No benefit of the doubt when curtailing rights

Kearny, N.J.: Re “Flawed ICE grabs stir ‘release’ cry” (March 29): Manhattan Federal Judge Kevin Castel allowed President Trump’s ICE goons to grab immigrants who showed up for scheduled court hearings and disappear them into squalid facilities based on an entirely self-serving internal memo drafted by ICE itself, legitimizing the practice. Now, six months later, after scores of people were seized and terrorized, their families traumatized and ripped apart, the U.S. attorney who previously relied on this memo to justify these Gestapo-like tactics admits that it has no such authority.

Kudos to the Department of Justice for finally owning up to the lie. Better late than never. My question is what kind of judge is Castel to simply accept the DOJ’s prior assertion that the memo was the controlling document in these cases and provided adequate justification to deprive people showing up for hearings of their liberty and ability to remain in this country while their actions were still in process? In giving the memo the full force of law, did he not consult any other sources of law — or, I don’t know, the Constitution?

I think I’ll pay a lawyer to draft a memo saying speed limits and traffic signals don’t apply to me that I can bring to court to fight my tickets. I can only hope I get a judge as lazy and gullible as Castel. John Woodmaska

Staten Island: The Strait of Hormuz is closed, causing a shortage of helium and fertilizer. No problem — the Trump administration spews out tons of hot air and bull crap every day. Ralph D’Esposito

Bellerose Village: Watching Pete Hegseth quoting scripture during........

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