The banality of evil
PLUS: I'll be appearing on MS NOW's "Velshi" at 11:30 am ET TODAY
I have not seen a single ex or current Border Patrol agent stand up against this brutality other than myself. Yet so many of you think I am hyperbolic when I say the whole agency is corrupt. They are showing you who they are every day. Believe them.
open.substack.com/pub/stevesch...
01.02.2026 15:08 β π 4 π 3 π¬ 0 π 0
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
SAN ANTONIO DIVISION
FILED
January 31, 2026
CERE SIERTO NES
BY:_
Jaemic Herndon
DEPUTY
ADRIAN CONEJO ARIAS, and
.C.R.,a
Petitioners,
VS.
KRISTI NOEM, in Her Official Capacity as
CIVIL CASE NO. SA-26-CV-415-FB
icial Capacity as Attorney General of lited States; TODD LYONS, in His Offic Capacity as Acting Director, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
DAREN MARGOLIN, in His Official Capacity as Acting Director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review; and JOHN DOE, in His ficial Capacity as the Warden of the Dill migration Processing Center in Dilley, Texas,
Respondents.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE COURI
Before the Court is the petition of asylum seeker Adrian Conejo Arias and his five-ycar-old son
for protection of the Great Writ' of habeas corpus. They seek nothing more than some modicum of due
process and the rule of law. The government has responded.
The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit
of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children. This Court and others
regularly send undocumented people to prison and orders them deported but do so by proper legal
procedures.
'Ex parte Bollman, 8 U.S. (4 Cranch) 75 (1807); Sir William W. Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of
Apparent also is the government's ignorance of an American historical document called the
Declaration of Independence. Thirty-three-year-old Thomas Jefferson enumerated grievances against
a would-be authoritarian king over our nascent nation. Among others were:
1. "He has sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People."
2.
"He has excited domestic Insurrection among us."
3. "For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us."
4. "He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our Legislatures."
"We the people" are hearing echos of that history.
And then there is that pesky inconvenience called the Fourth Amendment:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and persons or things to be seized.
U.S. Const. amend. IV.
Civics lesson to the government: Administrative warrants issued by the executive branch to
itself do not pass probable cause muster. That is called the fox guarding the henhouse.
The
Constitution requires an independent judicial officer.
Accordingly, the Court finds that the Constitution of these United States trumps this
administration's detention of petitioner Adrian Conejo Arias and his minor son, L.C.R. The Great Writ
and release from detention are GRANTED pursuant to the attached Judgment.
Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled
power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And
the rule of law be damned.
Ultimately, Petitioners may, because of the arcane United States immigration system, retum to
their home country, involuntarily or by self-deportation. But that result should occur through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place.
Philadelphia, September 17, 1787: "Well, Dr. Franklin, what do we have?" "A republic, if you
can keep it."
With a judicial finger in the constitutional dike,
It is so ORDERED.
SIGNED this 31st day of February, 2026.
UNITED STATES DISTRICP JUDGE
Smackdown, judicial style.
01.02.2026 03:54 β π 17 π 7 π¬ 0 π 0
31.01.2026 14:43 β π 3899 π 547 π¬ 26 π 8
YouTube video by The Raid with John Carlos Frey
Gregory Bovino and News Update with CALO News
youtu.be/jPzMH_vJJ24?...
31.01.2026 23:54 β π 2 π 3 π¬ 0 π 0
Tom Homan is the architect of child separation during the 1st Trump Administration. So, hide your kids Minneapolis.
31.01.2026 23:25 β π 27 π 14 π¬ 0 π 0
If thereβs one thing Chief Bovino knows, itβs optics. He is the Chief Content Creator. This is what he wants us to see.
31.01.2026 19:49 β π 15 π 3 π¬ 0 π 0
The Politics Chicks 15h
Just when I think I can't be shocked anymore, ICE and CBP say, hold my beer.
Literally. Ken Klippenstein reports that some agents are drinking on the job-while carrying lethal weapons they're authorized to use. Let that sink in.
Reply: Jenn Budd
Ya don't say!
31.01.2026 19:22 β π 18 π 5 π¬ 0 π 0
Well, when you put it like that. Seriously, sit down & make a list of things he & his administration have done. Just off the top of your head. Do it w/a group. Then sit back & look at it. It will help you visualize how far into this we are. Then organize.
31.01.2026 19:13 β π 9 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Once again, a massive gap between the official story β and what the facts are
31.01.2026 17:06 β π 12 π 5 π¬ 0 π 0
If all these oligarchs named in the Epstein Files are totally innocent, surely theyβd be in favor of an independent investigation into Epsteinβs crimes.
Right?
31.01.2026 18:02 β π 22417 π 4209 π¬ 497 π 138
Wow. Never thought I would see that on Fox.
31.01.2026 19:07 β π 14 π 3 π¬ 0 π 0
Chief Bovino laughs at death and destruction of our cities. He laughs after witnessing his agents violate our Constitutional rights and terrorize our communities. Chief Bovino has violated his oath to the Constitution & the American people. The US Border Patrol badge is dead. They have no authority over the American people. Whatever authority they did have, they have lost. #HonorFirstIsALie
Follow
Seen around town: Border Patrol commander
Greg Bovino appears to have made a stop in Las Vegas following his departure from the ongoing Minnesota operation.
#HonorFirstIsALie
31.01.2026 19:04 β π 9 π 5 π¬ 0 π 0
Stand With Minnesota
Stand With Minnesota is a hub for supporting, learning, and taking action to support Minnesotans impacted by ICE and federal enforcement.
I donβt know much about this group/website. There are a lot of ideas for resistance and how to organize for assistance in here. Whether ICE is in your city or not, start organizing.
www.standwithminnesota.com
31.01.2026 18:45 β π 12 π 5 π¬ 0 π 0
Thereβs a reason why my nearly 4 yr old book has been heavily suppressed.
31.01.2026 18:36 β π 25 π 14 π¬ 0 π 2
The nationβs largest law enforcement agency, now deployed far from the borders, certainly is less transparent β and arguably is less accountable β than your local constabulary
31.01.2026 17:04 β π 10 π 4 π¬ 0 π 0
DHS doesnβt even bother trying to lie well. The man whose skull was shattered told the hospital heβd been struck by ICE officers, an ICE officer told hospital staff the guy βgot his sh*t rocked,β then when it became clear how badly he was injured, they claimed he deliberately ran into a wall.
31.01.2026 16:59 β π 4974 π 2294 π¬ 105 π 111
2 bunches of spinach, 18 eggs, small pack of pistachios, small pack of walnuts, pack of bacon:
$50 in Trumpβs America.
31.01.2026 18:18 β π 13 π 2 π¬ 0 π 1
Greg Bovino in Las Vegas sipping red wine and laughing while in conversation apparently with several younger men
Las Vegas reporter spots Gregory Bovino sippin red wine and yukking it up as he winds his way back to the border after his months-long crusade.
Exactly a week since agents under his command shot and killed Alex Pretti
31.01.2026 16:41 β π 73 π 47 π¬ 8 π 8
Justice Department opens a federal civil rights probe into the killing of Alex Pretti
Deputy AG Blanche says the DOJ has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting of Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis resident killed by Border Patrol officers.
FYI: This is just a stalling tactic. DOJ rarely ever disagrees w/DHS. DOJ has allowed the illegal & secret CBP/Border Patrol coverup teams to corrupt cases for 35 yrs. The longer they take to investigate, the more publicβs anger will dissipate. Many cases take 5-10 yrs.
apnews.com/video/justic...
31.01.2026 16:36 β π 14 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
10. During that same incident, I saw a guard beat and punch someone I am detained with in the face. That person was bleeding profusely from his face. Guards took that person away and after that I never saw him again.
11. Right after that, they started grabbing us one by one and started taking us away. There were about ten of us who they took away and put in separate rooms. These rooms were called "the hole" or solitary confinement. We were each alone in the hole. While in the hole, I was just lying down, staring at the ceiling, wondering when I would get out. I was still on hunger strike then. I did not know when I was going to be let out and I did not know of any process to review my placement in the hole. I was in there for one day.
12. The first few days after the incident where I was pushed to the ground, my arms, my legs, and the back of my neck hurt. I still have at least one mark on my left elbow area from the injuries I received from being pushed onto the ground.
13. I don't cry easily, but I cried after the incident because I felt so powerless in that situation. We are not dogs here, but we are treated like dogs. When we ask for things, even basic things like medicine, the guards treat us so harshly.
5. At Fort Bliss, 1 am held in Unit D-1. It is a tent with approximately 72 beds. Most of the beds are occupied. The tent I am in is dirty. We try to request cleaning products to clean it ourselves, but we are denied cleaning products. The showers leak all the way into the area where we eat. There is supposed to be a small barrier between the showers and other parts of the tent, but water leaks from under it into the arca where we eat. The floor pallets in the shower emit a horrendous smell because water seeps through them and that same water goes into the eating area. Since we are not given anything to mop up the dirty water, we have to use our own underwear and socks to wipe up the water. We also sometimes use towels from formerly detained people who were moved or deported to mop up the water.
People here don't seem to be getting the medical care they need. For example, there was a man in my unit who seemed to be in his sixties. He had high blood pressure and often complained that he was not feeling well. He kept asking for medical attention, which he did not receive. His condition got so bad that he fainted, fell face down on the floor, and it looked like he broke his nose. He was bleeding profusely because of the fall and broken nose. When we tried to get the guards' attention, they did not come. When the guards finally came to give out our meal, they ignored the man who was still on the ground in a puddle of his own blood. They left the man's meal on his bed.
5. I'm having a tough time here. As a trans woman, I am not respected. The detained individuals and guards treat me like a joke. I am housed with men even though I identify as a woman. The guards tell me my only other option would be protective custody. They tell me I should think twice before opting for protective custody because I wouldn't be allowed to shower, I'd get a smaller portion of food, and there would be no bed so I'd have to sleep on the floor. Just thinking about those conditions made me feel depressed. I don't like having to live with men, but the description of protective custody here scared
me.I
4)
31.01.2026 16:06 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
On or around October 17, 2025, I turned off a light on the way to the yard. That is what triggered an altercation with an officer who spoke Spanish. The officer started insulting me, and I sat down on the floor. After that, he called the second officer who came and they had an exchange in English that I did not understand. Then both of them tried to cuff me. I didn't know why they were trying to cuff me. Then the rest of the officers started piling onto me and using their bodies to block the security camera. Blocking the camera with their bodies is a tactic I have seen them do before with other detained people. Then, the officers body-slammed me and started to beat me. My front right tooth broke from the force of being slammed to the ground. Then, even more officers came. One of the officers grabbed my testicles and firmly crushed them. An officer forced his fingers deep into my ears. Since then, I have had a lot of trouble hearing out of my left ear. I can't hear as well now. After cuffing me, the officers pulled my fingers back very painfully, almost to the point that it felt like my fingers might break. The officers continued beating me. An officer then started punching into the side and front of my mouth at which point I bit down on it. I was in so much pain and I still have marks from the incident on my body.
15. After a while, the officers stopped beating me. Then an officer held me up against the wall. I was dizzy and fighting to remain conscious. An officer started laughing at me quite a bit and making fun of the fact that I had chipped my tooth when I had been slammed to the ground. The guard told me I was like a little girl. Then, I believe three guards took me to the medical tent. My consciousness faded in the medical tent. When I regained consciousness, I was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
16. At the hospital, the medical staff gave me an IV drip and checked for broken bones.
They told me that the guards had told them that the reason I was in the hospital is because I had gotten in a fight with other detained people. The medical staff gave me some sort of muscle relaxant. At that point, I had bruising on my back, chest, legs, and other injuries. My face was swollen and I had pain in my jaw. I couldn't really chew for a
During my hunger strike, there was a time when I was asking for medication to treat my allergies. Some of the other people I am detained with were screaming out for help. There were three or four guards there at first. One of the guards called others and approximately 30 or 40 guards came. Those guards started cuffing us and threw us against the floor. My arms and legs hurt when I was thrown to the ground while cuffed with my hands behind my back. Even though I was not resisting, I got very hurt by the guards. Guards put their knees behind my neck and pressed down on my neck.
10. During that same incident, I saw a guard beat and punch someone I am detained with in the face. That person was bleeding profusely from his face. Guards took that person away and after that I never saw him again.
11. Right after that, they started grabbing us one by one and started taking us away. There were about ten of us who they took away and put in separate rooms. These rooms were called "the hole" or solitary confinement. We were each alone in the hole. While in the hole, I was just lying down, staring at the ceiling, wondering when I would get out. I was still on hunger strike then. I did not know when I was going to be let out and I did not know of any process to review my placement in the hole. I was in there for one day.
12. The first few days after the incident where I was pushed to the ground, my arms, my legs, and the back of my neck hurt. I still have at least one mark on my left elbow area from the injuries I received from being pushed onto the ground.
13. I don't cry easily, but I cried after the incident because I felt so powerless in that situation. We are not dogs here, but we are treated like dogs. When we ask for things, even basic things like medicine, the guards treat us so harshly.
3)
31.01.2026 16:04 β π 4 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
On or about October 14, 2025, I was beaten by guards here at Ft, Bliss. I was asking for the two medications I need, but the guards were not giving it to me. When I tried to get their attention, about six or seven guards started beating on me. They beat me on my ribs and my abdomen and the back of my head. There is still a large mark on my abdomen from it. I was cuffed and the guards started stomping on me until I lost consciousness.
believe I was taken to the hospital then. After bringing me back, they took me to SHU, which is a punishment cell. I was left in SHU from about Tuesday, October 14, 2025 to about Sunday, October 19, 2025. I was in there for days without the medicine I had been asking for. When I was released on Sunday, I kept asking for my medication. The guards said "no," and when I kept asking them for it, about ten to twelve guards beat me again while I was cuffed. They threw me to the ground and my clothes were torn off me. I was left bruised and bloody. I was in such bad shape that I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. I was at the hospital for several hours. I believe they scanned my body while I was there. I still have bruises on my arms, legs, and back, and abdomen. It still hurts.
15. After I was beaten for the first time, I was held in solitary confinement from approximately Tuesday, October 14 to Sunday, October 19, 2025. There was a bunk bed in there, but no other furniture. It was about half the size of the attorney visitation room, which fits just three chairs around a small table. They never seemed to shut the lights off in SHU. If I had to use the bathroom, I had to ask the guards. I was not able to shower the whole time I was in there because I was never let out to shower. I had no communication with anyone the entire time I was in there, since I did not have access to a tablet or any other way to communicate. Supposedly there is supposed to be a panel to evaluate the circumstances of our confinement in SHU, but I had no access to it. I had no opportunity to challenge my confinement in SHU. There is also always the risk of retaliation here for trying to ask for our rights to be respected.
19. I'm not the only one who has experienced violence and harsh treatment by the guards here. I have witnessed other violence and harsh treatment by the guards toward others.
When other detained people ask for things like medicine or food, they have gotten pepper sprayed. When people complain about the conditions here, they get sent to SHU.
2)
31.01.2026 16:03 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
19. The guards hit my head. They slammed it against the wall approximately ten times. Also They squeezed and twisted my ankles. The guards also grabbed and crushed my testicles between their fingers, which was very painful and humiliating. I felt like I was being sexually assaulted. After the guards slammed my head against the wall, I had severe pain behind my ears. I couldn't even touch the left side of my head for about a month because of the pain. The guards seemed to be trying to not leave visible marks on me. Other detained people tried to help me when I was beaten, but one of them was so severely beaten that he ended up in a wheelchair himself.
Approximately one week after I arrived at this facility, over the course of a week, guards called me out approximately four times to intimidate me into signing something like a voluntary deportation document. They threatened me by saying I have a bad record and the only solution is to go to Mexico. They said they would handcuff us, put bags over our heads and send us to Mexico. I refused to sign the papers. Approximately all four of the times I was pulled out, the officers told me that if I don't agree to go to Mexico, they will send me to Sudan in Africa, or to El Salvador, or to Guantanamo Bay. I told them I am not a Mexican citizen. I told them my whole family lives here. I am scared to go to Mexico because I am not from there. I also believe that there is kidnapping near the border area and that people could get robbed or killed there.
When I refused to leave the room, a guard grabbed me and slammed me down and it hurt me so much that I had pain on my back for approximately two weeks. The guard beat me just because I was refusing to be cuffed and taken to Mexico. The guards also beat several other people. The guards threw me against the floor and approximately 4-5 guards came down on me until they cuffed me. This caused pain to the back of my head.
14. Last week, the guards tried to take me to Mexico again. An ICE guard stood outside and called us. The guards came with materials for our fingerprints and signatures to consent to go to Mexico. I said "no" and that I was not going to sign. I told the guards that I was afraid for my life to be sent to Mexico and that I didn't want to be in a country of narcotraffickers.
The guards told me they would deport me to a third-party country and would press charges against me. I told them I want to stay here. That time, I did not get on the bus. They continued to tell me that they would send me to jail and to a third country, like Africa, but I continued to tell them "no," and they put me back in my housing unit.
15. The experience of the guards trying to trick us to sign documents and trying to force us into Mexico made me very scared. Now, I feel like I don't know who to trust or what to do.
16. I am scared of retaliation for speaking about my experience here, but I believe the whole world should know what is happening here at Camp East Montana in El Paso and what has happened to me.
π§΅ Taken from ACLU report on Fort Bliss ICE detention: Agents destroy the vehicle as punishment, causing financial hardship for victims.
31.01.2026 16:02 β π 6 π 3 π¬ 1 π 1
You are wrong @schiff.senate.gov. This is everyday on the southern border. None of this is new. This is immigration policing. It is what I was trained to do in the 1990βs on the southern border. Agents do not fear accountability bc politicians never care what we do.
31.01.2026 15:16 β π 3 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Retired lawyer, wife, mom to Dr. Nick, soprano. She/her. I have no use for Trump or his MAGA minions.
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