Below is a round-up of the latest from the “Battle for the Constitution:” a special project on the constitutional debates in American life, in partnership with The Atlantic.
The Trump Administration is Gagging America’s Immigration Judges
By Cristian Farias, Writer-in-Residence, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University
Cristian Farias writes about how a new policy forcing immigration judges to get approval before speaking at public events is effectively gagging them and denying the country valuable perspectives on the way current laws and rules are affecting immigration cases.
Donald Trump’s Strange and Dangerous ‘Absolute Rights’ Idea
By Jane Chong, Attorney and former Law Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Jane Chong argues that Donald Trump’s frequent invocations of his “absolute right” to do things such as pardoning himself and appointing ambassadors are part of his dangerous vision of unbridled executive authority.
The World is Experiencing a New Form of Autocracy
By Tim Horley, Attorney and Writer; Anne Meng, Assistant Professor of Politics, University of Virginia; and Mila Versteeg, Martha Lubin Karsh and Bruce A. Karsh Bicentennial Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law
Tim Horley, Anne Meng, and Mila Versteeg discuss how leaders around the globe are becoming increasingly strategic in their attempts to maintain power after their terms should have ended by using methods with a democratic veneer such as passing constitutional amendments instead of simply cancelling elections.
Trump is at War with the Whole Idea of an Independent Judiciary
By Garrett Epps, Professor of Law, University of Baltimore School of Law
Garrett Epps asks if certain members of the Supreme Court will stand up for an independent judiciary and against Donald Trump.
Chuck Schumer Needs to Watch Himself
By Garrett Epps, Professor of Law, University of Baltimore School of Law
Garrett Epps writes that Chuck Schumer’s recent statement about Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch was dangerous and should be condemned, but that Chief Justice John Roberts’ response should also have defended Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg against Donald Trump’s attacks.
