The Bush administration has ordered review of the death penalty cases of 51 Mexican nationals. Earlier this year (as you may recall me commenting), the International Court of Justice ruled that the rights of these 51 individuals were violated when the prosecution failed to notify the Mexican government of their arrests and prosecutions. The Bush administration made its announcement through a brief it filed with the United States Supreme Court related to upcoming arguments in Medellin v. Dretke, a case involving this very issue.

To me, this feels like a peremptory challenge. It feels as though the Bush administration is trying to make the issue "moot" so that the United States Supreme Court will not rule on the question and will, therefore, not expand death penalty jurisprudence. I suppose I could be stretching things. Perhaps the administration is just trying to do the right thing. I somehow doubt that thought. If I'm skeptical, it's because this particular administration is not known for being sensitive to those on death row or to immigrants. Bush's Texas administration also had a reputation of avoiding death penalty questions and a lack of sensitivity to immigrants. SO...I'm skeptical that there are not alternative motives behind this call for action. Of course, many of the 51 cases affected involve individuals in Texas. I wonder how many of those were convicted and sentenced under Bush's watch...

New hearings sought for Mexicans on death row