Strange Gap Removes Important Part of US Constitution on Government Website

via GIPHY

In a controversial incident: A fundamental part of the US Constitution was reportedly removed from the online version published on the Library of Congress website. This concerns Section 9 of Article One, which guarantees citizens the right to demand a writ of Habeas Corpus, obliging the government to justify the detention of individuals.

Habeas Corpus: which means in Latin "you shall have the body," is a cornerstone of American law and a fundamental guarantee of individual liberties against arbitrary and unlawful detention. Under this right, no person can be held without just cause, requiring authorities to present the detainee before a court to justify the legality of their detention. The U.S. Supreme Court has described this right as "the fundamental instrument for safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary and lawless state action."

This deletion came: at a time when the administration of former President Donald Trump, specifically prominent officials like Stephen Miller and Kirstjen Nielsen, were openly discussing the possibility of suspending this constitutional right regarding immigrants. The deleted part specifically states that "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."

The Deleted Section and Its Implications

Informed sources reported: that Library of Congress officials initially attributed the deletion to a "technical glitch" or "programming error." Staff quickly moved to address the issue, investigate how it occurred, and review other parts of the website to ensure no other unwarranted deletions.

Later in the day: the deleted parts of the Constitution were restored to the website. Although removing sections from a webpage, even an official one, does not actually change U.S. law, this incident highlighted the Trump administration's stated intent to violate the Constitution.

These changes come: in the context of Trump's attempts to control the Library of Congress, an agency technically under the legislative branch of the government. The Library serves as a research arm for Congress, in addition to maintaining the world's largest collection of books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, and recordings.

In May: Trump announced his intention to fire Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, before the end of her 10-year term, and sought to replace her with Todd Blah, who was previously his personal lawyer. After a judge refused to block Hayden's removal, she filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.