Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted of the murder of George Floyd last month, filed a motion for a new trial on Tuesday. The motion for a new trial alleges that the court abused its discretion in a number of instances. According to the motion, Chauvin challenges the court’s denial of [...]
The Canadian government is being sued over its pandemic-era policy of turning back asylum seekers attempting to enter the country at official border crossings. The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL) filed a legal challenge on Tuesday against the Federal government’s decision to restrict access through the Canada-US border, citing in a statement “the severe harm [...]
The Minnesota Senate approved a bill Monday that would require voters to present photo identification at the polls. In Minnesota, the issue of photo ID was previously addressed in 2012, when Minnesotans rejected a constitutional amendment that would have required photo ID for voting. However, following the November 2020 general election, many states have considered [...]
Nine major US sports unions on Monday announced their joint opposition to legislative efforts to impose new voting restrictions. Following the November 2020 election, many states have either considered or have passed legislation restricting the right to vote. In early March, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed legislation that made early voting more difficult, in addition to [...]
US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday announced plans to reunite four migrant families separated at the US-Mexico border under the former Trump administration. Mayorkas will oversee the reunifications under President Joe Biden’s newly-created Family Reunification Task Force — an Executive Order signed by President Biden in February. “Our team is dedicated [...]
The Tennessee House of Representatives Monday adopted and passed SB 1335, which would make Tennessee a Second Amendment sanctuary state, in a 75 to thirteen vote. Under the legislation, “any treaty, executive order, rule, or regulation of the United States government that violates the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution null, void, and unenforceable.” [...]
President Biden announced Monday that he would raise the United States’ refugee admissions cap to 62,500 for fiscal year 2021. Biden previously announced he would retain former President Trump’s 15,000 cap despite promising an increased figure on the campaign trial. In April, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the President wanted to accept more [...]
Guantanamo Bay detainee Abu Zubaydah, who has been detained for 19 years without charges or a trial, filed a complaint on Friday with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions (UNWGAD) requesting intervention in his case. Zubaydah was captured in Pakistan after the September 11 attacks and was held and tortured by the CIA in [...]
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem filed a federal lawsuit on Friday against the US Department of Interior after the National Park Service denied her request to set off fireworks over Mount Rushmore National Monument on the Fourth of July. The use of fireworks over Mount Rushmore was indefinitely canceled in 2010 due to the concern [...]
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday for Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. and PennEast Pipeline Co. v. New Jersey. In PennEast Pipeline Co. v. New Jersey, the Supreme Court will determine whether PennEast Pipeline Co. can run a pipeline through New Jersey’s state-controlled land. PennEast argues that it is permissible to take [...]
