🧵In the past 7 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has made a series of decisions (and non-decisions) that have reaffirmed the United States' colonial control over Puerto Rico and directly harmed our people.
And if you think it's been just the conservatives on the Court—read on. 1/X
2016 | Puerto Rico v. Sánchez Valle | 6-2 opinion written by Kagan
SCOTUS says Puerto Rico has no sovereignty and all its legal authority comes from Congress.
In a way, this is the best decision, since it accurately describes the legal and political reality of colonialism. 2/X
2020 | @FOMBPR v. Aurelius Investment | Unanimous opinion written by Breyer
SCOTUS says the Junta, *created by federal law w/ members appointed by the U.S. govt.* ...is nonetheless part of the local PR govt.
Translation: we'll say whatever makes the Junta's work "legal." 3/X
2021 | Congress bans cockfighting in Puerto Rico; SCOTUS declines to hear challenge to the ban
You don't have to love or support cockfighting (I don't!) to grasp the deeper legal message: Congress makes the rules, and we won't even pretend to care what Puerto Ricans want. 4/X
2022 | United States v. Vaello-Madero | 8-1 opinion written by Kavanaugh
SCOTUS holds that Congress can decide to exclude Puerto Rico from any federal program; it decides what rights we have or don't have.
Again: at least the Supreme Court is honest! 5/X
2022 | SCOTUS declines to hear challenge to the Insular Cases—the legal backbone of U.S. territories' colonial status.
Despite making noise about how racist the cases are, when faced with a chance to overturn them, SCOTUS says: Nah. PRs being "savages" remains "good law!" 6/X
2022 | SCOTUS declines to hear Puerto Rican teachers' appeal of debt adjustment plan that harms their pensions.
That same Junta that the Supreme Court declared is super legal and perfect does what it was put there to do: screw teachers to pay bondholders. SCOTUS shrugs. 7/X
2023 (Today) | @FOMBPR v. @cpipr | 8-1 opinion written by Kagan
SCOTUS holds that Puerto Rican journalists cannot obtain public records from the Junta... that has broad powers over PR's government.
For the umpteenth time: the Junta is untouchable; screw Puerto Ricans. 8/X
So what are we to make of all this? Two key takeaways:
1) Anyone who's counting on The U.S. Supreme Court to help resolve Puerto Rico's status—or, hell, even support and uphold basic rights for Puerto Ricans—is climbing very very high up the wrong tree. 9/X
BUT 2) SCOTUS is actually being helpful* by shining a light on the crude nature of ongoing U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico. It's up to Puerto Ricans (and Americans!) to hear that message loud and clear, and do the necessary political work of decolonization.
It is so ordered.
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