The Courts Are The Scofflaws Behind Our Current Constitutional Crisis
The Supreme Court’s double standard suggests it is not prudence dictating the outcome. It is also not the Constitution.The Supreme Court’s double standard suggests it is not prudence dictating the outcome. It is also not the Constitution.ACLU fights to restore woke books Trump banned to protect military kids from gender ideology
The American Civil Liberties Union announced Tuesday that it filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense's school system for removing books that reference "race and gender" from its libraries.
President Donald Trump previously signed executive actions banning diversity, equity, and inclusion from the federal government, resulting in the removal of woke gender ideology books from the Department of Defense Education Activity's schools.
'I assume the ACLU will now support school choice for military families, so the federal government won't get to dictate what is or is not in military kids' education.'
A presidential action titled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling" argued that the American school system has "indoctrinate[d]" students with "radical, anti-American ideologies while deliberately blocking parental oversight."
In February, the DOD distributed a memo to parents of children within the school system explaining that the agency was reevaluating library books "potentially related to gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology topics."
The DOD and the Department of Education released a joint statement earlier this month announcing the creation of the Title IX Special Investigations Team, tasked with protecting students "from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities."
The ACLU's lawsuit, filed on behalf of a dozen students, accuses the DODEA of violating students' First Amendment rights by removing the materials.
"Since January, their schools have systemically removed books, altered curricula, and canceled events that the government has accused of promoting 'gender ideology' or 'divisive equity ideology,'" the ACLU claimed. "This has included materials about slavery, Native American history, LGBTQ identities and history, and preventing sexual harassment and abuse, as well as portions of the Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology curriculum."
Natalie Tolley, a parent with three children in DODEA schools, stated that Trump's executive orders were "a violation of our children's right to access information that prevents them from learning about their own histories, bodies, and identities."
"I have three daughters, and they, like all children, deserve access to books that both mirror their own life experiences and that act as windows that expose them to greater diversity," she continued. "The administration has now made that verboten in DODEA schools."
Neal McCluskey, the director of the Cato Institute's Center for Education Freedom, reacted to the lawsuit, stating, "I assume the ACLU will now support school choice for military families, so the federal government won't get to dictate what is or is not in military kids' education."
A spokesperson for the DODEA told the Associated Press that the school system does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
ACLU sues to prevent Trump admin from deporting alien enemies in wake of SCOTUS decision
The U.S. Supreme Court sided Monday with President Donald Trump, lifting an Obama judge's order that temporarily blocked the president's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected terrorists who have stolen into the homeland.
While Trump called it a "great day for justice in America!" and Attorney General Pam Bondi said the decision was "a landmark victory for the rule of law," the fight was apparently not over. The high court afforded alien enemies and their leftist champions another opportunity to challenge removals under the act by the Trump administration, explaining that their lawsuits must be brought where they are being held — not in Washington, D.C.
The American Civil Liberties Union and New York Civil Liberties Union seized upon that opportunity on Tuesday, filing a lawsuit in a Democratic enclave on behalf of a pair of military-age Venezuelan nationals fit for removal under the Alien Enemies Act.
One of the illegal aliens is a supposedly non-straight 21-year-old Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. in May 2024 and was subsequently identified by the Department of Homeland Security as an "associate/affiliate of Tren de Aragua." The other is a 32-year-old Venezuelan who stole into the U.S. in 2022, allegedly because his political activism back home jeopardized his safety. Both illegal aliens were parties to the ACLU's original lawsuit targeting the administration's use of the AEA.
The Trump administration is targeting Venezuelan nationals who are members of the terrorist organization, 'are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States.'
The ACLU has asked a Clinton appointee, U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein, to assume jurisdiction, to block the Trump administration from removing the illegal aliens under the act, and to certify the Venezuelan duo as representatives of a class of illegal aliens.
A judge ordered the Trump administration to refrain from ousting the two men before a hearing Wednesday morning, as it had with hundreds of others under the AEA in March, reported The Hill.
The lawsuit claims that Trump's proclamation "contorts the plain language" of the 1798 law; the AEA "plainly only applies to warlike actions"; Venezuelan nationals are not invading the U.S.; Venezuela "has not launched a predatory incursion" into the country; "'mass illegal immigration' or criminal activities, as described in the Proclamation, plainly do not fall within the statutory boundaries"; and the use of the AEA has caused and will continue to cause the apparent alien enemies harm.
In his March 15 proclamation titled "Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of the United States by Tren De Aragua," Trump stated that Tren de Aragua — which his administration has designated as a foreign terrorist organization — "is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States."
"TdA is undertaking hostile actions and conducting irregular warfare against the territory of the United States both directly and at the direction, clandestine or otherwise, of the Maduro regime in Venezuela," added the president.
Contrary to the suggestion in the lawsuit, the Trump administration is targeting Venezuelan nationals who are members of the terrorist organization, "are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies."
The ACLU is, therefore, pushing for a class action lawsuit against the administration on behalf of suspected foreign terrorists.
The New York Civil Liberties Union said in a statement on the liberal X knockoff Bluesky, "No one should face the horrifying prospect of lifelong imprisonment without a fair hearing, let alone in another country."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Yes, It’s Completely Constitutional For The U.S. Government To Promote Christianity
The states pushing legislation to display the Ten Commandments in public schools are all but guaranteed to end up at the Supreme Court.Judge Overreaches Amid Latest Lawfare Against Trump
Judge James Boasberg hastily took command and control over the latest iteration of lawfare. His orders and reactions are laden with error.Ben and Jerry's melts down over ouster of woke CEO
Iconic ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's had a meltdown after woke CEO DaveStever was reportedly "removed" from his position earlier this month in connection with the company's leftist activism.
According to amended court documents filed Tuesday, parent company Unilever ousted Stever as CEO on March 3 — without consulting the independent Ben and Jerry's board — because of "his commitment to Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission." Board chair Anuradha Mittal noted further that Stever embraced "the company’s social mission and values" and stood up to Unilever when it demanded he "oversee the dismantling of Ben & Jerry’s mission, progressive values."
Ben and Jerry's alleged in the filing that, per its merger and settlement agreement with Unilever, Unilever was required to engage in "good faith consultation" with the independent board before removing Stever. The lawsuit denied that Stever's "performance history" led to his removal, insisting that he had "outperformed Unilever's ice cream portfolio" in 2023 and 2024.
The company also claimed that Unilever attempted "to silence" other Ben and Jerry's employees about the company's "Social Mission" and "repeatedly threatened" them in this regard. Unilever even allegedly "chastised" Stever for allowing Ben and Jerry's to post political messages whipped up by members of the company and the independent board.
'Student activists have always been at the center of the fight for justice.'
The lawsuit characterized these decisions by Unilever as "suppression," "censorship," and "inappropriate muzzling." It also claimed that Unilever forbade Ben and Jerry's from speaking out on behalf of Mahmoud Khalil — the apparent terrorist sympathizer facing deportation for allegedly orchestrating violent protests at Columbia University — publicly celebrating Black History Month, expressing opposition to the second Trump administration, and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"Protect the First Amendment! Free speech and peaceful protests are the lifeblood of our democracy, and student activists have always been at the center of the fight for justice. Political speech is protected by our constitution and peaceful civil disobedience should never be the basis for deportation. Protect your right to dissent and take action with the @ACLU," the company wanted to post in response to ICE arresting Khalil earlier this month.
Unilever "blocked" the effort, the lawsuit claimed.
Stever first joined Ben and Jerry's nearly 40 years ago when he began working as a tour guide in 1988. He was promoted to CEO in May 2023. Whether he has now split from the company completely is unclear.
The Ben and Jerry's ice cream brand has been known for sprinkling liberal talking points into its product messaging since it was founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Vermont in 1978. Just in the last few years, Ben and Jerry's has offered flavors such as Pecan Resist, Change the Whirled, and Kamala's Coconut Jubilee to promote leftist causes and candidates.
In fact, the independent board was established as part of the merger agreement when Unilever, based in the U.K., bought the company in 2000. The purpose of the board was to protect the ability of Ben and Jerry's to engage in overt political activism. The recent court filing suggested that Unilever has not abided by the merger agreement in that regard.
Unilever, Ben and Jerry's, and their respective attorneys did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters and the Washington Post.
Last year, Unilever announced that it would begin spinning off a number of its ice cream companies, including Ben and Jerry's.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Dems Fight Voter ID Amendment In Wisconsin Despite 7 In 10 Voters Supporting It
Despite voter ID popularity both statewide and nationally, Democrats are fighting the referendum soon to appear on the Wisconsin ballot.Trump admin axes first student visa over pro-Hamas protest crimes: State Department
The Trump administration's State Department confirmed that it revoked its first student visa over alleged criminal activity tied to a pro-Hamas protest.
The State Department told Fox News the foreign student was involved in a disruptive college campus demonstration. However, it did not reveal the student's identity or which school he or she attended, citing "legal constraints."
'Zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists.'
"Yesterday evening, we revoked the first visa of an alien who was previously cited for criminal behavior in connection with Hamas-supporting disruptions," the department said. "This individual was a university student. [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] will proceed with removing this person from the country."
The State Department's move comes on the heels of President Donald Trump stating that foreign students participating in pro-Hamas protests should have their visas pulled for supporting the terrorist group.
In January, Trump vowed to "deport Hamas sympathizers and revoke student visas" to combat anti-Semitism.
"To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: Come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before," he stated.
Despite many disruptive pro-Hamas protests on college campuses under the previous administration, President Joe Biden's State Department did not revoke any of the 100,000 student visas it reviewed, an official told Axios.
The Trump administration accused Biden of "turn[ing] a blind eye to this coordinated assault on public order" and "refus[ing] to protect the civil rights of Jewish Americans, especially students."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this week that the department will launch an AI-powered "Catch and Revoke" system to yank the visas of those supporting terrorist organizations, such as Hamas.
On Thursday, Rubio wrote in a post on X, "Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security. The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of U.S. law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and deportation."
The State Department told Axios, "It would be negligent for the department that takes national security seriously to ignore publicly available information about [visa] applicants in terms of AI tools. ... AI is one of the resources available to the government that's very different from where we were technologically decades ago."
Earlier this week, the American Civil Liberties Union wrote an open letter to colleges and universities claiming that the Trump administration is attempting to pressure school officials into "censoring and punishing non-citizen scholars and students for their speech and scholarship." The ACLU urged American colleges "to protect campus speech."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Today's top stories
www.theblaze.com
thefederalist.com