What about enforcing the LAW?
What does the law say about crossing our borders illegally?
The Court didn't say they can't enforce the law. It said the government needs to comply with its Constitutional obligations when enforcing the law.
Take the politics out of it for a second. The government arrests 847Badgerfan and moves to deport him. 847Badgerfan thinks they have the wrong 847Badgerfan, or he didn't do what the government arrested him for, or he's a citizen. 847Badgerfan has the right to go to court to try to stop the deportation. Now, the government can keep 847Badgerfan detained while this is going on; it just can't deport him prior to the government proving its case. Mind you, the case for deportation is a low bar for the government. (1) The government has to show the person is not an authorized resident. If not, (2) the defendant has to prove (not the govermment, the defendant) that the deportation is not authorized for whatever reason (already established under the law). This is the opposite of any criminal procedure where the government has to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and it is a lower bar than a plaintiff bringing a civil claim, where the plaintiff has to show he/she is more likely than not correct. Here, the defendant has the burden of proof. This is among the easiest cases for the government from a burden of proof perspective. All the Court said is: government, meet your burden before you deport. That's it.
It is a verifiable fact that the government has deported
American citizens because of mistakes. Again, politics aside, surely you don't condone that. The purpose of the judicial process is to avoid those mistakes. So, unless you want the executive to have carte blanche to violate people's rights because of the vibe (as was noted in a post above), it isn't a good thing for the President to be able to ignore a court order.
There are lots of limitations on the courts' powers. Jurisprudence has always recognized that there are certain circumstances when the courts cannot stop the Executive from acting (even if they can later review the Executive's bad actions). War powers are a good example of that. But his deportation is not an exercise of war powers. This is a simple administrative act, wherein the government has the time to properly prove its case. There is no demonstrable harm to meeting the court's burden. It's just a political gripe, nothing more.
I plan to leave this argument after the following:
"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."
"He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers:"
"For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:"
"For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:"
In other words, abuse of individuals at the hand of the executive was a crucial part of our founding. But, that is not the law of the land, this is:
"Congress shall make no law...prohibiting...the right of the people...to petition the Government for a redress of greivances."
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons...and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probably cause..."
"No
person* shall be...deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law..."
"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial..."
"In suits at common law...the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United State, than according to the rules of common law."
"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and ununsal punishments inflicted."
*
Person, not
citizen.All of this is to say that we are a nation of laws, built on the fundamental concept that a single person cannot dictate government policy, and certainly cannot dictate how the government acts in relation to the people within its borders. Since
Marbury vs. Madison we have agreed that the federal judiciary is the appropriate check on the executive branch's authority. It is not a minor thing for the executive branch to declare that it need not follow a court order because it disagrees with it. That is a breach of the fabric of our constitutional system. So where the harm to the government--keeping these people detained in the U.S. slightly longer--is microscopic, intentionally violating a court order is a really big deal.
If you are correct--these are dangerous criminals that require deportation, the government will have no trouble meeting its burden in court. And if it can't meet its very low burden, then it can't prove its case against them, and they should not be deported. Our system is premised on our government not being able to deprive a person of life, liberty, or property, without the government meeting its burden. Surely we can all agree on that.