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The Hidden Provision in the Big Ugly Bill that makes Trump King (robertreich.substack.com)

submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/30067678

... the Big Ugly Bill is enacted with the following provision, now hidden in the bill:

“No court of the United States may use appropriated funds to enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued….”

Translated: No federal court may enforce a contempt citation.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Here's my layperson's understanding (I'm not American either, but watch their descent into dictatorship with grim fascination):

If someone disobeys a judge's legal orders, they can be held in contempt of court. People can be imprisoned for contempt of court or otherwise sanctioned through criminal or civil means. This bill states that a court may not use any of its funds to enforce any such sanction, so effectively it means that the court can do nothing to enforce a judge's orders.

This is convenient for Trump and his government, who have been disobeying judges whenever they feel like it. And it effectively means Trump can enforce his will, without anyone being able to stop him or his enforcers by challenging them in court. So if Trump decides you are to be disappeared and imprisoned for life or executed, the courts can do nothing to stop it. The law of the land will effectively be made up on the fly by Donald Trump.