When Power Is the Priority
— Not People
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Last weekend, the administration directed immigration enforcement authorities to pause ([link removed]) making arrests at certain businesses out of concerns about economic fallout ([link removed]) . But within days, the threat of raids at farms, hotels, and restaurants was back on the table ([link removed]) .

On Thursday, White House border czar Tom Homan said ([link removed]) , “The message is clear now that we’re going to continue doing worksite enforcement operations, even on farms and hotels, but based on a prioritized basis. Criminals come first.”
* Of course, there are major reasons to question the administration’s rhetoric ([link removed]) about “violent” criminals as well as the accuracy of its targeting ([link removed]) .
* Meanwhile, immigration raids at schools ([link removed]) , places of worship, and even baseball games ([link removed]) — along with alarming instances of racial profiling against Latino Americans ([link removed]) — have plunged immigrant communities in fear ([link removed]) .
* The recent surge in immigration enforcement actions, especially in Los Angeles ([link removed]) , reportedly came ([link removed]) after the White House became increasingly frustrated that the pace of arrests was not matching President Trump’s promised scale of mass deportations.


It’s clear that the Trump administration’s draconian and abusive anti-immigration actions are driven more by a quest for political power rather than any legitimate public safety concerns. And many of those actions continue to be initiated behind a wall of secrecy.
* On Friday, we sued the administration ([link removed]) — including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor — for information that could shed further light on these shifting immigration enforcement priorities.
* The lawsuit seeks internal communications and policy directives related to enforcement actions at sensitive locations like schools and hospitals, as well as the use of I-9 audits, “collateral” arrests, and other tactics affecting citizens and immigrants alike.
* As the administration weaponizes government power against those it perceives as enemies, the American people need to see how its political agenda is pushing actions that disproportionately target the most vulnerable and weaken our democracy by making members of immigrant communities fearful of taking part in society.

The Latest in Our Fight to Expose the Work of DOGE

The Trump administration continues to try to weaken the public’s right to know more about the Department of Government Efficiency — despite Elon Musk’s previous assurance the shadowy entity would be “the most transparent organization in government ever.”
* This week, the administration filed a brief opposing our request for discovery into DOGE’s actions.
* Our discovery motion ([link removed]) asked the court to order DOGE to answer a series of targeted questions and produce documents to determine whether the entity is subject to FOIA.

The resistance to allowing the public to learn more about DOGE’s wide-ranging and destructive actions raises an obvious question: What are they trying to hide?
* If DOGE is merely advising the president and not — as mounting evidence suggests — independently issuing directives, firing civil servants, and shutting down agencies, then discovery should, in theory, make that clear. Of course, we know DOGE is doing much more than advising and assisting Trump. ([link removed])
* No president should be allowed to construct a shadow government that evades the laws and shields its actions from oversight. We asked the court ([link removed]) to reject this latest attempt to conceal the truth from the public.

Other Stories We’re Following

Trump Administration Accountability
* American Bar Association sues Trump administration (New York Times ([link removed]) )
* FBI Director Kash Patel feeds 2020 election conspiracy theories with documents about unverified tip (NBC News ([link removed]) )
* How Trump’s assault on science is blinding America to climate change (E&E News ([link removed]) )
* White House eyes rarely used power to override Congress on spending (New York Times ([link removed]) )
* Trump merchandise sold at Fort Bragg for president's speech now under review (ABC News ([link removed]) )
* Truck carrying tank after Army's 250th birthday parade kills pedestrian in DC (USA Today ([link removed]) )

Voting Rights
* Justice Department’s early moves on voting and elections signal a shift from its traditional role (Associated Press ([link removed]) )
* Texas lawmakers failed to pass a proof of citizenship law but made other changes to election (Texas Tribune ([link removed]) )
* North Carolina redistricting trial begins, with racial gerrymandering allegations the focus (Associated Press ([link removed]) )

In the States
* DOJ sues Kentucky over in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants (Louisville Public Media ([link removed]) )
* Florida attorney general calls for feds to ‘denaturalize and deport’ congresswoman (Miami Herald ([link removed]) )
* Arizona tries again to ensure that manual audits of election results get done (Votebeat ([link removed]) )
* ‘What did it threaten?’ WVU board removes faculty, student voting rights due to new GOP law (West Virginia Watch ([link removed]) )

National News
* VA hospitals remove politics and marital status from guidelines protecting patients from discrimination (Guardian ([link removed]) )
* California court upholds John Eastman’s disbarment for role in Trump 2020 plot (Politico ([link removed]) )
* Far-right ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag flown above government agency in DC (Wired ([link removed]) )
* Top House Democrat asks Microsoft about DOGE code allegedly tied to NLRB data removal (NPR ([link removed]) )
* What big tech's band of execs will do in the Army (Wired ([link removed]) )
* Supreme Court upholds Tennessee law that bars gender-affirming care for minors (NPR ([link removed]) )
* US judge blocks Trump passport policy targeting transgender people (Reuters ([link removed]) )

Abortion and Reproductive Rights
* Abortion clinics are closing, even in states where abortion is legal (Associated Press ([link removed]) )
* Supreme Court to hear case involving anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center (Guardian ([link removed]) )
* US judge invalidates Biden rule protecting privacy for abortions (Reuters ([link removed]) )
* Deadly shootings in Minnesota have shaken abortion providers (19th News ([link removed]) )
* Baby of brain-dead pregnant woman kept alive under abortion law has been delivered, family says (NBC News ([link removed]) )
* Bill to ban abortion, criminalize IVF and some contraceptives proposed in Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau ([link removed]) )
* Idaho Supreme Court orders officials to revise abortion ballot initiative language, impact statement (Idaho Capital Sun ([link removed]) )

Government Transparency and Public Records Law
* Ohio lawmakers step back from sweeping police secrecy measure (Cleveland.com ([link removed]) )
* Ohio’s Geauga County continues its fight to keep ICE contract secret (Ohio Capital Journal ([link removed]) )
* Family of man shot by state police asks court to unlock public records (Source New Mexico ([link removed]) )

Immigration
* Trump directs ICE to expand deportation efforts in Democratic-run cities (The Hill ([link removed]) )
* 36 more countries may be added to Trump’s travel ban (New York Times ([link removed]) )
* ICE detained University of Utah student after gaining secret access to Colorado deputy’s communications, sheriff’s office says (Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed]) )
* NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested at immigration court (Associated Press ([link removed]) )
* With only 8% built, Texas quietly defunds state border wall program (Texas Tribune ([link removed]) )
* Activists say immigrants in Louisville are being detained at routine check-ins (Louisville Public Media ([link removed]) )
* State Department unveils social media screening rules for all student visa applicants (Politico ([link removed]) )


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