Lawful Assembly

Cecil Cicirello and Craig Mousin
  • 4.9 (148)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Lawful Assembly podcast teams up two divergent activists, a Secular Humanist Political Activist with an immigration lawyer and an ordained clergy to dissect politics, important legal issues facing the United States, and the role of religion in our political and legal landscapes. Its challenging conversation combines a bit of humor with lamentations over injustices, combined with equal measures of pragmatic cynicism and faith-filled hope. Engage with us as we navigate through the complexities of governance and justice, examining how beliefs and law intersect in the shaping of society. Lawful Assembly is more than just a podcast; it's a community dedicated to celebrating the power of people gathering together to inspire further understanding and activism where law, ethics, and compassion meet seeking the common good. Tune in, and be part of the conversation that ignites minds and hearts alike.

  1. JAN 31

    Farewell... A Final Episode

    This is our final episode. The demands of creating the show are much greater than its reach, so we are focusing our energies to do good in other ways and leaving the podcast behind.  We are grateful to all our listeners, and to all the people who commented and contacted us. We thank you for letting us be part of your lives for the last year. Carry on and fight the good fight.  Here are the shownotes to this week's episode: SHOW NOTES States of Washington, Illinois, Arizona, and Oregon's Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, January 21, 2025:  https://agportal-s3bucket.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/10_TROMot.pdf?VersionId=eWXZfvZtw60HmNTPOMluCKS_Li3n1Tu8  David Guttman, "Judge in Seattle blocks Trump order on birthright citizenship nationwide," January 23, 2025, The Seattle Times, https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/judge-in-seattle-blocks-trump-order-on-birthright-citizenship-nationwide/ Matthew J. Vaeth, Acting Director, Office of Management and Budget, "Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs" January 27, 2025: https://blog.researchadmin.asu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/omb-memo-1-27.pdf   National Immigration Project, Community Explainer: Laken Riley Act, January 27, 2025: https://nipnlg.org/work/resources/community-explainer-laken-riley-act  Martin Niemöller: "First they came for..." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists Merriam-Webster Dictionary online page for "mandate": https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandate Thomas Friedman, "Trump is Going Woke,"  New York Times, January 29, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/opinion/deepseek-ai-trump.html?searchResultPosition=3  Craig's article on the benefits of DEIB for an institution, "Facilitating Belonging: Ombuds as the Helpful Stranger," January, 2025, Journal of the International Ombuds Association, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5101487    REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE: Craig has worked with The Marjorie Kovler Center four decades and serves on its Leadership Council.  The Marjorie Kovler Center is one of the world's preeminent programs for specialized services for survivors of torture and severe trauma, including mental health care, medical care, and case management. Since its founding in 1987, the Kovler Center has served thousands of survivors, along with families and children experiencing forced migration. Today, the Kovler Center is facing an unprecedented emergency due to funding freezes from the Trump administration at a time when survivors need us more than ever before. We need your help to keep our doors open. Link: https://heartlandallianceinternational.org/donate/ (select Marjorie Kovler Center in the "I want to support" drop-down menu) INFORMATION ON IMMIGRATION AND IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS National Immigration Justice Center: https://immigrantjustice.org/  Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights:  https://www.icirr.org/  American Immigration Council: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/  Center for Migration Studies: https://cmsny.org/?s=Kerwin&view=list&perpage=6&sort=desc  National Immigration Project: https://nipnlg.org/work/resources

    45 min

  2. JAN 24

    A challenge to Birthright Citizenship

    Today we talk about the 14th amendment and the executive order to change it signed recently. We also talk about Episcopal DC Bishop the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, and the new policies of ICE https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/21/politics/ice-can-arrest-people-at-churches-and-schools https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/21/republican-reaction-jan-6-violent-offenders-trump-pardon/?utm_campaign=wp_the_5_minute_fix&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/trumps-un-ambassador-pick-says-israel-has-biblical-right-to-west-bank https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-brown-challenges-unconstitutional-order-birthright-citizenship     SHOW NOTES  1.      Peter L. Markowitz, "NYC's Sanctuary Law Helps Defeat Crime," January 22, 2025, Daily News:    https://outlook.office.com/mail/id/AAMkAGQ0OTc4Yzg3LWM1ZmQtNDk2My05MDE2LWJmMTQzNjBjN2EzZABGAAAAAAAuHa6nzIS9Q7wlj7bMjykXBwCucHtiDUopSpTFhKH4HVWkAAAAf4RCAAAv5SVIveJEQpbNf6pkO5iaAAKrTT0wAAA%3D/sxs/AAMkAGQ0OTc4Yzg3LWM1ZmQtNDk2My05MDE2LWJmMTQzNjBjN2EzZABGAAAAAAAuHa6nzIS9Q7wlj7bMjykXBwCucHtiDUopSpTFhKH4HVWkAAAAf4RCAAAv5SVIveJEQpbNf6pkO5iaAAKrTT0wAAABEgAQAFDIlJqE2AdHoPzJBUZmTOA%3D    2.     The case we quoted is from New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support   v. Donald Trump et al., https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/01/0176.pdf    3.     "Protecting the Value and Meaning of American Citizenship," Executive Order, January 20, 2025: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/    ACTION STEPS:  1.     Please support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and seek to end the Knesset's ban on its humanitarian activities:  https://www.unrwausa.org/hands-off-unrwa    2.     Please call your Senators and ask them to vote no on the nominations of Elsie Stefanik for United States Ambassador to the United Nations and Mike Huckabee for Ambassador to Israel. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator's office.

    33 min

  3. JAN 17

    Defense Secretary Hearings and Chicago Votes to Protect Immigrants

    SHOW NOTES We talk about the confirmation hearings, the release of the special counsels report and the vote in Chicago to help protect immigrants.  https://news.wttw.com/2025/01/15/chicago-city-council-votes-39-11-reject-push-scale-back-protections-undocumented https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-background-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing-e160e10c86385a8beff110d9190fb34e https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-announces-israel-hamas-ceasefire-deal-2025-01-15/  https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/14/politics/takeaways-jack-smith-report-donald-trump/index.html For more information on Pete Hegseth's connection to the Crusades, see Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite's Substack, "Hegseth; The Tatooed Crusader."  https://susanthistlethwaitewaite.substack.com/p/hegseth-the-tatooed-crusader?publication_id=1360431&post_id=154832528&isFreemail=true&r=4pgnh9&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email  See also, Ben Samuels, "Trump's Defense Secretary Pick Supports Israel 'Killing Every Last Member of Hamas'," https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2025-01-14/ty-article/.premium/trumps-defense-secretary-pick-supports-israel-killing-every-last-member-of-hamas/00000194-65d5-db9d-a1b5-7fd7b4b20000  The quote from Diarmaid MacCulloch on the Crusades came from his book, Christianity, The First Three Thousand Years, (N.Y., Viking, 2010), p. 387.  In addition to his criticism of the Crusades and the Knights Templar (p. 386), see also, Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, Vol. I of, (N.Y., Harper One, 2010), pp. 345-56) For information on his support of soldiers alleged to have committed war crimes, see:  Nik Popli, Pete Hegseth's Role in Trump's Controversial Pardons of Men Accused of War Crimes." https://time.com/7176342/pete-hegseth-donald-trump-pardon-war-crimes-military/    ACTION STEPS Please support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and seek to end the Knesset's ban on its humanitarian activities:  https://www.unrwausa.org/hands-off-unrwa Please immediately contact your Senators to vote no on the Laken-Riley Act.  The vote may come as early as Saturday, January 18.  For more information on the Act, see the National Immigration Law Center's five points against the Act.  https://www.nilc.org/articles/nilc-opposes-the-h-r-29-the-laken-riley-act/  Detention Watch Network asks you to call or email your Senator and ask them to vote no.  https://actionnetwork.org/letters/no-to-s5-laken-riley  You can call the Capitol Switchboard at: 202-224-3121.  They suggest the following call script: "Hello, I am a constituent, and I urge the Senator to vote NO on the Laken Riley Act."

    30 min

  4. JAN 10

    Special Counsel Report and the 'Laken Riley Act'

    SHOW NOTES  House Passes 'Laken Riley Act' to Deport Unauthorized Immigrants Charged With Minor Crimes - The New York Times AG Merrick Garland intends to release special counsel report on Trump's Jan. 6 case, DOJ says Justice Dept. to Hold Off Releasing Report on Trump Documents Case - The New York Times Trump Seeks to Halt His Criminal Sentencing in New York For information on the Laken Riley Act, see the National Immigrant Law Center fact sheet     CALL to ACTION    Laken Riley Act:  Although the Senate has passed a motion on Thursday, January 9, to let the Laken Riley House Bill proceed to debate in the Senate, you can still email your Senators to vote no on the final bill.  You can also review the letter the American Immigration Lawyers Association sent to all Senators opposing the bill.  You can forward that letter to your Senators and add your voice to opposed the bill.     B. Ravi Ragbir    1. Please sign & share this petition urging President Biden to grant Ravi Ragbir a presidential pardon. For those in the New York City/New Jersey area, please join Ravi's family, defense committee, faith leaders, and other supporters as Ravi reports to ICE in NYC on January 13 at 7am for his first check-in since his deferred action expired. As in years past, his defense committee is gathering with faith leaders and other supporters to hold a peaceful Solidarity Vigil in Foley Square in NYC while Ravi is at this appointment. Please RSVP for the vigil or or read about Ravi at this website.     A.    Leonard Peltier:  Call or email the Biden administration seeking to free Leonard Peltier through executive clemency:  https://freeleonard-peltier.com/act-now/    B.     Request President Biden to pardon the DREAMERS or other undocumented, such as parents of unaccompanied minors:  comments@whitehouse.gov  In addition, you can sign this National Immigration Law Center petition to President Biden to take other steps to protect immigrants from the threat of mass deportation.

    30 min

  5. JAN 3

    Listener Questions about Religion and Reflections on the Death of Jimmy Carter

    Today Craig answers several listener questions about religion and morality. Cecil chimes in with his thoughts. They both chat about the death of former President Jimmy Carter.      The idea of a trial of innocence asking each human whether to do well or not do well comes from André LaCocque, Onslaught Against Innocence, Cain, Abel, and the Yahwist.  (Eugene, Or., Cascade Books, 2008), p. 1.  See also, André LaCocque, The Trial of Innocence, Adam, Eve, and the Yahwist. (Eugene, Or., Cascade Books, 2006).  Rachel S. Mikva provides multiple interpretations of holy writings in Dangerous Religious Ideas, The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, (Boston, Beacon Press, 2020).  Marilynne Robinson discusses Jonathan Edwards' sense of biblical generosity in When I Was a Child I Read Books, (N.Y., Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2012), pp. 81-83.    Susan Thistlethwaite briefly discusses President Carter's work to end violence against women and support women's rights while noting that President Carter also read the Bible literally in No Fear Religion and Politics "Thank You, President Carter, You were a decent Christian and the world's peacemaker,"     https://susanthistlethwaitewaite.substack.com/p/thank-you-president-carter?publication_id=1360431&post_id=153777616&isFreemail=true&r=3ag8ix&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email  Linda K. Williams' song, "When Jesus Said Love Your Enemies" and a photo of the bumper sticker can be found at:  https://betterworld.bandcamp.com/track/when-jesus-said-love-your-enemies-the-original-bumpersticker-song-2

    49 min

  6. 12/20/2024

    Pardons, Trump Sues Iowa Pollster, and Judge Denies Trump's Bid to Throw Out Conviction

    We talk about pardons for immigrants in detention and then discuss a few Trump cases as he settles in to take office next month.    Show Notes    Part II of Craig's article that discusses all the biblical protagonists who would have been unlawful under U.S. immigration law, "You Were Told to Love the Immigrant, But What If the Story Never Happened? Hospitality and United States Immigration Law," Vincentian Heritage Journal: Vol. 33: Iss. 1, Article 8, can be found at:  https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2784951    Craig has previously challenged the interpretation of biblical passages by former Senator and Attorney General Jeff Sessions in "The Bible: the Perfect Primer on Immigration Law for Senator Sessions," at: file:///Users/cmousin/Downloads/Challenge%20Response%20Blog%20-%20Chicago%20Theological%20Seminary_stamped-2.pdf  which was then followed by   "Faith Resisting Authority in the Name of Justice and Love: Immigration Law and the Bible" which can be found at: https://soundcloud.com/bcicirel/faith-resisting-authority-in-the-name-of-justice-and-love-immigration-law-and-the-bible?in=bcicirel/sets/vincentian-heritage-podcast    Law professors Peter L. Markowitz and Lindsay Nash raised the issue of pardons in their law review article, "Pardoning Immigrants," 93 N.Y.U. Law Rev. 58 (2018).  They cite the pardon of Sheriff Joe on page 77.  They also mention the case of Biddle v. Perovich, 274 US 480,486 (1927), where the Supreme Court found that the pardon permits the President to decide "that the public welfare will be better served by inflicting less than the judgment fixed."     The Human Rights Watch report written by Michael Garcia Bochenek, "We Need to Take Away Children, Zero Accountability Six Years After 'Zero Tolerance,'" December 16, 2024' contains the quote that we cited at p. 10 of the report:    https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/12/16/we-need-take-away-children/zero-accountability-six-years-after-zero-tolerance    We apologize for mistakenly claiming President Biden pardoned the former Treasurer of Dixon, Illinois and that she embezzled 62 million dollars.  President Biden commuted her sentence.  She was convicted of embezzling 53.7 million dollars. See: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/former-dixon-comptroller-rita-crundwell-sentenced-nearly-20-years-federal-prison-537  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/us/politics/ann-selzer-iowa-trump.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/nyregion/trump-immunity-criminal-case.html

    39 min

  7. 12/13/2024

    Chicago as Ground Zero for Mass Deportations

    Mr. Homan makes a false claim that nine out of ten people who claim asylum never get relief.  ("Chicago to be ground zero for mass deportations, Trump border czar tells Illinois Republicans," Tina Sfondeles, December 9, 2024, Chicago Sun Times:   https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/donald-trump/2024/12/09/border-czar-tom-homan-donald-trump-chicago-pritzker-brandon-johnson-immigration?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12102024%20Morning%20Edition&utm_content=12102024%20Morning%20Edition+CID_9e386f999f41eb3cc9b8411a2058045c&utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&utm_term=Chicago%20will%20be%20ground%20zero%20for%20mass%20deportations%20Trump%20border%20czar%20tells%20Illinois%20Republicans&tpcc=cst_cm    First, it is unclear what asylum seekers he is discussing.  Many who claim asylum at the border have their cases heard in immigration courts around the nation.  The TRAC report on "Asylum Decision" which is calculated through October 2024 demonstrates that at many courts, those asylum seekers with representation obtain relief.  If the case remains at the border, the number obtaining relief even with representation falls.  This, however, proves the point that those seeking mass deportation seek to deny the bona fide asylum seekers a fair chance to present their cases when pressure to move cases through the system are expedited at the border.  Compare, for example, Chicago immigration courts with the court in El Paso:   TRAC: "Asylum Decisions" (through October 2024): https://trac.syr.edu/phptools/immigration/asylum/    TRAC also reveals the ongoing difficulties to obtain representation: "Too Few Immigration Attorneys: Average Representation Rates Fall from 65% To 30%," https://trac.syr.edu/reports/736/    The National Immigrant Justice Center's "Snapshot of ICE Detention: Inhumane Conditions and Alarming Expansion, IMMIGRATION DETENTION AT A GLANCE, September 2024" can be found at:    https://immigrantjustice.org/sites/default/files/content-type/research-item/documents/2024-09/ICE-Detention-Snapshot_September-2024.pdf    Information on the numbers of undocumented workers in the national workforce can be found at:  April Rubin, "The industries that could be hardest hit by Trump's immigration crackdown,"  https://www.axios.com/2024/11/19/undocumented-workers-immigration-deportation-trump    For a discussion of Harold Washington and his Executive Order and the Chicago history of rebutting the Fugitive Slave Act requirements, see, Craig B. Mousin, "A Clear View from the Prairie: Harold Washington and the People of Illinois Respond to Federal Encroachment of Human Rights":  https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2997657      ACTION STEP    Join the 198 advocacy organizations that called on the Biden Administration to close immigration detention facilities and reduce detention.  (See: Billal Rahman, November 19, 2024, "Biden Urged To Close Detention Centers Before Trump's Mass Deportations,"   https://www.newsweek.com/biden-detention-centers-trump-mass-deportation-1988212?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7337d344-cc24-43c8-8239-5deddae494dd )    You can send an email to your elected members of Congress through the American Immigration Council's Immigration Justice Campaign:  https://immigrationjustice.quorum.us/campaign/biden-last-requests/    Please share this podcast and this link with others to join in this advocacy.

    29 min

  8. 12/06/2024

    Boycotting the Press, Hunter Biden Pardon

    We talk about several news stories on this week's show. Check out our show notes below:   For more information on the disproportionate toll on Palestinians lives since 1917, see Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years' War on Palestine, A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017, (N.Y., Henry Holt & Co., 2020).    The Haaretz podcast quoted in this episode can be found at: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/podcasts/2024-11-30/ty-article-podcast/.premium/netanyahus-war-on-the-israeli-media-and-how-it-is-already-affecting-press-freedom/00000193-7e85-d7fe-a393-7f8d17600000    For a general summary of anti-BDS laws in the United States, see:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-BDS_laws    The story about Mr. Moshe Yaalon, "Former Defense Minister Accuses Israel of Committing War Crimes in Gaza," by Adam Rasgon, Liam Stock, and Natan Odenheimer,  N.Y. Times, December 1, 2024, can be found at:  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/01/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-yaalon.html?searchResultPosition=1    Consider subscribing to Haaretz for current information:  https://promotion.haaretz.com/offers?htm_source=site&htm_medium=button&htm_campaign=subscription&htm_campaign_type=subscription&htm_content=hello_default    For Robert Reich's discussion of the Hunter Biden pardon, see:  https://mail.proton.me/u/9/almost-all-mail/Am-6ux8A5oEB0nmcKi31CF20XS8OhqQudOuS2jZXVuhKuHqY_ow6xCSLufsK90KwVBhZVxHA9cEUmIEBpjPjKw==#keyword=Reich

    37 min
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About

The Lawful Assembly podcast teams up two divergent activists, a Secular Humanist Political Activist with an immigration lawyer and an ordained clergy to dissect politics, important legal issues facing the United States, and the role of religion in our political and legal landscapes. Its challenging conversation combines a bit of humor with lamentations over injustices, combined with equal measures of pragmatic cynicism and faith-filled hope. Engage with us as we navigate through the complexities of governance and justice, examining how beliefs and law intersect in the shaping of society. Lawful Assembly is more than just a podcast; it's a community dedicated to celebrating the power of people gathering together to inspire further understanding and activism where law, ethics, and compassion meet seeking the common good. Tune in, and be part of the conversation that ignites minds and hearts alike.

Information

  • Creator
    Cecil Cicirello and Craig Mousin
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Lawful Assembly