Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Guardian publishes explainer on 145 statewide ballot measures across 39 states in midterm elections — The Guardian reports on 145 statewide referendum measures voters will face in 39 states during the upcoming midterm elections. Key ballot initiatives include California's proposed billionaire wealth tax (Proposition 40), property tax measures in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Tennessee, trans athlete and medical care restrictions in five states, noncitizen voting requirements in six states, and abortion rights protections in Idaho, Nevada, and Virginia. The article notes the long-run passage rate for referendums is approximately 41%.

Supporting reports

• Texas executes Jamaal Howard by pentobarbital despite Pike execution complications — Texas executed Jamaal Howard on October 8, 2026, using pentobarbital, the same drug that failed in Christa Pike's execution. Howard was convicted in 2001 of fatally shooting convenience store clerk Vickie Swartout during a robbery. His legal team argued the execution should be halted given the documented problems with pentobarbital in Pike's case, but multiple courts refused to intervene.

Supporting reports

• Family of Tierra Walker sues Ken Paxton for wrongful death related to denied abortion — Attorneys for the family of Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old San Antonio woman who died in December 2024 while 20 weeks pregnant with pre-eclampsia, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Bexar County District Court on Tuesday. The suit names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, individual doctors, and state health officials, alleging deliberate indifference and medical mistreatment. The family claims Walker and her relatives requested an abortion as her condition worsened, but doctors refused to provide it. The lawsuit also challenges Texas's abortion ban as unconstitutional.

Supporting reports

• ACLU and researchers file class-action lawsuit challenging Trump administration's use of keyword list to block NIH grants — Researchers and civil-rights groups filed a class-action lawsuit in San Francisco federal court on September 16, 2026, challenging the Trump administration's use of a 235-keyword list (including terms like "gender" and "racist") to block and cancel National Institutes of Health grants. The suit argues the administration is violating the First Amendment by censoring scientific research on topics including health equity and climate change. The administration had canceled thousands of grants in 2025; more than 4,500 have since been restored. The lawsuit seeks to cover all researchers whose grants remain disrupted or who faced delays, denials, or forced renegotiations.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration proposes citizenship question on census and eliminates race/ethnicity data collection — The Trump administration issued a new proposal to add a citizenship question to the U.S. Census questionnaire and bar the Census Bureau from collecting race and ethnicity data despite the nation collecting such demographics since 1790. The citizenship question could exclude millions of people from the census count, affecting congressional apportionment, electoral district mapping, and federal funding allocation to states. The move directly contradicts the 14th Amendment's requirement to count all people living in the United States.

Supporting reports

• DHS deployed 19 USC 1509 administrative summonses to obtain records on journalists, non-profits, and unions without judicial oversight — The Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security has systematically used an obscure customs law (19 USC 1509) to issue administrative summonses demanding records from social media companies and telecommunications providers targeting journalists (Georgia Fort, Don Lemon, Megyn Kelly, Brendan Gutenschwager, Democracy Now), unions (SEIU, Communications Workers of America), and left-leaning non-profits (Sunrise Movement, Voices for Racial Justice). The summonses bypass judicial review required for search warrants and include secrecy directives. Fort's six-month phone records from T-Mobile and YouTube account information were obtained after a federal judge had twice rejected similar warrant requests in February 2026, citing lack of probable cause.
• Trump administration uses customs law to obtain journalist records without judicial oversight — The Trump administration deployed an obscure legal maneuver to obtain private information on journalists, non-profits, and unions without judicial oversight. The Department of Homeland Security served Google with an administrative summons citing 19 USC 1509, a customs statute, to obtain YouTube account information for journalist Georgia Fort and Don Lemon. The summons bypassed judicial review required for search warrants, which a judge had twice rejected for lacking probable cause. DHS officials used the customs provision—designed to investigate import duties and taxes—to investigate a domestic protest at a Minneapolis church that the journalists were covering.

Supporting reports

• State Department cancels visas of parents seeking birthright citizenship for children — A US embassy in North Africa canceled more than 100 visas held by parents accused of traveling to the US primarily so their children would be born American citizens. The action aligns with Trump's separate executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, which is being challenged in court following a Supreme Court setback.
• Secretary of State designates foreign nationals deportable on foreign policy grounds — Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that a number of foreign nationals are deportable on foreign policy grounds, including a Cuban national linked to an influence campaign tied to Havana, Iranian nationals connected to Tehran's government, and a Kuwaiti national accused of voicing hostility toward the US president. The designations expand grounds for deportation beyond criminal conduct to include alleged foreign ties and political speech.
• State Department cancels 175,000 visas under Trump administration — The US Department of State announced it has revoked more than 175,000 visas since Trump returned to office, quadrupling the pace from Biden's final year. The department cited grounds including alleged visa violations, crimes, calls for violence, fraud, and national security concerns. However, revocations also targeted political speech, including a Turkish doctoral student whose visa was pulled after criticizing her university's Gaza stance, and foreign nationals who commented on a conservative activist's death. The department has not disclosed the categorical breakdown of revocations.
• State Department deports Laotian national despite gubernatorial pardon — Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national, was deported last month despite having been pardoned weeks earlier by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for a 2005 conviction for sexually abusing a child. The case illustrates the State Department's disregard for state-level clemency and its assertion of unilateral deportation authority.
• State Department revokes visa of Turkish student for political speech on Gaza — Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, had her visa revoked after co-writing an opinion piece criticizing the university's stance on the war in Gaza. She was detained by immigration authorities, though a judge later dismissed the case against her. She has since moved back to Turkey. The case exemplifies the State Department's targeting of political speech as grounds for visa cancellation.
• State Department revokes visas of foreign nationals for comments on activist's death — The State Department canceled the visas of multiple foreign nationals who commented on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025, including one who said Kirk had "died too late." The department characterized such speech as incompatible with US national interests and a serious national security concern warranting immediate reconsideration of visa eligibility.
• State Department targets visa applicants based on social media and political views — A March 2025 State Department cable, obtained by the Guardian, ordered consular officers to expand screening of student visa applicants by vetting their social media activity and barring anyone deemed engaged in "terrorist activity"—a category critics interpret as targeting Palestinian-cause supporters. The pattern has continued into 2026, with applicants now required to affirm they have not experienced harm or fear returning home; answering affirmatively or declining to answer sharply increases denial odds, potentially filtering out abuse survivors, threatened journalists, and persecuted minorities.

Supporting reports

• DHS/ICE sought court orders to force-feed at least 10 hunger strikers in immigration detention — Between 2025 and 2026, Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials obtained court orders to subject at least 10 detained immigrants to involuntary medical procedures, including force-feeding via nasogastric tubes, intravenous forced hydration, and involuntary blood draws. Court records show procedures were definitely performed on at least three detainees and probably on two more; five others ended their hunger strikes before procedures began. Cases span facilities in Texas, Florida, Washington, and Arizona. Many detainees lacked legal representation during proceedings.
• ICE force-feeding of detained hunger strikers revealed in at least 10 cases — Since Trump's return to office in January 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has subjected at least 10 detained immigrants to involuntary force-feeding procedures, including an Afghan man force-fed for nearly six months, a Ukrainian man whose force-feeding was stopped by legal intervention, and a Saudi woman who broke her strike under threat of the procedure. ICE obtained emergency court orders, often without the detainee's legal representation, to restrain hunger strikers and insert nasogastric tubes. Medical experts and human rights organizations characterize the practice as torture.
• ICE force-fed at least 10 detained hunger strikers — A Guardian investigation of court records identified at least 10 cases in which ICE sought to subject detained hunger strikers to involuntary medical procedures, with at least three and possibly five individuals force-fed. A Kurdish asylum seeker at Port Isabel Service Processing Center in Texas was force-fed for nearly eight months; another endured six months. The procedure involves guards restraining detainees while medical staff insert a tube through the nose into the stomach and pump liquid nutrition. Human rights organizations classify force-feeding of competent hunger strikers as torture.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration and states urge justices to allow full implementation of executive order on mail-in voting — The Trump administration, along with several states, has petitioned the Supreme Court to permit the complete enforcement of an executive order concerning mail-in voting. This request seeks to implement new restrictions on mail-in voting, which have been contested in lower courts. The administration argues that these measures are necessary to ensure election integrity, while opponents claim they could suppress voter turnout. The Supreme Court's decision on this matter will have significant implications for the upcoming elections and the broader debate over voting rights.
• Trump administration files emergency appeal to restrict mail-in voting — The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to allow the president's March executive order restricting mail-in voting to move forward ahead of November's midterm elections. The move came two days after a federal appeals court upheld a block on the order, writing that allowing it to take effect for the midterms "would sow confusion and threaten disenfranchisement of many eligible voters."
• Trump administration sought Supreme Court review of mail voting restrictions — The Trump administration petitioned the Supreme Court to allow enforcement of Trump's mail voting order, which directs Homeland Security to compile state citizenship lists and requires Postal Service rules limiting mail ballots to voters on those lists. Twenty-three states and Washington, D.C., had successfully challenged the restrictions, and the First Circuit declined to revive them. The petition seeks to overturn lower court decisions blocking the order's implementation.

Supporting reports

• DOJ Submits First-Ever Application to 'Zombie' Alien Terrorist Removal Court — Trump's Justice Department filed an application to the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a decades-old tribunal established in 1996 but never previously used, seeking to expedite deportations of noncitizens deemed "alien terrorists." The court's procedures permit use of secret evidence that targets never see, raising constitutional concerns among legal scholars. The Secretary of State can unilaterally label someone an "alien terrorist" based on intent to engage in activities that "could endanger" U.S. welfare or security.

Supporting reports

• Two US advocacy groups sue Trump administration over ICC investigation restrictions — Two US advocacy groups filed suit against the Trump administration, arguing that Trump's 2025 executive order forced them to halt constitutionally protected work with the ICC's investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza. The lawsuit challenges the executive order's restrictions on cooperation with the international court.
• US advocacy groups sue Trump administration over ICC sanctions as First Amendment violation — Two US advocacy groups—Democracy in the Arab World Now (Dawn) and Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide—filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan alleging that the Trump administration's 2025 sanctions targeting Palestinian rights organizations, ICC officials, and a UN expert violate the First Amendment. The plaintiffs argue the sanctions have created a "profound" chilling effect on protected speech and association, forcing Americans to sever professional relationships and abandon constitutionally protected work on ICC submissions and human rights advocacy. The suit challenges the sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and names Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, Treasury Secretary Bessent, Acting Attorney General Blanche, and OFAC Director Smith as defendants.

Supporting reports

• Khalil v. The Heritage Foundation et al., complaint filed (S.D.N.Y. 1:26-cv-05929) — Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student detained by ICE for 104 days, filed a federal complaint alleging a conspiracy by the Heritage Foundation, its leaders, and Trump administration officials (including Stephen Miller and Marco Rubio) to identify and deport non-citizen pro-Palestinian activists under a coordinated plan called Project Esther. Khalil invokes the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 (42 U.S.C. § 1985(3)) to challenge interference with his rights to free speech, equal protection, and freedom from punitive detention, and alleges an unconstitutional Bill of Attainder. He seeks compensatory and punitive damages, declaratory judgment, and an injunction against continued detention or removal on pretextual grounds.
• Mahmoud Khalil Sues Trump Administration Under KKK Act of 1871 — Mahmoud Khalil, detained by ICE for over 100 days last year and currently challenging a deportation order, sued the Trump administration and pro-Israel groups including Canary Mission, Betar, and the Heritage Foundation under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration conspired with these organizations to "terrorize and make an example of" Khalil to "intimidate and silence the growing movement for Palestinian rights and political freedom."
• Mahmoud Khalil files civil conspiracy lawsuit against Trump officials and pro-Israel groups — Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian rights advocate and permanent US resident, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against Trump administration officials (Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem) and pro-Israel groups (Heritage Foundation, Canary Mission, Betar US), alleging a coordinated conspiracy to target and silence pro-Palestine speech. The suit, brought under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, claims the defendants worked as a "public-private partnership" to identify, arrest, and deport pro-Palestinian activists. Khalil was detained for 104 days in 2025 after his arrest by ICE over his advocacy.

Supporting reports

• Major Jason Watson arrested at Capitol in uniform during protest against administration Iran policy — Major Jason Watson, a 17-year Air Force officer, stood on the Capitol steps in uniform on July 1, 2026, holding a sign reading "Impeach. Convict. Remove," and was arrested. DC criminal charges have been declined for prosecution, but an Air Force investigation remains open covering four articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: contempt toward officials, failure to obey an order, conduct unbecoming an officer, and conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline. Watson is restricted to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and placed under a written gag order prohibiting contact with the press or posting about his case.
• Active-duty Air Force officer publicly called for Trump and Vance impeachment — Active-duty Air Force Major Jason Watson stood on the Capitol steps in uniform holding a sign reading "Impeach Convict Remove" and publicly called for the impeachment, conviction, and removal of Trump and Vice President JD Vance. He is believed to be the first active-duty commissioned officer to do so publicly. The Air Force has opened an investigation that could end his career of more than twenty years; military rules sharply limit political activity in uniform. Watson stated he was willing to pay the price for his constitutional stand.

Supporting reports

• Eight Prairieland detention center protesters sentenced to 30–100 years in prison on terrorism charges — U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor sentenced eight of nine protesters prosecuted following a July 4, 2025, protest against ICE at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, to sentences ranging from thirty to one hundred years in prison. The protesters, some of whom did not know each other and one of whom was not present at the protest, were charged as members of an antifa cell engaged in terrorism. All nine were convicted in March 2026 in what observers characterized as a test of the administration's power to use broad antiterrorism laws against protesters.
• Federal judges sentenced anti-ICE protesters to 30–100 years in prison — Federal judges sentenced a group of anti-ICE protesters convicted for their roles in a 2025 Texas demonstration to prison terms ranging from 30 to 100 years. One person received 30 years despite not being present at the protest. Another received 100 years after conviction for attempted murder and other charges following a police officer being shot and injured. The case marks the first to incorporate Trump's presidential declaration labeling "antifa" as a domestic terrorist organization.
• Anti-ICE Protesters Receive Harsh Sentences — Federal judges sentenced anti-ICE protesters in Texas to prison terms ranging from 30 to 100 years. The sentences are based on their involvement in a 2025 protest and are notably harsher than those given to Jan. 6 insurrectionists. The case is the first to apply Trump's declaration labeling "antifa" as a domestic terrorist organization.
• Eight Texas anti-ICE protesters sentenced to 50–100 years; ninth defendant to 30 years for possessing leftist materials — Eight activists who protested at the Prairieland ICE detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, 2025, were sentenced on June 24, 2026, to between 50 and 100 years in prison on terrorism and other charges. A ninth defendant, Daniel Sanchez-Estrada, received 30 years for moving boxes of leftist zines and materials after a phone call from his imprisoned wife. Federal judges Mark Pittman (Trump appointee) and George W. Bush appointee Reed O'Connor stacked sentences across multiple convictions. First Amendment advocates and legal experts have condemned the sentences as unusually punitive and a chilling attack on protest and ideological expression.
• Nine Texas anti-ICE protesters sentenced to 50–100 years for terrorism charges following Fourth of July 2025 detention center protest — Nine activists were convicted of terrorism charges and sentenced to 50–100 years in prison following a July 4, 2025 protest at the Prairieland immigrant detention center in Alvarado, Texas. The group arrived to conduct a noise demonstration with fireworks; some vandalized property and slashed tires. When police arrived, activist Benjamin Song fired an AR-15, wounding officer Lt. Thomas Gross in the shoulder. Song received 100 years; five others received 50 years; one received 70 years; one received 30 years. The sentences far exceed those given for January 6 Capitol attackers and were widely characterized as a test of the Trump administration's crackdown on dissent.

Supporting reports

• Supreme Court allows Trump administration to end TPS protections for Haitians and Syrians — The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling on Thursday allowing the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians who have lived and worked legally in the U.S. for over a decade. Justice Alito's majority opinion rejected claims that the policy was racially motivated, despite Trump's documented statements calling Haiti a "shithole country" and asserting Haitians were "poisoning the blood" of America. The decision strips legal status from approximately 350,000 Haitians and 4,000 Syrians.
• Supreme Court allowed Trump administration to end TPS for 350,000 people — The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, allowed the Trump administration to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for more than 350,000 people from Syria and Haiti who had fled wars and violence. The six right-wing justices cited procedural reasons, though Trump loyalists interpreted the ruling as endorsement of white nationalist immigration policy.
• SCOTUS barred judicial review of TPS terminations for Haiti and Syria — The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Mullin v. Doe that federal law creating the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program bars courts from reviewing determinations by then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to end TPS designations for Haiti and Syria. The decision removed judicial oversight of executive decisions to strip protected status from foreign nationals.
• Supreme Court Ruling in Mullin v. Doe — On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in the consolidated cases of Mullin v. Doe and Trump v. Miot, reversing lower court decisions and allowing the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrian and Haitian nationals. The decision was made in a 6-3 vote, with Justices Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson dissenting. The majority opinion, written by Justice Alito, stated that the law governing TPS does not permit judicial review of decisions regarding the termination of TPS designations.
• Supreme Court allowed Trump to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians — The Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to remove Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians, requiring them to leave the country or face arrest and deportation once a termination date is set. Justice Samuel Alito concluded that the TPS law authorizes Trump to end the program without court intervention. Justice Kagan dissented, arguing the majority failed to acknowledge Trump's bigoted statements and endorsed racism.
• Supreme Court cleared way to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians — In a 6–3 ideological ruling on Thursday, June 26, the Supreme Court held that the law governing Temporary Protected Status bars judicial review of the Homeland Security secretary's decision to end it. The ruling permits the administration to strip protection from more than 350,000 Haitians and several thousand Syrians who have lived and worked legally in the country for up to a decade. Justice Kagan's dissent noted the president's "repellent and racially inflected" statements about Haitians. Advocates warned the reasoning endangers roughly 1.3 million people covered by TPS designations across more than a dozen countries.
• Supreme Court strips TPS from Haitians and Syrians; allows asylum turnaround policy — The U.S. Supreme Court issued two 6-3 rulings on June 26, 2026, allowing the Trump administration to strip temporary protected status (TPS) from hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians and to implement a policy permitting border officials to turn back asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border without processing claims. The decisions affect over 350,000 TPS holders and countless asylum seekers. Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates condemned the rulings as "disastrous" and a violation of international law and federal refugee protections.
• US Supreme Court allows Trump administration to strip Temporary Protected Status from Haitians and Syrians — The US Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling on June 26, 2026, upholding the Trump administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Haitians and 6,100 Syrians. Justice Samuel Alito's majority opinion held that courts cannot review executive decisions on TPS revocation. The ruling overturned lower court injunctions and leaves hundreds of thousands of legally resident immigrants vulnerable to deportation despite their home countries being designated unsafe by the State Department.
• White House issues fact sheet celebrating Supreme Court TPS termination ruling and listing 60 immigration enforcement actions — The White House issued a fact sheet on June 26, 2026, announcing that the Supreme Court had upheld the Trump Administration's authority to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants. The document frames this as a victory for "American sovereignty" and lists 60 actions taken as part of what it characterizes as the "largest and most aggressive immigration enforcement effort in American history," including expanded ICE workforce, accelerated deportations, border wall construction, visa restrictions, and denaturalization efforts.

Supporting reports

• Federal jury convicts three ICE protesters, including army veteran, on felony conspiracy charges — A federal jury in Spokane, Washington, found three protesters—including US Army Sergeant Bajun Mavalwalla—guilty of felony conspiracy charges for their participation in a June 2025 protest against ICE. The defendants face up to six years in prison and $250,000 fines. Legal experts and local officials have characterized the prosecution as a serious escalation in attacks on First Amendment rights. The acting US attorney for eastern Washington resigned rather than sign the indictment, citing lack of injury to officers or protesters.

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• State Department revokes green cards of three Iranian nationals and arrests family members — The US State Department revoked the green card status of three Iranian nationals—Seyed Eissa Hashemi (whose mother was a 1979 hostage crisis spokesperson), Hamideh Soleimani Afshar (niece of assassinated general Qasem Soleimani), and Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani (daughter of former security council secretary Ali Larijani)—and federal agents arrested them. The department cited family ties to Iranian regime figures and military officials as grounds for termination of legal permanent resident status.

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• Trump administration argues before Supreme Court to overturn birthright citizenship via executive order — The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday regarding Trump's February 2025 executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship by reinterpreting the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause. Solicitor General John Sauer argued that "domicile" (permanent residence) should be required for citizenship, excluding children born to undocumented or temporarily present parents. A majority of justices appeared skeptical of the government's position. The case challenges 125+ years of precedent established in United States v. Wong Kim Ark. A decision is expected in summer 2026.
• Trump’s Executive Order on Citizenship — On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which asserts that individuals born in the U.S. are not citizens if their parents do not have legal permanent status. This order contradicts the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of birthright citizenship.
• ACLU Represents Families Against Trump’s Order — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is representing three families in a lawsuit against the Trump administration's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship. The case, Trump v. Barbara, includes an asylum applicant from Honduras whose child is due after the order's implementation.
• President Trump Attends Supreme Court Oral Arguments — On April 1, 2026, President Donald J. Trump attended oral arguments at the United States Supreme Court for the case Trump v. Barbara, which seeks to end birthright citizenship as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. This marked the first time a sitting president has attended such proceedings. The case stems from Trump's executive order issued on January 20, 2025, which declared that individuals born in the U.S. are not citizens if their parents lack legal permanent status. The ACLU represents families challenging this order.

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• Trump administration executive order restricting mail-in voting challenged in federal court — A coalition of civil rights groups filed a lawsuit in federal court in Massachusetts on Thursday challenging an executive order Trump signed on Tuesday that restricts mail-in voting. The order instructs the federal government to create a list of eligible voters in each state and directs the US Postal Service to transmit mail-in ballots only to people on that list. The plaintiffs argue the order violates the Constitution's separation of powers, Article I Section 4 (state control of elections), the Voting Rights Act, and the Privacy Act. This is Trump's second attempt to unilaterally alter voting procedures; a previous order was largely blocked by a federal judge last year.
• Senate Democrats and election officials condemned Trump's mail-in voting order — Senate Rules Committee top Democrat Alex Padilla (D-CA) called Trump's mail-in voting executive order a "blatant, unconstitutional abuse of power," stating Trump has "no authority to commandeer federal elections or direct the Postal Service to undermine mail and absentee voting." Representative Joe Morelle (D-NY), top-ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee, said the order is "illegal, dangerous and subversive" and that "Donald Trump fears the American people and is willing to violate the Constitution to stop them from voting." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) posted "See you in court. You will lose." Election law expert David Becker told Democracy Docket that "This is unconstitutional on its face. The Constitution clearly gives the president no power over elections."
• Trump issues executive order restricting mail-in voting — On Tuesday, April 2, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order directing the US Postal Service to restrict mail-in and absentee ballot distribution to individuals on a pre-approved list of eligible citizens. The order tasked the Department of Homeland Security with creating the list using federal citizenship records, defining eligibility by age 18+ and US citizenship. States and localities refusing compliance face loss of federal funding and investigations. The order prompted immediate legal challenges.

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• Peter Ticktin promotes draft emergency executive order to overhaul voting rules and restrict voting access — Peter Ticktin, an 80-year-old Florida lawyer with ties to Trump, has been actively promoting a draft executive order that would fundamentally alter U.S. voting procedures. The 17-page draft, dated April 2025, proposes requiring voter re-registration with proof of citizenship, ending machine and mail-in voting, mandating hand-counting of all ballots by midnight on election day, and other restrictive measures. Ticktin claims to have emailed Trump urging action on the order and states he is in contact with other Trump administration officials, though he declines to name them. Election experts warn the proposals are legally dubious, infeasible, and would sharply restrict voting rights and turnout.
• Trump requests congressional ban on state-issued driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants — At the State of the Union address, President Trump asked lawmakers to ban states from granting new driving licenses to immigrants in the country illegally. This legislative request seeks to expand federal restrictions beyond commercial licenses to all state-issued driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, further limiting mobility and work capacity.

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• Peter Ticktin promotes draft emergency executive order to overhaul voting rules and restrict voting access — Peter Ticktin, an 80-year-old Florida lawyer with ties to Trump, has been actively promoting a draft executive order that would fundamentally alter U.S. voting procedures. The 17-page draft, dated April 2025, proposes requiring voter re-registration with proof of citizenship, ending machine and mail-in voting, mandating hand-counting of all ballots by midnight on election day, and other restrictive measures. Ticktin claims to have emailed Trump urging action on the order and states he is in contact with other Trump administration officials, though he declines to name them. Election experts warn the proposals are legally dubious, infeasible, and would sharply restrict voting rights and turnout.

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• Trump suggests Democratic lawmakers' criticism of military orders is seditious and punishable by death — Trump suggested that Democratic lawmakers' comments questioning unlawful military orders constitute "seditious behavior, punishable by death." Ninety-three percent of surveyed scholars rated this statement as a threat to democracy, viewing it as an attempt to criminalize political speech and dissent.

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• Trump demands SAVE America Act as condition for DHS funding — Trump posted on Sunday that he would not agree to any DHS funding proposal unless Democrats also supported the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship in addition to ID, end mail-in voting, and attack transgender rights. The act is characterized as a voter suppression measure; voting by undocumented immigrants is already virtually nonexistent and illegal, and mail fraud occurs in only approximately 0.000043% of mail-in ballots. Republicans plan to use budget reconciliation to pass the measure without Democratic support, potentially removing more than 21 million Americans from voter rolls.
• Trump signed executive order imposing proof-of-citizenship voting requirement — On March 25, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" instructing the Election Assistance Commission to add a proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form and requiring the Secretary of Defense to impose the same requirement on military and overseas voter forms. The order lists passport, military ID, or government-issued ID indicating citizenship as valid proof, effectively requiring most people to use a passport—which only about half of Americans possess. The order also directs the Attorney General to challenge states that count mail-in ballots received after Election Day and instructs federal agencies to review state voter rolls for fraud.
• Trump Advocates for the SAVE America Act — Trump publicly supported the SAVE America Act, which aims to impose stricter voting requirements, including proof of citizenship and the elimination of mail-in voting. This act is seen as a voter suppression measure, despite the low incidence of mail-in voting fraud.
• Trump Demands Changes to DHS Funding Negotiations — Trump pressured Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to pass legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without Democratic support, while also insisting on the inclusion of the SAVE America Act, which would impose stricter voting requirements and limit mail-in voting.
• Trump demanded Senate add SAVE America Act to DHS funding — On Sunday, March 27, President Trump demanded that the Senate add the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act to the DHS funding measure. The act would require proof of citizenship to register and vote, severely restrict mail-in voting, and require states to surrender voting lists to a federal database (the SAVE system) used to screen for noncitizens. The Brennan Center estimated the act would remove at least 21 million Americans from voting rolls, with the SAVE database showing false-positive rates as high as 14%.

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• Conspiracy charges filed against anti-ICE protesters in multiple jurisdictions — Following the Spokane protest, federal prosecutors filed conspiracy charges against demonstrators in Chicago and investigated Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for the same alleged crime. Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were also charged with conspiracy to violate religious freedom stemming from coverage of a protest inside a Minnesota church. Both journalists have pleaded not guilty and await trial. Governor Walz condemned the probe as an "authoritarian tactic."

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• Kash Patel admits FBI purchasing location data on Americans without warrants — FBI Director Kash Patel testified under oath before the Senate Intelligence Committee that the FBI purchases commercially available location data on Americans, stating it is "consistent with the constitution and the laws under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act." Senator Ron Wyden challenged this practice as an unconstitutional end-run around the Fourth Amendment, noting that law enforcement must obtain warrants to get location data directly from telecom companies but can circumvent this by buying from private data brokers. Wyden called for passage of the bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act to close the data broker loophole.
• FBI Director Kash Patel admits agency buys Americans' location data — During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on March 18, FBI Director Kash Patel admitted under oath that the FBI purchases Americans' location data. The admission drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), who called the practice "a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment" and called for passage of the Government Surveillance Reform Act to close the data broker loophole allowing intelligence agencies to purchase private data.
• FBI Director Patel admits FBI purchases location data on Americans — During Senate Intelligence Committee testimony on March 19, FBI Director Kash Patel admitted that under Trump, the government has been buying location data derived from internet advertising on Americans from private companies. When asked by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) if the FBI would commit to stopping this practice, Patel stated: "We do purchase commercially available information that's consistent with the Constitution and the laws under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and it has led to some valuable intelligence for us." This represents a reversal from 2023, when FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that the FBI did not buy such information.