The word “Black” has been almost completely removed from a package of bills that have long been viewed as Congress’ main legislative vehicle to address the Black maternal health crisis, frustrating some advocates who feel Black women are being erased from the policy. The key change this year is the title. The Momnibus Act — filed in mid-March — was called the Black Maternal Health Momnibus…
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On the surface, the case of Bryan Rafael Gomez seemed like thousands of others filed from coast to coast as the Trump administration has detained immigrants without a bond hearing.
But after Gomez successfully petitioned for his release, it became clear his case could hardly be more different.
First, on April 30, the Department of Homeland Security posted a press release online that blamed an “activist judge” for releasing “a violent criminal illegal alien who is wanted for murder in the Dominican Republic.”
After media coverage of that release ensued, the judge, Melissa DuBose of the District of Rhode Island, issued a stark order that same day. Noting that the government had never apprised her of the detainee’s “dangerousness and/or criminal history,” she directed the Justice Department to explain why it should not be held in contempt.
And that’s when things really took a turn.
In his May 1 response, the DOJ lawyer involved, Kevin Bolan, acknowledged that he knew, prior to DuBose’s release order, that Gomez had an outstanding 2023 arrest warrant, but he said unnamed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials told him Bolan “was not permitted to disclose that information” to DuBose for an unspecified “legitimate law enforcement reason.”
Bolan added, “I sincerely apologize to Judge DuBose, personally, and to the entire Court for the consequences of this lack of disclosure.”
Less than two weeks have passed since Bolan’s admission and apology, but the fallout has been swift.
DuBose referred Bolan, the chief of the civil division of Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, for disciplinary proceedings for his “lack of candor.” The chief judge of the district has since appointed a law professor and former Scalia
In 2025, the Trump administration successfully pushed Congress to enact nearly $1 trillion in health care cuts over the coming decade, which the Congressional Budget Office analysis estimated would result in 10 million people losing health coverage by 2034. More recently, it has blocked any and all efforts to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credit subsidies for people buying insurance on…
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Indigenous organizers and environmental groups are celebrating a rare and hard-fought victory after a South Dakota mining company withdrew its plan to drill for graphite near Pe’ Sla, a sacred site in the Black Hills. The withdrawal followed a monthslong coordinated campaign that combined prayer, direct action, and legal pressure — tactics that could offer lessons for future land defense fights…
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When I first watched the trailer of the prize-winning film All That’s Left of You by the brilliant Palestinian American filmmaker Cherien Dabis, tears streamed down my face and my heart raced. The nearly three-minute video opened the wound of decades of displacement, unending tragedy, and the collective trauma Palestinians have passed down through generations. In the film, Dabis traces the life of…
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There are moments when history moves so fast that distraction becomes dangerous. Last week was one of those moments. While much of Memphis and Shelby County were pulled into the familiar rhythms of election analysis, political frustration, and personality-driven debate, something far more consequential was unfolding in Nashville. Tennessee’s recent congressional redistricting effort…
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