90 Miles From Tyranny

Thursday, June 21, 2018

PENTAGON SENDING MILITARY LAWYERS TO BORDER TO PROSECUTE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CASES

The Pentagon is supporting the Justice Department’s “zero-tolerance” policy against illegal border crossings by sending military lawyers to the border to help prosecute cases of unlawful entry, according to Trump administration officials.

At least 21 lawyers will be detailed to Arizona, Texas and New Mexico to help with the increased caseload of immigration-related cases, MSNBC reportedWednesday night, citing internal Defense Department communications.

The military lawyers, who are supposed to have “criminal trial experience,” will be designated as full-time special assistant U.S. attorneys during a six-month temporary duty tour. They will be given a crash course in immigration law and federal criminal procedure to assist regular DOJ prosecutors in Yuma, Arizona; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and El Paso, Del Rio, Laredo and McAllen in Texas.

A senior Justice Department official confirmed the temporary deployment of military lawyers — known as Judge Advocate Generals (JAG) — to The Daily Caller News Foundation on Thursday morning.

“The JAGs detailed as SAUSAs will be working to promote and enforce the rule of law at our borders, which is vital to protecting a nation and its citizens,” the official wrote in an email.

The Justice Department first sought applications from military lawyers last month in an effort to fill personnel gaps “while we staff up” with permanent assistant U.S. attorneys, according to Pentagon emails obtained by MSNBC. The request followed Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ April order to U.S. attorneys in border districts to prosecute as many illegal entry cases as possible — even against illegal immigrants traveling with children — as part of the administration’s border enforcement strategy.

The aggressive prosecution strategy has caused a spike in the number of migrant families being separated at the border, since federal law prohibits holding children with their parents in criminal detention facilities. Between May 5 and June 9, more than 2,300 migrant children were separated from family units that were caught crossing the border illegally, according to Customs and Border Protection statistics released Tuesday.

Though family separation has been used by previous administrations, President Donald Trump has come under particularly intense criticism for employing the tactic as part of his broader crackdown on illegal immigration. Left-wing activists and Democratic opponents — as well as some lawmakers in....

Jeff Flake Is A Duplicitous Traitor.

Story:
Outgoing GOP Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona is blocking votes on all of President Donald Trump’s appeals court nominees to secure concessions from Republican leaders on tariffs and Cuban travel restrictions.

Flake, a Trump antagonist who is not seeking reelection amid floundering popularity with Arizona Republicans, has not openly addressed the matter, though his seat on a closely divided Senate Judiciary Committee gives him significant leverage over judgeships.

Roll Call first reported that Flake halted a committee vote on Georgia Supreme Court Justice Britt Grant’s nomination to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal appeals court based in Atlanta. CNN confirmed late Wednesday that the senator will block all appeals court nominees to prompt discussions on relations with Cuba and the president’s escalating trade war with much of the industrial world.

Flake is one of 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which issues recommendations on judicial nominees before a final confirmation vote. The GOP has a one-vote majority on the panel, making Flake’s cooperation essential if Republicans wish to process candidates.

As of this writing, there are 10 appeals court nominees pending before the committee, including a candidate for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a regular target of conservative scorn and has jurisdiction over Flake’s home state.

The senator has not spoken publicly about his tactics, nor has he been clear as to the specific policy accomplishments he hopes to extract in exchange for continued cooperation on judges.

Judicial nominations are a priority for the embattled Republican Senate caucus, which risks losing its tenuous majority in the November elections. A steady clip of confirmations also provides Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell meaningful victories as legislating slows ahead of the midterm campaign season.

McConnell cancelled the Senate’s August recess on June 5, in part to...