxic elements of the MAGA movement.
Unprecedented Rise in Homelessness
The latest federal homelessness survey finds an 18 percent annual rise in the number of people living without permanent shelter.
Final Farewells
Plus: What Biden regrets, Trump supports visas for skilled workers (or does he?), a major Amtrak screwup, and more...
Address Border Chaos by Making Legal Migration Easier
Cato Institute immigration analyst Alex Nowrasteh has an excellent piece on this subject.
Can Nativists and Dynamists Coexist Within Trump's MAGA Coalition?
An ongoing online debate over visas for highly skilled foreign workers is revealing a fissure that might define Trump's second term.
An El Paso Christian Charity Is Caught Up in Texas' Border Fight Against the Feds
Annunciation House feeds, shelters, and clothes immigrants. State officials say it's "systemic criminal conduct."
Shooting the Messenger and Blaming the Victim
How cops, politicians, and bureaucrats tried to dodge responsibility in 2024
Crime and Terrorism are Poor Rationales for Immigration Restrictions
The risk of migrant terrorism is low, immigrants generally have lower crime rates than natives, and migration restrictions are both unjust and less effective than other strategies for reducing violence.
Foreign-Born Religious Workers Are Trapped in a Green Card Backlog
Without a fix, churches and other places of worship could lose their clergy.
Asylum Isn't As Crazy as Trump Claims
The president-elect can't tell political asylum from an insane asylum. But a little linguistic history reveals a more compelling American tradition.
'Child Trafficking' Sting Video Turns Out To Be Toy Drive
A Coca-Cola truck "full of kids" turned out to be a police charity.
Joe Biden Flip-Flopped on Immigration and Embraced Trump's Tactics
The Biden administration continued many of the same immigration enforcement measures he lambasted Trump for using.
How Many Americans Really Want Mass Deportation?
Even among Republicans and conservatives, support for the policy comes with caveats.
Mass Deportations Are Bad for Everyone's Liberty
Unleashing such force on a broad scale will not result in precise, humane, and just results.
Errol Morris and Jacob Soboroff: Trump's Immigration Policies Are Indefensible
Errol Morris and Jacob Soboroff discuss their new documentary about the family separation policy implemented during Trump’s first term.
Trump, the Self-Described 'Tariff Man,' Does Not Understand How Tariffs Work
Since the president-elect refuses to admit that levies on imports are taxes paid by Americans, he sees no downside to raising them.
Justice Jackson Authors First Decision of OT2024
The junior justice authors a unanimous immigration law decision for the first of the term.
Bye, Joe: Evaluating the Biden Presidency
From the war in Afghanistan to the war on drugs, Reason writers offer performance reviews of Joe Biden's single term as president.
North Carolina Goes Drug War on Prostitution
Plus: Idaho's "abortion trafficking" law can mostly take effect; updates on state age verification suits; the threat the Florida and Texas social media laws pose to X
Trump's Plans to Coerce Sanctuary Cities Likely to Run Afoul of the Constitution - Again
The incoming administration's plans to use withhholding of federal funds to pressure sanctuary cities are reminiscent of ones that werre invalidated by courts during Trump's first administration.
How Mass Deportation Will Disrupt America's Food Supply Chain
We desperately need to reform visa pathways instead.
Trump Cannot Restrict Birthright Citizenship by Presidential Edict
The executive order that the president-elect plans to issue contradicts the historical understanding of the 14th Amendment.
The Best of Reason: Abolish the DEA, ICE, and the Small Business Administration
In the Abolish Everything issue, Reason writers make the case for ending the DEA, ICE, the SBA, and everything else.
If You Want Mass Deportations, You Can't Have Less Government
Trump’s immigration agenda runs headfirst into his government efficiency initiative.
The Gaetz Flop Suggests That Trump Is Still His Own Worst Enemy
The nomination, which fell apart in record time for predictable reasons, reflected a pattern of impulsiveness that may yet defeat the president-elect's worst instincts.
New Article on "Birthright Citizenship and Undocumented Immigrants"
My new Just Security article explains why denying birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants would be unconstitutional.
