What’s the best thing you’ve read on the ethics of commodification / the moral limits of markets? I know the big books already (Satz, Sandel, etc.); looking for new work. #philsky

Four immigrants died in ICE custody within the span of four days last month: www.newsweek.com/ice-detentio...

Big businesses will always side with fascistic powers-that-be, so we need to stand up for the workers who push back.

What independent journalists/outlets have you been enjoying recently? Particularly people doing immigration reporting (any country) but also US/European politics in general. Self promotion welcome!

I spoke to Prof. Anna O. Law (@unlawfulentries.bsky.social) about her upcoming book on birthright citizenship and why the attack on the 14th Amendment is an attack on multi-racial democracy. www.theredoubt.net/birthright-c...

"Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is diverting criminal law enforcement agents away from their investigations and enforcement responsibilities to conduct civil immigration enforcement operations on a massive scale," writes David Bier / Cato. www.cato.org/blog/ice-has...

📍 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋: 2025 was the deadliest year for ICE detention in decades — at least 31 people died while in ICE custody, many after routine arrests or due to inadequate medical care and poor conditions as records hit a historic high. #AbuseOfPowerWatch

In a future without immigrants...

Appropriately angry response to Starmer’s recent former head of strategy from @stephenkb.bsky.social:

My paper "Ignoring the Unreasonable" was just published. In it, I argue that when it comes to supporters of illiberal or authoritarian politics ("the unreasonable" in Rawlsian parlance), we should not listen to them and try to understand their perspective or where they're coming from.

MLK Jr. (1968): “So many of Latin America’s Problems have roots in the United States of America that we need to form a solid, united movement…so that pressure can be brought on capital and government…from both sides of the problem at once.”

Yes, I’m sure they will.

So, they lied. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/u...

“[Whistles are] not just to alert vulnerable people, but to alert allies and people with privilege to come out and get involved. It’s really a call to action, to record, and a call out to everyone in the community.” documentedny.com/2026/01/05/w...

ICE is furious because the Hilton cancelled their reservation because of ICE’s immigration enforcement activities.

ICE using facial recognition as a "definitive ID" is dangerous, and completely unprecedented as a policy for how the tech is deployed. Virtually every police department that uses facial recognition says matches should not be treated as the sole basis for arrest: www.techpolicy.press/ices-reckles...

Nicolás Maduro Charged With Felony Oil Possession

NEW: More than 300 judges — including 33 appointed by Trump himself — have now rebuffed the Trump administration’s bid to dramatically expand efforts to lock people up while they fight deportation. www.politico.com/news/2026/01/05/trump-administration-immigrants-mandatory-detention-00709494

We’re really out here abducting people for dancing huh?

New year, new publication! 🎆 Thrilled to kick off 2026 by sharing our latest work with Bilge Yabancı (@bilgeyabanci.bsky.social) in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (@scmrjems.bsky.social). Full text: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Brazen.

in case you missed this piece in the pre-Festive partying, (I did) here is a very moving account of surviving (just) the crossing to Italy and all that goes before: www.opendemocracy.net/en/libya-eu-...

the 6% is the WaPo editorial board

It is both true that Trump's intervention is about the oil AND that it makes no sense as a capitalist matter. Trump likes the IDEA of taking oil from other countries and has for literal decades. But, as usual, he has no notion of the practicalities.

Please someone point me to a discussion of the merits! (I am aware that this is all massively illegal for other reasons).

Has anyone done an analysis of the indictment against Cilia Flores? Not a lawyer, but, surely, the charges are complete trash? What do they have in her other than being Maduro’s wife?

Bold and courageous, just what you’d expect from a former human rights lawyer.

In Germany, the CSU party is calling for a further tightening of the country's migration policy. In an internal draft resolution, the party demands the rapid return of Syrian refugees and announces a large-scale deportation campaign for 2026.

Germany saw a sharp drop in asylum applications last year, with first-time requests plunging to 113,236 in 2025, according to the Interior Ministry. That's a drop of around 50%.

For many of those seeking asylum a mobile phone isn't just a lifeline to keep in contact with loved ones, it's an essential resource in accessing information and resources. State mandated theft is another example of Labour's dehumanisation of people seeking safety www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

We’re a decade into this farce and he still doesn’t understand that “asylum seekers” are not, in fact, people from insane asylums.

Sorry Donald

NEWS: A source confirms DOJ has NOT provided Congress the legally required explanation for redactions in the Epstein file releases, despite a Jan. 3 statutory deadline under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

More immigrants => better health for Americans. More deportations => worse health.

President Donald Trump made a promise with his mass deportation plan: First, we’ll remove the “criminals.” But the data doesn't lie: immigration raids’ numbers are boosted by the arrest of immigrants who haven’t committed crimes.

Literally a publication for eight-year olds 40 years ago

Rubio, on Trump cleanup duty, essentially says: “We have no clue what the fuck we’re doing, but we know that we want to make money from their oil and that we don’t give a shit about the people whose nation we invaded.”

NEW: DHS Sec. Noem says Venezuelans in the U.S. would be allowed to apply for refugee status if they previously had TPS. But DHS Twitter/X account says that is "not" what the Secretary meant (Screenshot + Link Below) #Venezuela

Any good articles out there on the merits of the drug charges against Maduro? (Obviously irrelevant to my assessment of the justifiability/legality of the invasion, but would like to inform myself about the evidence here).

The president told @theatlantic.com that the interim Venezuelan president will meet a fate worse than Maduro’s unless she complies with U.S. wishes. www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

I joined two great legal experts, @mikeschmitt.bsky.social @tessbridgeman.bsky.social, on this analysis In this thread, I highlight 3 items you may not see covered in same way, if at all, elsewhere. Panama 'precedent,' safeguards for Heads of State, Venezuelan nationals new legal protections in US

"Now the first and foremost restriction imposed by international law upon a State is that – failing the existence of a permissive rule to the contrary – it may not exercise its power in any form in the territory of another State." - PCIJ, The Lotus

The judge in this case has the opportunity to do the funniest shit ever and let Maduro out on bail.

Anyone have digital access to this book (or at least the essay of the same title)? Hans Kelsen, Verteidigung der Demokratie: Abhandlungen zur Demokratietheorie www.mohrsiebeck.com/en/book/vert...

Under the latest plans, immigrants could wait 15, 20, and even 30 years to obtain citizenship. This will effect everyone from refugees, to healthcare workers, to parents of British citizens, and many more. Sign this petition to stop this change.

I spoke to The Observer about the broader implications of treating grants of citizenship as easily revocable observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

By way of preparing for teaching and making sense of current events, I spent today trying to synthesise the demand-side literature on democratic backsliding (see figure below). The starting point of most of this literature is simple: Do voters punish politicians who violate democratic norms, or do

Rep. @sethmoulton.bsky.social : "Is anyone going to just stop for a second and be honest? This is insane. What the hell are we doing? We've got a lot of problems in America today, and invading, occupying, running Venezuela does not solve any of them."

This is a good piece summing up why Venezuela's oil is at least a partial real factor in what happened over the past few days, beyond just 'big reserves'. Some big US oil majors aren't exactly thrilled but the industry itself never found a dirty, inefficient project it couldn't get subsidised....

This is more Rosevelt Corollary than Monroe Doctrine tbh.