Bec Hamilton
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bechamilton.bsky.social
Bec Hamilton
@bechamilton.bsky.social
Law Prof at AUWCL |Exec. Editor at Just Security |Mama of 4 fab young ppl |Fmr Washington Post, Reuters, International Criminal Court| Atrocity prevention, tech, climate |Proud #firstgen | Open water swimmer|
Great public education work being done by @rgoodlaw.bsky.social & @weissmann.substack.com here on our legal rights & their practical application in relation to ICE encounters: ryangoodmanlaw.substack.com/p/frame-by-f...
Frame by Frame Analysis: How Minneapolis Woman Exercised Her Rights in ICE Encounter
ICE tactics in "immigration checks" with Andrew Weissmann and Ryan Goodman
ryangoodmanlaw.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Chilling
January 14, 2026 at 2:49 PM
This —->
It’s the “not war by virtue of not planning” theory of constitutional war powers
January 14, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Ooof
Q: The premier of Greenland said today, 'We prefer to stay with Denmark.'

TRUMP: Who said that?

Q: The premier of Greenland

TRUMP: Well, that's their problem. I disagree with him. I don't know who he is. Don't know anything about him. But that's gonna be a big problem for him.
January 13, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Recommend reading @tessbridgeman.bsky.social quick thread on this & concur with her bottom line: "This OLC is willing to find a way to justify the unjustifiable." It is not that this is a surprise given what we have been seeing, but actually reading the memo is a new level of disturbing.
January 13, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Folks - @tessbridgeman.bsky.social is quicker than I! Read her thread here -
1/DOJ OLC's memo on the #Venezuela attack makes clear that that in the Executive's view, there's nothing left of Congress' Art. I power to decide whether the nation goes to war.

Congress needs to push back hard on this.

More to come, but a few initial observations:
www.justice.gov/olc/media/14...
www.justice.gov
January 13, 2026 at 10:54 PM
OLC "Fifth, it is indisputable that if Fort Tiuna were in the United States rather than Venezuela, there would be a sufficient threat of armed resistance to justify the use of considerable force in order to arrest him." I mean, sure, if black was white.
The use of unable & unwilling is novel, to say the least - tying it to a threat assesment that it tries to key the assessment to whoever it is that the U.S. decides is the legitimate representative of the Venezualan ppl
January 13, 2026 at 10:45 PM
The use of unable & unwilling is novel, to say the least - tying it to a threat assesment that it tries to key the assessment to whoever it is that the U.S. decides is the legitimate representative of the Venezualan ppl
January 13, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Reading the OLC memo justifying the Maduro capture & it's ... something: www.justice.gov/olc/media/14... It clearly acknowledges this puts the U.S. & Venezuela into an international armed conflict at least - not a mere "law enforcement operation" as the Admin tried to suggest
www.justice.gov
January 13, 2026 at 10:42 PM
I truly mean all of us. Law doesn’t uphold itself. We can cede to Trump (and Miller’s) vision of a world order dictated by might makes right, or we can respect the hard earned lessons of two world wars & continue to strive for law to temper power.
On NPR’s On Point (WBUR), Prof. Rebecca Hamilton (@bechamilton.bsky.social) reflected on a core challenge for international law: “It is on all of us to uphold the vision of a world governed by law — not just raw power.” Listen: tinyurl.com/Trump-International-Law
January 13, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Reposted by Bec Hamilton
On NPR’s On Point (WBUR), Prof. Rebecca Hamilton (@bechamilton.bsky.social) reflected on a core challenge for international law: “It is on all of us to uphold the vision of a world governed by law — not just raw power.” Listen: tinyurl.com/Trump-International-Law
January 12, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Thanks to @npr.org On Point for hosting an in-depth conversation about international law in the face of Trump's actions in Venezuela with me & @sranderson.bsky.social If you missed it, they'll post the episode here soon: www.wbur.org/radio/progra...
Next episode
The latest show topics from On Point, updated daily.
www.wbur.org
January 12, 2026 at 4:59 PM
January 11, 2026 at 12:38 AM
January 11, 2026 at 12:19 AM
I just completed Maui Nui! Today’s highlights were the Mama & baby whale in the channel and the 2 enormous sea turtles that welcomed me towards shore after 3 days and 50km of swimming. Plus we’ve raised nearly $10K for Pono Legal! Immense gratitude to all (save, perhaps, the jellyfish).
January 11, 2026 at 12:18 AM
If you want to follow in real time, the tracker is here starting around 12 noon est: ultraswimming.org/track/bec_ha... If I can swim from Lanai back to Maui then I’ll be the 34th person (& 10th woman) to do this
January 10, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Good morning everyone! It’s a beautiful 5.30am here as I get ready to swim the ‘Au’au channel in the Pacific Ocean. Allergic reaction to all the jellyfish stings over the past 2 days is suboptimal but otherwise everything looks great. A huge thank you to everyone who has been supporting this effort.
January 10, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Start of Day 1 & end of Day 2. I’ll attempt the third channel tomorrow!
January 10, 2026 at 4:37 AM
correct tracker link here: ultraswimming.org/track/bec_ha...
January 9, 2026 at 11:37 PM
We got the tracker working again so if you want to follow tomorrow, I’ll be starting around 11.30am EST : lnkd.in/enMf9_Kx
January 9, 2026 at 11:30 PM
Day 2 is a wrap! I just swam the Kalohi Channel in the Pacific Ocean in 5 hours 20 mins to support Maui wildfire recovery. Donate here: www.gofundme.com/f/maui-nui If I make it through tomorrow I’ll be the 10th woman to complete Maui Nui (!!)
Donate to Multi-channel ocean swim for Maui wildfire recovery, organized by Rebecca Hamilton
I’m attempting the Maui Nui Swim. It is a multi-channel ultra mar… Rebecca Hamilton needs your support for Multi-channel ocean swim for Maui wildfire recovery
www.gofundme.com
January 9, 2026 at 11:24 PM
Day two about to begin in the dark (5.45am here). Today I’m attempting to swim from Moloka’i to Lanai - the longest channel with breakers on landing. Jellyfish stings came out overnight & arms really sore but otherwise feeling good!
January 9, 2026 at 3:49 PM
I just completed Pailolo channel in the Pacific Ocean! I’m fundraising for communities affected by the Maui wildfires: www.gofundme.com/f/maui-nui Urgently need food and sleep then I’ll be back on the ocean tomorrow to attempt to swim from Moloka’i to Lanai. Enormous thanks to my feeder and crew!!
Donate to Multi-channel ocean swim for Maui wildfire recovery, organized by Rebecca Hamilton
I’m attempting the Maui Nui Swim. It is a multi-channel ultra mar… Rebecca Hamilton needs your support for Multi-channel ocean swim for Maui wildfire recovery
www.gofundme.com
January 8, 2026 at 11:44 PM