Great LakesQ
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qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
Great LakesQ
@qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.9K following 3.3K posts
🌈Passionate advocate. Loves working with smarty pants folks to create innovative solutions to seemingly intractable challenges.
Great Lakes, LGBTQ, health (HIV/cancer) enviro bi-national with 🇨🇦 policy wonk. Loves elevating 🎶 & women’s sports ball.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Great LakesQ
anneapplebaum.bsky.social
visasnews.com/en/us-social...
US: social media analysis, mandatory mobile app, biometric data… ESTA is about to undergo major changes
In an official notice, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the ESTA application process, including mandatory new personal data, exclusive use of a mobile app, and ex...
visasnews.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:25 PM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
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anneapplebaum.bsky.social Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 2h
It's not just social media. Looks like visitors to the US from Europe and other countries that are part of the visa waiver program will have to submit an enormous amount of data about themselves and their families, including DNA, if proposed new rules are accepted
December 12, 2025 at 2:36 PM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
👇👇
jonseidel.bsky.social Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 15h
FLAGGING: Though it blocked Judge Cummings' release order, this 7th Circuit opinion finds the Trump administration is "not likely to succeed" on its claim that detainees are subject to mandatory detention under a new reading of immigration law.

That reading "upends decades of practice," it notes.
December 12, 2025 at 3:34 AM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
Media please report in repeat!

This is a big deal!!

& the electoral loses, Indiana not bowing down

Tell this story. They are losing control.

& ask why Northwestern, law firms are choosing to join in, it is because they support the policies. Name it. They want & support project 2025/26.
djbyrnes1.bsky.social Dave Byrnes @djbyrnes1.bsky.social · 14h
Acquittals, dismissals, and grand juries that won't indict: In the Chicago area and elsewhere in the country, federal prosecutions have repeatedly fallen apart against those opposed to the Trump admin's mass deportation campaigns.

My latest for @southsideweekly.bsky.social:
In Immigration Protest Cases, Feds Keep Striking Out
The Justice Department has aggressively prosecuted those who protest its mass deportation campaigns, but many of those prosecutions have fallen apart.
southsideweekly.com
December 12, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
NEW: The Trump administration's authoritarian house of cards is starting to fall down.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is "[o]n his way home." Another grand jury rejected DOJ's effort to indict Letitia James. And, Indiana Republicans said no to Trump's redistricting pressure.

Tonight, at Law Dork:
The Trump administration's authoritarian house of cards is starting to fall down
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is "[o]n his way home." Another grand jury rejected DOJ's effort to indict Letitia James. And, Indiana Republicans said no to Trump's redistricting pressure.
www.lawdork.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
“The power Trump and allies are seeking is real — but so much of the power they claim to already have is imagined.”

Today at Law Dork: www.lawdork.com/p/abrego-gar...
The power Trump and allies are seeking is real — but so much of the power they claim to already have is imagined. It’s sleight of hand pushed out by lawless executive orders, by visuals like Gregory Bovino stormtrooping into city after city, and by social media tirades. Trump is a worn-out magician who still has die-hard fans but is losing his ability to keep the audience under his spell. And though House Speaker Mike Johnson is Trump’s eager assistant in Congress and the Supreme Court’s Republican appointees appear at times to be little more than Trump’s plants in the judicial branch, the cards are starting to fall.
December 12, 2025 at 12:55 AM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
This is dangerous, authoritarian, big brother 👇👇👇
chrisgeidner.bsky.social Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 13h
Oh, this a very good catch. (As always.)
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 13h
One under-appreciated part of this: note the bit below about “and their dependents.”

Under the Trump admin’s new policy, dependent children of visa applicants are not allowed to have their social media set to private during the entire visa process. They MUST make their social media public.
December 12, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
jonseidel.bsky.social
Mark Fleming of the National Immigrant Justice Center tells me that, despite the ruling's bottom line, the 7th Circuit is now the first federal appeals court to reject the Trump administration's new reading of immigration law — used to hold people in mandatory detention.
December 12, 2025 at 2:11 AM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
They truly do not understand the middle of the country, especially great lakes states. We work together every day.

Indiana should be a wake up call. Change is coming.

& heritage foundation we know a nice cold lake you can jump in 🤬
mrsbettybowers.bsky.social Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 12h
HERITAGE FOUNDATION: "Nice state ya got there. Pity if anything happened to it."

INDIANA: "Oh, *do* fuck off."
December 12, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
mrsbettybowers.bsky.social
HERITAGE FOUNDATION: "Nice state ya got there. Pity if anything happened to it."

INDIANA: "Oh, *do* fuck off."
December 12, 2025 at 1:59 AM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
Reporting that is rooted in humanity. Thank you @propublica.org 💕
propublica.org ProPublica @propublica.org · 11h
ProPublica spoke to about 150 people who had lived in homeless encampments when cities cleared them out in “sweeps.”

We distributed notecards so people could tell us about the toll in their own words.

➡️ This is what they wrote: https://propub.li/3MTlm33
Handwritten notecard. Prompt at the top asks: What object was most devastating for you to lose, and how have you been coping? Answer below: Dentures. Were thrown away and coping isn't somthing I can do. It’s made me feel ugly, unworthy, can’t go get a job with no teeth. So how can get off the streets until another pair can be made?
December 12, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
jkz12769.bsky.social
Yesterday, Spc Sarah Becstrom was laid to rest in West Virginia at a VA National Cemetery.
Surprisingly none of the major major news media mention it. No flags were lower to half staff.
Well the Convicted FElon keeps the news focus on him.
www.wvva.com/2025/12/10/s...
Spc. Sarah Beckstrom laid to rest with full military honors at W.Va. National Cemetery
Spc. Sarah Beckstrom was laid to rest with full military honors Tuesday in Grafton.
www.wvva.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
rbreich.bsky.social
Medicare for all, paid leave, universal childcare.

Busting up big corporations and tackling Wall Street’s greed.

Getting big money out of politics.

Supporting unions and fighting for higher wages.

If Dems want to win back working people, this is the agenda they must support.
December 11, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
jonathanstegall.bsky.social
I figure this'll be an essential one for everybody trying to respond in Minneapolis right now.
mskellymhayes.bsky.social Puff the Magic Hater @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 23h
Our last episode of the year is a conversation about what resisting ICE has looked like in Chicago, what we've learned, what it's cost, and where we go from here. I'm so grateful to Gabe Gonzalez, Rey Wences, and Jocelyn Walsh for this convo. This one is special to me. Audio + transcript:
How We’ve Resisted ICE: Street Lessons From Chicago
“I cannot imagine doing anything else in this moment,” says community defense organizer Gabe Gonzalez.
truthout.org
December 11, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
acyn.bsky.social
Magaziner: How many US military veterans have you deported?

Noem: We have not deported military veterans.

Magaziner: We are joined on zoom by a gentleman who is an army combat veteran who was shot twice while serving our country. You deported him to Korea.
December 11, 2025 at 5:18 PM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
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December 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
BREAKING: Judge Xinis orders ICE’s release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia “immediately.”
KILMAR ARMANDO ABREGO GARCIA, Petitioner, v. KRISTINOEM, et al., Respondents. ・・・・・ Civil Action No. 8:25-cv-02780-PX ORDER For the reasons stated in the foregoing Memorandum Opinion, it is this 1ith day of December, 2025, by the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, ORDERED that: 1. Petitioner Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia's Petition for habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 at ECF No. 1 is hereby GRANTED; 2. Respondents SHALL release Abrego Garcia from ICE custody immediately; 3. Respondents SHALL notify Abrego Garcia's counsel of the exact time and location of his release no fewer than four hours prior to releasing him, and notify the Court of the status of Abrego Garcia's release by email to chambers no later than 5:00 p.m. today, Thursday, December 11, 2025; 4. A representative of the United States Pretrial Services Office for this District SHALL separately contact Abrego Garcia's criminal counsel with further instruction for installation on the release conditions previously imposed in his criminal case, United States v. Abrego Garcia, No. 3:25-CR-00115-1 (M.D. Tenn.); | 5. Respondents SHALL immediately transmit this Order and the accompanying Case 8:25-cv-02780-PX| Document 111 Filed 12/11/25 Page 2 of 2 Memorandum Opinion to all relevant officers, agents, and employees under their control and who are involved in this matter and the pending criminal case, United States v. Abrego Garcia, No. 3:25-CR-00115-1 (M.D. Tenn.); 6. Within a week of the date of this Order, by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 18, 2025, the parties SHALL submit a joint status report as to the parties' position regarding resolution of Respondents' pending motion to dissolve at ECF No. 72; and 7. The Clerk is DIRECTED to transmit a copy of this Order to all counsel of record. December 11, 2025 Date /s/ Paula Xinis United States District Judge
December 11, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
stevevladeck.bsky.social
Maybe this new blog can respond, in one of its first posts, to the argument that the term “interim docket” is a deliberately misleading attempt to minimize the (very permanent) doctrinal and real-world consequences of #SCOTUS’s rulings on emergency applications?

www.stevevladeck.com/p/177-the-no...
Picture of tweet announcing SCOTUSblog’s launch of a new “interim docket” blog.
December 11, 2025 at 3:59 PM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
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motherjones.com Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 22h
The US wants five years of some tourists' social media to enter the country. Digital rights advocates say the plan is an affront to civil liberties.
US wants five years of some tourists' social media to enter the country
Digital rights advocates say it’s an affront to civil liberties.
www.motherjones.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
klasfeldreports.com
BREAKING

Kilmar Abrego Garcia must be immediately RELEASED from immigration custody, a federal judge rules.

Story soon on All Rise News www.allrisenews.com/subscribe
Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia (“Abrego Garcia”) petitions this Court for a writ of habeas corpus to release him from the custody of Respondents, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) Kristi Noem, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) Director Todd Lyons, ICE Baltimore Field Office Director Nikita Baker, and Attorney General Pamela Bondi. ECF No. 1. Since Abrego Garcia’s return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained, again without lawful authority. Id. For this reason, the Court will GRANT Abrego Garcia’s Petition for immediate release from ICE custody.
December 11, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
rosesbloom24.bsky.social
Two Democratic lawmakers — U.S. Reps. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) — have expressed “serious national security concerns” over Paramount Skydance‘s hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.

variety.com/2025/film/ne...
Democratic Reps Warn WBD That Paramount’s Takeover Bid Raises National Security Concerns Over Saudi and Other Foreign Investors
Democratic lawmakers expressed "serious national security concerns" over Paramount Skydance's acquisition offer for Warner Bros. Discovery.
variety.com
December 10, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
jonseidel.bsky.social
Federal grand jury rejects another 'Midway Blitz' case, this time against Laugh Factory manager

From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
Federal grand jury rejects another 'Midway Blitz' case, this time against Laugh Factory manager
It’s considered extremely rare for federal prosecutors in Chicago to be turned down by a grand jury. A magistrate judge recently noted that, until the last few months, he’d only heard of it occurring ...
chicago.suntimes.com
December 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
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jonseidel.bsky.social Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 1d
JUST IN: Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell just confirmed, at the prodding of U.S. Magistrate Judge Keri Holleb Hotaling, that this motion for dismissal followed a "no bill" from a grand jury.

That means the grand jury refused to indict.
jonseidel.bsky.social Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 8d
U.S. prosecutors in Chicago are dropping another case tied to Operation Midway Blitz, "without prejudice."

It's USA v. Nathan Griffin. Below is the motion, followed by excerpts from the complaint.

The feds don't say why they're dropping it, but they had until today to secure an indictment.
December 10, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Great LakesQ
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
NEW: Following last week’s arguments, Judge Charles Breyer orders an end to Trump’s federalization and deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles.

The order is stayed until noon PT Monday (Dec. 15).

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
United States District Court Northern District of California 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA GAVIN NEWSOM, et al., Plaintiffs, Case No. 25-cv-04870-CRB ORDER GRANTING RENEWED MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION v. DONALD J. TRUMP, et al., Defendants. The Founders designed our government to be a system of checks and balances.' Defendants, however, make clear that the only check they want is a blank one. Six months after they first federalized the California National Guard, Defendants still retain control of approximately 300 Guardsmen, despite no evidence that execution of federal law is impeded in any way—let alone significantly. What's more, Defendants have sent California Guardsmen into other states, effectively creating a national police force made up of state troops. In response to Plaintiffs' motion to enjoin this conduct, Defendants take the position that, after a valid initial federalization, all subsequent re-federalizations are completely, and forever, unreviewable by the courts. Defendants' position is contrary to law. Accordingly, the Court ENJOINS Defendants' federalization of California National Guard troops. ' The Federalist No. 51 (James Madison) ("TO what expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places."). IV. CONCLUSION For the foregoing reasons, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction. • Defendants are temporarily ENJOINED from deploying members of the California National Guard in Los Angeles. 33 • Defendants are DIRECTED to return control of the California National Case 3:25-cv-04870-CRB Document 225 Filed 12/10/25 Page 35 of 35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Guard to Governor Newsom. • The Court STAYS this order until noon on Monday, December 15, 2025. • Plaintiffs are ORDERED to post a nominal bond of $100 within 24 hours. The bond shall be filed in the Clerk's Office and be deposited into the registry of the Court. If said bond is not posted by the aforementioned date and time, this Order shall be dissolved. IT IS SO ORDERED. Dated: December 10, 2025 CHARLES R. BREYER United States District Judge
December 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
qglpolicywonk.bsky.social
@muellershewrote.com just keep tossing charges

Worth watching & keeping track (perhaps a running total of cases lost or dropped) in all states/cities they come through @propublica.org & @maddow.bsky.social
December 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM