Searches and Seizures
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The War Against “Illegal Aliens” (Part 4)
A federal statute, 8 U.S.C. §1357(a)(1), authorizes federal immigration officers to briefly detain “any alien or person believed to be an alien,” for the purpose of interrogating him “as to his right to be or to remain in the United States.” At least until very recently, federal immigration officers working under the Department of Homeland… Continue reading
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RE: SHOOTING A PROTESTOR II
On Saturday, January 17, 2026, a second incident occurred in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where federal agents shot and killed a protester whom they thought was interfering with their efforts to enforce federal immigration laws. This time around, the protester was armed with a handgun when he approached the agents to help other protestors who were engaged… Continue reading
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RE: SHOOTING A PROTESTOR
By now, surely most people in the United States are aware of the shooting incident that occurred in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 7, 2026. A federal police officer shot a woman, with an apparent intent to kill her, in the course of an incident where she intentionally obstructed his fellow police officers from carrying out… Continue reading
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Barnes v. Felix
decided May 15, 2025 In applying the Fourth Amendment’s (and the 14th Amendment’s) prohibition against “unreasonable searches and seizures” (U.S. Const. Amendment IV), several federal courts apply a rule known as the “Moment of Threat Rule,” in which the judge or the jury considering a police officer’s use of deadly force against a suspect may… Continue reading
CONSTITUTIONAL INTERPRETATIONS 