Judge Jerry W. Blackwell didn’t hold a hearing about immigration policy. He held a show-cause hearing about government compliance, because the court had “so many issues with noncompliance” that it called everyone in.
Here’s the core: the judge says a court order is not advisory and not conditional, the Constitution’s Article III means orders must be obeyed promptly and in good faith, especially when liberty is on the line.
He says detention without lawful authority is a constitutional injury, and then drops a fact that should stop everyone in their tracks: the “overwhelming majority” of the hundreds seen by the court “have been found to be lawfully present as of now.”
The government points to the scale of “Operation Metro Surge.” The judge’s response is basically: scale is not a defense. If the government undertakes an operation that detains large numbers of people, including lawful residents, it assumes a corresponding duty to ensure each detention is constitutional. And he says the quiet part out loud: you cannot detain first and sort out lawful authority later.
This isn’t “left vs right.” This is the foundation: if court orders become optional, the Republic becomes optional.
If you believe in borders, believe in the Constitution too. If you believe in law enforcement, believe in lawful detention and lawful release. That’s what integrity looks like.
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