Loading summary
Transcript11 lines
- [00:00]
A
Hi, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Are you looking for a beach read this summer? May I suggest your big wireless bill? It's got suspense, mystery, a slightly flat emotional arc, and a shocking twist where you realize you've been overpaying the entire time. Fortunately, though, Mint Story is better. Every plan $15 a month, even unlimited. That's it. Happy ending, zero tears. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment
- [00:23]
B
of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 or 12 month plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes me slow when network is busy. See terms
- [00:32]
C
you might need MIDI if you ever hairsprayed your bangs into a waterfall, layered slouch socks, tied a scrunchie to the bottom corner of your T shirt, or tried to go for a run with a CD player. If this took you down memory lane, you might need MIDI. Perimenopause can start 10 years before you actually go through menopause, so for some women, that can be as early as 35. Nobody ever told you that? Well, nobody told us either. That's why we built midi. If you're experiencing symptoms like night sweats, weight gain, or just generally don't feel like yourself anymore, you may be in perimenopause. But here's some good with the right care, these symptoms are treatable. Book a virtual visit with a menopause specialist at MIDI. Visit joinmidi.com to schedule with an expert who gets IT specialist led care Virtual visits Insurance eligible midlife needs. MIDI results may vary. Medications prescribed only if clinically appropriate, based on a consultation with a clinician. Insurance coverage varies. Check with your plan for coverage.
- [01:31]
B
Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800contacts.com today to save on your first order.
- [01:59]
D
1-800-contacts. We got some breaking, startling and heartbreaking news coming out of a new lawsuit filed against the Trump administration by the Iranian American Defense Fund. They are alleging on facts that the Trump administration has been regularly meeting with the Iranians to provide Iran with private, confidential personal asylum information about asylum seekers who are trying to leave Iran because they're being persecuted, threatened with torture or worse. And what's the solution for the State Department, for Homeland Security, for ice to cooperate with a country we have been at war with since 1970, 79, and send them the files for the people who are trying to leave that country? I'm Michael Popak. You're on Legal af. Let's get to the new lawsuit filed by a a group out of Washington called Public Citizen Litigation Group on behalf of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. You're going to want to sit down for these allegations. Paragraph 1. This is Again, we'll post this in legal AF substack for paid members. In furtherance of its mass deportation agenda, In March of 2025, the Trump administration adopted a policy of providing the Islamic Republic of Iran with confidential information from the immigration files of Iranians seeking asylum in the United States. Many of the asylum asylum seekers, the complaint continues, are pro democracy protesters, members of religious minorities, such as evangelical Christians or members of the LGBTQ+ community who seek refuge in the US because they are in grave danger in Iran. I mean, I can't. It's almost unfathomable that I am a part of a country that's turning over asylum seeker data and information to the countries that they're trying to leave. And then, as the complaint continues, before the war started, sent plane after plane after plane of former asylum seekers back to Iran, where they are promptly interrogated about the files and information provided by the US government. Let's turn to paragraphs 22, 23 and 24 of the complaint. And the most remarkable thing about those paragraphs is that when you draft a complaint under Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, you can do one of two things. You can make it a factual assertion, or you can say upon information and belief, like, I'm not quite sure, but I have enough information and belief that what I'm about to allege is true here. It's not upon information and belief. They are reciting facts here as if they had and probably do have the evidence to support this secret meeting that they are now alleging. Here's what they say, paragraph 22. In March 2025, the United States government contacted the Iranian intersection through the Embassy of Pakistan and requested a meeting. They have to do it all through Pakistan because we don't have direct bilateral consular diplomatic relations with Iran. A meeting was arranged and held at the U.S. department of State. That's Marco Rubio's territory. The March 2025 meeting was attended by A senior official from the Iranian interest section and U.S. department representatives. The U.S. the State Department stated that the U.S. wanted to deport Iranian nationals, including those in iced attention to Iran. During the meeting, the senior official from the Iranian intersection requested a list of the detained Iranian nationals that the United States wished to deport and they were given by the US a list of 150 people. Again, this somebody is leaking this information. This was recorded or people in the room reported it to the to the lawyers to be able to do the complaint. The documents paragraph 27, the documents provided to Iranian government officials include detainees, immigration records, applications for relief and asylum applications on information and belief. It continued, including hand delivery of documents to the Iranian government even just up to the February 28th start of the war. After that they had continued. It says in paragraph 29, although the monthly, monthly in person meeting stopped, ICE continued to mail or hand deliver document packages to the Iranian Interest Section. This was the subject of a Q and A by Senator Blumenthal, who's been on legal AF before with Mark Wayne Mullen during his confirmation hearing for Homeland Security. It's referenced in the complaint and he said he would look into it. They then go on in paragraphs 38, 39 and 40 to talk about deportation flights that were done in September, December and January, which had about 50 individuals apiece. These are asylum seekers being sent back to the country that they desperately wanted to leave. Paragraph 41, according to public reporting, upon arrival in Tehran, some of the deportees were made to fill out forms explaining why they left Iran and sought asylum. And they were then interrogated by the intelligence wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Who can forget Donald Trump saying, shaking his fist and saying, oh, if the Iranians start to abuse their own civilian population, they're going to be in trouble. Play a clip.
- [07:56]
C
President Trump weighing possible military action in Iran, warning the country may be starting to cross his red line.
- [08:03]
E
They rule through violence, but we're looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it and we're looking at some very strong options. We'll make a determination.
- [08:15]
D
In fact, the US Government, as set forth in the complaint, has already acknowledged that the Iranian government persecutes religious minorities and has been oppressing its citizens through detention, coerced confessions and killings. This is where we're sending the asylum seekers back to. With our cooperation. We're putting them on the planes and into the hands of their captors. And I think it's worth noting that some of the ethnic minorities in Iran are Christians. You know how Donald Trump's always about, this is a Christian nation and we have to have Christian values. We need to have more Bible in our life. For a guy who's completely anti religion, it does not live his gospel. He talks a lot about being a Christian and what it means. Well, those Christians are on the planes sent back by Donald Trump to Iran to be persecuted or worse. So what they're seeking is in order under the Administrative Procedures act, which, and I want to take a moment for that, which is sort of like the, it's the key that unlocks the door to many suits for relief against the Trump administration. If you can't figure out what it is, it's probably a violation of the Administrative Procedures act, which says if there's final agency action, regardless of the type of department, that if you don't follow the rules and you don't give due process and you try to take away somebody's rights and you've made an arbitrary and capricious decision, you probably have violated the Administrative Procedures Act. It's either that or the Constitution. It just depends. So they want a, they want a block of any continued policy about the Iran government and confidential information being shared with them. They want a special master to be set up independent from the government that's going to review as an officer of the court, the files of Iranian ICE detainees shared with the Iranian government to obtain what to, to determine what confidential information has been compromised and the rest. This I'm going to try to get the Lawyers for Public Citizen Litigation Group to join us here to talk about it on on Legal AF for sure. Fast moving story. Complaint, fresh off the presses, just got filed. Just shows you the depravity of Donald Trump. His false populist message of support for the Christian community, support for the people of Iran, support, you know, the broad wings of America will be there as a shining light to protect freedom seekers. Forget it. He's cooperating. He's leading them into the ovens for extermination, if you know what I'm referring to. I'll continue to follow. And I'm glad you're here. You're on Legal af. Take a minute, hit the free subscribe button. In about an hour, you're going to come over to Legal AF here on the YouTube for live live tab. I'm going to be moderating the American Civil Liberties Union. It's roundup about the United States supreme court. In a one hour from five to six, it's going to be me moderating along with the ACLU's executive director Anthony Romero, Cecilia Wong, Deirdre Scheffling and Sophia Lynn Lakin, all leaders of the aclu, to talk about birthright citizenship, talk about voting rights and presidential power. You're not going to want to miss it. Link is below. Until my next report. I'm Michael Popak.
- [11:59]
E
Can't get your fill of Legal af.
- [12:01]
D
Me neither.
- [12:01]
E
That's why we formed the Legal AF Substack. Every time we mention something in a hot take, whether it's a court filing or a oral argument, come over to the substack. You'll find the court filing in the oral argument there, including a daily roundup that I do called Wait for it Morning af. What else? All the other contributors from Legal AOFF are there as well. We got some new reporting, we got interviews, we got ad free versions of the podcast and hot takes where Legal AF on substack. Come over now to free subscribe.