Raja Jackson Situation Is Worse Than Most People Realize & Trump Epstein Maxwell Updates
PDS Published 08/25/2025
-
A wrestling livestream quickly turned into an apparent brutal attack over the weekend, resulting in tons of accusations, outrage, and even a police investigation.
So, the event was held on Saturday by KnokX Pro Entertainment & Academy in Los Angeles and streamed on Kick.
And the two main people involved here are MMA fighter Raja Jackson, who is the son of former UFC champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and wrestler Stuart Smith, who goes by Syko Stu in the ring.
And at the start of the stream, both Raja and Stuart encounter each other before the event takes off, and Stuart smashes a beer can on Raja’s head.
Things get pretty tense, but Stuart eventually apologizes a few times, explaining that he thought Raja was a “worker,” aka another wrestler.[]
“Im sorry bruh….[crosstalk] it’ll all work out.” (13:21-13:27)
“I apologize…I appreciate it… I didn’t know. I thought you were a worker, just looking at the camera...i get it…we’re going to work it out where he is going to come in on your match. I know you keep thinking we’re working, we’re always working.” (13:47-14:01)
Right, and with that last bit there, you can see that people involved in the event are trying to turn that incident into something in the ring, where they can organize a way for the two of them to work it out on the mat.
But then, another person, who USA Today identified as Andre Joel Hudson, suggested that Raja should really get payback.
“Even when we are working, you don’t fucking, he’s a fucking idiot. So when you run in on his shit, you give him his receipt. (15:03-15:14)
And at various points on the stream, Raja seems like he is serious about fighting back.
(48:48-48:51)
And while you do have multiple outlets saying that there was supposed to be a scripted response from Raja, he eventually said during the stream:[]
“Ain’t no script bro. It’s not going to be scripted. I'm telling you that right now. Promise you.” (1:39:37-1:39:43
“They told me to hit him and just leave, somebody will pull me off of him and leave. I’m telling you, Imma hit him as many times as I can, watch.” (1:39:54-1:40:01)
“I’m not going to fake it.” (140:48-1:40:49)
He also responds to people in the chat a lot, as it seems they are egging him on:
“How many subs to knock him out? That’s a good question, I don’t know…50 subs to knock him out, 50 subs”. ”(1;05:52-1:05:57) (1:06:071:06:10)
And then, once Raja jumps into the ring, you see him lift Stuart into the air, throw him to the ground, and then and then throw punch after punch after punch, even after Stuart can’t right back and remains completely motionless.
With some reports saying he even seemed to lose consciousness. []
A bunch of people then stepped in to remove Raja and get him off of Stuart, and he was then walked out of the building.
And in the aftermath, you see him walking and pacing outside, saying things like:
“At the end of the day, I’m going to stand up for my fucking self because I’m tired of everyone fucking playing with me bruh.” (1:45:00-1:45:04)
With a journalist who has covered wrestling and MMA for decades saying the incident “may be the worst thing I've ever seen in a ring.” []
As for exactly how this happened, another reporter said that the spot was planned, but when Raja followed up with heavy punches, he was “not planned to do that kind of damage.”[]
And as a result, Stuart was quickly transported to the hospital for treatment.
So, as you can imagine, there has just been a ton of outrage and responses, with KnokX releasing a statement sending good thoughts to Stuart and adding:
“What was supposed to be a planned and agreed upon wrestling spot, turned into a selfish, irresponsible act of violence…This egregious act is reprehensible and never should have occurred. In the 17 years of operation of KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy, there has never been anything as heinous take place such as this and we apologize to our patrons and fans.”[]
Raja’s father, Rampage Jackson, also responded, both condemning his son’s actions but explaining some of his story, writing:
“Raja was told that he could get his ‘payback’ in the ring, i thought it was a part of the show. It was bad judgement, and a work that went wrong. Raja is a MMA fighter not a pro wrestler and had no business involved in an event like this. I don’t condone my son’s actions AT ALL! He suffered a concussion from sparring only days ago and had no business doing anything remotely close to physical contact….I’m very upset that any of this happened, but my main concern now is that Mr. Smith will make a speedy recovery.”[]
As far as Stuart’s condition, a wrestler who stepped in to stop the alleged attack told USA Today that he was awake and talking on Sunday, but had broken bones in his face and lost a lot of teeth.[]
With him adding:
"He was choking on his own blood and teeth. Somebody reminded me there's kids there and then I was like 'oh my God.'"
Stuart’s brother also reportedly asking for prayers as he is in "stable but critical” care.[]
And tons of people in the wrestling world have just sounded off here, saying things like:
Some pointing to the fact that Stuart had previously talked openly about how he turned to this sport after being in the military, and found that wrestling:
“gave him structure. Brotherhood. A way to channel his energy and fight through the battles within.”
And there, you even had the likes of MrBeast chiming in to offer to help Stuart, writing:
“Dang man, this hurts to see. Especially because I read he was a veteran that used wrestling as an outlet to get over ptsd.. Genuinely, if anyone connected to him knows of a way I can help please reach out. If his kid is a fan or I can help with hospital bills idk but I’ll help.”][
Some accusing Raja of nearly killing Stuart and arguing he should face charges. [][][]
And on that note, a spokesperson for the LAPD did tell multiple outlets that they are investigating the incident, but did not give any further details.[]
As far as other potential consequences, it seems Raja has been suspended from streaming on Kick for violating the platform’s guidelines. []
But I would love to know your thoughts on any of these here, what you think the fallout should be.
-
The witch has finally spoken.
[Clip, 01:52 - 01:53, 01:55 - 01:58] Caption: [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “I’m Ghislaine Maxwell.” [Todd Blanche:] “Good morning, ms. Maxwell. How are you?” [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “Good morning, mr. Blanche.”
That’s right: the DoJ’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell is now public, and there’s a lot to talk about, so let’s jump right in.
Starting with the biggest elephant in the room …
[Clip, 00:00 - 00:05; Clip, 00:42 - 01:14, 01:36 - 01:49] Caption: [Todd Blanche:] “Did you ever observe President Trump receive a massage?” [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “Never. … I think they were friendly like people are in social settings. I don’t think they were close friends, or I certainly never witnessed the president in any of, I don’t recall ever seeing him in his house, for instance. I absolutely never saw the president in any type of massage setting. I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.” [Todd Blanche:] “And did you ever hear mr. Epstein or anybody say that President Trump had done anything inappropriate with masseuses or with anybody in your world?” [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “Absolutely never.”
Now with that, of course we’re seeing a lot of skeptical reactions because arguably she has a lot to gain by saying that.
Right, she’s currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, she’s already expressed her desire to be pardoned, and Trump said publicly, “I’m allowed to pardon her.”
So even though Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche prefaced the interview with this…
[Clip, 02:32 - 02:47] Caption: [Todd Blanche:] “By you meeting with us today, we’re really just meeting. I’m not promising to do anything. I’m not promising to ask Judge Nathan or any of the judges that’s been assigned to your case to do anything. We’re just talking.”
Skeptics argue that the promise doesn’t have to be stated or written down on paper; it’s obviously implied.
And later in the interview, Maxwell really seems to butter up Trump.
[Clip, 00:45 - 01:02] Caption” [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “President Trump was always very cordial and very kind to me, and I just want to say that I admire his extraordinary achievement in becoming a president now, and I like him, and I’ve always liked him.”
And of course she was already transferred to a famously cushy prison for white collar criminals in Texas, and we still have no explanation for why that happened.
But she didn’t just exonerate Trump; she also threw a bucket of cold water on the idea that Epstein kept some kind of “client list.”
[Clip, 00:37 - 00:44, 01:00 - 01:12] Caption: [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “There’s no list. There’s no list of people getting massages. I can barely recall all the people. … And there’s no list. There was never a list. There was no, none that I ever saw, none that I ever heard of, none that I ever witnessed, none that I … there’s no list. There’s never been a list.”
With her also shooting down the theory that Epstein had dirt on other people he blackmailed them with.
[Clip, 01:46 - 02:03] Caption: “I never heard him ask any question of any masseuse who may have given a massage to a friend that was on the island or at Palm Beach or anywhere else, for that matter, any details about that massage. Like, ‘does he have a funky foot?’ No! I never heard that. Weird.”
And then, asked whether Epstein was affiliated in any way with the FBI, the CIA, or any other intelligence or law enforcement agency, she replied:
[Clip, 02:12 - 02:29] Caption: [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “I don’t think so. I think that, I don’t remember anything like that. I just don’t think he had the wherewithal, and I think that whole aspect of that is … can I use a bad word?” [Todd Blanche:] “Yes.” [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “Bullshit.”
But she did throw at least one bone to the conspiracy crowd with this opinion.
[Clip, 01:44 - 01:47, 01:50 - 01:56, 02:15 - 02:18, 02:32 - 02:48, 04:34 - 04:46] Caption: [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “I do not believe he died by suicide, no.” [Todd Blanche:] “Do you have any speculation or view of who killed him?” [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “No, I don’t.” [Todd Blanche:] “Why would somebody kill him in prison?” [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “Somebody can pay a prisoner to kill you for $25 worth of commissary, is about the going rate for a hit with a lock today.” [Todd Blanche:] “To the extent that folks believe that he was murdered to keep him quiet or because he had information on rich and powerful people, do you have any reason to believe that’s true?” [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “I do not.”
Next up, she was asked about Epstein’s relationships with certain notable figures, starting with Bill Clinton.
[Clip, 00:00 - 00:04] Caption: [Todd Blanche:] “Do you know, for example, if President Clinton ever received a massage?” [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “I don’t believe he did.”
With her adding that whenever Clinton was on Epstein’s plane, it was for humanitarian purposes — right, he had a foundation.
Then there was RFK Jr.
But she later added:
[Clip, 05:15 - 05:18] Caption: “I never saw anything inappropriate with mr. Kennedy.”
And lastly, she talked about herself, repeatedly denying that she saw anything sus.
[Clip, 05:26 - 05:30; Clip, 06:56 - 07:14] Caption: [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “I saw him being physical with women. I did see that, but nothing that was not consensual. … I’m not saying that mr. Epstein did not do those things. I don’t feel comfortable saying that today given what I now know to be true. So I’m not here to defend him. But what I can say is that I did not participate in that activity.”
With her also making this very specific denial too.
[Clip, 02:29 - 02:32] Caption: [Ghislaine Maxwell:] “I’ve never recruited a masseuse from Mar-a-Lago.”
Which is notable because Virginia Giuffre [Joo-fray] claimed to have been recruited by Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago when she was a spa attendant there.
But Maxwell also seemed to address some of Giuffre’s allegations more directly, calling “bullshit” on the claim that Prince Andrew had sex with a victim, whose name was bleeped out of the interview but appears to be Giuffre.
And Maxwell even said she believes a notorious photo of that victim and Prince Andrew together is “literally fake.”
But now, the family of giuffre, who took her own life this year, have responded to the interview, saying:
“During Todd Blanche’s bizarre interview, she is never challenged about her court-proven lies, providing her a platform to rewrite history.” [Quote]
“This travesty of justice entirely invalidates the experiences of the many brave survivors who put their safety, security, and lives on the line to ensure her conviction, including our sister.” [Quote same link]
But it looks like we may get to hear from Giuffre herself once more soon, because her memoir is going to be published posthumously on October 21.
With the publisher saying that it will include new details about her experiences with Epstein and Maxwell’s associates, including Prince Andrew. [Quote, find “new details”]
Though it added that the book contains no allegations of misconduct involving President Trump.
But even if we don’t get anything Earth-shattering out of the Maxwell interview or the Giuffre memoir, of course there’s still the holy grail of evidence: the Epstein files.
And on that front, we talked last week about how the House Oversight Committee had subpoenaed the DoJ for the complete cache of files, with the department promising to begin delivering them Friday.
Well on Friday, they did do that, but reportedly they only sent the committee 33,295 pages out of roughly 100,000 total. [Post]
With the top Democrat on the committee, Robert Garcia, saying 97% of those contain nothing but information that was already public. [Quote, find “97”]
And that just 3%, or less than a thousand pages, contain anything new. [Same quote]
With those reportedly including flight logs between 2000 and 2014, as well as “forms consistent with re-entry back to the U.S.” [Quote same link]
Now a Republican spokesperson for the committee told The New York Times this was only the first batch of documents, and that more would be forthcoming. [Quote same link, find “forthcoming”]
But Garcia doesn’t buy that excuse, with him arguing, “There is no excuse for incomplete disclosures. Survivors and the American public deserve the truth.” [Quote same link]
This after he already declared last week: “Releasing the Epstein files in batches just continues this White House cover-up. Handpicked, partial productions are wholly insufficient and potentially misleading.” [Quote same link][]
And according to the terms of the subpoena, the DoJ was supposed to have handed over all of the documents by August 19, which was last Tuesday.
So even this incomplete release came late, and apparently we’re still waiting for the batch that includes the parts where, according to The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s name is mentioned.
Then on Friday, before the files got handed over, Trump was asked whether he thinks they should be released.
And within 20 seconds, his answer swung from ‘yes absolutely’ to ‘they might embarrass people though’ to ‘I don’t care, do it anyway’ to ‘it’s all a hoax!’ [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 00:10 - 00:31] Caption: “Innocent people shouldn’t be hurt, but I’m in support of keeping it totally open. I couldn’t care less. You got a lot of people that could be mentioned in those files that don’t deserve to be, because he knew everybody in Palm Beach. I don’t know anything about that, but I have said to Pam and everybody else, ‘give them everything you can give them,’ because it’s a Democrat hoax. That’s just a hoax. The whole Epstein thing is a Democrat hoax.”
So we’ll be keeping an eye on that, and in the meantime, Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie are still full steam ahead with their plan to force a vote in the House next month that could compel the DoJ to release the files.
Just go to Zocdoc and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today!
-
National Guard troops are now carrying weapons in DC and Trump is getting ready to deploy the military to even more US cities.
But starting with the situation in DC, it’s now been two weeks since Trump declared a crime emergency in the city – misrepresenting data to put the police department under direct federal control and deploy the National Guard.
And notably, the initial deployment orders specified that National Guard personnel, while wearing body armor, would not be armed or carry weapons in their vehicles.
Now, however, there are more than 2,000 National Guard troops patrolling the nation’s capital and at least some are packing – some with handguns and some with rifles.
With a spokesperson for the joint task force overseeing the mission claiming that all units with firearms have been trained and and are authorized to use force “only as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.”
A White House official added that the Guard “will continue protecting federal assets — including officers — providing a safe environment for officers to make arrests if needed, and providing a visible law enforcement presence to deter crime, as they have been since the operation began.”
And with that, while troops still aren’t authorized to make arrests themselves, you’ve a statement from the force saying “detentions may occur leading to arrests.”
But that said, so far, it seems many troops are being kept out of the action.
With Reuters reporting that National Guard members have been concentrated near the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and in view of the U.S. Capitol, which are pretty much the safest parts of the city.
And on the flip side, people living in Ward 8, which is the area with the highest crime rate in the city? They’ve reportedly said there’s been little to no military presence at all.
Which is notable because the murder rate is so much worse there than other parts of DC that many locals reportedly said they would actually welcome troops on their streets.
Although, to be clear, this whole thing? Overall, it’s still wildly unpopular.
With a recent poll finding that roughly 80% of the city's residents are opposed to the deployment of both federal officers and the National Guard.
But either way, the lack of troops in high-crime areas? It’s one reason you have people saying this massive deployment is a show of power more than a serious effort to fight crime.
Although there’s also concern that the true purpose is going after undocumented immigrants.
Right, because while we have seen a decent drop in reported crime since it started, we’ve also seen a huge spike in immigration arrests.
Over the first six months of Trump’s term, for example, ICE arrested about 12 immigrants in DC per week on average.
But since August 7 – a few days before the takeover – federal officials have arrested 300 people in the city.
That’s more than ten times the typical ICE arrest numbers for the district according to an analysis by CNN.
That said, beyond immigration, we’ve also seen an effort to ramp up the crackdown with things like US attorney Jeanine Pirro directing prosecutors to charge the most serious crimes possible in each case and to do so in federal court, where sentences tend to run much longer.
Though, notably, you also had her telling them not to charge felony offenses for people carrying shotguns or rifles.
With her referring to a DOJ memo claiming DC law conflicts with recent Supreme Court rulings on gun rights.
But even still, what we’ve ended up seeing is many people ending up with serious charges in connection to low-level offenses.
And for people who do get arrested, Trump is now trying to make it harder for them to make bail.
Right, specifically, he’s threatening to withhold federal funding or government-backed project approvals from D.C. if it doesn't eliminate what’s called "cashless bail".
Right, it’s something DC mostly eliminated in the 1990s.
And what that means is it’s up to a judge to decide whether a defendant should be released from prison based on their risk of not showing up for trial – instead of being based on how much money he or she has in their bank account.
Trump has railed against cashless bail – claiming it lets criminals back out on the street and puts people in danger.
But notably, statistics show an extremely small percentage of defendants are arrested for violent crimes while awaiting trial.
But of course, statistics aren’t Trump’s strong suit.
Right, and we saw that again on Friday, when you had him speaking in the Oval Office, touting his success in DC, claiming crime has dropped to virtually zero, and specifically celebrating the fact that there hadn’t been any murders in the past week.
“That’s the first time in memory that that’s happened. If you can believe it.” (BYTE: 2:27-2:30)
Of course, you can’t believe it.
Right, this is not even the first week without homicides this year – not even close.
There were also no murders reported from May 4th through May 11th, April 11th to 17th, and a more than two-week-long period from February 25th through March 12th.
Which isn’t to say there aren’t too many murders in DC but Trump’s claim is just blatantly false.
And now, the same kind of false or misleading claims seem set to justify potential future deployments of the National Guard to cities like Chicago to start:
“We haven’t had to bring in the regular military, which we’re willing to do if we have to. After we do this, we’ll go to another location, and we’ll make it safe.”
“Chicago’s a mess. You have an incompetent mayor. Grossly incompetent.”
“And we’ll straighten that one out probably next. That’ll be our next one after this. And it won’t even be tough.”
But of course, to focus on Chicago, while crime is still obviously a problem it’s one that’s getting better.
The city is actually experiencing a historic drop in homicides right now.
But despite that, the Pentagon has actually been planning a military deployment to Chicago for weeks according to the Washington Post.
With officials telling the outlet the operation would involve mobilizing at least a few thousand members of the National Guard as soon as September. []
And also noting that the use of thousands of active-duty troops in Chicago also has been discussed but is considered less likely at this time.
In response, you’ve had Chicago Mayor calling the potential deployment of National Guard troops to his city “unlawful” and “unsustainable” – adding:
“There are many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago, but sending in the military is not one of them.”
Another mayor that’s been outspoken in his criticism of Trump’s decision to deploy the military in US cities is Baltimore Mayor Wes More – and that has seemingly moved Baltimore up in Trump’s list of cities to target.
Even as the city is also showing improvement in terms of crime.
Right, a few days ago, Moore formally invited President Trump to visit the state and participate in a public safety walk, writing in a letter:
“In the first six months of 2025, the Baltimore Police Department continued to see double-digit reductions in gun violence, including a 22% decrease in homicides and a 19% decrease in non-fatal shootings from the year before. We are currently on track to have the lowest number of homicides in Baltimore City since we began officially keeping crime statistics.”
“Even in the face of millions of dollars in cuts to federal funding for violence intervention and gun violence prevention under your administration…our state and local communities continue to invest in proven strategies that help us build safer, more vibrant neighborhoods.”
And then he dropped the formal tone when speaking in person:
“Donald Trump, if you are not willing to walk our communities, keep our name out of your mouth.” (BYTE: 0:52-0:59)
And so Trump responded on social media by accusing Moore of taking a “rather nasty and provocative tone” and added:
“As President, I would much prefer that he clean up this Crime disaster before I go there for a ‘walk.’”
“Wes Moore’s record on Crime is a very bad one, unless he fudges his figures on crime like many of the other “Blue States” are doing.”
“But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the “troops,” which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime.”
And with that, just for good measure, he also threatened to try and take back federal funding sent to try and replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was destroyed after a container ship crashed into it last year.
But ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see if and when all this happens and how it actually all plays out.
Right, unlike DC, Trump doesn’t have the power to take control of a local police force.
And he can’t deploy a state’s national guard against a governor’s wishes unless certain conditions are met.
Of course, he claimed they were when he did that in LA just a few months ago and we’re still waiting to see what a court has to say about that.
But for now, I gotta pass the question off to you, and ask: what are your thoughts here?
-
Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been detained again, and now, the Trump administration is threatening to deport him to Uganda.
And this is an absolutely massive new twist in what has become one of the most publicized and closely watched stories of President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Right, Abrego Garcia is the Maryland father who first came into the public eye after The Atlantic reported that he had been wrongfully deported to a prison in El Salvador because of an “administrative error.
This despite the fact that 1) he had protected status that prevented him from being sent back to El Salvador. Right, this because of the threat of gang violence that his family had fled when he was a teenager.
And 2) he hadn’t been charged with any crime.
Now, with this, in order to try and justify their actions, the Trump administration claimed that Abrego Garcia was a member of the violent street gang MS-13, labeling him a “terrorist.”
Even though Abrego Garcia has denied those claims and several judges have cast doubt on the evidence used to support the allegations.
And for a while, the administration dragged its feet about getting him back — even after the Supreme Court ruled that his deportation was illegal and that Trump officials needed to facilitate his return, as ordered by a federal judge.
Then, in early June, nearly two months after his wrongful removal, the Trump administration finally brought Abrego Garcia back — but only so they could slap him with human smuggling charges.
With prosecutors alleging that he had been part of a years-long conspiracy to haul illegal immigrants from Texas to other parts of the U.S. and claiming that he was also an MS-13 gang member.
Though, notably, Abrego Garcia has denied all those accusations.
Right, so after that, he was sent to jail in Tennessee, where he was facing the charges.
And while a federal judge ruled that he was eligible for release while awaiting his trial, his lawyers worried that the Trump administration would immediately detain and deport him if he was released, so he was ultimately kept in custody.
That is, until this Friday, when he was released from jail and allowed to return to his family following court rulings that prevented the Trump administration from immediately detaining and deporting him to El Salvador.
With those orders also outlining a set of conditions for his release, including check-ins with immigration officials at the ICE field office in Baltimore.
But, according to reports, the court orders only prevent Abrego Garcia from deportation to El Salvador — they don’t prevent him from being deported to another country.
And apparently, that is exactly what the Trump administration is trying to do.
Right, shortly after his release Friday, Abrego Garcia’s lawyers claimed in court documents that the administration was trying to force their client to plead guilty or face deportation to Uganda.
With his lawyers alleging that the day before his release, the government had offered a plea deal that stipulated that he remain in jail, plead guilty to the federal charges against him, and serve whatever sentence got handed down.
And, in exchange, once his sentence was complete, the government would agree to deport him to Costa Rica, where he could live freely.
Assuring him that the government there would agree to accept him as either a refugee or a legal resident.
But the lawyers claim that “within minutes” of Abrego Garcia’s release on Friday, ICE informed his legal team that they intended to deport him to Uganda and ordered him to report to the Baltimore Field Office on Monday morning.
Adding that he had “until first thing Monday morning” to accept the plea deal, “or else that offer will be off the table forever.”
With this notably coming just days after the Ugandan government announced that it had reached a deal with the Trump Administration to accept migrants from other countries that the U.S. was seeking to deport.
So, as a result, you had his lawyers arguing that this plea deal is further evidence the government is trying to punish Abrego Garcia for challenging his illegal removal to El Salvador.
Accusing the Trump administration of trying to “coerce” Abrego Garcia into pleading guilty, noting that they are threatening to deport him to Uganda even though Costa Rica agreed to accept him.
And claiming that this is just further evidence for why the judge overseeing the case in Tennessee should throw the charges out, as Abrego Garcia’s requested, saying the prosecution is “vindictive and selective.”
And that is something that’s been repeatedly echoed by his lawyers' public statements, with one arguing:
“The fact that they’re holding Costa Rica as a carrot and using Uganda as a stick to coerce him is such clear evidence that they’re weaponizing the immigration system in a manner that is completely unconstitutional.”
But, today, he was detained again and taken into custody by ICE after showing up for his check-in at the Baltimore field office.
With Abrego Garcia arriving to a crowd of supporters holding signs demanding his freedom and addressing the demonstrators in Spanish before entering the office.
Thanking those to stood with him and calling on the immigrant community to continue fighting and not give up hope, saying:
“Regardless of what happens today with ICE, promise me this, that you will keep fighting, praying, believing in dignity and liberty, not just for me but for all.”
With his lawyer emerging from the facility later to inform the crowd that his client had been detained.
Saying that when they went to the office this morning, the government’s stated intention for the meeting was just a routine check-in interview that was part of his conditions for release, adding:
“Clearly, that was false.”
And claiming that immigration officials refused to tell him why Abrego Garcia was being detained or even where he was being taken.
But in a post on X, the Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE had arrested Abrego Garcia and that he “will be processed for removal to Uganda.”[]
But, VERY notably here, the permanent secretary of Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The New York Times that the government had not yet received a formal communication from the U.S. that Abrego Garcia would be sent there.
What’s more, shortly after he was detained, his legal team filed a new lawsuit fighting his deportation and filing what’s called a habeas petition.
Requesting that he be assured his due process rights to not be removed from the U.S. until he can make his case for humanitarian protections.
With the petition claiming that the Trump administration had re-arrested Abrego Garcia without allowing him to express “fears of persecution and torture” that could happen if he is deported to Uganda.
Right, and according to reports, because his team filed that habeas petition, he will have at least 48 hours before the government can expel him from the country under a standing order issued in May by the chief federal judge in Maryland.
But, of course, the Trump administration has repeatedly ignored court orders and normal judicial processes throughout this entire case, so there’s no reason why they would stop now.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(939x558:941x560)/Raja-Jackson-08242503-ea178652b2634c3eb9f2d0f00555e248.jpg){kind=link}
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(954x814:956x816):format(webp)/Raja-Jackson-Rampage-08242501-555c95d495f54648838a092900b12c7e.jpg){kind=link}
