Trump admin to explain census exclusions to SCOTUS

Trump wants to exclude undocumented immigrants from the total population in the U.S. census

The Supreme Court agreed to listen to President Donald Trump’s arguments to exclude undocumented immigrants from the total population in the U.S. census.

The Supreme Court wants to give the Trump administration an opportunity to explain why adding probing citizenship questions to the 2020 census is necessary.

SCOTUS just halted 2020 census count to allow Trump admin to manipulate political & economic power for next decade. Now imagine how bad the court will be with Amy Coney Barrett on it

— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) October 13, 2020

There have been several failed attempts by the Trump administration to prevent undocumented immigrants from being represented, The Washington Post reported.

Read More: Court blocks Trump order to exclude undocumented immigrants from census count

One month ago, in the case of the State of New York v. Trump, a federal appeals court blocked the Commerce Department and the Census Bureau from including information on undocumented immigrants. 

In July of this year, Trump said in a memorandum that some states are overcompensated in representation because of undocumented immigrants.

If the Supreme Court were to dismiss the census responses of undocumented immigrants, states like California, New Jersey, and Texas could have fewer House of Representative seats.

The U.S. Census logo appears on census materials received in the mail with an invitation to fill out census information online on March 19, 2020 in San Anselmo, California. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

On Oct. 14, however, the Supreme Court did allowed the Trump administration to lower population counting for the census.

“[Trump] seeks to reallocate political power among the states and to weaken the political influence of states with larger populations of undocumented immigrants,” the challengers said in a court filing, Reuters reported.

Read More: Kerry Washington says stop asking Olivia Pope for help, stresses 2020 census

They also alleged the change prevents people from participating in the census, saying it is a violation of both the Constitution and the Census Act.

The administration wanting to exclude undocumented immigrants comes before Trump’s third pick for the Supreme Court is sworn in. Amy Coney Barrett is set to take Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat.

If the Republican-controlled Senate approves Trump-nominated Barrett, six out nine seats will be controlled by conservative judges.

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Two people arrested for killing pastor outside of flee market

A third man is still at large for Boyd’s death

A pastor was fatally shot at The Village Flea Market & Mall in Miami-Dade County’s West Little River neighborhood last month. Two people in connection to the incident have confessed.

via social media

Latravia Charm Bell, 20, and Nathaniel Bernard Roberson, 31, were arrested for killing pastor Gregory Boyd, and the couple faces first-degree murder charges.

Read More: Detroit woman says she woke up to pastor urinating on her during flight

A man named Mikal Norman is said to be the third person wanted for the crime, with police asking the community to assist in the arrests, Local 10, an ABC-affiliated television station, reported.

On the day before Sept 11, several people opened fire in a crowded parking lot. Boyd was hit in the crossfire while he was walking to his vehicle, according to investigators.

Boyd was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center, but he died shortly after arriving. He was 54, according to Local 10.

His death sparked outrage by the community, uniting activists and police who posted a $5,000 reward for the names of those involved.

According to a Facebook Live video, there was an argument between two sets of people at the flee market parking lot before shots were fired.

The shooting occured when Local 10 reporters, Terrell Forney and Nick Lupo, were working on another story at the scene of the crime.

Read More: Arkansas pastor allegedly performed exorcism on toddler, did meth with parishioners

Boyd’s wife, Dorothy, was deeply affected by the loss of her husband, saying “He was my friend — my best friend, my fishing partner.”

“He was a great man.”

#UPDATE: Our Homicide Bureau Detectives have made two arrests in the murder of Pastor Gregory Boyd. pic.twitter.com/bojAGGeLmx

— Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) October 16, 2020

Social media has been rejoicing in the capture of Bell and Roberson.

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White supremacists across the country indicted on drug and firearm charges

The DOJ had been working on the case against these white supremacists since June of 2019

According to the U.S. Justice Department, 21 Utah-based white supremacists have been indicted for allegedly selling drugs and firearms. In recent days, similar charges were brought against white supremacist gang members in Texas, Kentucky, and Mississippi.

Twenty-Four Defendants, Including Alleged Aryan Circle Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Racketeering, Firearms, and Drug Charges in Multiple States https://t.co/wD6CHwkpT0

— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) October 15, 2020

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah said in a statement that the recent charges were unsealed in federal court following an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force of the Soldiers of Aryan Culture, Silent Aryan Warriors, Noble Elect Thugs, and associates.

Read More: White supremacists, militias have infiltrated many US police forces: report

In the statement the defendants were described as “documented gang members and associates of several home-grown white supremacist gangs from around the Salt Lake City and Ogden areas.”

“The Aryan Circle is a violent, race-based organization that operates inside federal prisons across the country and outside prisons in states including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri,” the statement said.

President Donald Trump came under fire in the first presidential debate for his unwillingness to clearly denounce white supremacy and for telling the right-wing Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.”

Proud Boys flash the OK hand signal, a gesture often associated with far-right groups, during Proud Boy rally on September 26, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Reversing his stance on Thursday during an NBC town hall, the president repeatedly said he denounced white supremacy.

As reported by Deseret News, U.S. Attorney John Huber said he was concerned that there might be the perception that the Department of Justice directed local jurisdictions to crack down on white supremacists to show the Trump administration is serious about rooting them out.

Read More: Dems send letter to Trump demanding he disavow comments on White supremacists on national TV

He said the DOJ had been working on the case since June of 2019 and added that the Utah arrests are the result of investigations that are well over a year old.

According to Reuters, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have also expressed concern about domestic extremism in the lead up to the Nov. 3 election.

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