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Jeff Stein

@jeffreystein.bsky.social
251 followers 167 following 21 posts

Staff Attorney, ACLU National Security Project. Views here are my own.

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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 2h
Today, we secured a crucial win in our efforts to force the Trump administration to publicly disclose the secret legal opinion it’s using to justify mass murder in the Caribbean and Pacific.
nytimes.com
Judge Questions Secrecy Around Trump Administration’s Memo on Boat Strikes
The judge also ordered the Justice Department to privately show the court the contested document, which blesses the disputed killings at sea.
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Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
He is not wrong. "There are reasonable grounds to believe that the reported 68 attacks that killed 223 people constituted crimes against humanity of murder under customary international law" - United Nations Special Rapporteur on U.S. Killing “Narco-Terrorists” at Sea www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul...
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ACLU @aclu.org · 10/09/2026
25 years after the September 11 attacks, as we remember the victims of this tragedy, ACLU deputy legal director Ben Wizner reflects on the damage done to our democracy and what the courts can do to repair it.
latimes.com
Contributor: Legal legacy of 9/11 is a lack of accountability for the government
The litany of grave abuses committed under the banner of a “war on terrorism” is grim and familiar. It need not continue.
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Today’s @radleybalko.bsky.social op-ed is worth reading. Trump’s crimes are the apotheosis of—not an aberration from—the decades-long, bipartisan project of executive aggrandizement. If we want a better future, we’ll have to reckon with this history and build safeguards to prevent its repetition.
nytimes.com
Opinion | Civil Libertarians Knew This Would Happen. We Should Have Listened.
The civil libertarians’ warnings have come true.
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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I wrote about the courts and the "war on terror"--"a bleak landscape of judicial abdication, with the courts almost invariably placing national security policies beyond the reach of the law and human rights victims outside the sphere of judicial protection" www.thenation.com/article/worl...
thenation.com
See No Evil
American courts and the War on Terror.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 02/09/2026
Enough is enough. Tell Congress to put a stop to these illegal and immoral strikes at aclu.org/stop-boat-strikes-
Black graphic with red and white text reading "The Trump administration has killed at least 227 civilians in 68 illegal strikes on small boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since September 2, 2025."
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
On today’s grim one-year anniversary of the Trump administration’s boat strikes campaign — which has snuffed out at least 227 lives — it’s more important than ever to insist that the strikes are not simply inhumane and ineffective, but illegal. My reflections in @thehill.com :
thehill.com
Trump’s boat strikes are illegal. Does it matter?
An ACLU attorney argues that the Trump administration’s boat strikes off the Venezuelan coast are illegal, immoral, and ineffective, citing the deaths of Trinidadian nationals Chad Joseph and…
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
“No armed conflict exists with the United States under international humanitarian law, since there is no military combat between two sides. The United States is simply killing individuals unilaterally without any legal basis or process . . . These killings are extrajudicial and unlawful.”
ohchr.org
United States: UN experts demand end to unlawful killings at sea, as one-year death toll hits 223
GENEVA – UN experts* today demanded an end to unlawful killings by the United States of America, after at least 223 deaths at sea were recorded from US air strikes in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific...
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ACLU @aclu.org · 25/08/2026
The Trump administration's latest boat strike, which killed 2 more civilians, is just as patently illegal as the last 66.
nytimes.com
U.S. Military Kills 2 People in Attack on Boat in Pacific
The United States has killed at least 223 people since its campaign of boat strikes began nearly a year ago.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 13/08/2026
This reporting should chill every American to the bone. The Trump Administration owes the public answers – Americans do not support extrajudicial attacks in our name. We need transparency and accountability for these strikes, NOW.
washingtonpost.com
Covert CIA program said to be behind mysterious attacks on Galápagos boats
A surveillance plane flew from El Salvador toward the fishing boats before drones attacked, flight data shows.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 15/08/2026
The CIA reportedly bombed multiple civilian fishing boats off the Galápagos Islands earlier this year, and the public is only finding out now. Join us in demanding that Congress holds the Trump administration accountable NOW for carrying out these illegal, inhumane boat strikes.
aclu.org
Tell Congress: Stop President Trump's illegal boat strikes
Since September, the Trump administration has murdered nearly 90 people in international waters, ordering over 20 lethal strikes on civilian boats near Venezuela. Congress must conduct oversight and c...
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Jake Tapper, long-suffering Philly sports fan @jaketapper.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The Pentagon just announced it is “transitioning” from Operation Southern Spear, its lethal attacks on the alleged drug boats. What did it accomplish if anything? www.cnn.com/2026/08/06/w...
cnn.com
Innocent men or drug couriers? Investigating the victims of the deadly US boat strikes | CNN
CNN’s Jake Tapper reports on The Lead.
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CNN @cnn.com · 04/08/2026
The US military’s strikes on alleged drug boats have likely illegally killed “individuals who are not involved in narcotrafficking,” Sen. Tim Kaine told the White House, following “a careful review” of classified information he has seen so far.
cnn.com
‘They are murder victims’: Senator suggests US strikes have killed people who weren’t involved in drug trafficking | CNN Politics
The US military’s strikes on alleged drug boats have likely illegally killed “individuals who are not involved in narcotrafficking,” Sen. Tim Kaine told the White House on Monday, following “a careful...
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ACLU @aclu.org · 27/07/2026
Since last year, the Trump administration has bombed dozens of civilian boats near the Caribbean, killing at least 221 people. This military campaign isn’t just illegal and immoral — it has also done nothing to stop drugs from entering the U.S. Congress must end this senseless killing spree.
washingtonpost.com
67 boat strikes. 221 dead. The cocaine hasn't slowed, officials report.
The president says Operation Southern Spear has virtually ended drug trafficking by sea. Pentagon and DEA analysts have concluded otherwise.
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Marty Lederman @martylederman.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Another reminder, since no one in Congress appears to care: These strikes are a campaign of unlawful murders, and the Administration hasn't offered any plausible argument to the contrary. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
washingtonpost.com
67 boat strikes. 221 dead. The cocaine hasn’t slowed, officials report.
The president says Operation Southern Spear has virtually ended drug trafficking by sea. Pentagon and DEA analysts have concluded otherwise.
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Thanks to @jaketapper.bsky.social for having me on to discuss our efforts to hold the Trump administration accountable for their heinous, illegal, and immoral killing spree on the high seas.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 17/07/2026
Transparency is vital to protecting our civil liberties. The last thing Congress should do is give the Pentagon another excuse to withhold information from the American people.
cbsnews.com
Pentagon proposes new secrecy power to withhold unclassified records from public-access laws
The legislative proposal would allow the defense secretary to withhold "controlled unclassified information," potentially curbing public access to a wide range of defense records.
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Today, I spoke with CNN’s @jaketapper.bsky.social about @aclu.org’s cases challenging the Trump administration’s illegal and immoral boat strikes, including our efforts to secure redress and accountability for family members of two victims, Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo: www.cnn.com/2026/07/16/w...
cnn.com
Families of alleged victims from October boat strike sue U.S. | CNN
Boat strike victims’ family attorney Jeff Stein joins The Lead.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 02/07/2026
BREAKING: We’re suing to stop Florida’s baseless designation of the country’s leading Muslim civil rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and its Florida chapter as “domestic terrorist organizations.” If the court doesn’t intervene, they’ll be required to shut down in the state.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 24/06/2026
We're in court today demanding that the Trump administration disclose the still-secret memo it says justifies its illegal strikes on civilian boats in international waters. These strikes have now killed at least 214 people. The public deserves answers.
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
The Trump administration has created “law” to justify this killing spree—the infamous OLC memo—but they’ve kept it secret. On Wednesday, I’ll be in SDNY arguing that this secrecy is itself unlawful, and that the public has a right to know how their government is rationalizing the killings.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 01/06/2026
“We live in fear of these strikes, and because of that, many people have stopped going out to fish.” The Trump administration’s boat strikes have killed over 200 civilians and upended the livelihoods of coastal communities across South America. This illegal bombing campaign must be stopped.
nytimes.com
The U.S. Boat Strike Campaign Has Now Killed Over 200 People
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Michael C. Dorf @dorfonlaw.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
The Farm Bill the House passed includes provisions that would pre-empt state animal welfare laws like California's Prop 12. Nicholas Kristof recently condemned it. I'm glad. Yet, as I explain on the blog, Kristof is stuck on baby steps, even as he continues to say he cares about animals. 👇
dorfonlaw.org
Pigs, Dogs, and Nicholas Kristof
On Saturday,  New York Times  columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote an essay condemning the "Save Our Bacon Act," which passed the House and is ...
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
More than 200 grotesque, illegal, and immoral killings. We won’t stop demanding accountability.
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Airwars @airwars.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
NEW: Airwars-supported cross-border investigation identifies victims of US boat strikes. Journalist collective reveals victims are labourers, fishermen, cab drivers. Almost 200 have been killed since Sept 2025. No trial, no defence. 🔗 www.elclip.org/los-bombarde... #LosBombardeados
elclip.org
Los Bombardeados: sin derecho a la defensa
Una investigación que busca revelar quiénes son las víctimas y cuáles han sido los efectos colaterales de los bombardeos de Estados Unidos a supuestas narcolanchas en el Caribe y el Océano Pacífico de...
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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
“That Rümeysa felt she had to return to Turkey to escape the shadow of state violence says everything you need to know about the state of free speech and academic freedom in this country,” said Ramya Krishnan, an attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/17/m...
bostonglobe.com
Rümeysa Öztürk, Tufts University grad arrested by ICE agents last year, returns to Turkey - The Boston Globe
The government and Öztürk’s legal team have jointly moved to dismiss her immigration proceedings.
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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
It’s a telling indicator of media desensitization that the US government’s ongoing program of murder on the high seas—which according to the perpetrators has killed fourteen (14) people this week— is no longer a subject for much serious or sustained news coverage.
Southcom website press releases page showing a near daily recent pace of “lethal kinetic strikes” on boats, each of which resulted in the intentional extrajudicial killing of multiple people outside of a recognized armed conflict.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 15/04/2026
The Trump administration's illegal strikes on civilian boats near the Caribbean have now killed at least 170 people at sea. These extrajudicial killings must end. Congress and the courts must take immediate action.
nbcnews.com
2 dead in U.S. military strike on alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific
Two people were killed in the latest U.S. military strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific said to be involved in drug smuggling, U.S.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 12/03/2026
President Trump is killing civilians at sea. This is illegal and immoral.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 05/03/2026
The Trump administration has started an unconstitutional and unauthorized war with Iran — and children are paying the price.
nbcnews.com
What we know about the strike on a school in Iran as the death toll rises
Iranian authorities said at least 168 people, many of them children, were killed in the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab.
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
A bleak report that should serve as a wake up call. But with respect to Prof. Goldsmith, it’s not that the courts *can’t* constrain unlawful executive branch uses of force, it’s that they *haven’t* through a series of made up doctrines (e.g., political question, state secrets). (1/n)
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ACLU @aclu.org · 28/02/2026
The U.S. military is not any president’s plaything. The Constitution puts the responsibility on Congress alone to decide whether and when to take on the profound costs of war.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 28/02/2026
Only Congress has the constitutional power to authorize war. Yet, the Trump administration is once again taking unilateral and reckless military action against Iran, putting both servicemembers and civilians in danger. This is unconstitutional.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 27/02/2026
We're suing on behalf of two families whose loved ones were killed when our government bombed their civilian boats in the Caribbean. The Trump administration had no right to kill Chad Joseph, Rishi Samaroo, or anyone else caught up in these illegal extrajudicial killings.
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The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell @lastwordmsnow.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
TONIGHT: ACLU attorney Jeffrey Stein talks to @lawrenceodonnell.bsky.social on The #LastWord at 10pm ET.
npr.org
Lawsuit from families of men killed in boat strikes is the first to reach U.S. court
Relatives of two Trinidadian men killed in a U.S. airstrike last year are suing over what they call extrajudicial killings. It's the first such case to land in an American courthouse.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 18/02/2026
The Trump administration's strikes on civilian boats at sea are illegal and immoral, and those responsible must be held accountable.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 18/02/2026
Extrajudicial killings have become the norm for this Administration. From shooting our own citizens in Minneapolis to these lawless killings in international waters. We must make sure that Hegseth & those who ordered these murders are held accountable.
cnn.com
US military says it killed 11 people in strikes on three alleged drug boats | CNN Politics
The US military struck three alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on Monday night, killing all 11 people on board, US Southern Command said Tuesday.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 06/02/2026
Yesterday, the Trump administration bombed another boat at sea, bringing the death toll of these lethal strikes to at least 128 people. This is murder. Our leaders must demand answers and bring an end to this illegal military campaign.
cnn.com
US strikes another boat in the eastern Pacific, killing 2 | CNN Politics
The US military conducted a strike against another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing two people, according to US Southern Command.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 27/01/2026
BREAKING: We’re suing the Trump administration on behalf of the family members of 2 Trinidadian men killed by a U.S. missile strike while traveling home from Venezuela by boat. The government must be held accountable.
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Charlie Savage @charliesavage.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Trinidadian Families File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over Boat Strike by U.S. Military The case tests the Trump administration’s argument that its extrajudicial killings of people suspected of smuggling drugs at sea have been lawful. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/u...
nytimes.com
Trinidadian Families File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over Boat Strike by U.S. Military
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Today, my colleagues and I @aclu.org filed a case on behalf of family members of two victims of an illegal US military boat strike, Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo. The lawsuit makes clear that, as both a legal and moral matter, Chad and Rishi’s families are entitled to justice in US courts.
wsj.com
Families of Two Men Killed in Boat Strikes Sue U.S.
The suit by the families of two slain Trinidadians is the first legal challenge to the Trump administration’s campaign against alleged drug-smuggling boats coming from Latin America.
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Jan Dutkiewicz @jandutkiewicz.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
"Eating less meat remains one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest ways to cut emissions. It requires no new technology, no congressional approval, no subsidies or tax credits." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The New Food Pyramid, Brought to You by Big Meat
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ACLU @aclu.org · 07/01/2026
Our new poll makes it clear: The American people want answers on President Trump's illegal boat strikes.
commondreams.org
83% of Americans Want Trump Admin to End Secrecy Behind Lethal, Extrajudicial Boat Strikes | Common Dreams
83% of voters say they want the Trump admin to publicly release info about its extrajudicial bombings in the Caribbean, according to an ACLU/YouGov poll. Nearly 7 in 10 say the admin has not provided evidence to justify its killing of at least 114 people.
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
According to a new poll, an overwhelming majority of voters agree that the public deserves to see the Trump administration’s purported legal justification for carrying out murders on the high seas. In the coming months, we’ll be fighting for this transparency in court. www.aclu.org/press-releas...
aclu.org
New Poll Shows Voters Overwhelmingly Support Public Accountability for U.S. Boat Strikes | American Civil Liberties Union
According to an ACLU/YouGov poll fielded in mid-December, 84 percent of voters agree that Americans have a right to know more about their government and...
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ACLU @aclu.org · 30/12/2025
The president doesn't have the authority to act as judge, jury, and executioner. Congress must stop these illegal and immoral strikes, and officials who carried them out must be held accountable.
apnews.com
US military carries out 30th strike on alleged drug boat
The U.S. military says it has conducted another strike against a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people.
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
I couldn’t help but think of the great Janet Malcolm while reading this fascinating thread, who I think agreed about the need for fidelity in quotations while also insisting on “translating” tape-recorded quotes into the written word, and doubting whether stories would or could ring true to subjects
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ACLU @aclu.org · 18/12/2025
For too long, presidents of both parties have claimed the authority to carry about extrajudicial killings under the guise of "national security" without any meaningful oversight from Congress or the courts. Our leaders must chart a different course and stop President Trump's illegal boat strikes.
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump’s Drone Strikes Are Wrong. Obama’s Were, Too
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Jeff Stein @jeffreystein.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
The president doesn’t have the power to create a secret legal universe where cold-blooded murder of civilians can be recast as lawful policy. That’s why we @aclu.org are suing. Read more here: www.aclu.org/news/nationa...
aclu.org
Trump's Boat Strikes Are Illegal. The Public Needs Answers. | ACLU
The Trump administration must release its legal justification and all other materials related to its illegal lethal strikes on civilian boats at sea.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 18/12/2025
Last night, President Trump bombed another civilian boat in international waters, killing 4 more people and bringing the death toll of his illegal boat strikes to 99. These murders violate U.S. and international law and must be stopped.
cnn.com
US strikes another boat in eastern Pacific, killing 4 | CNN Politics
The US military conducted a strike against another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, killing 4 people, according to US Southern Command.
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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
“The law of armed conflict does not apply to these strikes. They are premeditated killings outside of the context of armed conflict, and we have a legal concept for that conduct. It’s murder.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
nbcnews.com
Advocacy groups sue Trump administration seeking release of legal memo justifying boat strikes
The complaint argues that the deadly strikes on alleged drug boats, which have killed at least 87 people since early September, are illegal.
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