Advocacy Groups Use Lawfare Against Acting AG's Right to Decide Immigration Cases

Law360 is reporting that Acting Attorney General (AG) Matthew Whitaker has followed in his predecessor's footsteps by certifying to himself a couple of cases decided by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in which he and his advisors apparently believe that the appellate tribunal may have gone off track. According to Law360 (partially behind a paywall):

The first case, known as Matter of L-E-A-, relates to when an asylum-seeker may establish persecution as a member of a family, and the second, called Matter of Castillo-Perez, relates to what types of criminal convictions disqualify an immigrant from other forms of deportation relief.

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The board's decisions in both of those cases are stayed pending Whitaker's decisions.

Some migrant advocates have condemned the move to certify. For instance, on immigrationcourtside.com, Jeff Chase says, "The BIA is rapidly becoming irrelevant. But since the Acting Attorney General isn't an expert in immigration laws, his decisions should get no deference from the real courts. And, then there is the question of whether he really is the Acting Attorney General."

https://www.cis.org/Cadman/Advocacy-Groups-Use-Lawfare-Against-Acting-Attorney-Generals-Right-Decide-Immigration-Cases

Two Marines will continue flying after drawing penis-shaped flight pattern

The two Marines who drew a penis-shaped flight pattern with their aircraft over California in October have been disciplined for the incident, the service said Wednesday.

But the administrative punishment will allow the Marines, who had been temporarily grounded, to continue flying and remain part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, wing spokesman Maj. Josef Patterson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.

"Two Marine Corps aviators were administratively disciplined following the completion of an investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding an Oct. 23 irregular flight pattern that resulted in an obscene image,” Patterson said. “The aviators retained their wings and will continue service to their country as valued members of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing."

The phallic flight path of their T-34C aircraft over Southern California was posted to Twitter in October by a tracking site. It was among two other incidents over the past year-and-a-half that involved pilots and service members drawing penises.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/two-marines-will-continue-flying-after-drawing-penis-shaped-flight-pattern