Op-Ed | The Trump administration believes that it has the right to decide what the rule of law is | amNewYork

"This case is about whether the government may, without notice, deport a person to the wrong country, or a country where he is likely to be persecuted, or tortured, thereby depriving that person of the opportunity to seek protections to which he would be undisputedly entitled. The Department of Homeland Security has adopted a policy whereby it may take people and drop them off in parts unknown—in so-called 'third countries'—and, as long as the Department doesn't already know that there's someone standing there waiting to shoot . . . that's fine.' It is not fine nor legal."

"Congress made it the policy of the United States not to expel, extradite, or otherwise effect the involuntary return of any person to a country where that person would be in danger of being subjected to torture. Congress decided that the government may not 'remove' someone to a country where her life or freedom would be threatened' on account of her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.'"

"It is with profound gratitude for the unbelievable luck of being born in the United States of America that this Court affirms these and our nation's bedrock principle: that no person' in this country may be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.'"

Federal Judge Brian Murphy issued an 81-page decision invalidating the Trump administration's policy allowing deportation of undocumented immigrants to countries of the government's choice rather than their home nations. Murphy emphasized that U.S. law prohibits expelling or returning any person to a country where they face torture, persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group membership, or political opinion. The judge affirmed constitutional protections ensuring no person can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process. However, evidence suggests the current administration frequently disregards federal court rulings, with reports indicating it ignores more than one-third of court decisions.

Read at www.amny.com