Thread by @HMAesq

I sued @UMich to unseal the papers of John Tanton, the racist architect of the modern anti-immigrant movement.

We can't wait until 2035 to understand how our immigration policy is informed by white nationalists.

Today, the Court ruled in our favor:

hmalegal.com/uploads/3/7/9/…

The groups he created are the ones most directly responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe that is our immigration system. Tanton donated his papers to U of M, but sealed half of them until 2035. I sued to unseal them.

hmalegal.com/blawg/tantonfo…

The #TantonPapers shine a light on the conceptual underpinnings of the policies that rip families apart, jail children, and create a permanent underclass. The lower court dismissed my claim, saying the papers were not public records and hence immune from disclosure.

I appealed.

Tanton's dark and shadowy role in creating the cruel system of due process vacuums, #ConcentrationCamps, mass #ICEraids, the #MuslimBan, and the criminalization of asylum seekers and other aspiring Americans cannot be overstated.

https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/1042547993541468160?lang=en

@splinter_news did a great deep dive into this nefarious world of unbridled capitalism and racism working together to keep communities downtrodden and disenfranchised, fomenting racial hatred and sowing division even to the detriment of the country.

splinternews.com/the-eugenicist…

The University has been arguing that failing to honor the supposed "gift agreement" Tanton made to seal the papers until 2035 would chill future donors away from public institutions.

The Court of Appeals didn't think much of that argument:

It's a win for transparency in government. All the more important when these documents show connections with known eugenicists, racial purists, and white nationalists.

With this decision, we took a huge step closer to breaking the seal on these documents.

Now, we wait and see what the University will do - but it is my fervent hope that they decide not to fight and release the papers in the public interest.

It's simply the right thing to do.

After all, what's in the #TantonPapers they're fighting so hard to hide?

When I ran for office, I wanted to continue my work shining a light on the cover racists use to make their racism palatable. Policies that keep black and brown people incarcerated, looking over their shoulder, keeping their families separated.

Today, the flashlight brightened.