'Cruelty for cruelty's sake': Expert slams Trump's response to Boulder attack

Following a firebombing terror attack in Boulder, Colorado of suspected antisemitic motivation, the Trump administration moved quickly, vowing that the accused undocumented attacker, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, could be deported by tonight on an expedited basis.

However, the White House social media account went further than that, suggesting his entire family could be punished over it. "Six One-Way Tickets for Mohamed’s Wife and Five Kids. Final Boarding Call Coming Soon," said the post.

This collective punishment is unsettling, American Immigration Council expert attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick posted — and possibly against the law.

"What the guy did was absolutely heinous and he should rot in prison for it," said Reichlin-Melnick. "But without any evidence that his wife and kids had anything to do with this, this is just cruelty for cruelty's sake. You can't have an actual investigation of the family's role in this amount of time."

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Moreover, he noted, if the family really is being taken away under "expedited removal," that is a plain violation of federal law.

"It's possible that the White House is lying about using expedited removal and the family agreed to take 'stipulated removal' orders," said Reichlin-Melnick. "If they are actually using 'expedited removal,' that would be ILLEGAL — the law forbids it for anyone admitted on a visa."

The Trump administration has made a show of force in ramping up mass deportation efforts, at times clashing with federal courts as judges find their summary removals with little or no due process to be against the law.