CNN Political Briefing Are We Headed for a Constitutional Crisis?
Apr 18, 2025
Leah Litman, a law professor at the University of Michigan and co-host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny, dives into the escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the judiciary over deportation-related cases. She discusses whether these conflicts signal a looming constitutional crisis. Topics include the legal implications of recent rulings, complexities of immigration law, and the critical role of the Supreme Court. Litman also highlights concerns about democracy's future amidst growing autocratic trends.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Trump Defies Deportation Orders
- The Trump administration ignored a Supreme Court order to facilitate a deportee's return from El Salvador.
- Both the U.S. and El Salvador governments refuse to bring him back, escalating tensions with the courts.
Contempt for Deportation Violations
- A judge found probable cause to hold Trump officials in criminal contempt for ignoring orders to stop deporting Venezuelan gang members.
- The judge demanded the government identify who ignored orders on deportation flights midair.
Rejected Excuses for Ignoring Orders
- The government argued they only had to comply with written orders, not oral ones, and that the court lacked jurisdiction over international waters.
- Both defenses were rejected as legally implausible by the judge who called the actions willful disregard.
