Ilya Somin
@ilyasomin.bsky.social
5.4K followers 390 following 820 posts
Law professor; author of Free to Move: Foot Voting Migration and Political Freedom; Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Smarter; The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. New London and the Limits of Eminent Domain; Volokh Conspiracy blogger.
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Reposted by Ilya Somin
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
NEW: Second, expanded TRO issued in Oregon case challenging Trump's National Guard deployment to the state bars any state or D.C. National Guard being deployed to Oregon.

Update at Law Dork: www.lawdork.com/p/judge-bloc...
[Update, 11:45 p.m.: By Sunday night, a second temporary restraining order was issued in the case, barring the Trump administration from sending any National Guard federalized under 10 U.S.C. 12406 to Oregon from any state or D.C. The move followed actions by the Trump administration overnight to send members of the California National Guard to Oregon and plans to do so as to the Texas National Guard as well.

At a hastily called hearing on Sunday night, Immergut harshly questioned the Justice Department lawyer before her, Eric Hamilton, asking him — while noting that he is an officer of the court — “Do you believe this is appropriate way to deal with my order?”

Issuing the second TRO in as many days in the case, Immergut called the Trump administration’s actions in apparent response to her first order “in direct contravention” of it.
Reposted by Ilya Somin
gabrielmalor.bsky.social
Fed. judge grants the second motion for a TRO blocking Trump from sending California National Guard AND the National Guard from any other state or D.C for the reasons in her first TRO.

"I see those as direct contravention of the order I issued yesterday."
Reposted by Ilya Somin
kyledcheney.bsky.social
BREAKING: A federal judge has granted a restraining order blocking President Trump's call-up of the National Guard in Portland.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
ilyasomin.bsky.social
Compelling opinion by Trump-appointed conservative judge, ruling Trump's federalization of the Oregon National Guard is illegal: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
ilyasomin.bsky.social
This is what happens when you don’t vaccinate kids against measles. Whether it’s religious anti-vaxxerism in Israel or the secular kind in the U.S., the awful results are the same.
Reposted by Ilya Somin
ilyasomin.bsky.social
First lawsuit challenging Trump's $100,000 visa fee has been filed. It argues fee goes against statutes, and also runs afoul of major questions and nondelegation doctrines. I hope plaintiffs win. For more, see my analysis here: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
Lawsuit Challenges Trump's $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
NA Yesterday, a broad coalition of groups filed the first lawsuit challenging President Trump's imposition of a $100,000 fee on…
reason.com
Reposted by Ilya Somin
walterolson.bsky.social
Dominik Lett of @cato.org rebuts the ridiculous catastrophizing with which the administration pretends that striking down Trump's tariffs would plunge the nation into fiscal ruin (aside, that is, from the slow-motion ruin already being effected by policies other than tariffs).
Revoking IEEPA Tariffs Will Not “Lead to Financial Ruin”
Tariffs likely don’t even cover the fiscal costs of Republicans’ flagship tax legislation, let alone meaningfully improve the broader fiscal picture.
www.cato.org
ilyasomin.bsky.social
First lawsuit challenging Trump's $100,000 visa fee has been filed. It argues fee goes against statutes, and also runs afoul of major questions and nondelegation doctrines. I hope plaintiffs win. For more, see my analysis here: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
Lawsuit Challenges Trump's $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
NA Yesterday, a broad coalition of groups filed the first lawsuit challenging President Trump's imposition of a $100,000 fee on…
reason.com
Reposted by Ilya Somin
ilyasomin.bsky.social
Yesterday, Supreme Court decided to hear another home equity theft takings case, Pung v. Isabella County. Property owner should win, because govt failed to pay fair market value compensation, as required by the Takings Clause! See my analysis here: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
The Supreme Court Will Hear Another Home Equity Theft Takings Case
Illustration: Lex Villena; Oblachko In Tyler v. Hennepin County (2023), a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that "home equity theft"…
reason.com
ilyasomin.bsky.social
Yesterday, Supreme Court decided to hear another home equity theft takings case, Pung v. Isabella County. Property owner should win, because govt failed to pay fair market value compensation, as required by the Takings Clause! See my analysis here: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
The Supreme Court Will Hear Another Home Equity Theft Takings Case
Illustration: Lex Villena; Oblachko In Tyler v. Hennepin County (2023), a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that "home equity theft"…
reason.com
Reposted by Ilya Somin
davidjbier.bsky.social
Holy hell. DHS just openly stated that its agents use “reasonable suspicion” to make ARRESTS. This is blatantly unconstitutional. The Supreme Court is clear that you need probable cause to arrest someone, as opposed to stop them to ask them a question or two. This is huge b/c…
Reposted by Ilya Somin
ilyasomin.bsky.social
5th Circuit will review Trump's invocation of Alien Enemies Act (which can only be used in war, invasion, or predatory incursion) en banc. I filed amicus brief in this case on behalf of @brennancenter.org & @cato.org. I review dangerous implications of Trump position here: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
Fifth Circuit Will Rehear Alien Enemies Act Case En Banc
It will review a panel decision holding that Trump could not invoke this sweeping wartime authority by claiming illegal migration and drug smuggling qualify as an "invasion."
reason.com
ilyasomin.bsky.social
5th Circuit will review Trump's invocation of Alien Enemies Act (which can only be used in war, invasion, or predatory incursion) en banc. I filed amicus brief in this case on behalf of @brennancenter.org & @cato.org. I review dangerous implications of Trump position here: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
Fifth Circuit Will Rehear Alien Enemies Act Case En Banc
It will review a panel decision holding that Trump could not invoke this sweeping wartime authority by claiming illegal migration and drug smuggling qualify as an "invasion."
reason.com
ilyasomin.bsky.social
News you can use!
kimkrawiec.bsky.social
Poland’s largest privately owned hotel group is offering couples a novel incentive to conceive during a stay, as part of an effort to help reverse the country’s plunging birth rate.”
€2,000 bonuses and free parties: hotels enter Poland’s fertility fight
Perks for couples trying to conceive reflect concerns over one of lowest birth rates in EU
www.ft.com
Reposted by Ilya Somin
ilyasomin.bsky.social
Very few members of the general public read judicial opinions other than those who already have strong views. Their main function is to persuade and guide lawyers and judges.
ilyasomin.bsky.social
I think the postcard trope is unlikely to persuade anyone who doesn’t already agree, but may annoy fence-sitters and/or appellate judges.
Reposted by Ilya Somin
ilyasomin.bsky.social
As noted in my post, debate over possibly inappropriate rhetorical flourishes in the opinion should not divert attention from it's substantive reasoning, which is strong and compelling.
ilyasomin.bsky.social
I may have tagged the wrong Noah Smith here. Sorry about that!