It just happened this morning. The NY Times’ Adam Liptak has the best take on the story:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to decide whether federal courts have the power to order prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay to be released into the United States.
The case concerns 17 men from the largely Muslim Uighur region of western China who continue to be held although the government has determined that they pose no threat to the United States.
Last October, a federal judge here ordered the men released. But a federal appeals court reversed that ruling in February, saying that judges do not have the power to override immigration laws and force the executive branch to release foreigners into the United States.
An appeal from the Uighurs has been pending in the Supreme Court since April, and it is not clear why the justices acted on it now. The Obama administration has sent some of the prisoners to Bermuda, and Palau has said it will accept most of the rest. But one prisoner apparently has nowhere to go.
The prisoners have said they fear they will be tortured or executed if they are returned to China, where they are viewed as terrorists…..
This is a great case. Go SCOTUS!!!
Wow, this is a tough one where no one truly has a solution. Without a trial, it’s hard to figure out what to do with these prisoners.
All I know is, thanks Bush administration for herding all the terrorist or possible terrorist into one area, which all media sources reports is a big Al Qaeda recruiting area (finally the left and right agree on something). If the prisoner was held without just case, if they didn’t already hate the USA, now they do. If they weren’t Al Qaeda, now they are.
Thanks Bush administration, thanks for nothing!!! I feel so much less safe now.
“Go massive–sweep it all up, things related and not.”
Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, speaking to his aides on September 11, 2001 after the Pentagon was attacked
suki, that’s just total nonsense.
As for the Uighurs, many were terrorists by any definition of the word, and had attended terrorist training camps. That they were planning on terrorizing a repressive, evil regime (China) doesn’t change that fact.
Even so, the US tried to get rid of them as early as 2003, but nobody would take them.
As for the Uighurs, many were terrorists by any definition of the word, and had attended terrorist training camps.
Gee I didn’t know that had been determined? Where? In what jurisdiction?