“Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’?”

Trump: "The courts have all of the sudden, out of nowhere, they said, 'maybe you have to have trials.' Trials. We're gonna have 5 million trials? It doesn't work." pic.twitter.com/78SDMkkteL

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2025

And this is why you’re firing immigration judges? (Yeah, I’m not touching the “all of a sudden, out of nowhere” crap. That’s for the rubes. Trump’s abject ignorance no longer concerns me. You can’t fix stupid, and you can’t impeach it from office.) (Trump is firing immigration judges (employees of DOJ, not considered Art. III judges) to pressure the latter to waive due process and get rid of the brown people. Which is a brilliant strategy if you assume everyone is a xenophobic white racist like you.)(Like I said, you can’t fix stupid.)

Even *if* you accept Stephen Miller’s (textually, historically, and morally indefensible) claim that undocumented immigrants are not entitled to due process, you’d *still* need due process to ensure that the individuals at issue are, in fact, undocumented.

His argument fails even on its own terms.

Yes, it does. But as the old judge put it to me once, Miller is preaching it round and square. Or due process for me, but not for the thee. He thinks the AEA is the gateway to denying due process to people he doesn’t like, so for him the logic is sound.

I learned long ago you can’t argue logic with these people. They are impervious. Like the court, you just have to rely (in these cases) on the power of the government. Which is not on Miller’s side, despite what he imagines.

KUDLOW: The president suggested over the weekend maybe rebuild and reopen Alcatraz. Put them there, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean somewhere.

BONDI: I'm all for that. All for that. And I think it will be a cost savings. pic.twitter.com/yegV2HQcNq

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2025

The ignorance is systemic. Alcatraz was closed in 1963 because it needed $3-5 million worth of renovations in 1963 dollars. It was also too expensive to operate, even then. Today it would have to be razed and rebuilt, and probably have to pipe fresh water from the mainland (there is no water supply on the island). Aside from the air, everything has to be supplied. It would almost be as feasible to build a prison on the moon. 

I don’t use the term “distraction” loosely or lightly, but good Lord this “discussion” is nothing but a distraction. Without Congressional authorization, Alcatraz prison won’t get as much as a new coat of paint. And this is so far down the list of things the country needs it falls off the list.