Matthew Hoppock
@hoppock.bsky.social
FOIA and Immigration Law and dumb jokes.
Reposted by Matthew Hoppock
“I used to think fascists were bad, but then one of them got through a whole interview without unhinging their jaw and swallowing me like a snake”
December 29, 2025 at 3:17 PM
“I used to think fascists were bad, but then one of them got through a whole interview without unhinging their jaw and swallowing me like a snake”
Looks like they've lost another ACIJ this week, Claudia Cubas, who was managing the Baltimore and Hyattsville courts. So now there are 28 ACIJs (down from 39) to manage Immigration Judges at 76 immigration courts. www.justice.gov/eoir/acij-as...
December 12, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Looks like they've lost another ACIJ this week, Claudia Cubas, who was managing the Baltimore and Hyattsville courts. So now there are 28 ACIJs (down from 39) to manage Immigration Judges at 76 immigration courts. www.justice.gov/eoir/acij-as...
There hasn't been much reporting on the absolute mess at EOIR (so much else going on), but it's genuinely frightening how hobbled this agency is. I've seen reporting on the judge firings and subtly racist IJ recruiting, but here's where we stand on the leadership vacuum at EOIR 🧵
December 8, 2025 at 8:36 PM
There hasn't been much reporting on the absolute mess at EOIR (so much else going on), but it's genuinely frightening how hobbled this agency is. I've seen reporting on the judge firings and subtly racist IJ recruiting, but here's where we stand on the leadership vacuum at EOIR 🧵
Reposted by Matthew Hoppock
Man, find someone who loves you as much as Donald Trump loves bribery.
December 3, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Man, find someone who loves you as much as Donald Trump loves bribery.
This guy trafficked 400 Tons of cocaine into the United States. At least he didn't do it by boat is I guess the distinction?
Former Honduran president released from US prison after Trump pardon reut.rs/3Y3ziKg
Former Honduran president released from US prison after Trump pardon
President Donald Trump, who has painted himself as a fearsome warrior against illegal drugs, pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was serving a 45-year sentence after being convicted of conspiring to import tons of cocaine into the United States.
reut.rs
December 2, 2025 at 7:37 PM
This guy trafficked 400 Tons of cocaine into the United States. At least he didn't do it by boat is I guess the distinction?
Has there been any reporting on whether the Asylum Cooperative Agreements the US claims to have entered into with Guatemala and Honduras actually exist? In June Noeam claimed both had agreed to accept asylum seekers from the US. But both denied it. 🧵 apnews.com/article/guat...
November 26, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Has there been any reporting on whether the Asylum Cooperative Agreements the US claims to have entered into with Guatemala and Honduras actually exist? In June Noeam claimed both had agreed to accept asylum seekers from the US. But both denied it. 🧵 apnews.com/article/guat...
Followup on my last skeet, here's a little explainer on why the DOJ's "Deportation Judge" page is so stupidly coded.
Since the early 1990s the norm has been for images on websites to link (tag <a href=) to the file offsite. It uses very little code & loads fast.
They did this instead:
Since the early 1990s the norm has been for images on websites to link (tag <a href=) to the file offsite. It uses very little code & loads fast.
They did this instead:
November 24, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Followup on my last skeet, here's a little explainer on why the DOJ's "Deportation Judge" page is so stupidly coded.
Since the early 1990s the norm has been for images on websites to link (tag <a href=) to the file offsite. It uses very little code & loads fast.
They did this instead:
Since the early 1990s the norm has been for images on websites to link (tag <a href=) to the file offsite. It uses very little code & loads fast.
They did this instead:
So if the DOJ’s ‘Become a Deportation Judge’ page won’t load on your phone, here’s why: they Base64-encoded multi-megabyte images directly into the HTML. Nothing says ‘tech savvy’ like shipping a 7-million-character <img> tag.
November 24, 2025 at 3:06 PM
So if the DOJ’s ‘Become a Deportation Judge’ page won’t load on your phone, here’s why: they Base64-encoded multi-megabyte images directly into the HTML. Nothing says ‘tech savvy’ like shipping a 7-million-character <img> tag.
Banning public prayer huh. That’s certainly a choice…
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be ‘no more prayer’ in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility, in a move that mystified local leaders and raised legal questions.” blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Feds Tell Faith Leaders 'No More Prayer' Outside Broadview Facility
In a possible violation of the First Amendment, federal officials instructed demonstrators to stop holding religious gatherings outside the immigration processing facility in suburban Broadview after ...
blockclubchicago.org
November 8, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Banning public prayer huh. That’s certainly a choice…
Reposted by Matthew Hoppock
ER doc here! This is a lie. Wait times are up because the American healthcare system is an unsustainable business model and a for-profit national healthcare system just doesn’t work. These problems will continue to get worse until we change that system. It literally has nothing to do with immigrants
Vance: "If you're an American citizen & you've been to the hospital in the last few years, you've probably noticed wait times are especially large & very often somebody who's there in the ER is an illegal alien. Why do those people get healthcare benefits at hospitals paid for by American citizens?"
October 1, 2025 at 6:49 PM
ER doc here! This is a lie. Wait times are up because the American healthcare system is an unsustainable business model and a for-profit national healthcare system just doesn’t work. These problems will continue to get worse until we change that system. It literally has nothing to do with immigrants
Reposted by Matthew Hoppock
It’s not a crime to be in this country as an undocumented person. It’s a civil violation.
But you know what is a crime? Taking a bribe from undercover agents in exchange for the promise of government contracts WHEN YOU’RE THE FCKING BORDER CZAR.
But you know what is a crime? Taking a bribe from undercover agents in exchange for the promise of government contracts WHEN YOU’RE THE FCKING BORDER CZAR.
September 21, 2025 at 2:15 AM
It’s not a crime to be in this country as an undocumented person. It’s a civil violation.
But you know what is a crime? Taking a bribe from undercover agents in exchange for the promise of government contracts WHEN YOU’RE THE FCKING BORDER CZAR.
But you know what is a crime? Taking a bribe from undercover agents in exchange for the promise of government contracts WHEN YOU’RE THE FCKING BORDER CZAR.
Reposted by Matthew Hoppock
The Justice Department's acting deputy chief was caught on a hidden camera saying that the government will "redact every Republican" from an Epstein client list and "leave all the liberal, Democratic people."
DOJ deputy chief: government will "redact every Republican" from Epstein client list
The deputy chief later said his comments were not based on what he's learned from his role at the DOJ.
www.axios.com
September 4, 2025 at 9:19 PM
The Justice Department's acting deputy chief was caught on a hidden camera saying that the government will "redact every Republican" from an Epstein client list and "leave all the liberal, Democratic people."
We finally have the State Department Human Rights reports 6 months late, and it's hard to overstate how bad they are. These will get people killed. Specifically, women and LGBTQ folks have just been written out of these reports. Good luck applying for asylum... www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Rubio recasts long-held beliefs with cuts to U.S. human rights reports
The State Department’s annual human rights reports arrive a half-year late with significant cuts and little fanfare from America’s top diplomat.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 13, 2025 at 3:11 PM
We finally have the State Department Human Rights reports 6 months late, and it's hard to overstate how bad they are. These will get people killed. Specifically, women and LGBTQ folks have just been written out of these reports. Good luck applying for asylum... www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Matthew Hoppock
A Chicago woman went to immigration court. Her case was dismissed; she and her infant were taken by federal agents who turned her over to contractor MVM. They spent five days confined at the Sonesta O'Hare hotel without communication to the outside world.
My first byline at @injusticewatch.org:
My first byline at @injusticewatch.org:
ICE contractor locked an immigrant and her baby at an O’Hare hotel for five days
Valentina Galvis' detention at a hotel raises questions about the types of facilities being turned into de facto detention centers as the Trump administration ramps up immigration detention.
www.injusticewatch.org
August 7, 2025 at 6:27 PM
A Chicago woman went to immigration court. Her case was dismissed; she and her infant were taken by federal agents who turned her over to contractor MVM. They spent five days confined at the Sonesta O'Hare hotel without communication to the outside world.
My first byline at @injusticewatch.org:
My first byline at @injusticewatch.org:
lol at the Whitehouse spokesperson responding to my comments on stripping Rosie O'Donnell of her citizenship by only pointing out that I've donated to Democrats. My dude. Get a better spokesperson, there's so much better material on me. www.cnn.com/2025/07/18/u...
July 19, 2025 at 12:53 AM
lol at the Whitehouse spokesperson responding to my comments on stripping Rosie O'Donnell of her citizenship by only pointing out that I've donated to Democrats. My dude. Get a better spokesperson, there's so much better material on me. www.cnn.com/2025/07/18/u...
These are the same lawyers who would be tasked with bringing the wave of new denaturalization cases. One of the reasons I'm doubtful that such a wave is coming, at least in the short term.
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
Two-thirds of the DOJ unit defending Trump policies in court have quit
The U.S. Justice Department unit charged with defending against legal challenges to signature Trump administration policies - such as restricting birthright citizenship and slashing funding to Harvard University - has lost nearly two-thirds of its staff, according to a list seen by Reuters.
www.reuters.com
July 14, 2025 at 5:31 PM
These are the same lawyers who would be tasked with bringing the wave of new denaturalization cases. One of the reasons I'm doubtful that such a wave is coming, at least in the short term.
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
Not sure why, but Matthew J. O'Brien was listed as the Assistant Chief Immigration Judge at the Annandale Immigration Court until this week. He's no longer listed as an ACIJ at all. Might have been moved to another part of the DOJ? Hard to imagine that they fired him a month after re-hiring him idk
Trump's DOJ has re-hired former immigration judge Matthew O'Brien (formerly with FAIR and IRLI). Terminated in 2022 from his IJ position during his probationery period, now he's been hired in a supervisory role. ACIJ over Annandale.
www.justice.gov/eoir/office-...
www.justice.gov/eoir/office-...
July 12, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Not sure why, but Matthew J. O'Brien was listed as the Assistant Chief Immigration Judge at the Annandale Immigration Court until this week. He's no longer listed as an ACIJ at all. Might have been moved to another part of the DOJ? Hard to imagine that they fired him a month after re-hiring him idk
Just got an email that the Criminal Justice Act ("CJA") fund is depleted and CJA attorneys (appointed to represent federal defendants) can't be paid. It says to keep submitting vouchers and they'll pay "as soon as funding is available." What an absolute nightmare. www.uscourts.gov/about-federa...
CJA Panel Attorney Funds Information FY 2025
As of the week of July 7, 2025, Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel attorney funds have been depleted. Panel payments will be deferred until funds become available. Please continue to file, process, and ...
www.uscourts.gov
July 10, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Just got an email that the Criminal Justice Act ("CJA") fund is depleted and CJA attorneys (appointed to represent federal defendants) can't be paid. It says to keep submitting vouchers and they'll pay "as soon as funding is available." What an absolute nightmare. www.uscourts.gov/about-federa...
Reposted by Matthew Hoppock
Grok is a full blown nazi now.
July 6, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Grok is a full blown nazi now.
EOIR's acting director has sent a memo to immigration judges telling them they can ignore two critical laws about asylum for domestic abuse survivors and "administrative closure." Only the BIA or the Attorney General can overrule agency precedent. What this means 🧵 www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1...
www.justice.gov
July 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM
EOIR's acting director has sent a memo to immigration judges telling them they can ignore two critical laws about asylum for domestic abuse survivors and "administrative closure." Only the BIA or the Attorney General can overrule agency precedent. What this means 🧵 www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1...
A lot of the reporting on the denaturalization priorities memo hasn't ben very thorough and some pieces have gotten the premise wrong. This WaPo piece does a pretty good job describing what the memo actually means and puts it into context. Gift link. wapo.st/44y1NTp
Immigration lawyers criticize Justice Department push to pull citizenship
The Department of Justice said it would prioritize seeking to strip citizenship from naturalized U.S. citizens in more cases.
wapo.st
July 5, 2025 at 2:19 AM
A lot of the reporting on the denaturalization priorities memo hasn't ben very thorough and some pieces have gotten the premise wrong. This WaPo piece does a pretty good job describing what the memo actually means and puts it into context. Gift link. wapo.st/44y1NTp
Reposted by Matthew Hoppock
The for-profit prison company GEO Group has surged in value under President Trump.
But despite its soaring fortunes, the ICE contractor has continued to resist having to pay detainees more than $1 a day for cleaning facilities where the government has forced them to live.
(Published March)
But despite its soaring fortunes, the ICE contractor has continued to resist having to pay detainees more than $1 a day for cleaning facilities where the government has forced them to live.
(Published March)
An ICE Contractor Is Worth Billions. It’s Still Fighting to Pay Detainees as Little as $1 a Day to Work.
GEO Group, whose stock is valued at $4 billion, says that state minimum wage laws don’t apply to the cleaning services that it’s asked detained migrants to perform at facilities where they’re kept.
www.propublica.org
July 3, 2025 at 12:15 AM
The for-profit prison company GEO Group has surged in value under President Trump.
But despite its soaring fortunes, the ICE contractor has continued to resist having to pay detainees more than $1 a day for cleaning facilities where the government has forced them to live.
(Published March)
But despite its soaring fortunes, the ICE contractor has continued to resist having to pay detainees more than $1 a day for cleaning facilities where the government has forced them to live.
(Published March)
It’s almost July. The State Department Human rights reports were due February 1. The statue requires them to produce these reports to Congress, so I guess, if Congress isn’t interested in compelling the executive to obey the law, there’s not much the rest of us can do. Still
Starting to wonder if the State Department just isn't going to publish its annual Human Rights reports this year. For at least the last decade the annual human rights report has been published by this time. It's only been pushed into April 3 times. Never into May.
June 24, 2025 at 2:38 PM
It’s almost July. The State Department Human rights reports were due February 1. The statue requires them to produce these reports to Congress, so I guess, if Congress isn’t interested in compelling the executive to obey the law, there’s not much the rest of us can do. Still
In Denver talking with immigration buddies about denaturalization.
June 20, 2025 at 7:39 PM
In Denver talking with immigration buddies about denaturalization.
Reposted by Matthew Hoppock
Every mass deportation in American history has in practice been a racial deportation www.nytimes.com/2025/06/15/u...
June 16, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Every mass deportation in American history has in practice been a racial deportation www.nytimes.com/2025/06/15/u...