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Ilya Somin

@ilyasomin.bsky.social

Law professor; author of Free to Move: Foot Voting Migration and Political Freedom; Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Smarter; The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. New London and the Limits of Eminent Domain; Volokh Conspiracy blogger.

6,433 Followers  |  422 Following  |  982 Posts  |  Joined: 13.11.2024
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Posts by Ilya Somin (@ilyasomin.bsky.social)

Tariffs Debrief with Ilya Somin: Understanding the Supreme Court's decision
YouTube video by Society for the Rule of Law Tariffs Debrief with Ilya Somin: Understanding the Supreme Court's decision

I did a @chkbal.bsky.social podcast about the tariff case. @greggnunziata.bsky.social interviewed me. Video linked below:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=amda...

26.02.2026 18:20 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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An Unconstitutional War Trump's attack on Iran is obviously unconstitutional. The moral and policy issues are a closer call.

This war is blatantly unconstitutional - undeniably a large enough military action to require congressional authorization. Its wisdom and morality are closer calls. But I'm skeptical regime change (which would be good) can be achieved by air attack alone: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

28.02.2026 18:37 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2
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An Unconstitutional War Trump's attack on Iran is obviously unconstitutional. The moral and policy issues are a closer call.

This war is blatantly unconstitutional - undeniably a large enough military action to require congressional authorization. Its wisdom and morality are closer calls. But I'm skeptical regime change (which would be good) can be achieved by air attack alone: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

28.02.2026 18:37 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2
Post image Post image

JUST IN: A federal judge says the Trump administration has been β€œterrorizing” refugees β€” violating the promise America made to them when they fled persecution at home β€” by locking them up illegally. He blocked the policy for those in MN storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

27.02.2026 22:35 β€” πŸ‘ 5708    πŸ” 1861    πŸ’¬ 47    πŸ“Œ 48
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Trump v. Barbara | Constitutional Accountability Center

Read our #SCOTUS brief on behalf of an ideologically diverse group of scholars, including @amandafrost.bsky.social and @ilyasomin.bsky.social: www.theusconstitution.org/litigation/t...

27.02.2026 15:50 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Supreme Court Rules Trump’s Tariffs Unlawful Under IEEPA by We the People Unpacking the Supreme Court's Decision in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump

I did this @constitutionctr.bsky.social podcast on the Supreme Court tariff decision. Other participants were Zach Shemtob of @scotusblog.com and Julie Silverbrook (NCC). megaphone.link/NCC2191263670

27.02.2026 01:36 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Supreme Court Rules Trump’s Tariffs Unlawful Under IEEPA by We the People Unpacking the Supreme Court's Decision in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump

I did this @constitutionctr.bsky.social podcast on the Supreme Court tariff decision. Other participants were Zach Shemtob of @scotusblog.com and Julie Silverbrook (NCC). megaphone.link/NCC2191263670

27.02.2026 01:36 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Tariffs Debrief with Ilya Somin: Understanding the Supreme Court's decision
YouTube video by Society for the Rule of Law Tariffs Debrief with Ilya Somin: Understanding the Supreme Court's decision

I did a @chkbal.bsky.social podcast about the tariff case. @greggnunziata.bsky.social interviewed me. Video linked below:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=amda...

26.02.2026 18:20 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Thoughts on the Supreme Court Oral Argument in the Pung v. Isabella County Takings Case Most of the discussion was focused on the wrong issue. What matters under the Takings Clause is not the "fairness" of the process by which the owner's house was taken, but whether he got adequate "jus...

My assessment of today's frustrating Supreme Court oral argument in the Pung v Isabella County home equity theft takings case (in which I wrote amicus brief for @cato.org & property scholars). The justices seemed to be focusing on the wrong issue: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

26.02.2026 03:48 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

See our amicus brief for how this case can be easily resolved by just requiring state/local governments to pay at least fair market value compensation when they foreclose on property for tax delinquencies (minus amount needed to pay the taxes): www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25...

26.02.2026 03:50 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Thoughts on the Supreme Court Oral Argument in the Pung v. Isabella County Takings Case Most of the discussion was focused on the wrong issue. What matters under the Takings Clause is not the "fairness" of the process by which the owner's house was taken, but whether he got adequate "jus...

My assessment of today's frustrating Supreme Court oral argument in the Pung v Isabella County home equity theft takings case (in which I wrote amicus brief for @cato.org & property scholars). The justices seemed to be focusing on the wrong issue: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

26.02.2026 03:48 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Here, as in other interviews with foreign media, I both talked about the case and emphasized that the tariffs are unpopular, and most Americans do NOT want a trade war with our allies. My very, very small contribution to maintaining the Western alliance.

26.02.2026 02:29 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Ilya Somin, le juriste derriΓ¨re la chute des droits de douane : "Donald Trump ne peut pas agir comme un monarque" Γ€ l’origine de l'une des affaires ayant conduit la Cour suprΓͺme amΓ©ricaine Γ  juger illΓ©gale une partie des droits de douane imposΓ©s par Donald Trump, le juriste Ilya Somin revient pour L’Express sur c...

I got interviewed about the tariff case by @lexpress.fr (one of France’s leading media outlets):

www.lexpress.fr/idees-et-deb...

26.02.2026 02:27 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Thoughts on the Potential Broader Significance of the Supreme Court's Tariff Decision Eddie Marshall | Midjourney How significant is the Supreme Court's decision striking down Trump's massive IEEPA tariffs in Learning Resources…

In this post, I offer some thoughts on the potential broader significance of the tariff decision. Only time will tell for sure. But I and various more prominent commentators think it is likely to be significant in several different ways: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

25.02.2026 15:25 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Thoughts on the Potential Broader Significance of the Supreme Court's Tariff Decision Eddie Marshall | Midjourney How significant is the Supreme Court's decision striking down Trump's massive IEEPA tariffs in Learning Resources…

In this post, I offer some thoughts on the potential broader significance of the tariff decision. Only time will tell for sure. But I and various more prominent commentators think it is likely to be significant in several different ways: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

25.02.2026 15:25 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Major crime scene here!

24.02.2026 20:36 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump’s new tariffs are another dangerous presidential power grab - The Boston Globe Trump has tried to reconstitute his tariff power by reinstating most of his sweeping tariffs using a 1974 law. If allowed to stand, this would undermine the constitutional system almost as much as the...

My new @bostonglobe.com op ed on why Trump's new Section 122 tariffs are another dangerous power grab, which courts should strike down: www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/24/o...

24.02.2026 17:40 β€” πŸ‘ 34    πŸ” 17    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Trump’s new tariffs are another dangerous presidential power grab - The Boston Globe Trump has tried to reconstitute his tariff power by reinstating most of his sweeping tariffs using a 1974 law. If allowed to stand, this would undermine the constitutional system almost as much as the...

My new @bostonglobe.com op ed on why Trump's new Section 122 tariffs are another dangerous power grab, which courts should strike down: www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/24/o...

24.02.2026 17:40 β€” πŸ‘ 34    πŸ” 17    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Trump’s Probably Headed Back To Court Again Trump’s Department of Justice previously argued in court that he couldn’t issue tariffs under the authority that he is now using to justify a 15% blanket tariff.

Now that IEEPA tariffs are out, what to make of Trump's pivot to Section 122 balance of payments tariffs?

@paulblumenthal.bsky.social @huffpost.com reports, with insights from @ilyasomin.bsky.social Gopinath Setser, Busch, Trefler, Milton Friedman, and me.
www.huffpost.com/entry/donald...

24.02.2026 15:19 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Supreme Court Spurns a Presidential Power Grab But the court sidestepped the president’s claims to sweeping emergency powers.

My new @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social article on broader significance of the tariff decision - and one key issue about emergency powers the court did not address, but which is likely to recur soon, including on tariffs (gift link): thedispatch.com/article/supr...

23.02.2026 15:57 β€” πŸ‘ 33    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2
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The Supreme Court Spurns a Presidential Power Grab But the court sidestepped the president’s claims to sweeping emergency powers.

My new @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social article on broader significance of the tariff decision - and one key issue about emergency powers the court did not address, but which is likely to recur soon, including on tariffs (gift link): thedispatch.com/article/supr...

23.02.2026 15:57 β€” πŸ‘ 33    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2
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Diese Personen stoppen Trumps ZΓΆlle Ein Juraprofessor, ein Staranwalt und ein Weinimporteur bilden das BΓΌndnis, das Trumps NotstandszΓΆlle zu Fall brachte. Ein solch zentrales Urteil gab es seit Jahrzehnten nicht mehr.

The tariff case and I got profiled in one of Germany's major newspapers, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: www.faz.net/aktuell/wirt...

22.02.2026 18:59 β€” πŸ‘ 25    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Holy shit: they folded immediately after this @pamherd.bsky.social skeet
www.cnbc.com/2026/02/22/t...

22.02.2026 15:51 β€” πŸ‘ 3093    πŸ” 766    πŸ’¬ 105    πŸ“Œ 136
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How the Supreme Court Spared America The ruling against Trump’s tariffs is a major victory for the constitutional separation of powers, rule of law, and millions of American consumers and businesses.

My new @theatlantic.com article about our win in tariff case. Covers many issues, including major questions, nondelegation, implications for rule of law, and Trump's plan to use Section 122 to impose new tariffs (gift link): www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

21.02.2026 16:48 β€” πŸ‘ 97    πŸ” 44    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 4
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Why Trump’s Section 122 Tariffs Are Illegal | National Review The president has not come close to showing a balance-of-payments crisis, the statutorily required precondition for imposing tariffs under Section 122.

Prominent conservative legal commentator Andrew McCarthy has an excellent National Review article explaining why the new Section 122 tariffs are illegal: www.nationalreview.com/corner/trump...

22.02.2026 02:02 β€” πŸ‘ 43    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 8

That’s one of the issues courts may have to decide.

21.02.2026 21:25 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How the Supreme Court Spared America The ruling against Trump’s tariffs is a major victory for the constitutional separation of powers, rule of law, and millions of American consumers and businesses.

Gift link to @ilyasomin.bsky.social's Atlantic article. /2, end

21.02.2026 21:00 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

But did he find the Ring of Power for Sauron? That is the question.

21.02.2026 17:42 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How the Supreme Court Spared America The ruling against Trump’s tariffs is a major victory for the constitutional separation of powers, rule of law, and millions of American consumers and businesses.

My new @theatlantic.com article about our win in tariff case. Covers many issues, including major questions, nondelegation, implications for rule of law, and Trump's plan to use Section 122 to impose new tariffs (gift link): www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

21.02.2026 16:48 β€” πŸ‘ 97    πŸ” 44    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 4