In a healthy democracy, power operates inside a glass house.
Public records, the intentional separation of powers, and an intricate system of checks and balances keep the citizens aware of their elected representatives’ actions, and there is no curtain obscuring who is protected or punished under the law.
But the Trump administration is operating differently.
In the first nine months of his second term, President Trump has had civil servants and perceived political opponentsremoved from office, deployed federal troops to multiple American cities, and ordered hundreds of thousands of immigrants to be deported — many without probable cause or due process, and even despite court orders blocking some flights.
We’ve been investigating the Trump administration’s many abuses of political power, including its unprecedented use of state and federal law enforcement to both target immigrants and silence dissent. This week, we filed two dozen Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for records related to Trump’s recent memo authorizing the deployment of National Guard troops, federal law enforcement, and immigration enforcement officials to Memphis, Tennessee.
The requests build on our ongoing investigations into the administration’s abuse of federal power and normalization of military presence on the streets of U.S. cities. We’ve previously filed other requests for records related to deployments in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and the consideration of deployments to other cities including Baltimore, Chicago, and New Orleans.
“The deployment of armed troops to patrol American cities is an extraordinary act that must not be normalized. Crime is on the decline in Memphis, and the public — including local residents — deserve the truth about why the president has chosen to send soldiers into their neighborhoods,” our Executive Director Chioma Chukwu said. “Put plainly, our military should not be policing everyday people. We have laws and safeguards for a reason — to protect against such abuses of power and prevent any one president from overstepping.”
New Lawsuit Seeks Recordings of Deportation Flights to El Salvador
In another effort to demand transparency about the Trump administration’s use of political power to advance the president’s anti-immigrant agenda, we sued the Department of Justice this week for the release of photographs and audio/video recordings of the March 2025 removals of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador.
The deportation flights were carried out under President Trump’s unprecedented invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and reportedly proceeded despite a federal court order blocking them.
Our lawsuit seeks records that could help corroborate whistleblower allegations that then-Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Bove told DOJ attorneys the removals would happen “no matter what” and pressured them to ignore any court orders halting the removals.
“Trump Administration officials — including Emil Bove, who has since been confirmed to a lifetime seat on the federal bench — are alleged to have ignored a court order and forcibly sent people to a notorious foreign prison, stripping them of their due process,” our Executive Director Chioma Chukwu said. “These are human beings whose freedom and dignity were on the line, and the public deserves to know the full truth of what happened.”
She added, “If the DOJ is allowed to stonewall here, it signals to every corner of government that misconduct can be hidden without consequence. Transparency isn’t optional in a democracy — without it, accountability collapses and there is no public trust.”
Investigating Potential Trump Administration Interference at DOJ, Other Agencies
Last week, we expanded the focus of our investigation into whether the Trump administration has pressured federal agencies to pursue baseless criminal allegations, including relating to mortgage fraud, against its perceived political opponents. Following reports that Trump was “poised to fire” the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, after investigators in his office found no evidence to support mortgage fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, we sent new FOIA requests to the DOJ, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and the Federal Reserve.
Siebert, who Trump nominated to the position in May, resigned last week amid mounting pressure from the president.
News of Trump’s campaign to oust Siebert came just days after reports indicated similar allegations his administration lodged against Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, in efforts to strong-arm the central bank into aligning with the president’s demands, were unfounded.
Our requests seek records that could shed light on whether — and to what extent — the Trump administration coordinated criminal referrals or attempted firings at the agencies to advance the president’s political agenda.
“Firing, or even threatening to fire, a prosecutor for refusing to bring baseless criminal charges based on the president’s political proclivities is a dangerous escalation of weaponized federal power — and it raises serious questions about the limits of unchecked power in the Trump administration,” our Executive Director Chioma Chukwu, said.
On the Records
Victory Secured in Long-Running Congressional FOIA Case
This week, one of our longest-running public records lawsuits ended in a victory, with a federal judge ruling in our favor that communications from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) related to the first Trump administration’s 2017 efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are not exempt from FOIA.
We filed the lawsuit in 2017, and have long fought in court for the public release of the communication records between members of Congress and HHS and OMB staff members.
On Thursday, a federal judge affirmed that agencies and congressional staff cannot avoid FOIA’s reach simply because boilerplate language pasted onto emails labels them “congressional records.”
This week’s ruling follows an earlier win in the case last year, when the court of appeals rejected the government’s sweeping attempt to withhold records under an exemption to FOIA.
The records at issue in this case — about decisions which could have resulted in 17 million Americans losing their medical coverage — would have best served the public by being released at the time members of Congress were attempting to weaken the ACA.
Still, this week’s victory ensures that the public will gain long-delayed access to records about the first Trump administration’s coordination with Congress during their 2017 effort to repeal the ACA, and congressional staff will find it harder to block the public from executive branch records they have a right to see.
Other Stories We’re Following
Trump Administration Accountability
Tom Homan was investigated for accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents. Trump's DOJ shut it down. (NBC News)
Democrats open inquiries into handling of Homan investigation (New York Times)
Judge rejects Trump’s ‘tedious and burdensome’ New York Times defamation lawsuit (Democracy Docket)
Trump administration eyes USAID money to advance America First goals (Washington Post)
In Trump’s D.C. surge, helicopters hovered and surveilled day and night (Washington Post)
Who really runs DHS? (New York Magazine)
In doctors’ offices, the consequences of Trump’s comments on Tylenol and vaccines are immediately clear (CNN)
Trump suggests farmer bailout coming from tariff money (Axios)
Voting Rights
US Justice Department sues 6 more states, including NY and California, in its quest for voter data (Associated Press)
Texas counties struggle to process voter registrations using state’s new TEAM system (Votebeat)
DOJ urges SCOTUS to end key VRA protection for minority voters (Democracy Docket)
Timeline: Tracking the Trump Justice Department’s anti-voting shift (Democracy Docket)
State and National News
Armed guards and Muscle Milk: Senate investigation reveals DOGE takeover details (Wired)
As Texas flooded, key staff say FEMA’s leader could not be reached (Washington Post)
Harvard dean was paid $150,000 as an expert witness in Tylenol lawsuits (New York Times)
LGBTQ+ Rights
Abortion and Reproductive Rights
Federal agencies are studying safety of abortion drug mifepristone, driving new concerns about limits on access (CNN)
Judge orders revisions to ballot language for Missouri abortion ban proposal (Missouri Independent)
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to pause abortions as it sorts out Trump tax and spending law (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Threats to Education
3 school districts to lose $65 million over gender and DEI policies (New York Times)
Ryan Walters resigns as Oklahoma’s top public schools official to lead conservative educators’ group (Associated Press)
Angelo State University bans classroom discussions of transgender identities, stirring criticism and confusion (Texas Tribune)
Government Transparency and Public Records Law
ICE might be breaking the law to stonewall reporters (Columbia Journalism Review)
Minnesota police group fights release of undercover officers’ names (Sahan Journal)
Archives released too much of Mikie Sherrill's military record to her opponent in governor's race (CBS News)
Immigration
US border patrol collected DNA from thousands of US citizens for years, data shows (Guardian)
‘The new family separation crisis’: More than 100 US citizen kids left stranded by ICE enforcement actions, CNN finds (CNN)
‘Like Prime, but with human beings’: How the Trump administration is using AI to ramp up immigration enforcement (CNN)
Documents offer rare insight on ICE’s close relationship with Palantir (Guardian)
Hundreds of Alligator Alcatraz detainees drop off the grid after leaving site (Miami Herald)
