Burck Smith
@tburck.bsky.social
Baltimorean, Dad, edu entrepreneur not necessarily in that order.
Reposted by Burck Smith
Breaking news: 911 calls from ICE detention staff described the death of Geraldo Lunas Campos as a suicide, which conflicts with an autopsy’s later finding of homicide, according to audio recordings.
ICE detention staff reported death of restrained man as a suicide
The statements to 911 operators the night Geraldo Lunas Campos died appear to conflict with autopsy’s later finding of ‘homicide.’
www.washingtonpost.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Breaking news: 911 calls from ICE detention staff described the death of Geraldo Lunas Campos as a suicide, which conflicts with an autopsy’s later finding of homicide, according to audio recordings.
Reposted by Burck Smith
Reposted by Burck Smith
NEW: Know that ICE memo about not needing a warrant signed by a judge to enter people's homes? A US judge in Minnesota ruled exactly the opposite just days ago. @dell.bsky.social reports: www.wired.com/story/us-jud...
US Judge Rules ICE Raids Require Judicial Warrants, Contradicting Secret ICE Memo
The ruling in federal court in Minnesota lands as Immigration and Customs Enforcement faces scrutiny over an internal memo claiming judge-signed warrants aren’t needed to enter homes without consent.
www.wired.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:26 PM
NEW: Know that ICE memo about not needing a warrant signed by a judge to enter people's homes? A US judge in Minnesota ruled exactly the opposite just days ago. @dell.bsky.social reports: www.wired.com/story/us-jud...
Reposted by Burck Smith
The White House posted a digitally altered image showing a demonstrator involved in interrupting a church service in Minnesota last weekend crying as she was arrested on Thursday.
A previous version of the image, also posted by an official government account, showed her looking forward calmly.
A previous version of the image, also posted by an official government account, showed her looking forward calmly.
White House Posts Altered Photo Showing Arrested Minnesota Protester Crying
The New York Times ran the image posted by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, as well as the one posted by the White House through an A.I. detection system. It concluded that the White House’s version showed signs of manipulation.
nyti.ms
January 23, 2026 at 11:40 AM
The White House posted a digitally altered image showing a demonstrator involved in interrupting a church service in Minnesota last weekend crying as she was arrested on Thursday.
A previous version of the image, also posted by an official government account, showed her looking forward calmly.
A previous version of the image, also posted by an official government account, showed her looking forward calmly.
Reposted by Burck Smith
I would argue that the case for dismantling ICE has, at this point, virtually nothing to do with larger questions of immigration enforcement and reform, it's just clearly incompatible with a free and democratic society to maintain a secret police force with sweeping and arbitrary authority.
Senator Gallego weighs in as well. Note that at the start of 2025 he was considered a *moderate* on immigration and co-sponsored the Laken Riley Act. Him and many other Dems have been increasingly horrified at what ICE is doing and shifted away from a "more enforcement" focus.
January 21, 2026 at 11:09 PM
I would argue that the case for dismantling ICE has, at this point, virtually nothing to do with larger questions of immigration enforcement and reform, it's just clearly incompatible with a free and democratic society to maintain a secret police force with sweeping and arbitrary authority.
Reposted by Burck Smith
Indeed, today's argument could be framed in at least some respects as the Court having to face (and stretch existing doctrinal understandings to account for) the consequences of its own incoherent jurisprudence.
January 21, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Indeed, today's argument could be framed in at least some respects as the Court having to face (and stretch existing doctrinal understandings to account for) the consequences of its own incoherent jurisprudence.
Reposted by Burck Smith
Exactly what we expected
In a remarkable court filing, DOJ also revealed that DOGE employees traded Social Security data on an unapproved third party server — Cloudflare — and may have sent private SSA info to a top DOGE adviser. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
January 20, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Exactly what we expected
Reposted by Burck Smith
The Catholic archbishop of the U.S. military services said it “would be morally acceptable to disobey” orders if troops considered them against their conscience.
‘Morally acceptable’ for U.S. troops to disobey orders, archbishop says
Timothy P. Broglio, a Vatican senior cleric, expressed concern at President Donald Trump’s U.S. military policy as he pursues Greenland.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:30 PM
The Catholic archbishop of the U.S. military services said it “would be morally acceptable to disobey” orders if troops considered them against their conscience.
Reposted by Burck Smith
This is what happened in our neighborhood yesterday. ICE snatched a human being off of our streets, roughed them up badly, and then pepper sprayed legal observers as they documented it all. This is a daily occurrence happening all throughout Minnesota right now.
January 19, 2026 at 3:46 PM
This is what happened in our neighborhood yesterday. ICE snatched a human being off of our streets, roughed them up badly, and then pepper sprayed legal observers as they documented it all. This is a daily occurrence happening all throughout Minnesota right now.
Reposted by Burck Smith
Bruce Springsteen: “ICE should get the fuck out of Minneapolis.”
January 19, 2026 at 1:40 AM
Bruce Springsteen: “ICE should get the fuck out of Minneapolis.”
Reposted by Burck Smith
The Governors of the free States of America, particularly Democratic states, need to hold a summit to create a deliberative body and as a framework for collective action against those who would wage war against those states
January 17, 2026 at 10:39 PM
The Governors of the free States of America, particularly Democratic states, need to hold a summit to create a deliberative body and as a framework for collective action against those who would wage war against those states
Reposted by Burck Smith
It’s amazing watching the U.S. cede the global auto market to China. We’re 24–36 months away from utter devastation in U.S. vehicle exports, because both automakers and the U.S. are scared of EVs, because a dozen petroleum executives have a whole political party at their beck and call.
December 31, 2024 at 7:29 PM
It’s amazing watching the U.S. cede the global auto market to China. We’re 24–36 months away from utter devastation in U.S. vehicle exports, because both automakers and the U.S. are scared of EVs, because a dozen petroleum executives have a whole political party at their beck and call.
Reposted by Burck Smith
Over the past decade, US immigration agents have shot and killed more than two dozen people. Not a single agent appears to have faced criminal charges. www.wired.com/story/why-ic...
Why ICE Can Kill With Impunity
Over the past decade, US immigration agents have shot and killed more than two dozen people. Not a single agent appears to have faced criminal charges.
www.wired.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Over the past decade, US immigration agents have shot and killed more than two dozen people. Not a single agent appears to have faced criminal charges. www.wired.com/story/why-ic...
Reposted by Burck Smith
They literally always accuse protesters of being paid because 1) it shifts the terrain of the debate and 2) it reassures their base that no one legitimately holds a contrary position. They take comfort in thinking that anyone who disagrees with Trump is either brainwashed or a cynic.
ICE keeps saying the people protesting it are being paid without any evidence, but we have receipts showing that the people *defending* ICE are absolutely being paid.
And yet we only hear lies about the former on cable news.
And yet we only hear lies about the former on cable news.
relevant to the debate over whether we should keep funding DHS without reforms and accountability for how out of control their spending is
January 15, 2026 at 4:36 PM
They literally always accuse protesters of being paid because 1) it shifts the terrain of the debate and 2) it reassures their base that no one legitimately holds a contrary position. They take comfort in thinking that anyone who disagrees with Trump is either brainwashed or a cynic.
Reposted by Burck Smith
“The most wealthy and powerful tech CEOs are still staying silent as ICE floods America’s streets, but now some researchers and engineers working for them have chosen to break rank.”
Great @laurengoode.bsky.social story:
Great @laurengoode.bsky.social story:
Tech Workers Are Condemning ICE Even as Their CEOs Stay Quiet
The killing of George Floyd in 2020 prompted a wave of statements from tech companies and CEOs. Today, pushback against ICE is largely coming from employees, not executives.
www.wired.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:06 AM
“The most wealthy and powerful tech CEOs are still staying silent as ICE floods America’s streets, but now some researchers and engineers working for them have chosen to break rank.”
Great @laurengoode.bsky.social story:
Great @laurengoode.bsky.social story:
Reposted by Burck Smith
New: Bezos Abandons His Post
Inside the Washington Post newsroom, after the FBI raided reporter Hannah Natanson’s home, where shock has given way to mounting frustration over the billionaire owner’s silence
www.status.news/p/washington...
Inside the Washington Post newsroom, after the FBI raided reporter Hannah Natanson’s home, where shock has given way to mounting frustration over the billionaire owner’s silence
www.status.news/p/washington...
Bezos Abandons His Post
The FBI’s disturbing raid on a Washington Post reporter ignited widespread outrage across journalism, but Jeff Bezos stayed conspicuously silent—angering some inside the newsroom, Status has learned.
www.status.news
January 15, 2026 at 2:45 AM
New: Bezos Abandons His Post
Inside the Washington Post newsroom, after the FBI raided reporter Hannah Natanson’s home, where shock has given way to mounting frustration over the billionaire owner’s silence
www.status.news/p/washington...
Inside the Washington Post newsroom, after the FBI raided reporter Hannah Natanson’s home, where shock has given way to mounting frustration over the billionaire owner’s silence
www.status.news/p/washington...
Reposted by Burck Smith
Days away from the first anniversary of President Trump’s second term in office, grocery prices are still rising, as he continues to falsely claim otherwise. It undercuts his administration’s rhetoric about how it is making life more affordable for average Americans.
Food Prices Keep Climbing, Rattling Consumers and Trump
Weather, supply, tariffs, labor and changing consumer habits continue to drive up the cost of groceries. President Trump falsely claims prices are falling.
nyti.ms
January 15, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Days away from the first anniversary of President Trump’s second term in office, grocery prices are still rising, as he continues to falsely claim otherwise. It undercuts his administration’s rhetoric about how it is making life more affordable for average Americans.
Reposted by Burck Smith
Happening Now: Students have walked out of school and are protesting against ICE in Saint Paul, Minnesota
January 14, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Happening Now: Students have walked out of school and are protesting against ICE in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Reposted by Burck Smith
They aren’t spending your money well.
January 14, 2026 at 10:15 PM
They aren’t spending your money well.
Reposted by Burck Smith
This is 10th-grader Arnoldo Bazan.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
January 13, 2026 at 10:20 PM
This is 10th-grader Arnoldo Bazan.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
Reposted by Burck Smith
The letter from Bill and Hillary Clinton to James Comer explaining their refusal to testify in his Epstein investigation is really remarkable, not like any letter of this genre I've seen. It's signed by them, not a lawyer, and the arguments are not legal ones. Reprinted from their X account:
January 13, 2026 at 6:20 PM
The letter from Bill and Hillary Clinton to James Comer explaining their refusal to testify in his Epstein investigation is really remarkable, not like any letter of this genre I've seen. It's signed by them, not a lawyer, and the arguments are not legal ones. Reprinted from their X account:
Reposted by Burck Smith
A few months ago, ICE hired me
I didn't sign and submit any paperwork. I almost certainly failed the drug test. I'm real outspoken about my opposition to the Trump administration, and I am extremely googlable
And yet, there it was, in plain English. "Welcome to ICE!"
My latest for Slate
I didn't sign and submit any paperwork. I almost certainly failed the drug test. I'm real outspoken about my opposition to the Trump administration, and I am extremely googlable
And yet, there it was, in plain English. "Welcome to ICE!"
My latest for Slate
You’ve Heard About Who ICE Is Recruiting. The Truth Is Far Worse. I’m the Proof.
What happens when you do minimal screening before hiring agents, arming them, and sending them into the streets? We're all finding out.
slate.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:11 PM
A few months ago, ICE hired me
I didn't sign and submit any paperwork. I almost certainly failed the drug test. I'm real outspoken about my opposition to the Trump administration, and I am extremely googlable
And yet, there it was, in plain English. "Welcome to ICE!"
My latest for Slate
I didn't sign and submit any paperwork. I almost certainly failed the drug test. I'm real outspoken about my opposition to the Trump administration, and I am extremely googlable
And yet, there it was, in plain English. "Welcome to ICE!"
My latest for Slate
Reposted by Burck Smith
Reposted by Burck Smith
This is the only way to do it
BREAKING: Senator Mark Kelly sues Pete Hegseth, DOD, and others over Hegseth's censure of Kelly and effort to reduce his retirement grade, alleging violations of the First Amendment, due process, Speech & Debate Clause, and federal laws.
Kelly is represented by Arnold & Porter.
Kelly is represented by Arnold & Porter.
January 12, 2026 at 7:41 PM
This is the only way to do it
Reposted by Burck Smith
Goo but not enough. She, Collins, Tillis, & Paul need to caucus with the Democrats until the lawless authoritarianism stops. John Thune & the current GOP majority are violating their oaths & allowing the crimes & authoritarianism to go unpunished.
Good statement from Sen. Murkowski, who threatens to investigate DOJ
January 12, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Goo but not enough. She, Collins, Tillis, & Paul need to caucus with the Democrats until the lawless authoritarianism stops. John Thune & the current GOP majority are violating their oaths & allowing the crimes & authoritarianism to go unpunished.