Supreme Court hands Trump partial win on deportations

Supreme Court hands Trump partial win on deportations.

Iran contradicts Trump’s claim of direct nuclear talks.

In a 5-4 decision (with Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining the court’s three liberals), the Supreme Court overruled a lower court decision blocking the Trump administration’s deportation of migrants under the Alien Enemies Act. This means that the administration can continue trying to deport migrants under the wartime law.

However, the court also underscored that these deportations would only be lawful if the detainees were given due process to challenge their detention and deportation. This is also not a final ruling as the court did not settle the legality of deporting accused gang members under AEA. Today’s ruling merely lifts the order of Washington DC District Judge James Boasberg, which prevented further deportations under the AEA while the case moves through the courts.

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Iran contradicts Trump’s claim of direct nuclear talks

During a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump announced that The US was preparing for direct talks with Iran over the country’s nuclear program. Trump hinted at this possibility last week during a chat with reporters on Air Force One.

Iran had previously ruled out direct talks with the United States after receiving a letter from Trump requesting them. Indeed, officials in Tehran issued a statement which confirmed that talks were in the works but that any talks would be indirect. Reports indicate that Oman will most likely act as an intermediary.

In recent weeks, both Trump and Netanyahu have been deploying increasingly warlike rhetoric with regard to Iran. This has sparked fears that Netanyahu had at long last found an ally in the US to fulfill his his long-stated desire to declare all-out war on Iran.

With the future costs of veterans’ care costs and debt servicing are factored in, it’s estimated that our post 9/11 wars in the Middle East from 2001-2021, including Iraq and Afghanistan, cost the US tax payers about $8 trillion. A war with Iran would be far more costly than the Iraq invasion, and potentially far more deadly to American troops already stationed in the Middle East. At present there are about 50,000 US troops stationed in several countries in the region, all of which are within reach of Iranian hypersonic missiles and drones.

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