07 June 2025
U.S. Sanctions on the International Criminal Court
Since the negotiation of the Rome Statute, U.S. relations with the Court have zig-zagged between quiet support and open hostility. With President Trump’s return to office, we are back to confrontation. On June 5, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made sanction designations of four ICC judges – two of whom authorized the investigation into Afghanistan and two of whom approved the Netanyahu and Gallant arrest warrants. This post describes these developments and situates them within the broader context of U.S.-ICC relations. Continue reading >>
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06 June 2025
Using Immigration Court as a Trap
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun apprehending noncitizens at immigration court – where individuals appear to seek humanitarian relief or defend against deportation – immediately after the government moves to dismiss their case. Immigrants and their attorneys are increasingly reporting that ICE, in coordination with government lawyers, is detaining individuals as they exit court following such dismissals. Rather than providing a reprieve, dismissal is now being used to facilitate detention and potentially summary deportation, raising serious concerns about due process and adherence to governing statutes in the United States. Continue reading >>
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03 June 2025
Trump’s Threat to Nonprofits
The administration of President Trump is threatening nonprofits with the loss of tax-exempt status in an attempt to force them to conform their activities to policies favored by that administration. The threats are based on shaky legal grounds, and nonprofits have both constitutional and statutory bases for countering them. Nevertheless, these threats are significant, especially when combined with the administration’s efforts to cut government funding for many programs operated by nonprofits. And at the same time, the U.S. Congress is considering reducing the benefits of tax-exempt status in many ways, primarily to help pay for tax cuts benefitting wealthy individuals and corporations. Continue reading >>
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22 May 2025
Fasten für den Überfluss?
In den Vereinigten Staaten haben die Journalisten Ezra Klein und Derek Thompson mit ihrem Buch „Abundance“ eine Kritik des gegenwärtigen amerikanischen Verwaltungsstaats vorgelegt. Während Elon Musks DOGE am Rückbau der Bundesverwaltung arbeitet, wollen die beiden Journalisten sie neu aufstellen. Sie werben dafür, linke Politik, konkret der Demokratischen Partei, auf den titelgebenden Überfluss auszurichten: mehr Wohnen, mehr Energie, mehr öffentliche Forschung. Schon weil wir in der Bundesrepublik ähnliche Probleme, aber keine vergleichbare Methodenkritik haben, lohnt ein Blick nach Übersee. Continue reading >>13 May 2025
Wenn Wissensquellen versiegen
Die ersten 100 Tage von Trumps zweiter Amtszeit wirken sich nicht nur drastisch auf den Welthandel und die liberale Weltordnung aus – sondern auch auf Asylverfahren in Deutschland. Vor allem das Defunding von Entwicklungszusammenarbeit verändert die Informationslage zu asylrelevanten Herkunftsländern radikal: Etablierte Quellen von Herkunftslandinformationen verschwinden, das Verständnis von zentralen Konzepten (wie Terrorismus) wandelt sich und die Informationslage wird noch volatiler. Dies stellt deutsche Gerichte bei der Tatsachenaufklärung in Asylverfahren vor neue Herausforderungen. Continue reading >>
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11 April 2025
The U.S. President’s Electoral Power Play
On March 25, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) purporting to restructure American election administration. The ironically titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” EO sets out to, among other things, require those registering to vote in federal elections to present documentary proof of citizenship, and threatens to penalize states that accept late arriving ballots (i.e., mail ballots that are sent prior to, yet not received until after, Election Day). The EO has several legal deficiencies and much of it should be invalidated by the federal judiciary. Continue reading >>
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28 March 2025
Wie die Trump-Regierung Wissensinstitutionen angreift
Zeit für Mut – und Widerstand Continue reading >>
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28 March 2025
The Trump Administration’s Attack on Knowledge Institutions
Time for courage – and resistance Continue reading >>24 March 2025
Sturm auf den Verwaltungsstaat
Die erste Amtszeit Donald Trumps endete mit dem Sturm auf das Kapitol, die zweite Amtszeit begann mit dem Sturm auf den Administrative State. Ist nur ersteres oder beides ein Angriff auf die demokratische Ordnung? Wie Verwaltungsstaat und Demokratie aufeinander bezogen sind, ist eine für akademische Zwecke kaum zu beantwortende Frage. Sie bezieht unklare Begrifflichkeiten in einer unklaren Weise aufeinander. Gerade wegen dieser Unschärfe sind die Fragen nach der Demokratietauglichkeit des Verwaltungsapparats für politische Zwecke aber auch reizvoll. Denn sie lassen sich einfach instrumentalisieren. Continue reading >>19 March 2025
From Hugs to Handcuffs
On 27 February, the Mexican government transferred 29 alleged drug lords to the US. Instead of undergoing the due process required for extradition, they were simply removed of their cells, put on a plane and sent to the USA. This act was termed a “deliver” by Mexico, while the US called it a “expulsion”. This is not just a semantic issue. While combating organised crime is crucial, by bypassing the rules for extradition, Mexico disregarded the rule of law and set a dangerous precedent for sovereignty and the protection of fundamental rights. Continue reading >>
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