Ms.Smith, Esq.
@mssmithesq.bsky.social
civil rights attorney. parent of two wild things. sometimes runner. DC by way of Baltimore & Kentucky. i like food. formerly: civil legal aid; middle school teacher.
Pinned
Ms.Smith, Esq.
@mssmithesq.bsky.social
· Nov 22
Hiiii first post here! Head nods to the #lawtwitter #edutwitter folks, who I think I'm slowly finding. Also looking around for the #DC & #baltimore crowds. Cautiously optimistic about doing more chatting and less lurking over here, but we'll see! 😬😅
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
The Project 2025 author is using millions of dollars in USAID money for his own security detail.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
Exclusive: White House uses USAID funds for budget director Vought's security, documents show
The White House budget office is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's budget chief and an archit...
www.reuters.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:46 PM
The Project 2025 author is using millions of dollars in USAID money for his own security detail.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
If you're currently a student at a college with a faculty member who showed up in the Epstein files, I'd like to talk to you about the campus response for an article. You can reach me at [email protected] or millionbear.44 on Signal.
February 13, 2026 at 12:14 AM
If you're currently a student at a college with a faculty member who showed up in the Epstein files, I'd like to talk to you about the campus response for an article. You can reach me at [email protected] or millionbear.44 on Signal.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
I'm still SHOCKED by the obscene rise in billionaire election spending since Citizens United in the NYT piece, despite already knowing that election corruption w/ $ was profound. (Recall that BCRA fought dangerous campaign $ in *2002*)
The article data didn't have a graph, so I made one to show it.
The article data didn't have a graph, so I made one to show it.
February 12, 2026 at 2:26 PM
I'm still SHOCKED by the obscene rise in billionaire election spending since Citizens United in the NYT piece, despite already knowing that election corruption w/ $ was profound. (Recall that BCRA fought dangerous campaign $ in *2002*)
The article data didn't have a graph, so I made one to show it.
The article data didn't have a graph, so I made one to show it.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
I don’t really know what I expect in posting this, but maybe some people see it and can learn from it.
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
February 11, 2026 at 9:56 PM
I don’t really know what I expect in posting this, but maybe some people see it and can learn from it.
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
To everyone thanking me, much appreciated but not why I posted! Pls support your local immigrant defense group like:
The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota: www.ilcm.org/donate/
Or my hometown LUCE: www.lucemass.org/donate
Or Google your city/state & “immigrant defense” to find your local heroes!
The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota: www.ilcm.org/donate/
Or my hometown LUCE: www.lucemass.org/donate
Or Google your city/state & “immigrant defense” to find your local heroes!
February 12, 2026 at 12:29 AM
To everyone thanking me, much appreciated but not why I posted! Pls support your local immigrant defense group like:
The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota: www.ilcm.org/donate/
Or my hometown LUCE: www.lucemass.org/donate
Or Google your city/state & “immigrant defense” to find your local heroes!
The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota: www.ilcm.org/donate/
Or my hometown LUCE: www.lucemass.org/donate
Or Google your city/state & “immigrant defense” to find your local heroes!
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
I can confirm this is true and I can also say that the lack of an eviction moratorium is fueling this trend.
Friends from Minneapolis reporting to me that things are at the point where folks are being hidden in other people's houses and we are in the "again" part of "never again" which the "never" was supposed to preclude
February 10, 2026 at 11:33 PM
I can confirm this is true and I can also say that the lack of an eviction moratorium is fueling this trend.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
so much of our present misery is just a giant, prolonged backlash to integration
February 8, 2026 at 5:56 PM
so much of our present misery is just a giant, prolonged backlash to integration
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
I disagree with Congressman Gonzales that 5-year-old American citizen children are helped in any way by their kindergarten classmates being kisbnapped and disappeared by marked, armed thugs.
Gonzales on Liam Ramos and his family: "They're not gonna qualify for asylum. So what do you do with all the people that go through the process and do not qualify for asylum? You deport them. I understand that 5-year-old and it breaks my heart. I also think, what about that 5-year-old US citizen?"
February 8, 2026 at 5:05 PM
I disagree with Congressman Gonzales that 5-year-old American citizen children are helped in any way by their kindergarten classmates being kisbnapped and disappeared by marked, armed thugs.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
The current regime took a week to abolish USAID, which is three times as old and was not in the news every day for brutalizing children
“We cannot just abolish ICE!”
Bestie, you are older than ICE.
Bestie, you are older than ICE.
February 8, 2026 at 3:59 PM
The current regime took a week to abolish USAID, which is three times as old and was not in the news every day for brutalizing children
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
His GoFundMe is here: www.gofundme.com/f/support-le... - I donated a few days ago.
February 8, 2026 at 3:49 AM
His GoFundMe is here: www.gofundme.com/f/support-le... - I donated a few days ago.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries.
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
Donate to Support for Washington Post international employees, organized by Michelle Lee
Among the hundreds of journalists laid off by The Washington Post on … Michelle Lee needs your support for Support for Washington Post international employees
www.gofundme.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:37 AM
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries.
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
please watch:
Highlighting the speaker who stood in front of the Surprise mayor and told him to consider what the Mayor of Ohrdruf must’ve thought before he died by suicide: “He might have thought ‘how is this my fault I had no jurisdiction over this’ maybe he said ‘this site was not subject to local zoning.’”
February 4, 2026 at 5:17 PM
please watch:
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government every year from 1994 to 2023.
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
February 3, 2026 at 5:27 PM
The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government every year from 1994 to 2023.
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
The Washington Post Guild just set up a GoFundMe.
www.gofundme.com/f/standing-t...
www.gofundme.com/f/standing-t...
Donate to Washington Post 2026 layoff fund, organized by Rachel Siegel
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, The Washington Post laid off hundreds of journalists. We ar… Rachel Siegel needs your support for Washington Post 2026 layoff fund
www.gofundme.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:02 PM
The Washington Post Guild just set up a GoFundMe.
www.gofundme.com/f/standing-t...
www.gofundme.com/f/standing-t...
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
As far as I know, Tom Suozzi here still does not have a primary challenger in his district (NY-3 on Long Island).
The filing deadline is April 6 for the primary on June 23, and if there's a remotely progressive town council member or PTA president in that district, this is the time to make a move.
The filing deadline is April 6 for the primary on June 23, and if there's a remotely progressive town council member or PTA president in that district, this is the time to make a move.
Confronted Congressman Tom Suozzi, one of seven Democrats casting the decisive votes to increase ICE funding by $10,000,000,000.
January 29, 2026 at 1:45 AM
As far as I know, Tom Suozzi here still does not have a primary challenger in his district (NY-3 on Long Island).
The filing deadline is April 6 for the primary on June 23, and if there's a remotely progressive town council member or PTA president in that district, this is the time to make a move.
The filing deadline is April 6 for the primary on June 23, and if there's a remotely progressive town council member or PTA president in that district, this is the time to make a move.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
The biggest risk in this moment is something sociologists call “symbolic compliance.”
That’s when an institution that is violating civil rights gives the public just enough symbolic victories that accountability efforts lose steam before there has been any meaningful change.
That’s when an institution that is violating civil rights gives the public just enough symbolic victories that accountability efforts lose steam before there has been any meaningful change.
January 26, 2026 at 11:35 PM
The biggest risk in this moment is something sociologists call “symbolic compliance.”
That’s when an institution that is violating civil rights gives the public just enough symbolic victories that accountability efforts lose steam before there has been any meaningful change.
That’s when an institution that is violating civil rights gives the public just enough symbolic victories that accountability efforts lose steam before there has been any meaningful change.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
A thread of MAGA protesting with guns and not getting murdered for it...
Arizona, November 2020
Arizona, November 2020
January 25, 2026 at 10:22 PM
A thread of MAGA protesting with guns and not getting murdered for it...
Arizona, November 2020
Arizona, November 2020
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
A national general strike is needed not just to protest the violence, but to acknowledge the absurdity that we’re all just supposed to carry on with our stupid little daily lives amidst the ambient terrorism of an unchecked state militia executing innocent people in the streets of our country.
January 24, 2026 at 8:33 PM
A national general strike is needed not just to protest the violence, but to acknowledge the absurdity that we’re all just supposed to carry on with our stupid little daily lives amidst the ambient terrorism of an unchecked state militia executing innocent people in the streets of our country.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
they're executing moms and nurses in the street. they're using preschoolers as bait. they're stealing people's dads and grandmas and children. they're tear gassing babies. they're staking out schools. there is no remedy but abolition. any proposal that doesn't start there is an act of violence.
January 24, 2026 at 7:48 PM
they're executing moms and nurses in the street. they're using preschoolers as bait. they're stealing people's dads and grandmas and children. they're tear gassing babies. they're staking out schools. there is no remedy but abolition. any proposal that doesn't start there is an act of violence.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
The people who'll tell you today's murder victim in Minnesota shouldn't have turned up to a protest carrying a gun are the same people who said Kyle Rittenhouse was perfectly entitled to do the same thing.
January 24, 2026 at 5:58 PM
The people who'll tell you today's murder victim in Minnesota shouldn't have turned up to a protest carrying a gun are the same people who said Kyle Rittenhouse was perfectly entitled to do the same thing.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
This is such an important point. That 5-year-old and his dad should never been detained in the first place! That's because they were already in the system and going through the legal process to seek asylum — and their arrest was seemingly just to juice ICE's numbers.
This kid and his father entered via CBP One app. It's just absurd and monumentally unfair for people who availed themselves of lawful channels when they existed by following government processes to suddenly get detained and deported to a third country.
newrepublic.com/article/2056...
newrepublic.com/article/2056...
January 23, 2026 at 6:44 PM
This is such an important point. That 5-year-old and his dad should never been detained in the first place! That's because they were already in the system and going through the legal process to seek asylum — and their arrest was seemingly just to juice ICE's numbers.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
Another question I came here with was: how effective are the whistles and honking? Does it stop abductions? And the answer is, surprisingly to my cynical self, yes, and often. I have talked to so many people who have successfully interrupted kidnappings.
January 23, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Another question I came here with was: how effective are the whistles and honking? Does it stop abductions? And the answer is, surprisingly to my cynical self, yes, and often. I have talked to so many people who have successfully interrupted kidnappings.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
A number of people from out-of-state have been opening tabs at small businesses—coffee shops where people on patrol can grab a drink and warm up, bars where people can be in community, etc. It’s been a deeply appreciated form of solidarity and helps the businesses closing tomorrow.
how (if at all) can we support the minnesota general strike on friday from afar?
January 23, 2026 at 4:27 AM
A number of people from out-of-state have been opening tabs at small businesses—coffee shops where people on patrol can grab a drink and warm up, bars where people can be in community, etc. It’s been a deeply appreciated form of solidarity and helps the businesses closing tomorrow.
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
how (if at all) can we support the minnesota general strike on friday from afar?
January 23, 2026 at 4:15 AM
how (if at all) can we support the minnesota general strike on friday from afar?
Reposted by Ms.Smith, Esq.
"Officers threw flash bangs and tear gas in my car. I got six kids in the car"
"His wife, Destiny Jackson, told FOX 9 their 6-month-old infant stopped breathing and lost consciousness. She then performed CPR on her baby."
"His wife, Destiny Jackson, told FOX 9 their 6-month-old infant stopped breathing and lost consciousness. She then performed CPR on her baby."
January 15, 2026 at 8:22 PM
"Officers threw flash bangs and tear gas in my car. I got six kids in the car"
"His wife, Destiny Jackson, told FOX 9 their 6-month-old infant stopped breathing and lost consciousness. She then performed CPR on her baby."
"His wife, Destiny Jackson, told FOX 9 their 6-month-old infant stopped breathing and lost consciousness. She then performed CPR on her baby."