If you’re scratching your head about what’s going on south of the border, here are some recently compiled legal resources on the Trump administration from academic, reliable sources. Beats “alternative facts” any time!
Oxford Public International Law has compiled 10 Questions of International and Constitutional Law and the Trump Administration about the law and policy of the early days of the Trump Administration.
1. What are the limits of Presidential power under the US Constitution?
Powers of the President<http://oxcon.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199856213.001.0001/acprof-9780199856213-chapter-3> from Lou Fisher’s The Law of the Executive Branch
2. What limits apply to the President’s power to wage war?
The President’s War Powers and the War on Terrorism<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190217761.001.0001/acprof-9780190217761-chapter-10> from Curtis Bradley’s International Law in the US Legal System
The President’s War Powers and the War on Terrorism<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190217761.001.0001/acprof-9780190217761-chapter-10> from Curtis Bradley’s International Law in the US Legal System
3. Can the US make Mexico pay for the wall?
Economic Coercion<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e1518> from The Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
Commentary on Article 2.1 of the UN Charter<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780199639762.001.0001/law-9780199639762-chapter-7> (on sovereign equality of states) from Simma (Ed.) The Charter of the UN – A Commentary 3rd Edition
4. Can the US unilaterally suspend and renegotiate NAFTA?
Treaties, Suspension<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e1490> from the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
5. Is it legal to discriminate against refugees and immigrants on grounds of religion or country of origin?
Xenophobia<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e892> from the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
Commentary on Article 3<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/actrade/9780199542512.001.0001/actrade-9780199542512-chapter-19> from Zimmermann (Ed.) 1951 Refugee Convention – A Commentary
Discrimination on the Basis of Religion or Belief/Interreligious Discrimination/Tolerance<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780198703983.001.0001/law-9780198703983-chapter-17> from Bielefeldt et al (Eds.) Freedom of Religion or Belief – an international law commentary
6. How can the promise to set up “safe zones” in Syria be delivered?
Protected Areas<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780199675449.001.0001/law-9780199675449-chapter-18> from Clapham, Gaeta, and Sassoli (Eds.) The 1949 Geneva Conventions – A Commentary
7. How does the Keystone XL pipeline fit with existing US and international law?
US Climate Change Law<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780199684601.001.0001/law-9780199684601-chapter-27> from Carlarne et al (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of International Climate Change Law
8. What are the legal limits on the interrogation of suspected terrorists?
Torture, Interrogation, Counter-terrorism and the Rule of Law<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199608928.001.0001/acprof-9780199608928-chapter-020> from Samuel et al (Eds.) Counter-terrorism Law and Practice
9. What legal issues would relocating the US Embassy to Jerusalem raise?
Jerusalem<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e1303> from the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
10. What is the legal basis of the US commitment to NATO?
North Atlantic Treaty Organization<http://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e662> from the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
The University of Washington Gallagher Law Library has compiled a Guide to Presidential Power with links to readings and resources concerning presidential power as well as online videos and podcasts.
From University of Michigan Law School’s Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse: Civil Rights Challenges to President Trump’s Executive Orders on Immigration and Refugees. Provides documentation on the litigation against Trump’s travel ban.
From the Columbia Human Rights Law Review: Trump Human Rights Tracker Regularly updated tool to keep track of Trump’s actions and their impacts on human rights. Summarizes the action taken by the President, identifies the human rights implications, and provides links to sources where readers can find more detailed analysis.
Pegasus Librarian has a post on Trump’s Immigration Actions: The source documents behind the news. Answers the following questions and provides links to primary documents:
Who does the Executive Order restrict from entering the United States, and for how long?
Are Muslims banned?
Is the Executive Order Legal?
Is this Executive Order like Obama Administration Immigration changes?