United States ex rel. Miller v. Raum was a Supreme Court case decided in 1867. The case involved a dispute between the United States and the defendant, John Raum, over the ownership of a tract of land in the state of Illinois. The United States had acquired the land from the state of Illinois in 1835, and had subsequently sold it to the defendant in 1845. The defendant had then sold the land to a third party in 1851. The Supreme Court held that the United States had a valid claim to the land, as the defendant had failed to pay the full purchase price for the land when he bought it from the United States in 1845. The Court also held that the defendant had no right to sell the land to a third party in 1851, as he had not paid the full purchase price to the United States. The Court thus ruled in favor of the United States and ordered the defendant to pay the full purchase price for the land.

In the dissenting opinion of United States ex rel. Miller v. Raum, Justice Field argued that the majority’s decision was a violation of due process and an unconstitutional extension of executive power. He argued that Congress had not given the President authority to suspend habeas corpus in this case, as it had done during times of rebellion or invasion when public safety required such action. Furthermore, he noted that even if Congress did grant such authority to the President, they would have needed to provide clear guidelines for its use and limitations on its duration; neither were present here. Additionally, Justice Field asserted that allowing indefinite suspension without judicial review violated fundamental principles of justice by denying individuals their right to challenge unlawful detention before a court with jurisdiction over them—a right which is essential for protecting citizens from arbitrary government actions and abuses of power.