Ryan Goodman
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Ryan Goodman
@rgoodlaw.bsky.social

https://www.youtube.com/@RGoodLaw

Co-editor-in-chief @justsecurity.org. Chaired Prof at NYU Law. Former Chaired Prof Harvard. Former Special Counsel Defense Dept.

https://www.justsecurity.org/author/goodmanryan

Ryan Goodman is an American legal scholar who is the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Professor of Law at NYU School of Law and is the founding co-editor-in-chief of its website Just Security, which focuses on U.S. national security law and policy. Goodman joined the NYU faculty in 2009. .. more

Political science 68%
Sociology 13%
Pinned
It was an honor to work with Brian Egan and Tess Bridgeman on this important piece.

- The President did not have constitutional authority for the Venezuela operation.

- It also violated the "supreme Law of the Land" - UN Charter, which the Senate passed 89-2.
Congress, the President, and Military Force in Venezuela
Experts write the president did not have authority to undertake Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela without congressional authorization.
www.justsecurity.org

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

7/ I have made the 2013 PERF report available here as well as DHS, DOJ, and Customs and Border Patrol Policies on Use of Deadly Force and Moving Vehicles:

www.justsecurity.org/128498/dhs-d...

DHS, DOJ, and Customs and Border Patrol Policies on Use of Deadly Force and Moving Vehicles
Collection of use of force policies issued by the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Patrol, and the Department of Justice over time.
www.justsecurity.org

6/ Excerpt from 2013 Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) report.⬇️

5/ On Minneapolis:

"I don't understand the tactical or law enforcement advantage of someone on foot in front of a moving, running or occupied vehicle. You're almost inducing a shooting if that person decides to flee."

- Eric Balliet, retired 25-yr agent who oversaw DHS use of force investigations
Retired ICE agent reviews deadly Minneapolis shooting video frame-by-frame, questions tactics used
CBS News watched bystander video of the deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis frame-by-frame with retired ICE agent Eric Balliet​ to discuss the tactics used. He raised a few key points that dispute the ...
www.cbsnews.com

4/ Wall Street Journal important report of other videos capturing ICE shooting at or into vehicles.⬇️

"Footage also shows officers moving into the potential path of the vehicle ...."

www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
Videos Show How ICE Vehicle Stops Can Escalate to Shootings
A WSJ visual investigation found that the Minneapolis ICE killing is one of 13 incidents where federal immigration agents have used deadly force against civilians in vehicles since July.
www.wsj.com

3/ Customs and Border Patrol tried to keep the report’s findings secret from Congress.

Excerpt from LA Times Feb. 2014⬇️

www.latimes.com/nation/la-na...

2/ I discuss this report at greater length on my YouTube channel and Substack

Substack: substack.com/home/post/p-...

YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=izon...
Initially-Secret Report: Custom&Border Patrol Agents Got in Way of Vehicles, Then Used Deadly Force
YouTube video by Ryan Goodman
www.youtube.com
NEW

An initially-secret report for Customs and Border Patrol in 2013 found:

In many vehicle shooting cases, the “driver was attempting to flee from the agents who intentionally put themselves into the exit path of the vehicle, thereby … creating justification for the use of deadly force.”

🧵
Hand switch at the 29sec mark thus freeing up his right weapon side hand:

Reposted by Scott A. Imberman

Blatant politicization of DOJ powers.

"The assistant attorney general will not work out of the Justice Department, the vice president said. Instead, the position will be run out of the White House and overseen by President Trump and Vance, he said."
Vance says Trump administration creating assistant attorney general position to investigate fraud
Vice President JD Vance said a nominee for the new assistant attorney general position will be announced in the coming days.
www.cbsnews.com

2/ GOP senators voting in favor: Collins, Hawley, Murkowski, Paul, and Young.

bsky.app/profile/sena...
By a vote of 52-47, the #Senate agreed to the motion to discharge S.J. Res. 98 War Powers Resolution (Venezuela).

GOP senators voting in favor: Collins, Hawley, Murkowski, Paul, and Young.

Senators Daines did not vote.

Historic.

War Powers Resolution advances Senate 52-47

Text of bill: www.kaine.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

Background reading: www.justsecurity.org/128211/congr...
By a vote of 52-47, the #Senate agreed to the motion to discharge S.J. Res. 98 War Powers Resolution (Venezuela).

GOP senators voting in favor: Collins, Hawley, Murkowski, Paul, and Young.

Senators Daines did not vote.

2/ Transcript of the NYT video (available at same link)

Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
An analysis of footage from three camera angles shows that the motorist was driving away from — not toward — a federal officer when he opened fire.

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele

Highly important video of the ICE Minnesota shooting.

"The driver ... waves for other [vehicles] to go ahead"

"The agent is not being run over. In fact, his feet are positioned away from the SUV"

"Agents blocked...a physician" from providing medical care.

www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
Video: Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
An analysis of footage from three camera angles shows that the motorist was driving away from — not toward — a federal officer when he opened fire.
www.nytimes.com

3/ Here's a fair question on Venezuela-Maduro:

Q:
What about the Panama "precedent" as a matter of constitutional law. Didn't President George Bush engage in a similar action to capture Noriega without congressional authorization?

A:
Yes. That was illegal then as it is now.
Also key differences:

2/ Don't let anyone tell you the international and domestic law issues are separate.

"As supreme Law of the Land, it would require an act of Congress to supersede the UN Charter (the so-called “last in time rule”). In other words, it is Congress’ prerogative. The President cannot do so alone."
Congress, the President, and Military Force in Venezuela
Experts write the president did not have authority to undertake Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela without congressional authorization.
www.justsecurity.org

A step up the ladder of escalation

US Intercepts Russian Tanker in Atlantic
"The US has launched an operation to seize a Russian tanker in the north Atlantic."

www.ft.com/content/fce8...
US intercepts Russian tanker in Atlantic
Move follows failure of previous bid to capture vessel as it headed to Venezuela
www.ft.com

Reposted by Ryan Goodman

1/ Trump's War Powers Report to Congress on the #Venezuela strikes and seizure of #Maduro is in.

I've read/coded every WPR report and used to work on them in the White House. (See this searchable database & graphics warpowers.lawandsecurity.org/%F0%9F%91%87)

Here's what stands out about this one🧵:

Well-done and correct:

Joint Statement by Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Durbin

"President Trump and Secretary Rubio have stated that this was a law enforcement operation that was made at the" DOJ, FBI, and DEA.

“There is no legitimate basis for excluding the Senate Judiciary Committee."

"One in three Americans approve of the U.S. military strike on Venezuela that toppled the country's president and 72% worry the U.S. will become too involved in the South American country, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll."

www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Only 33% of Americans approve of US strike on Venezuela, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
The two-day poll showed 65% of Republicans back the military operation that toppled the country's president and 72% worry the U.S. will become too involved in the country.
www.reuters.com

Re War Powers:

Congress should ask administration whether they knew in advance that the Venezuela operation would involve lethal force against dozens of Cuban military/interior ministry forces.⤵️

(A question concerning "war in the constitutional sense," as the Office of Legal Counsel might put it.)

3/ Note the odd contrast with Ambassador Waltz's remarks yesterday to Fox News:

"I will remind everyone of Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which is – as we have in the past – which is a nation’s inherent right to self-defense."

usun.usmission.gov/u-s-represen...
U.S. Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz's Interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures”   - United States Mission to the United Nations
AMBASSADOR MIKE WALTZ: Well, first, Jason, I want to salute President Trump as Commander in Chief and our amazing military special operations operatives and law enforcement for the bold, decisive and ...
usun.usmission.gov
One of most remarkable US presentations at UN Security Council I've ever seen.

- No reference to UN Charter legal justification
- Claims Panama as precedent (which the UN condemned)
- Energy reserves ⤵️ as justification is illegal
- Sharp contrast with US Ambassador Pickering presentation in 1989

Statement of UN Secretary-General being read out at UN Security Council emergency meeting

"I remain deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the 3 January military action. The Charter enshrines the prohibition of the threat or use of force."

Reposted by Ryan Goodman

Moments after threatening Colombia, Trump -- who just yesterday bombed Venezuela -- threatens Iran: "If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're gonna get very hard by the US"

2/ "The people involved in the discussions said intermediaries persuaded the [Trump] administration that she would protect and champion future American energy investments in the country."

www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Maduro Arrives in N.Y.; Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Run’ Venezuela
www.nytimes.com

"Weeks earlier, US officials had already settled on an acceptable candidate to replace Mr. Maduro, at least for the time being: Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who had impressed Trump officials with her management of Venezuela’s crucial oil industry."

🧵
How Trump Fixed On a Maduro Loyalist as Venezuela’s New Leader
www.nytimes.com