ICE tries to grab Court Intern and Judge intervenes

[mister_coffee]

One of the many ways the MAGA fiends are wrecking the country is that stuff like this ends up attacking the rule of law by making it much more difficult to have an orderly and efficient justice system.

By presenting information blatantly in bad faith they harm all of us and our society. And are doing so only to harm others. Which is by definition evil.

[Rideback]

And in Illinois, Judge Ellis makes a ruling:
"BREAKING: Trump’s DHS CAUGHT RED-HANDED — Federal judge exposes a shocking web of lies, cover-ups, and fabricated “evidence” in anti-ICE protest crackdown.
In a ruling so blistering it practically scorched the courthouse walls, Federal Judge Sara Ellis just detonated a 233-page truth bomb on Trump’s Department of Homeland Security — and it reveals a level of dishonesty and abuse of power that even seasoned legal experts are calling “stunning.”
Judge Ellis didn’t mince words: DHS didn’t just “misstate” facts during their brutal crackdown on anti-ICE protesters in Illinois — they lied, repeatedly and aggressively, even when their own body-cam footage exposed them.
Let’s start with the most humiliating reveal: An immigration agent literally used ChatGPT to invent a fake narrative about a protest encounter — instead of relying on, you know, reality. Judge Ellis noted this blatant fabrication in her ruling, highlighting just how desperate federal agents were to justify their conduct.
And then there’s U.S. Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, a man who managed to turn his deposition into a masterclass in evasion, snark, and outright falsehoods. Over three days, he gave what Judge Ellis described as “cute” answers or flat-out lies — including denying he tackled a protester despite video footage showing exactly that.
But it gets worse. Much worse.
The administration publicly claimed protesters shot “commercial artillery shell fireworks” at agents, forcing DHS to unleash tear gas and riot munitions.
Judge Ellis reviewed the body cams.
The explosions came from DHS’s own flashbangs.
The entire “violent protesters” narrative? Completely fabricated.
They also claimed protesters carried “shields with nails.”
The evidence? No nails. Just cardboard.
You cannot make this up — but apparently DHS can.
Legal experts were floored. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, summed it up perfectly: “WOW.” He warned that the lies weren’t occasional — they were constant, coordinated, and contradicted by the agents’ own footage.
Judge Ellis spelled out what the evidence made undeniable: At some point, it becomes “difficult, if not impossible, to believe almost anything DHS represents.”
And that’s the point. Under Trump, DHS wasn’t just heavy-handed — it was fundamentally dishonest, as conservative commentator David French put it. They tried to rewrite reality to justify excessive force, smear protesters, and cover up their own misconduct.
This isn’t law enforcement. This is authoritarian propaganda, enforced with tear gas, lies, and now — hilariously — AI-generated fiction.
If this is how the Trump administration treats the truth in broad daylight, imagine what they’ll do behind closed doors.
The mask is off. The receipts are out. And Judge Ellis just proved what millions of Americans have seen for years: The real threat to public safety isn’t protesters — it’s a government willing to lie about anything to silence them." DU

[Rideback]

https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/pr ... rt-intern/

"PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Rhode Island Superior Court intern was briefly taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Providence Thursday afternoon before a judge intervened, according to the state’s Judiciary office.

The student, a high school intern at Superior Court, was reportedly detained by the agents outside the Licht Judicial Complex on Benefit Street.

Superior Court Judge Joseph McBurney insisted the agents had the wrong person. It was not until ICE verified their information and admitted the intern was not their intended target that he was released.

Multiple sources told Target 12 that Rhode Island sheriffs earlier noticed someone taking photos of the intern inside the courthouse and in Superior Court Judge McBurney’s courtroom. When approached, the individual identified himself as an ICE agent and was told to abide by standard courthouse rules, and to stop taking pictures.

The intern was reportedly shaken, so McBurney offered to drive him home. ICE agents then surrounded the judge’s car and demanded everyone to exit the vehicle, threatening to smash in the windows if they did not comply.

Dana Smith, Head of Security Operations for R.I. Superior Court, confronted the agents and told both the judge and the intern to stay inside the car. After an argument, ICE confirmed they had misidentified the teen and left. The intern was released once his ID was checked.

Community reaction
“This egregious incident underscores both the community’s and the Judiciary’s concerns about how ICE is conducting its operations in Rhode Island,” R.I. Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell said.

Citing that climate, Suttell said the Judiciary understands recent calls to expand the use of virtual court hearings in Providence.

“The need to balance constitutional considerations, the public’s right of access, and the integrity of testimonial and evidentiary processes do not allow for a fully virtual court system,” Suttell said. “What occurred today, however, reinforces the Judiciary’s need to focus on ways to enhance access to virtual hearings and to educate the public as to how to request such hearings.”

MORE: Advocates call for virtual court hearings amid ICE activity uptick in RI
Attorney Miriam Weizenbaum was outside the courthouse as the intern was being detained.

“If they had the wrong person, then they didn’t know who they were looking for, which calls into question whether they had the legal right to seize anybody,” Weizenbaum said. “It’s very frightening.”

Gov. Dan McKee described the intern’s wrongful detainment as being “an outrageous and indefensible act that could have completely upended a young person’s life. “

“Rhode Islanders should not have to fear federal agents operating with such reckless disregard for the law and human dignity,” McKee said. “This was not a harmless mistake. It was the direct result of callous and chaotic policies by the Trump administration. Moreover, ICE’s failure to exercise even a shred of due diligence is shameful and underscores just how broken and dangerous these federal policies are.”

McKee said he supports the judiciary’s commitment “to enhance access to virtual hearings and promote safe access to courts.”

Rep. Seth Magaziner called the incident “completely unacceptable.”

“This is yet another example of the disregard for civil liberties by immigration enforcement under the Trump administration,” Magaziner said, adding that he will “continue to call out the administration’s reckless actions.”

Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos referred to the ICE agents’ actions as an “attempted abduction,” adding that it only emphasizes “the danger of flooding our streets with masked thugs who can’t tell the difference between a hardened criminal and a high school student.”

Matos commended Judge McBurney for using his position to speak up, while condemning those who continue to support ICE."