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U.S. Air Force Major Jason Watson cited the numerous “high crimes” committed by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security in a speech that allegedly landed him in solitary confinement.
In his July 1 call to “Impeach, Remove and Convict” President Donald Trump, the 40-year-old Watson called out Trump’s harsh immigration crackdown, calling it “a violation of our First Amendment rights.”
Jason Watson Claimed ICE Violated Americans’ Right to Protest
“When the President of the United States sponsors violence against the American people engaged in their constitutional right to peacefully assemble and protest, that is a violation of our First Amendment rights,” Watson said in a speech alongside Texas Rep. Al Green, who has introduced articles of impeachment against Trump.
Watson was referring to the violent response to ICE protests across the country earlier this year, singling out the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
“Pastors praying for DHS agents were violently attacked without provocation. A legal observer lost an eye after being struck by a so-called non-lethal round fired by an ICE agent. A woman attempting to follow chaotic and contradictory DHS instructions was fatally shot. A subdued man who posed no threat was fatally shot after having his firearm removed, while statements by high-ranking cabinet members also violated our Second Amendment rights,” he said. “For this, the President and Vice President must be impeached, convicted, and removed.”
Jason Watson Also Said U.S. Violated Fifth and Eighth Amendments
Watson also called out the brutal tactics of immigration operations across the country.
“When the President of the United States directs the Department of Homeland Security to deny hundreds of people due process before illegally detaining them and sending them to a foreign prison notorious for human rights abuses, that is a violation of our Fifth and Eighth Amendment rights,” he said.
Watson additionally brought up CECOT, an infamous detention facility in Latin America.
“Most people sent to CECOT never committed any violent crimes in their lives, but are being defamed as violent criminals as a pretext for the torture they suffered in El Salvador, paid for with U.S. taxpayer dollars,” the army major said.
- ‘The President and Vice President Must Be Impeached’: Air Force Member Lists Donald Trump’s ‘High Crimes’ in Speech That Landed Him in Solitary Confinement
- U.S. Air Force Member Locked in Solitary Confinement Over Trump Impeachment Comment, Attorney Says: ‘Cruel’
- Judge Warns of ‘Vengefulness’ Behind Democrat’s ICE Prosecution, Court Allows Criminal Case to Proceed Amid Controversy
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Jason Watson Remains in Solitary Confinement
Watson’s speech landed him in an Air Force prison as he awaits trial for his charges for speaking out.
On October 9, his attorney, Christopher Mutimer, claimed that Watson was in solitary confinement for “24 hours a day,” accusing the Air Force of violating Watson’s rights against cruel and unusual punishment.
The Air Force has not commented on the conditions of Watson’s detainment, but military officials have said Watson cannot be held with civilians under the law.
‘I Spoke to Change’
Watson was ordered to pretrial confinement on August 18, and has been imprisoned ever since with no news on his trial date.
In a September 18 pretrial hearing, he told the court, “I understand my words made people uncomfortable. I spoke to change something that was wrong.”
Mutimer pleaded with the court that his client “is not a flight risk,” and he said Watson’s request to resign his commission was denied within 24 hours.
