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Ilya Somin

@ilyasomin.bsky.social

Law professor; author of Free to Move: Foot Voting Migration and Political Freedom; Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Smarter; The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. New London and the Limits of Eminent Domain; Volokh Conspiracy blogger.

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Ilya Somin@ilyasomin.bsky.social · 6h ago

My reflections on 25th anniversary of 9/11, and 2 ongoing related issues: 1) growing proliferation and abuse of emergency powers, and 2) the need to protect Afghans who fled the Taliban whom the Trump administration is seeking to deport back to their oppressors: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Reflections on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11

Links to writings about the 9/11 attack and its aftermath, and the ongoing issues of the proliferation of dangerous emergency powers, and protecting Aghans who fled the Taliban.

reason.com

Ilya Somin@ilyasomin.bsky.social · 6h ago

My reflections on 25th anniversary of 9/11, and 2 ongoing related issues: 1) growing proliferation and abuse of emergency powers, and 2) the need to protect Afghans who fled the Taliban whom the Trump administration is seeking to deport back to their oppressors: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Reflections on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11

Links to writings about the 9/11 attack and its aftermath, and the ongoing issues of the proliferation of dangerous emergency powers, and protecting Aghans who fled the Taliban.

reason.com

Ilya Somin@ilyasomin.bsky.social · 24h ago

In this post, I cover today's correct First Circuit decision refusing to block district court injunction against Trump's executive order on mail-in voting. Hopefully, Supreme Court will also reject Trump's position: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

First Circuit Refuses to Stay District Court Injunction Against Trump's Executive Order on Mail-In Voting

NA I recently wrote about how Donald Trump's executive order seeking to curb mail-in voting is an attack on federalism…

reason.com

Ilya Somin@ilyasomin.bsky.social · 4d ago

Labor Day is great time to recognize we can massively help workers by breaking down barriers to labor mobility - both domestic and international. Workers of the world, unite to demand more freedom of movement! reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Help Workers by Breaking Down Barriers to Labor Mobility

Labor Day is a great time to remember that we can make workers vastly better off by empowering more of them to vote with their feet, both within countries and through international migration.

reason.com

Ilya Somin@ilyasomin.bsky.social · 4d ago

Labor Day is great time to recognize we can massively help workers by breaking down barriers to labor mobility - both domestic and international. Workers of the world, unite to demand more freedom of movement! reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Help Workers by Breaking Down Barriers to Labor Mobility

Labor Day is a great time to remember that we can make workers vastly better off by empowering more of them to vote with their feet, both within countries and through international migration.

reason.com

Chris Geidner@chrisgeidner.bsky.social · last wk.

BREAKING: Federal judge dismisses the Trump administration's lawsuit challenging New Jersey Gov. Sherrill's executive order that limits federal access to state property for enforcing "civil immigration law."

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff, v. THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY and MIKIE SHERRILL, in her official capacity as Governor of the State of New Jersey, Defendants. Civil Action No. 26-1770 (GC) (JTQ) OPINION CASTNER, District Judge THIS MATTER comes before the Court upon Defendants the State of New Jersey and Governor Mikie Sherrill’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff United States of America’s Complaint (ECF No. 1) under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Rules) 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6). (ECF No. 10.) The United States opposed, and Defendants replied. (ECF Nos. 14, 20.) The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and 19 other organizations (ACLU-NJ) filed a brief as amicus curiae in support of Defendants’ Motion, and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) filed a brief as amicus curiae in opposition to Defendants’ Motion. (ECF Nos. 12, 18.) The Court has carefully reviewed the parties’ submissions and decides the matter without oral argument pursuant to Rule 78(b) and Local Civil Rule 78.1(b). For the reasons set forth below, and other good cause shown, Defendants’ Motion is GRANTED.
Ilya Somin@ilyasomin.bsky.social · last wk.

My new @usatoday.com op ed on dangerous commonalities between "democratic socialists" and MAGA nationalists - both seek sweeping government control over the economy, thereby imperiling liberty, prosperity, and democracy: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...

Democratic socialists and MAGA share a dangerous flaw | Opinion

From Castro to Stalin to Trump's tariffs: Why massive government control of the economy – from the left or right – tends to end badly.

usatoday.com

Ilya Somin@ilyasomin.bsky.social · last wk.

My new @usatoday.com op ed on dangerous commonalities between "democratic socialists" and MAGA nationalists - both seek sweeping government control over the economy, thereby imperiling liberty, prosperity, and democracy: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...

Democratic socialists and MAGA share a dangerous flaw | Opinion

From Castro to Stalin to Trump's tariffs: Why massive government control of the economy – from the left or right – tends to end badly.

usatoday.com

Ilya Somin@ilyasomin.bsky.social · last wk.

Today, a federal district court issued first ruling against Trump's new executive order on birthright citizenship. As the court rightly concluded, the new order is blatantly at odds with the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Trump v. Barbara. For more, see my analysis here: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Federal Court Issues First Ruling Against Trump's New Birthright Citizenship Executive Order

Milla74/Dreamstime Last month, I wrote about Trump's new executive order seeking to deny birthright citizenship to various classes of children…

reason.com

Ilya Somin@ilyasomin.bsky.social · last wk.

Today, a federal district court issued first ruling against Trump's new executive order on birthright citizenship. As the court rightly concluded, the new order is blatantly at odds with the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Trump v. Barbara. For more, see my analysis here: reason.com/volokh/2026/...

Federal Court Issues First Ruling Against Trump's New Birthright Citizenship Executive Order

Milla74/Dreamstime Last month, I wrote about Trump's new executive order seeking to deny birthright citizenship to various classes of children…

reason.com

Andy Craig@andycraig.bsky.social · 2w ago

Naming disputes like "Persian Gulf," "Sea of Japan," "South China Sea" etc. were always the kind of thing we used to roll our eyes at and would humor only because it wasn't even worth fighting allied petty nationalists over. It's a marker of confident hegemony to not give a shit about such things.

Ryan Goodman@rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 2w ago

Extraordinary, powerful and heart-wrenching. Active duty Marine Colonel Zach Schmidt, speaking in his personal capacity, about Khalil, an Afghan national whose family helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Khalil was deported by the U.S. on Friday to a conflict zone.

Peter Sagal@petersagal.bsky.social · 3w ago

In his speech yesterday, Canada PM Mark Carney seemed to try to explain to the President what a “trade deficit” is. You’re not just giving another country 100s of millions of dollars… You’re buying things from them! That you want!

Another prominent justification for U.S. tariffs has been their claim that, since the United States runs a trade deficit with Canada, we were "ripping them off" But the United States' narrow merchandise trade deficit only exists because the U.S. buys so much of its energy from us. Canada fuels American growth: supplying 99% of their natural gas imports, 85% of electricity imports, and 60% of crude oil imports. I don't think they want us to stop sending it. And the comprehensive U.S.-Canada trade balance, which includes the many services - from finance to entertainment - that we buy from the U.S. shows a persistent American trade surplus. Most fundamentally, trade is about building mutual strength - creating a relationship that benefits both countries. For example, Canada is the largest customer for U.S. cars - in fact, we buy more American-built cars than the United Kingdom, Japan, and China combined.