Day 102

This Week in Democracy

• States United released 100 Ways in 100 Days, a report that documents how state officials from across the country have stood up for the rule of law and pushed back on the Trump administration.

  At a rally in Michigan on his 100th day in office, President Trump repeated familiar lies about the 2020 election, including that he won the state in 2020 and that he had “three victories” in presidential elections.

  ➡️ READ: 100 Ways in 100 Days: How States are Defending the Rule of Law in the New Trump Administration

• A federal judge in Texas ruled that the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to justify deporting people was “unlawful.” The judge—who Trump appointed in his first term—blocked the administration from deporting anyone detained in his jurisdiction, the Southern District of Texas, under the Act. It’s the first time a judge has issued such a ruling.

  ➡️ READ: Sharing the Facts About the Alien Enemies Act

• After senior lawyers in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division were reassigned last week, Trump appointees removed the managers of the voting rights team and directed its lawyers to dismiss any active cases. Harmeet Dhillon, the division’s head, said that at least 100 lawyers will be leaving the division. CNN reports that about 70% of the division’s employees—lawyers or otherwise—will be leaving in total.

  Dhillon served as a legal advisor to Trump’s 2020 campaign and spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. She also worked for Kari Lake and Abraham Hamadeh—both Election Deniers—in 2022.

• The Election Assistance Commission added conditions to federal grants that would force states to comply with Trump administration policies in order to receive election-related funding. It’s the latest step taken by the federal government that could imperil election integrity across the country.

  ➡️ READ: Sharing the Facts About Federal Overreach of States’ Authority to Administer Elections

• Trump signed an executive order that directs administration officials to identify state and local jurisdictions that don’t comply with federal immigration priorities and pause or cut their federal funding. But states have the authority to set their own law enforcement priorities. Forcing local law enforcement to take on federal responsibilities would be a harmful tradeoff that would pose severe risks to public safety.

  ➡️ READ: Sharing the Facts About State and Local Authority to Set Public Safety & Law Enforcement Priorities

• Officials from 24 states and D.C. sued the Trump administration over its cuts to AmeriCorps, a volunteer service organization. The lawsuit says that the Department of Government Efficiency laid off 85% of the organization’s federal employees and ordered it to cancel $400 million in grants, affecting more than 1,000 community service programs across the country. The grants funded food banks, disaster preparation efforts, services for veterans and seniors, and more.

  “This case presents only the latest chapter in an ongoing saga, as the Administration attempts to dismantle federal agencies without Congressional approval,” the officials wrote.

  ➡️ READ: Sharing the Facts About the State Impact of Federal Workforce Cuts

• 19 state attorneys general sued the Trump administration over its threat to withhold federal funds from K-12 schools unless they comply with the administration’s policies. Judges temporarily blocked the administration from holding up the funds—more than $18.7 billion, according to the lawsuit—earlier this week.

  The states “are left with an impossible choice: either certify compliance with an ambiguous and unconstitutional federal directive … or risk losing indispensable funds that serve their most vulnerable student populations,” the attorneys general wrote.

  ➡️ READ: Sharing the Facts About State Authority and Education

State of the States

In North Carolina, the state’s Court of Appeals temporarily paused last week’s order by the Wake County Superior Court, resulting in the transfer of election-related appointment powers from Gov. Josh Stein to State Auditor Dave Boliek.

Boliek used his new powers to appoint new members of the State Board of Elections, changing its partisan makeup to be three Republicans and two Democrats. Stein appealed the Court of Appeals’ ruling to the state Supreme Court, but the justices have not yet issued a ruling.

In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI on Friday. She faces two federal charges, related to allegations that she helped an undocumented immigrant attempt to evade arrest by federal immigration authorities. The Wisconsin Supreme Court temporarily suspended Dugan from her responsibilities as a judge on administrative grounds while the case against her moves through the courts.

Dugan’s arrest prompted widespread concern. “I think they’re trying to send a message to chill the judiciary,” Dugan’s peer, Judge Pedro Colón of the state’s Court of Appeals, told CNN.