These Are All the Same Thing

1.

When ProPublica emailed questions for a profile of the chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, they received a response from the communications director of the state Republican Party. He suggested that the outlet was engaged in a “jihad” against the party and issued an unsubtle threat.

“I’m sure you’re aware of our connections with the Trump Administration and I’m sure they would be interested in this matter. I would strongly suggest dropping this story.”

ProPublica also noted that many of those who they’d contacted about the story requested anonymity out of fear that the chief justice “or his proxies would retaliate against them through the courts’ oversight system, the state bar association or the influence he wields more broadly.”

2.

During an appearance on Piers Morgan’s television show on Wednesday, Katie Miller, wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller, lost her temper during a debate with left-wing pundit Cenk Uygur. At one point, she suggested that Uygur, a naturalized citizen, might have his citizenship scrutinized.

“You better check your citizenship application and hope everything was [muddled, possibly “legal”] and correct. Because you’ll be just like Ilhan Omar coming next.”

Stephen Miller has been one of the most prominent voices for wide-scale deportations within the administration as well as one of the most fervent advocates for deploying executive power, particularly against perceived opponents. Katie Miller, however, holds no position with the government.

3.

In August, an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement was stopped by sheriffs’ deputies in Florida on suspicion that he was driving while intoxicated. One of the deputies who stopped Scott Deiseroth, Markens Dorestant, is Black, prompting Deiseroth to ask if he was Haitian. Later, Deiseroth raised a similar question with Dorestant’s partner, Jonathan Lane.

From The Washington Post:

“Your boy, he’s Haitian, right?” Deiseroth asked.

Lane replied that Dorestant is an American citizen, noting that people must be citizens to work as law enforcement in Florida.

“I’m going to run some checks when I get back,” Deiseroth said. He added that he would have Dorestant deported if “not legit,” according to the footage.

Deiseroth’s attorney, who said that his client is now participating in an alcohol treatment program, assured The Post that Deiseroth knows his comments about Dorestant’s nationality “was just not nice”, and promised that “when this is over he’ll be writing a letter to apologize for that.”

All three of these incidents were reported in the past few days.