The Supreme Court has cleared the path for the Trump administration to deport a group of immigrants held at a U.S. military base in Djibouti to South Sudan.<\/p>\n
In a brief opinion issued on Friday, the justices affirmed that their prior order, which stayed a federal judge\u2019s ruling in Massachusetts that had restricted the government\u2019s ability to deport immigrants to countries not explicitly named in their removal orders, applies in full to the eight immigrants currently in U.S. custody in Djibouti.<\/p>\n
The order came less than two weeks after the high court temporarily stayed a ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, whose order barred the federal government from deporting immigrants to \u201cthird countries\u201d\u2014those not explicitly named in their removal orders\u2014without first ensuring, through a series of safeguards, that the individuals would not face torture upon deportation.<\/p>\n
Murphy\u2019s May 21 ruling found that the government violated his April 18 order by attempting to deport eight men to South Sudan. The U.S. has evacuated all non-emergency personnel from South Sudan, and the State Department advises against travel there due to \u201ccrime, kidnapping, and armed conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
The flight carrying the immigrants bound for South Sudan instead landed in nearby Djibouti, where the men have since been held at a U.S. military base.<\/p>\n
On May 27, the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court to stay Murphy\u2019s April 18 order, seeking permission to proceed with \u201cthird country\u201d removals while the legal battle over the practice unfolds.<\/p>\n
U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer contended that Murphy\u2019s \u201cjudicially created procedures are currently wreaking havoc on the third-country removal process\u201d and \u201cdisrupt[ing] sensitive diplomatic, foreign policy, and national-security efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lawyers representing the immigrants facing potential third-country removals urged the justices to uphold Murphy\u2019s order. They emphasized that the government could still proceed with these deportations, but Murphy\u2019s order \u201csimply requires\u201d the Trump administration \u201cto comply with the law\u201d in doing so.<\/p>\n
Several hours after the Supreme Court responded to the Trump administration\u2019s first request, made on June 23, Murphy then claimed that his May 21 order remained unaffected by the high court\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
The Trump administration returned to the Supreme Court the following day, requesting that the justices clarify the federal government\u2019s authority to proceed with deporting the immigrants currently held in Djibouti. Sauer urged the court to act swiftly to address what he called Murphy\u2019s \u201cunprecedented defiance\u201d of the court\u2019s authority.<\/p>\n
In Thursday\u2019s brief, an unsigned 7-2 opinion, the majority indicated that the court\u2019s \u201cJune 23 order stayed the April 18 preliminary injunction in full. The May 21 remedial order cannot now be used to enforce an injunction that our stay rendered unenforceable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two of the Supreme Court\u2019s liberals, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented, while the third liberal, Justice Elena Kagan, sided with the court\u2019s conservative majority.<\/p>\n
She noted that she had previously disagreed with the Supreme Court\u2019s original ruling permitting third-country removals to proceed. \u201cBut a majority of this court saw things differently, and I do not see how a district court can compel compliance with an order that this court has stayed,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n
The eight illegal immigrants include individuals from Cuba, Vietnam, and Laos, reports noted.<\/p>\n
Sotomayor\u2019s dissent contended that \u201c[w]hat the Government wants to do, concretely, is send the eight noncitizens it illegally removed from the United States from Djibouti to South Sudan, where they will be turned over to the local authorities without regard for the likelihood that they will face torture or death.\u201d<\/p>\n
She argued that the court should not have considered the government\u2019s request at all, as the government should have made its arguments in the lower courts first. Moreover, she suggested that the Supreme Court\u2019s \u201ccontinued refusal to justify its extraordinary decisions in this case, even as it faults lower courts for failing to properly divine their import, is indefensible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Senator John Kennedy is once again cutting through Washington\u2019s theatrics with brutal honesty.<\/p>\n
The Louisiana Republican accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of staging political drama instead of doing his job to reopen the government.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, Kennedy described the shutdown as a \u201cpolitical performance,\u201d not a genuine policy disagreement.<\/p>\n
He said Schumer is more concerned with keeping up appearances for his party\u2019s radical wing than with serving the American people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will end eventually,\u201d Kennedy said, \u201cwhen Senator Schumer goes to six or eight of his members and Democrats and says, \u2018Do me a favor. Vote to open it back up. I may have to criticize you. I\u2019m not going to vote with you, but I need a way out of this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Kennedy made clear that Schumer\u2019s priority isn\u2019t compromise \u2014 it\u2019s saving face.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s gonna tell \u2018em, \u2018Now, look, I gotta vote no. And I gotta dogcuss you a little bit. We gotta have some play acting and make this look good. And then we come out of the shutdown,\u2019\u201d Kennedy said, describing how Schumer will secretly orchestrate the outcome he publicly opposes.<\/p>\n
According to Kennedy, the government shutdown is less about real disagreements and more about political optics. Schumer, he said, is acting out a script to appease the far-left members of his caucus \u2014 what Kennedy calls the \u201cmoon wing\u201d of the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know him. Well, this shutdown is not about policy. It\u2019s about politics,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Senator Schumer, this is what\u2019s going on. He is trying to get the moon wing, the socialist wing of the Democratic Party, which is in control, to love him. And they will never love him.\u201d<\/p>\n
That blunt assessment paints a damning picture of the Democratic leadership. Schumer, Kennedy argues, is beholden to extremists who refuse to compromise, even at the expense of the country.<\/p>\n
The Louisiana senator said Schumer\u2019s strategy is simple: keep the government closed until Republicans and President Trump agree to hand over billions in new spending \u2014 spending that Democrats will control. \u201cWhat he\u2019s saying,\u201d Kennedy explained, \u201cis we\u2019re going to keep government shut down until you Republicans and President Trump give the Democrats $1.5 trillion, and they\u2019re going to tell us how to spend it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kennedy ridiculed the idea that Schumer is fighting for \u201cthe people.\u201d In his view, Schumer is fighting for power, money, and media attention \u2014 and the shutdown is just another stage for him to perform on.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s boning if it looks contrived,\u201d Kennedy warned. \u201cHe can\u2019t look like he\u2019s having a mutiny.\u201d That\u2019s why, Kennedy says, Schumer must choreograph his next steps carefully, pretending to fight while quietly coordinating votes behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
Kennedy\u2019s description of this \u201cplay acting\u201d matches what many Americans have long suspected: that the partisan battles on the Senate floor are largely theater designed to manipulate the public.<\/p>\n
Schumer, Kennedy said, is obsessed with being seen as strong by the socialist faction of his party \u2014 even though that same faction will never accept him. \u201cHe\u2019d be better off doing what he did back in March and just calling it like he saw it and keeping government open,\u201d Kennedy added.<\/p>\n
The senator\u2019s comments came after Schumer led most Democrats in voting down the Republicans\u2019 spending bill earlier in the week, prolonging the shutdown. Kennedy said that move was pure political posturing.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchumer knows exactly what he\u2019s doing,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cHe\u2019s trying to look tough for his base while still leaving himself a backdoor exit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kennedy argued that Schumer is being held hostage by his own party\u2019s extremists \u2014 the same people who demand funding for what Kennedy called \u201cwasteful foreign projects\u201d and ideological programs.<\/p>\n
The Louisiana senator said Democrats are fighting to reinstate spending for overseas LGBTQ initiatives, electric buses in Rwanda, Palestinian media operations, and sterilization programs abroad \u2014 all things Republicans already removed from the budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not fighting for the American taxpayer,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cHe\u2019s fighting for his image and for foreign projects nobody asked for.\u201d<\/p>\n
On what should have been the happiest day of my life, my mother-in-law decided to take something that wasn\u2019t hers. Sharon claimed she was \u201ckeeping the wedding card box safe,\u201d but the next morning at brunch, she stunned us by announcing she had counted the money, taken some for relatives, and would hold the rest \u201cuntil we were responsible enough\u201d to use it. I felt humiliated, not just by her control, but by the way she smiled at me like I was a child who couldn\u2019t be trusted.<\/p>\n
Grant, my husband, didn\u2019t stay silent. For once, he stood up to her, demanding she return what was ours. But Sharon made a scene, calling us greedy in front of family. In that moment, I realized her need for control wasn\u2019t about protecting us\u2014it was about power. That money symbolized the future we were building together, and she wanted to hold the strings.<\/p>\n
So, we flipped the script. Grant told her calmly that without that money, we couldn\u2019t afford to start our family. Suddenly, her desire to be a grandmother outweighed her stubbornness. Within days, she showed up at our door with the full amount, defensive but defeated. We deposited it immediately, labeling it our\u00a0Baby Fund<\/em>\u2014not for her, not for anyone else, but for us.<\/p>\n What Sharon never understood is that her interference didn\u2019t protect us\u2014it strengthened us. She reminded us that boundaries matter, even with family, and that loyalty to each other must come first. Marriage isn\u2019t about letting others dictate your future. It\u2019s about choosing, again and again, to build it together on your own terms.<\/p>\n My husband and I wanted to give our mothers a warm, memorable dinner at a fancy restaurant for Mother’s Day. I expected gratitude. Instead, my mother-in-law brought a crowd of strangers, turning the intimate dinner into a family banquet… and handed me the bill.<\/p>\n Some days I wonder if “working mom” is just code for “human ATM with a side of free childcare.” I’m Sherin, 32, mother of two tornado-like children, and apparently the designated financier of other people’s extravagant whims. Let me tell you what happened last Sunday… on Mother’s Day.<\/p>\n A Mother’s Day card beside a ceramic cup | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n “Are you sure we can afford Bellini’s?” Lucas asked, loosening his tie as he scrolled through our joint account on his phone. “The appetizers alone cost more than our grocery budget for the week.”<\/p>\n I smoothed down my rarely worn dress, the one I’d frantically ironed after getting the kids to bed. “It’s Mother’s Day, Lucas! For once, I want to do something nice for our moms without counting pennies.”<\/p>\n My husband’s worried expression softened. He knew what I meant. Between my 60-hour work weeks, his contract job with unpredictable hours, and two kids under seven, moments of genuine appreciation were as rare as uninterrupted sleep.<\/p>\n A deluxe restaurant | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n “Besides,” I added, “that promotion means we can splurge a little. Four people at a nice restaurant won’t break us.”<\/p>\n Lucas kissed my forehead, his familiar scent of aftershave momentarily drowning out my anxiety. “You’re right. They deserve it. Especially your mom, after everything she’s done for us with the kids.”<\/p>\n My mom, Daisy, had been our lifeline since Ethan was born. Even when exhausted from her own job, she’d show up with homemade casseroles and endless patience.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Charlize\u2014my husband’s mother\u2014contributed mainly opinions and thinly veiled criticisms of my parenting.<\/p>\n An elegant older woman holding a cup of coffee | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n But today wasn’t about scorekeeping. It was about gratitude.<\/p>\n “Let’s just make them both feel special,” I said, checking my lipstick one last time before heading out.<\/p>\n Little did I know what “special” would actually cost me.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n The valet took our car as we stepped into Bellini’s, the fanciest restaurant in town. Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over white tablecloths, and the soft clink of expensive silverware filled the air.<\/p>\n “I reserved under Chen,” I told the hostess, whose practiced smile never reached her eyes.<\/p>\n “Of course. Some of your party has already arrived.”<\/p>\n “Some?” I exchanged glances with Lucas as we followed her through the dining room.<\/p>\n Grayscale shot of a shocked woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n Then I saw them\u2014not just our mothers, but an entire section of the restaurant that had been pushed together into one long table. Charlize sat at the center like a queen holding court, surrounded by her sisters, their adult children, three of her bridge club friends, and someone I barely recognized bouncing a fussy baby on her knee.<\/p>\n My heart sank to my stomach, then literally plummeted through the floor.<\/p>\n “What is this?” I whispered to Lucas, who looked equally stunned.<\/p>\n Before he could answer, Charlize spotted us. “There they are!” she called out, her voice carrying across the restaurant. “Our generous hosts!”<\/p>\n A delighted elderly woman wearing sunglasses | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n She rushed over, wine glass in hand, wearing a dress that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. Her perfume enveloped me as she kissed my cheek with theatrical affection.<\/p>\n “Oh honey, you look tired,” she stage-whispered. Then, with a sweeping gesture toward the crowd: “I hope you don’t mind. It’s Mother’s Day, and all these lovely ladies deserve to be celebrated too!”<\/p>\n I stood frozen, doing quick mental math. Ten extra people at Bellini’s? My budget-conscious brain short-circuited.<\/p>\n Lucas cleared his throat. “Mom, we\u2014”<\/p>\n “Lucas! Come sit by Aunt Trish. She hasn’t seen you since Christmas!” Charlize steered him away, leaving me standing alone.<\/p>\n A shaken man | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n Across the chaos, I spotted my mother pushed to the far end of the table. She looked uncomfortable and out of place in her simple dress. When our eyes met, she gave me an apologetic smile that broke my heart.<\/p>\n “Sherin,” someone called. “Come tell everyone about that promotion!”<\/p>\n With leaden feet, I made my way to the only empty chair directly across from the baby who was now gleefully smashing breadsticks into crumbs.<\/p>\n “Another bottle of the Cabernet for this end,” Charlize’s sister Trish called to a passing server. “And more of those truffle things!”<\/p>\n An entitled elderly woman sitting on a chair and looking at someone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n Two hours into this ambush dinner, my jaw ached from forcing smiles. Lucas tried to intervene when the first unrequested bottle of champagne arrived, but his mother brushed him off with, “Don’t be such a worry-wart! Sherin’s moving up in the world!”<\/p>\n My mom caught my eye from her distant seat. “You okay, honey?” she mouthed.<\/p>\n I nodded, though we both knew it was a lie.<\/p>\n “So then,” continued Charlize, loud enough for nearby tables to hear, “I told my book club, ‘My daughter-in-law is finally getting recognized at that firm! All those late nights away from her children finally paid off!'”<\/p>\n My fingers tightened around my water glass. Every working mother’s favorite guilt trip… served with a side of judgment.<\/p>\n A woman drinking a glass of water | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n “The kids are actually doing great,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “Mom has been an incredible help, and Lucas\u2014”<\/p>\n “Oh, family pitching in, that’s what we do!” Charlize interrupted. “Speaking of family, let’s toast to mothers everywhere! Especially those of us who managed careers without missing bedtimes.”<\/p>\n The table erupted in cheers while I silently counted backward from 10.<\/p>\n Lucas leaned close, his hand finding mine under the table. “We should wrap this up soon. The bill’s going to be\u2014”<\/p>\n “Dessert menus for everyone!” announced Charlize’s friend, a woman whose name I couldn’t recall but who was now on her fourth glass of wine. “Sherin’s treating!”<\/p>\n A woman examining a menu | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n “Actually,” I started, but a server was already distributing leather-bound menus to eager hands.<\/p>\n “Get whatever you want,” Charlize sang out. “Today’s dinner’s on the company’s newest superstar!”<\/p>\n I hadn’t told her my promotion came with barely enough raise to cover the kids’ increasing childcare costs. But correcting her now in front of this audience felt… impossible.<\/p>\n “I’ll just have coffee,” my mom said, giving me one small mercy.<\/p>\n Dessert plates littered the table like casualties of war. Empty wine bottles stood as monuments to an evening I couldn’t wait to forget. The baby, thankfully, had fallen asleep in a makeshift nest of jackets.<\/p>\n A variety of dessert plates on a table | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n I was calculating how many extra hours I’d need to work to cover this disaster when Charlize dramatically waved her hand at a passing server.<\/p>\n “We’re ready for the check!” she announced. “It goes to the lady in the black dress.”<\/p>\n The server looked at me questioningly. Before I could speak, Charlize continued loudly: “Everyone, say thank you to our little boss lady over here! Promotion must be paying well… she’s treating the whole table tonight!”<\/p>\n A chorus of half-drunk “thank yous” circled the table.<\/p>\n “Wait. You can’t just…” I gasped.<\/p>\n “Oh, don’t be cheap! You’re loaded now, Sherin! Pay up! It’s Mother’s Day!”<\/p>\n A proud older woman sitting on a chair | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n Lucas’s face flushed with anger.<\/p>\n “Mom, that’s not\u2014” he began.<\/p>\n The server placed a leather folder discreetly by my plate. I opened it and nearly choked. $1,250.47.<\/p>\n “Is everything okay, Ma’am?” the server asked.<\/p>\n Charlize leaned forward, her smile tightening at the corners. “Oh honey, don’t look so shocked. It’s just money, and this is family.”<\/p>\n The table fell silent, all eyes on me. Even the couple at the next table had paused their conversation to watch the drama unfold.<\/p>\n A woman shaken to her core | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n Years of biting my tongue settled into one sharp decision and I was done being a doormat.<\/p>\n “You’re absolutely right, Charlize! It is just money. And it is family.”<\/p>\n I removed my credit card from my wallet with deliberate slowness.<\/p>\n “That’s why I’m happy to cover dinner for you and my mom tonight… as we planned.”<\/p>\n Charlize’s smile vanished like smoke in the wind. “What do you mean, ‘as planned’?”<\/p>\n “I mean that Lucas and I invited you and my mom out for Mother’s Day. Just the four of us.”<\/p>\n A stunned older woman looking at someone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n “But\u2014” Charlize gestured around the table, “everyone’s here now. We can’t just…”<\/p>\n “Actually, we can.” I handed the server my card. “Please charge only for these items,” I said, pointing to our original orders on the bill.<\/p>\n The server nodded with what looked suspiciously like admiration and disappeared with my card.<\/p>\n Charlize’s face flushed crimson. “Sherin, this is embarrassing.”<\/p>\n “I agree. It is embarrassing to invite 10 extra people to someone else’s dinner and expect them to pay.”<\/p>\n A woman holding her bank card | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n Trish set down her wine glass with a thud. “Well, I certainly didn’t bring enough to cover this.”<\/p>\n “Perhaps,” my mother finally spoke up, her quiet voice somehow cutting through the tension, “we could all contribute what we can.”<\/p>\n Lucas stood up. “No. Mom brought this on herself. Either everyone pays their share, or\u2014”<\/p>\n “Or what?” Charlize challenged. “You’ll leave your mother with the bill on Mother’s Day?”<\/p>\n I touched Lucas’s arm. “No. We’re paying for what we offered… dinner for our mothers. That’s $147.82. The rest,” I shrugged, smiling at the table, “is up to all of you to figure out.”<\/p>\n A woman shrugging | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n The server returned with my receipt. I signed it, adding a generous tip for the poor soul who had to deal with our table.<\/p>\n “Happy Mother’s Day to the women who raised us!” I said, helping my mom with her coat. “The rest of you… I’m sure you have children who would love to treat you next time.”<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n The drive home was quiet until my mom broke the silence from the backseat.<\/p>\n “I’ve never seen you stand up to Charlize like that,” she said.<\/p>\n “I thought she was going to explode,” Lucas added, reaching for my hand across the console.<\/p>\n “She might still,” I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in months. “But you know what? Let her!”<\/p>\n A woman laughing | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a text from Charlize:\u00a0“Hope you’re happy. Had to borrow from Trish’s husband to cover the bill. So embarrassing.”<\/em><\/p>\n I showed it to Lucas and he shook his head. “Classic! Making herself the victim.”<\/p>\n “You know what’s actually embarrassing?” I said, turning to look at my mom in the rearview mirror. “Treating kindness like an unlimited resource you can exploit.”<\/p>\n Mom smiled. “I’m proud of you, honey.”<\/p>\n A woman holding her phone | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n “Next year,” Lucas suggested, “maybe we just cook dinner at home.”<\/p>\n “Or,” I countered, “I take my favorite mother out alone, and you handle yours.”<\/p>\n We all laughed, and for the first time that day, it felt like an actual celebration.<\/p>\n As we pulled into our driveway, I realized something:\u00a0standing your ground doesn’t always mean winning a battle. Sometimes it’s just about refusing to play someone else’s game.<\/strong><\/p>\n And honestly? That feeling was worth way more than $1,250.47.<\/p>\n Silhouette of an independent and happy woman on the beach | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n Here’s another\u00a0story: I baked my own wedding cake to prove we didn’t need anyone’s money. But my mother-in-law mocked me… then stole the spotlight. But what came next wasn’t in her recipe.<\/p>\n This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.<\/em><\/p>\n The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Supreme Court has cleared the path for the Trump administration to deport a group of immigrants held at a U.S. military base in Djibouti to South Sudan. In a brief opinion…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breaking-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19558\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}