iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Sarah McNamara

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

WHOA. On March 15, a Cornell PhD student with UK and Gambian citizenship, here on a student visa, filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Trump's EO aimed at foreign students accused of "antisemitism. Last night, the DOJ emailed asking him to come to ICE to be detained and put into removal proceedings.

Last night at 12:52 AM, the Department of Justice contacted the undersigned via email. Under the subject line “Momodou Taal et al v. Trump, 25-cv-335 (NDNY),” the government informed the undersigned for the first time that the government intended to serve Mr. Taal with a Notice to Appear (NTA), and that they intended to take Mr. Taal into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Given that this information confirms the factual basis for Plaintiffs’ request for an emergency temporary restraining order, ECF No. 23, and the increased urgency with which the Court’s intervention is needed, we respectfully request the Court construe this letter as any procedurally appropriate vehicle to obtain the same. Plaintiffs’ counsel is immediately available to follow up with any submissions the Court deems appropriate in this extraordinary situation. Attached to this letter is an affidavit from Counsel Eric Lee (Exhibit 4), the government’s 12:52 AM email (Exhibit 5), and Plaintiffs’ counsel’s reply (Exhibit 6). The email reads: My colleagues and I represent the United States in this matter. The applications for admission of Messrs. Stone, Moss, and myself to the bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York are pending, so we have not noticed our appearances yet. But we wanted to reach out to establish a line of communication, and relate some information concerning your client. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has asked us to convey to you the following. ICE invites Mr. Taal and his counsel to appear in-person at the HSI Office in Syracuse at a mutually agreeable time for personal service of the NTA and for Mr. Taal to surrender to ICE custody. Accordingly, if you are interested in proposing such a date and time, we will promptly forward it to ICE for consideration

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Andy Greenberg @agreenberg.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

"Musk will reinvent the US government in the way that the hyperloop reinvented trains, that the Boring company reinvented subways, that Juicero reinvented squeezing. Which is to say he will...offer no solutions beyond those that consolidate his own power and wealth." www.wired.com/story/the-us...

wired.com

The US Government Is Not a Startup

Elon Musk is moving fast and breaking things that can’t afford to be broken.

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 30/01/2025

House GOP members are figuring out which of Trump's promised tax cuts to propose into law and how to pay for them. Among their targets: slashing benefits for single mothers and the poor who rely on government health care. By @robert-faturechi.bsky.social & @justinelliott.bsky.social

propublica.org

To Pay for Trump Tax Cuts, House GOP Floats Plan to Slash Benefits for the Poor and Working Class

A menu of options being circulated by congressional Republicans also includes new tax cuts for corporations and the ultrawealthy.

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Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Hi that was a coup last night in case no one mentioned that to you. The executive branch seized the power of the purse the Constitution gave to Congress, which is a pretty authoritarian / illegal consolidation of powers move. Time to go yell at your reps, the media, etc.

Hey friends! We're seeing a lot of terrible things. We're not able to cover all of them, but we felt this latest one is a really big deal and needs much more awareness.

Our summary is this: It's an administrative coup. Trump has ordered tens of billions (maybe up to $3 trillion) of budget halted indefinitely in a blatantly illegal move. He's claiming power to halt and potentially redirect funding that's already been authorized by Congress — a classic authoritarian move.

Here's what we know. And we're doing our best to catch up with this story, because it's moving fast.

There's a memo from Matthew Vaeth, the acting head of the Office of Management and Budget. (That's the same government entity who set-up the DEI "snitch" line, that's now been spammed by tens of thousands of our fellow residents.)

In typical Trump-style, the memo gets its facts wrong. It claims in FY2024 the US government spent $10 trillion (actually it was $6.8 trillion). It says money should be used for the administration's priorities — "The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve." (Again, it's very fact deficient.)

The memo says a pause will begin at 5pm on January 28th where, "Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal."

Anyone promised federal grants might have their money at risk, even states. This is Congressional directed spending and Trump is ordering people to not do it. This funding includes universities for education and research programs, nonprofits, local and tribal governments, disaster relief aid, e…

So what can we do?

It's been a lot. And the shock approach of this administration is to overwhelm us with nonsense and a state of paralysis. We continue to believe the best thing is to stay grounded and keep yourself sane amidst insanity.

At this juncture, three actions we suggest that make sense to us:

1) Urge media to cover this story properly

This is not "possibly illegal" — it's "patently illegal." You can read notes on that here.

It's not "temporary" — it's "indefinite." There's no timetable for ending it.

It's not just a memo — it's an administrative coup.

2) Urge your Representatives to act like this is a big deal

If you know us, this isn't a knee-jerk action we suggest. We think this is a strategic because it's Congress that's being violated — their power is being directly undermined.

3) Continue to support ACLU and Democracy Forward

These groups have been preparing litigation for some time. Unless Trump revokes this, this will certainly make its way through the courts. Our read is even the biased courts will have trouble swallowing this — so it may end up being shut down.

Keep breathing. “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again," Nelson Mandela.

Warmly,

- Choose Democracy

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Virginia Scharff @vscharff.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Fight back.

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Carly Goodman @carlygoodman.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

It’s not across the board but there are so so many areas of life that are degraded versions of how things once were

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Cecilia Márquez @profceciliam.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Made a starter pack for Latino/a/e/x History since I'm new here and trying to find all my people! Let me know if you want me to include you ✨ go.bsky.app/QYRnygL

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UNC Press @uncpress.bsky.social · 20/03/2024

History Professor Sarah McNamara @drsarahmac.bsky.social Receives National Women’s Studies Association Book Award for Debut Monograph YBOR CITY: Crucible of the Latina South—via Texas A&M University College of Arts & Sciences artsci.tamu.edu/news/2024/03...

artsci.tamu.edu

History Professor Receives National Women’s Studies Association Book Award For Debut Monograph

Texas A&M History’s Dr. Sarah McNamara has been recognized with the Sara A. Whaley Book Prize for her monograph on women and labor.

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Sarah McNamara @drsarahmac.bsky.social · 30/01/2024

We often do not realize that we only get the awards to which we submit our work. If you or anyone you know published an article on US labor or political history in 2023, be sure you submit to the Robert Cherney Prize. Deadline, February 15 👇 www.pcb-aha.org/robert-w-che...

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Sarah McNamara @drsarahmac.bsky.social · 24/01/2024

Come join SLSA in the mountains for the 2024 Bi-Annual Conference! Be sure to submit your applications via bit.ly/SLSA2024 by March 15, 2024. Questions? Email SouthernLaborStudies2024@gmail.com. See you in the mountains! ☀️

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Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 13/01/2024

Cannot describe how much this piece is just a litany of petty personal grievances www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

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Robyn Muncy @robynm.bsky.social · 20/12/2023

Congratulations to @drsarahmac.bsky.social, whose wonderful book, YBOR CITY: CRUCIBLE OF THE LATINA SOUTH, won the 2023 Sara A. Whaley Book Prize from the National Women’s Studies Association!

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Sarah McNamara @drsarahmac.bsky.social · 09/12/2023

It is definitely the end of the semester. I thought a meeting I had on Monday, took place two weeks ago. 😵‍💫

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Sarah McNamara @drsarahmac.bsky.social · 07/12/2023

TAMU Latinx History students spent 7 wks working on a biography proj & created a class book + Insta page. If you are on Insta, your support of this student wrk would mean the 🌎 to them. All examined a unique figure & gave the project their all. Students named their Insta (& book): @La_Vida_Fuerte

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Drafting the Past @draftingthepast.bsky.social · 27/11/2023

This will only work if enough people actually do it, so take a minute to give your favorite book some love! The author will definitely appreciate it, and so will all of our TBR piles.

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Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 16/11/2023

If I was going to try to contextualize what's happening to the humanities in the US --also UK but esp the US context--I'd emphasize 4 things:

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UNC Press @uncpress.bsky.social · 06/11/2023

Read an excerpt taken from YBOR CITY: Crucible of the Latina South by Sarah McNamara @drsarahmac.bsky.social in Southern Cultures, featuring photos both from and beyond the book. www.southerncultures.org/article/ybor...

southerncultures.org

Ybor City - Southern Cultures

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Sarah McNamara @drsarahmac.bsky.social · 02/11/2023

One of the things I love about Southern Cultures is how beautifully they unite writing and images. An excerpt of Ybor City from @uncpress.bsky.social is live through SC and includes photos both from and beyond the book. See link southerncultures.org/article/ybor...

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Carly Goodman @carlygoodman.bsky.social · 16/10/2023

Reading @drsarahmac.bsky.social and remembering that another world is possible Latina workers in 1937: “We disagree with all fascists. We disagree with all "neutrals" regardless of ethnic group or mutual aid society. We have arrived at a moment where being neutral is being fascist.”

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Sarah McNamara @drsarahmac.bsky.social · 31/10/2023

Starting to dip my toes into this new platform. All of these alternatives are stressful! How are we finding each other?

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Kate Carpenter @katecarp.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

Another marvelous episode! I was so happy to talk with @drsarahmac.bsky.social about her writing and revising process, and I especially related to the need to get some writing done before the rest of the world seeps in every day. 🗃️ #skystorians #writingcommunity

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