Podcasts about ahilan arulanantham

This Day in Legal History: Second Confiscation ActOn July 17, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Second Confiscation Act into law, dramatically expanding federal wartime powers during the Civil War. Building on a more limited first version passed in 1861, the new act authorized the seizure of property—particularly land and slaves—from individuals engaged in or supporting the rebellion. It declared that any Confederate supporter who did not surrender within sixty days would have their property “forfeited and seized” by the United States government. Crucially, the law applied even to those who had not been convicted in court, effectively bypassing traditional due process protections.One of the most controversial aspects was the emancipation provision: slaves of disloyal owners were to be “forever free.” While limited in scope—applying only to territories held by Union forces and to those enslaved by rebels—it marked a key moment in the legal evolution of emancipation as a war aim. Lincoln, a lawyer sensitive to constitutional boundaries, had reservations about the law's due process implications. To address these, he issued a “signing statement” urging that the law be enforced in a way that preserved judicial oversight where possible.Still, the act laid the legal groundwork for broader emancipation efforts, including the Emancipation Proclamation issued six months later. It also reflected increasing pressure from abolitionist Republicans in Congress who sought a more aggressive stance against the Confederacy. The Confiscation Act expanded the Union's legal toolkit for undermining Confederate infrastructure and punishing rebellion, though enforcement was often inconsistent on the ground. It pushed the boundaries of property rights and signaled a shift in federal authority during wartime.A U.S. appeals court appears likely to block the Trump administration's effort to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants. During oral arguments on July 16, 2025, a three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals questioned the abrupt reversal of TPS protections just days after President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took office. Judges expressed skepticism about the administration's rationale, particularly since the Biden administration had extended TPS protections until October 2026 only two weeks earlier.Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw questioned how conditions in Venezuela could have changed so significantly in such a short timeframe. Government attorney Drew Ensign argued that the Biden administration's extension was legally insufficient and that agencies have the authority to reconsider decisions. However, Judge Anthony Johnstone countered that policy changes must follow proper legal channels, not be masked as legal corrections. Judge Salvador Mendoza raised concerns that Noem and Trump's comments—some of which he described as “arguably racist”—might reflect racial bias in the policy shift.The TPS Alliance, represented by Ahilan Arulanantham, argued that federal law only allows revisions to TPS decisions for minor corrections, not full reversals. District Judge Edward Chen had already blocked the TPS termination in March, citing discriminatory motivations. The case affects Venezuelans who received TPS in 2023, with their status set to expire in April unless court protections remain in place. If the administration's policy holds, earlier TPS recipients from 2021 could also lose their status by September. Several other lawsuits have also challenged the termination of TPS for Venezuelans and Haitians.US judges skeptical of Trump ending Venezuelan migrants' legal status | ReutersNinth Circuit skeptical of Venezuelan immigration status terminations, despite SCOTUS block | Courthouse News ServiceThe U.S. Department of Justice has fired Maurene Comey, a prominent federal prosecutor and daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, without providing a clear reason. Comey had led high-profile prosecutions, including the conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell in the Jeffrey Epstein case and the recent case against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Two anonymous sources confirmed the dismissal and said Comey received a memo citing the president's Article II constitutional authority to remove federal employees.The move comes amid broader personnel changes at DOJ under the Trump administration, which recently reversed its position on releasing Epstein-related documents—an about-face that has frustrated Trump's supporters. Maurene Comey was part of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan and played a key role in Maxwell's 2022 conviction and sentencing. She also prosecuted Combs, who is currently in jail awaiting sentencing for transporting women for prostitution. Although jurors acquitted Combs of the most serious charges, he remains in custody.The dismissal of Comey follows a pattern of DOJ firings under Attorney General Pam Bondi, who recently terminated several prosecutors involved in investigations tied to Trump, including members of Special Counsel Jack Smith's team. James Comey, fired by Trump in 2017, is currently under investigation alongside former CIA Director John Brennan. Neither the DOJ nor Maurene Comey has commented on her termination.US DOJ fires federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of ex-FBI head James Comey | ReutersEx-FBI Chief James Comey's Daughter Ousted as Federal Prosecutor - BloombergTwenty U.S. states—mostly led by Democratic governors—filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from ending a federal grant program aimed at disaster prevention. The program, known as Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), was launched in 2018 to help fund infrastructure improvements that protect communities from natural disasters such as floods and wildfires. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boston, argues that FEMA acted beyond its legal authority when it terminated the program in April without congressional approval.The states, led by Washington and Massachusetts, assert that ending BRIC violates the separation of powers, as Congress explicitly funded the program and made disaster mitigation a key function of FEMA. They also contend that the decision-makers at FEMA—former acting director Cameron Hamilton and his successor David Richardson—were not lawfully appointed and therefore lacked authority to shut down the program.FEMA defended the decision by claiming the program had become wasteful and politicized, but bipartisan lawmakers criticized the move, especially given BRIC's importance to rural and tribal communities. Over the past four years, the program has awarded approximately $4.5 billion for nearly 2,000 projects, including flood walls, road improvements, and evacuation centers.The lawsuit comes amid scrutiny over FEMA's recent handling of deadly floods in Texas, which killed over 130 people, reinforcing concerns about cutting pre-disaster funding. The plaintiff states are seeking a preliminary injunction to reinstate the BRIC program while the case proceeds.Trump administration sued by US states for cutting disaster prevention grants | ReutersFEMA Sued By 20 States Over Cuts to Disaster Mitigation ProgramGeorge Retes, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran, says he was wrongfully detained for three days following an immigration raid at a cannabis farm in Camarillo, California. Retes, who works as a security guard at the site, described a violent arrest by federal agents during a chaotic scene involving protestors. He alleges that officers broke his car window, used tear gas on him, and restrained him forcefully, despite his repeated statements that he was a citizen and an employee.The raid was part of a broader immigration enforcement effort under the Trump administration, which began ramping up in June. Retes claims he was never told what he was being charged with and was taken to a downtown Los Angeles facility without explanation. He missed his daughter's third birthday while detained and now plans to sue the federal government.Immigrant rights groups have warned that U.S. citizens and legal residents are sometimes wrongly caught up in such raids. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Retes' arrest and release, stating that his case, among others, is under review by the U.S. Attorney's Office for potential federal charges. Retes condemned the treatment he received and called for greater accountability, saying no one—regardless of immigration status—should be subjected to such abuse.US citizen says he was jailed for three days after California immigration raid | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Trump has invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime authority, to summarily deport suspected members of a Venezuelan gang. He also invoked a Cold War-era statute to deport a student activist at Columbia University. In this episode, Adam Cox of New York University and Ilya Somin of George Mason University join to discuss the scope of the president's deportation power and to evaluate whether the administration violated the due process or speech rights of the deportees.  Resources  Adam Cox and Cristina Rodríguez, The President and Immigration Law (2020)  Ilya Somin, Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom (2021)  Adam Cox and Ahilan Arulanantham, “Explainer on First Amendment and Due Process Issues in Deportation of Pro-Palestinian Student Activist(s),” Just Security (March 12, 2025)  Ilya Somin, “The Case Against Deporting Immigrants for ‘Pro-Terrorist' Speech,” Volokh Conspiracy (March 10, 2025)  Ilya Somin, “What Just Happened: The “Invasion” Executive Order and Its Dangerous Implications” Just Security (January 28, 2025)  Adam Cox, “The Invention of Immigration Exceptionalism,” Yale Law Review (November 2024)  Bridges v. Wixon (1945)  Harisiades v. Shaughnessy (1952) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube. Support our important work. Donate

Trump has come out in favor of combining many of his biggest priorities into one big budget reconciliation bill – because the budget reconciliation impacts the economy, this bill is not subject to filibuster by the Democrats; so, it could pass the Senate with 50 Republican votes. But some Republicans are likely to resist – Harold Meyerson comments. Also: Trump's “dictatorship on day one” will feature executive orders to deport undocumented residents. Ahilan Arulanantham, co-director of the Center for Immigration Law & Policy at UCLA Law School, explains the legal strategy to be deployed by the sanctuary states and cities to challenge Trump's orders. Plus: Trump & Golf: The Saudi-backed LIV golf league will return to Trump's Doral Resort in April 2025 – the clearest sign yet that Trump family business deals using Saudi government financing will continue into the new presidency. The legendary sportswriter Robert Lipsyte comments on Trump and golf. (broadcast originally in August 2017)

On this episode of Start Making Sense: Trump's ‘dictatorship on day one' will feature executive orders to deport undocumented residents. Ahilan Arulanantham, co-director of the Center for Immigration Law & Policy at UCLA Law School, will explain the legal strategy to be deployed by the sanctuary states and cities,Also: Not everything is about Donald Trump. The Geneva Freeport, for example – where it doesn't matter who is president of the US. The Freeport is a place where the world's richest people hide art, jewelry, and other wealth from tax officials, creditors, and sometimes spouses. Atossa Araxia Abrahamian has our analysis--her new book is “The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World.”

President-elect Trump and his team want to end DACA and the Temporary Protected Status program – which could make nearly a million people vulnerable to deportation. They've said they'd use the military to carry out mass detentions and deportations. If enacted, these proposals are all but guaranteed to face legal challenges — as they did during the last Trump administration. But some advocates worry that federal courts could prove friendlier to Trump policies than last time. We'll talk with UCLA law professor Ahilan Arulanantham about the likelihood Trump's latest proposals will become reality and the impact they'll have on immigrant communities. Guests: Ahilan Arulanantham, Faculty Co-Director, Center for Immigration Law and Policy, UCLA Law - former Legal Director ACLU of Southern California

0:08 — Louis Charbonneau is the United Nations director at Human Rights Watch. 0:33 — Ahlam Muhtaseb is a professor of media studies at California State University, San Bernardino. She is Co-chair of the California Faculty Association's Palestine, Arab and Muslim caucus. Anonymous speaker, who is a faculty member in San Luis Obispo. 0:45 — Karely Amaya Rios, is a graduate student of public policy at UCLA and lead organizer of the Opportunity for All campaign. Ahilan Arulanantham is Professor from Practice and Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy (CILP) at the UCLA School of Law. The post The History of UNRWA and Impact of Aid Funding Cuts; Plus, Cal Poly SLO Pro-Palestinian Protestors Attacked by Police; UC Regents Employment for Undocumented Students appeared first on KPFA.

Ahilan Arulanantham is a human rights lawyer and Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law. He's also the faculty co-director of the school's Center for Immigration Law and Policy. Ahilan has dedicated his career to defending the rights of immigrants, and his work has earned him numerous awards and accolades. He was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship and recently received the ACLU of Southern California's Bill of Rights Award for his tireless advocacy on behalf of marginalized communities.  Ahilan joins host Carter Carroll to talk about the work he is doing, TPS challenges, and more.

Ahilan Arulanantham is a Lawyer, Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law (@uclalawschool). He has successfully litigated a number of cases involving immigrants' rights, particularly the rights of people facing deportation from the US. He has been Senior Counsel and Director of Advocacy/Legal Director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU, @aclu_nationwide) of Southern California and was the recipient of a 2016 MacArthur Fellow (a "Genius Grant").He joins Ara on this week's episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss winning a MacArthur Fellow Grant (@macfound) for $625,000 for a five-year period, the importance of immigrants in Canada and the US, working on the FBI vs. Fazaga case at the Supreme Court, defending the rights of immigrants including unrepresented children, dealing with Tamil food cravings while growing up in California, and much more.Follow Ahilan:- Twitter (https://twitter.com/ahilan_toolong) Timestamps00:19 - Ara introduces this week's guest, Ahilan Arulanantham01:34 - His upbringing; what spared his passion for law and human rights03:57 - Dealing with Tamil food cravings while growing up in USA; Hopper Hut07:50 - Winning and donating 25-30% of his $625,00 MacArthur Fellow Grant13:59 - What is Temporary Protected Status and why Trump tried to end it20:19 - Ahilan explains and why Obama introduced it during his administration24:02 - What ICE is, why it was created, and how it affects immigrant rights28:30 - The importance of immigrants in Canada and the US30:18 - Dysfunctional prison systems; Ahilan's secondary inspection story35:49 - Arguing at the Supreme Court for the FBI vs. Fazaga case40:00 - Working in the field and as a professor; being recruited by UCLA41:58 - Mentorship and how Ahilan built his network45:16 - A learning lesson he's experienced; defending unrepresented children49:12 - Where he sees himself in the next 3-5 years49:19 - Advice he would give his 16-year-old self50:38 - The personal legacy he wants to leave behind51:37 - Creator Confessions54:32 - The Wrap UpIntro MusicProduced And Mixed By:- The Tamil Creator- YanchanWritten By:- Aravinthan Ehamparam- Yanchan Rajmohan      Support the show

Hundreds of thousands of young immigrants brought here by their undocumented parents since 2007 are not eligible for DACA. But now they are eligible for jobs–at the University of California. UCLA law professor Ahilan Arulanantham explains.Also: The left has hated J. Edgar Hoover for a hundred years ever since the Palmer Raids of 1919, the attacks on radicals that began his career. Now there's a terrific new biography of Hoover, called “G-Man” - the author is Beverly Gage.Also: the fight against air pollution in the port communities of Los Angeles, where 300,000 people, mostly Latino, live next door to oil refineries, chemical facilities, and one of the largest oilfields in the nation. For decades they've been fighting for basic rights and a cleaner environment. Eliza Moreno has that story.

Hundreds of thousands of young immigrants brought here by their undocumented parents since 2007 are not eligible for DACA. But now they may be eligible for jobs--at the University of California. UCLA law professor Ahilan Arulanantham explains.Also: the fight against pollution in LA's port communities, where 300,000 people, mostly Latino, live next door to oil refineries, chemical facilities, and one of the largest oilfields in the nation. For decades they've been fighting for basic rights and a cleaner environment. Eliza Moreno has that story.Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week, The Lobby Shop team is joined by the highly acclaimed Ahilan Arulanatham, who is a Professor from Practice and Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law. This episode's discussion covers everything from competitive debate and populism to the ongoing debate surrounding Title 42, a health order which has significant immigration implications. Tune in to gain in-depth insight into the complex world of immigration.

When Biden took office, progressives looked forward to a dramatic transformation of Trump's anti-immigrant policies—and Biden's initial moves were promising. But since then, many people have been disappointed. Ahilan Arulanantham, a professor at UCLA Law School and co-director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy comments on the topic. Before working at UCLA, Arulanantham litigated a number of cases involving immigrants' rights at the ACLU of Southern California.Also this week, Amy Wilentz discusses Haiti: a country that should be inaugurating a new president. It has done so every five years on February 7—except for glitches, coups, and postponements—ever since Baby Doc Duvalier fled the island 37 years ago. But not this year. Wilentz explains why it's struggling to get the new beginning in needs, and how it might make it there. Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Richard Garnett, a professor at Notre Dame Law School, discusses the Supreme Court justices grappling with the religious rights of death-row inmates in the execution chamber. Ahilan Arulanantham, Faculty Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, discusses Supreme Court oral arguments where he represented three Muslim men who sued the FBI for spying on them. June Grasso hosts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Richard Garnett, a professor at Notre Dame Law School, discusses the Supreme Court justices grappling with the religious rights of death-row inmates in the execution chamber. Ahilan Arulanantham, Faculty Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, discusses Supreme Court oral arguments where he represented three Muslim men who sued the FBI for spying on them. June Grasso hosts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Leah talks to Ahilan Arulanantham about the argument in FBI v. Fazaga, the case challenging the government's surveillance of the Muslim community in Southern California.

Nearly 100 years ago, Congress passed a law making it a felony to reenter the US after being deported. Known as Section 1326, this obscure line of immigration code is the most prosecuted federal crime in America. Now, a federal judge has declared it unconstitutional and racist. In this week's episode, we look at the far-reaching effects of a single deportation after the 2019 ICE raid of a chicken processing plant in Mississippi. Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Emily Green tells us the story of Edgar Lopez, a grandfather of four who was killed trying to make his way back home to the US. Then, we talk with historian Kelly Lytle-Hernandez and legal scholar Ahilan Arulanantham about the origins of this law and why it might be unconstitutional. Guests: Emily Green, Pulitzer prize winning reporter for VICE News based in Mexico City; Kelly Lytle-Hernandez, UCLA professor and leading expert on race, immigration, and incarceration; Ahilan Arulanantham, Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law Hosts: Ray Suarez, Co-host, WorldAffairs; Teresa Cotsirilos, Co-host & Senior Producer, WorldAffairs If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to WorldAffairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

We're still thinking about the 20th anniversary of 9/11. After the attacks that day, Muslim Americans endured years of racism and discrimination, oftentimes at the hands of the state itself.The fight against government surveillance of Muslim Americans continues today, as the Supreme Court takes up a challenge to government efforts to conceal FBI abuse of power—in a case dating from 2006, when the FBI in LA hired an informer to infiltrate several mosques in Orange County, California. Ahilan Arulanantham explains—he will be arguing the case at the Supreme Court. He's a Professor at UCLA Law School and Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy there. Also: there's a new comedy on TV about college teachers and campus politics—The Chair, on Netflix, starring Sandra Oh as the first Asian American woman chair of an English department. Amy Wilentz comments—she's a professor in the English Department at UC Irvine, which has some surprising connections to the show. Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

Immigration policy and its human consequences.  Our guests are Ahilan Arulanantham (attorney w/ the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project), Paola Mendoza (activist, artist & author), and Todd Schulte (President of FWD.US). Listen to Peace of Mind the album: https://lnk.to/peaceofmindalbum Vinyl, tour dates & more: https://peaceofmindpod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“In Trump’s madness, he brings innocent eyes” to the Korean conflict, says University of Chicago historian Bruce Cumings—which frees Trump from Washington establishment thinking, and create a real possibility of peace in Korea. Plus: The Trump administration’s policy of separating children from their parents seeking asylum at the border is unusually cruel—and also unconstitutional. Ahilan Arulanantham, legal director of the ACLU of Southern California, explains the organization’s recent legal victory—and the need for citizen activism on the issue. Also: Now that some of the key primaries are over, the Democrats’ chances of retaking the House, and maybe the Senate, have come into sharper focus. Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect is optimistic.

In January 2017, in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, Clockshop launched Counter-Inaugural, a series of talks addressing local and national politics through a cultural lens. A year after the election, we are presenting our last talk in this series. ACLU Southern California legal director Ahilan Arulanantham, writer and PhD candidate Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, and award-winning filmmaker Alex Rivera joined us for a discussion about immigration and deportation.

The House GOP postponed its vote to repeal Obamacare and replace it with TrumpCare, I mean RyanCare. On ”Trump Watch” we have comment from John Nichols of The Nation. Also: Why do many white workers who voted for Trump still support him? The Nation sent D.D. Guttenplan to the rust belt to find out— he's returned now with his report. Plus: The City of LA has expanded its sanctuary policy – but the County sheriff is pulling back from the crucial question of the jails. We'll speak about it with Ahilan Arulanantham, legal director of the ACLU of southern California.

The House GOP postponed its vote to repeal Obamacare and replace it with TrumpCare, I mean RyanCare. On ”Trump Watch” we have comment from John Nichols of The Nation. Also: Why do many white workers who voted for Trump still support him? The Nation sent D.D. Guttenplan to the rust belt to find out— he’s returned now with his report. Plus: The City of LA has expanded its sanctuary policy – but the County sheriff is pulling back from the crucial question of the jails. We’ll speak about it with Ahilan Arulanantham, legal director of the ACLU of southern California.

Code Switch listeners join Shereen and Gene in talking about their concerns and frustrations during the first hundred days of President Trump's administration. Our guest is MacArthur "genius grant" recipient Ahilan Arulanantham of the ACLU of Southern California.