Letters from an American December 26, 2025
30 snips
Dec 27, 2025 The podcast dives into the Supreme Court's preliminary ruling on the legality of Trump's federalization of the National Guard. It explores the implications of the Posse Comitatus Act regarding military use in domestic law enforcement. A discussion on Kavanaugh’s take on racial profiling during immigration stops highlights troubling consequences for U.S. citizens. The revelations about Trump’s connections to Epstein raise alarms, with mounting pressure on the DOJ and signs of GOP fractures in response to the scandal.
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Court Limits Military Use Domestically
- The Supreme Court preliminarily found Trump's federalization of the Illinois National Guard likely unlawful under Posse Comitatus.
- The Court said the president must first show statutory or constitutional authority to use the regular military and inability of regular forces to execute the laws.
Kavanaugh Reframes Immigration Stops
- Justice Kavanaugh's concurrence reasserted Fourth Amendment limits on immigration stops and warned against race- or ethnicity-based interior stops.
- He emphasized stops need reasonable suspicion, must be brief, arrests need probable cause, and force must not be excessive.
Citizens Harmed By Immigration Stops
- Heather Cox Richardson recounts incidents where citizens were threatened, beaten, and detained after the Court allowed certain immigration stops.
- She cites the case of Dolce Consuelo Diaz Morales, a U.S.-born woman held by ICE despite producing a birth certificate and immunization records.