The Life of a Shutdown

This Week in Democracy

• After Congress failed to pass a spending bill Tuesday evening, the federal government shut down. The shutdown has broad implications: Millions across the country depend on federal programs, and each state has thousands of federal employees. Nearly 750,000 have been furloughed, and others are continuing to work without pay.

  To increase political pressure, the Trump administration froze billions in federal funding for 16 states that did not vote for the president in 2024.

• President Trump authorized 200 members of the Oregon National Guard to deploy to Portland. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield sued to block the deployment, and officials from the state and city police told the court that it is unnecessary. The administration is also seeking to deploy troops to Chicago soon, over the objections of state and local officials.

  National Guard troops arrived in Memphis, Tenn., this week, after Trump authorized their deployment last month with the support of Gov. Bill Lee. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also asked the administration to authorize the National Guard to be deployed in his state.

  ➡️ READ: What’s Breaking Through About National Guard Deployments

• In a speech to top generals on Tuesday, Trump said that American cities should be used as “training grounds” for the military, and called on the generals to “handle” the “enemy from within.”

  “Calling Americans who disagree with your political views “the enemy” is actually un-American,” States United CEO Joanna Lydgate wrote in response.

• The Trump administration appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to decide if Trump’s executive order that seeks to deny citizenship to some U.S.-born children is constitutional. As of now, the order remains blocked by multiple court orders.

  ➡️ READ: Sharing the Facts About Birthright Citizenship

• After the Trump administration filed an appeal last month, the Supreme Court allowed it to withhold more than $4 billion in foreign aid approved by Congress. A federal judge had previously ordered the administration to spend the money, writing in his ruling that withholding it would violate the separation of powers between Congress and the White House.

  ➡️ READ: Sharing the Facts About Last-Minute Funding Cuts

• The Trump administration notified nine universities that in order to receive preferential federal funding, they would need to agree to more closely align their policies with the administration on admissions, hiring, and more.

  Meanwhile, Trump told reporters that his administration was close to reaching a deal with Harvard University to restore billions in frozen grants.

  ➡️ READ: Sharing the Facts About the Impact of Targeting Higher Education

State of the States

In California, former Trump lawyer John Eastman appealed to the California Supreme Court to overturn a recommendation that he should lose his law license. A judge first recommended that Eastman be disbarred in 2024 for his role in the plot to overturn the 2020 presidential election. That recommendation was upheld by a panel of three judges in June.

States United filed the initial complaint against Eastman with the California State Bar in 2021.

In Georgia, the Justice Department issued a subpoena for records from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. According to The New York Times, it is not clear whether Willis is the target of the investigation or whether she will face charges.

The subpoena comes as the Trump administration is pressuring federal prosecutors to bring charges against the president’s rivals. The administration’s targets include former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted last week, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In Missouri, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a new congressional map into law. The new map, passed by the state legislature at the urging of President Trump, is designed to give Republicans an advantage in seven of the state’s eight congressional districts, instead of the six they currently represent.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed challenging the new map. Some make the case that the Missouri Constitution only gives lawmakers the power to redraw districts when there is new census data. (Missouri last revised its maps in 2022 using data from the 2020 census.)

In Nevada, a federal judge disqualified acting U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah from handling any cases. In his decision, the judge wrote that Chattah is “not validly serving” in her position and that it “would be unlawful” for her to be involved in any cases. Justice Department prosecutors are appealing the judge’s ruling.

Chattah was appointed by the Trump administration using a series of maneuvers designed to circumvent the normal process, which would have required her to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The administration used similar tactics to appoint Alina Habba, Trump’s former personal lawyer, to be the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey.

Habba’s appointment was also challenged in court, and a judge ruled that she, too, was “not lawfully holding the office” of U.S. attorney. A federal appeals court will hear arguments about Habba’s appointment on Oct. 20.

In Rhode Island, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from cutting more than $200 million in counterterrorism funding grants to 11 states and D.C. The states’ attorneys general sued the administration on Monday to stop the cuts.