Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Arrest of John Caravello, CSU Channel Islands professor, on assault charges during ICE raid protest — John Caravello, a math and philosophy professor at California State University Channel Islands and immigrant rights advocate, was arrested and charged with assaulting a federal officer and throwing a teargas canister at ICE agents during the Glass House farm raid. Witnesses, including immigrant rights organizer Genevieve Flores-Haro, dispute the police account, stating they saw only ICE agents and National Guard deploying teargas, and that Caravello appeared to be assisting a demonstrator in a wheelchair. Caravello was released on a $15,000 bond and is scheduled for arraignment on August 1, 2025.

Supporting reports

• Department of Justice requests inmate data from California county jails — The Department of Justice announced it has issued data requests to sheriffs in multiple major California counties—including Los Angeles and San Francisco—seeking lists of all non-citizen inmates, their crimes, and release dates. The department stated the requests are designed to assist federal immigration authorities in prioritizing removal of immigrants convicted of crimes. DOJ indicated it will pursue subpoenas or compulsory process if sheriffs do not voluntarily comply.

Supporting reports

• Guardian publishes explainer on 3.5% protest rule and anti-Trump resistance movements — The Guardian publishes an explainer article examining the "3.5% protest rule," a figure derived from political scientists Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan's research on civil resistance campaigns from 1900–2006. The article explains that sustained participation by 3.5% of a population in non-violent resistance can topple regimes, notes how this figure has been adopted by anti-Trump activists as a rallying cry, and discusses limitations of applying the rule to the current US context, where institutions are backsliding rather than fully authoritarian.
• Nationwide protests organized to honor John Lewis and oppose Trump administration policies — On July 17, 2025, organizers coordinated a "Good Trouble Lives On" day of action across more than 1,500 sites nationwide to protest the Trump administration while honoring the legacy of Representative John Lewis, who died five years prior. Participants gathered at streets, courthouses, and community spaces to advance Lewis's causes of voting rights, justice, and dignity. The protests occurred as public attention focused on the release of Epstein files.

Supporting reports

• White man shoots at Black man in racist attack; victim calls for state hate crime law — Jarvis McKenzie, a Black man in South Carolina, was shot at by white man Jonathan Felkel on July 17 while waiting to go to work. Felkel fired a rifle over McKenzie's head and shouted a racial slur. Police arrested Felkel, who admitted to firing because of McKenzie's race. Felkel was charged under Richland County's hate crime ordinance (the first such arrest), plus assault and battery and weapons charges. McKenzie is now calling for South Carolina to enact a statewide hate crime law; the state currently lacks one, as does Wyoming.

Supporting reports

• Class-action lawsuit filed against Trump administration for arrests at immigration courts — Twelve immigrants and advocacy groups filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court (D.C.) on July 16, 2025, alleging that the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security coordinated to arrest and deport people attending immigration hearings. The plaintiffs claim the administration stripped due-process rights under immigration law and the Fifth Amendment, placing detainees in expedited removal without hearings. The suit challenges ICE and immigration court guidance as arbitrary and capricious, seeking to vacate those directives.
• Immigrants and advocates sue DHS over courthouse arrests — A group of immigrants and legal advocates sued the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, and ICE as part of a class-action lawsuit arguing that the arrests of thousands of people at courthouses violate immigration law and the Constitution. The lawsuit challenges the practice of arresting immigrants at courthouses where they appear for legal proceedings.
• Federal immigration enforcement conducts mass courthouse detentions at Manhattan federal building — On 16 July 2025, federal immigration agents conducted multiple detentions at the Jacob K Javits federal building in Manhattan, apprehending individuals both during and immediately after immigration hearings. The Guardian documented detentions of at least five people, including a father separated from his family and individuals granted follow-up hearings. Agents held detainees in stairwells and the building's 10th floor. The practice reflects the Trump administration's stated goal of arresting 3,000 people daily and has prompted a class-action lawsuit challenging courthouse arrest tactics.

Supporting reports

• Federal immigration enforcement conducts mass courthouse detentions at Manhattan federal building — On 16 July 2025, federal immigration agents conducted multiple detentions at the Jacob K Javits federal building in Manhattan, apprehending individuals both during and immediately after immigration hearings. The Guardian documented detentions of at least five people, including a father separated from his family and individuals granted follow-up hearings. Agents held detainees in stairwells and the building's 10th floor. The practice reflects the Trump administration's stated goal of arresting 3,000 people daily and has prompted a class-action lawsuit challenging courthouse arrest tactics.

Supporting reports

• Afghan SIV translator detained by ICE despite legal entry and green card processing — Zia S, a 35-year-old Afghan wartime translator who legally entered the US in October 2024 with an approved special immigrant visa (SIV) and humanitarian parole, was arrested by masked ICE agents on July 16, 2025, during a routine biometrics appointment for his green card in East Hartford, Connecticut. He was transported to a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A judge issued a temporary stay preventing his removal, but he remains detained. DHS claims he is under investigation for an unspecified "serious criminal allegation," which his attorney denies. He is the third known Afghan ally to be seized by ICE since Trump returned to power.

Supporting reports

• DOJ recommends one-day sentence for Brett Hankison in Breonna Taylor civil rights case — The U.S. Department of Justice filed a sentencing memorandum recommending a one-day jail sentence and three years of supervised release for Brett Hankison, a former Louisville police officer convicted in November 2024 of violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights. Hankison fired into Taylor's bedroom during a March 2020 narcotics raid on the wrong home; his bullets struck the neighboring apartment but hit no one. The DOJ argued no prison sentence was necessary despite Hankison facing a maximum of life imprisonment, citing his clean record and psychological stress from trials. Hankison is scheduled for sentencing on Monday (July 21, 2025).
• Assistant Attorney General Dhillon requests minimal sentence for Brett Hankison — Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Unit Harmeet Dhillon, a Trump loyalist, asked a federal judge to sentence Brett Hankison, the former police officer convicted of depriving Breonna Taylor of her civil rights, to a single day in jail—time he has already served. Hankison was convicted in 2024 of firing several shots into Taylor's home through a covered window and glass door during a botched police raid in 2020, though his bullets did not kill her.

Supporting reports

• Afghanistan war veteran charged with felony conspiracy after ICE protest — Bajun Mavalwalla II, a former Army sergeant and Afghanistan war veteran, was arrested and charged with felony "conspiracy to impede or injure officers" in July 2025, more than a month after participating in an anti-ICE protest in Spokane, Washington. The protest, called by city council president Ben Stuckart to block the transport of two Venezuelan immigrants, turned confrontational with property damage. Mavalwalla maintains his innocence and is preparing for jury trial while others arrested the same day have struck plea agreements. Legal experts and veterans' groups have characterized the charges as an escalation in attacks on First Amendment rights.
• FBI arrest of veteran Bajun Mavalwalla II on federal conspiracy charges following ICE protest — Bajun Mavalwalla II, a 35-year-old former US Army sergeant and advocate for Afghan refugees, was arrested by the FBI on July 15, 2025, more than a month after participating in a June 11 protest against ICE in Spokane, Washington. He faces federal conspiracy charges for allegedly agreeing with others to impede or injure a federal officer, despite not being charged with obstruction or assault. He pleaded not guilty and faces up to six years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years supervised release. Veterans and civil rights groups have condemned the arrest as criminalizing peaceful dissent.
• FBI arrests US Army veteran Bajun Mavalwalla II for conspiracy charges related to ICE protest — Bajun Mavalwalla II, a 35-year-old former Army sergeant and Afghanistan war veteran, was arrested by the FBI on July 15, 2025, and charged with "conspiracy to impede or injure officers" for participating in a June 11 protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Spokane, Washington. Though he was not among those arrested at the scene and was not charged with assault or obstruction, prosecutors allege he physically blocked a driveway and pushed against officers. Legal experts characterize the conspiracy charge as an escalation in prosecuting First Amendment protest activity and note the broad prosecutorial discretion it affords.

Supporting reports

• DHS agents testify about unusual arrest orders for pro-Palestinian students — During a court hearing, DHS agents who executed arrests of pro-Palestinian international students and academics testified that the orders they received were highly unusual. One agent said he contacted a department lawyer after receiving a request to arrest Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk to confirm it was legal, noting he "didn't see anything in the op-ed [she wrote] that suggested she'd committed a crime." Another agent involved in the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil said his office was directed to surveil him and "establish a pattern of life" for his capture.

Supporting reports

• House hearing on campus antisemitism featuring UC Berkeley, Georgetown, and CUNY leaders — The House of Representatives held its ninth antisemitism hearing since October 2023, questioning the leaders of UC Berkeley, Georgetown University, and the City University of New York about campus antisemitism, faculty hiring practices, diversity initiatives, and foreign funding. University leaders condemned antisemitism and described institutional measures taken. Democratic lawmakers criticized the hearing as "political theatre," noting the Trump administration's closure of civil rights enforcement offices and arguing the focus deflected from broader discrimination issues affecting other student groups.
• House Republicans hold hearing on campus antisemitism at UC Berkeley, CUNY, Georgetown — The House Republican-led committee held its ninth hearing on antisemitism in higher education, questioning the chancellors of UC Berkeley, CUNY, and Georgetown University. University leaders defended their institutions' responses to antisemitism allegations and emphasized their commitment to free speech protections. Republicans pressed the leaders on faculty discipline and foreign funding, while Democrats criticized the hearing as political theater and noted the dismantling of the Education Department's civil rights investigation capacity. The hearing was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Supporting reports

• Palestinian American beaten to death by Israeli settlers in West Bank — Sayfollah 'Saif' Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian American ice-cream shop owner from Tampa Bay, Florida, was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on his family's farm in Baten al-Hawa, West Bank, on an unspecified date in summer 2025. Witnesses report settlers attacked him with clubs and bats after a confrontation over land; ambulances were blocked by Israeli forces for three hours. A second young man, Razek Hussein al-Shalabi, 23, was shot and killed in the same attack. The Israeli military claimed stones were thrown first and said it was investigating.
• Family of US citizen killed by Israeli settlers calls on Trump administration for prosecution — Relatives of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old US citizen from Tampa beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, held a press conference in Florida calling on the Trump administration to arrest and prosecute those responsible. The family criticized US government indifference to the killing. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee subsequently posted on X acknowledging Musallet's death and stating Israel must investigate, but no formal prosecution action has been announced.

Supporting reports

• Democratic state lawmakers denied access to detention facility despite statutory right — Democratic Florida state lawmakers filed a lawsuit Thursday after being denied entry to the "Alligator Alcatraz" facility despite their statutory right under Florida law to make unannounced visits to state and local detention facilities. State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith noted that Trump and Fox News were granted access 48 hours earlier for a promotional visit. Florida emergency management officials claimed lawmakers had no entitlement to visit because they were acting as individuals, not a legislative committee, and the facility was not under corrections department jurisdiction.

Supporting reports

• Environmental lawsuit filed to halt "Alligator Alcatraz" operations — The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. Southern District Court seeking a restraining order against the detention facility. The lawsuit names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE acting director Todd Lyons, and Florida emergency management director Kevin Guthrie as defendants. Environmental groups cite irreparable damage to fragile wildlife habitat from new paved roads and light pollution visible 15 miles away. Construction and operation activities continue despite the pending case.

Supporting reports

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services granted ICE access to Medicaid records — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security enabling Immigration and Customs Enforcement to access Medicaid recipients' personal data, including name, ethnicity, race, birthdate, home address, and social security number. The agreement was signed on Monday, July 14, 2025. Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for Medicaid but may use it for emergency lifesaving services. Senator Adam Schiff warned the data transfer would harm families and discourage people from seeking healthcare.
• DHS and CMS establish data-sharing agreement granting ICE access to Medicaid database — The Department of Homeland Security and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services entered into a data-sharing agreement permitting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to access Medicaid records containing personal information—home addresses, Social Security numbers, ethnicities—of 79 million beneficiaries to locate undocumented immigrants. Trump administration officials overrode career civil servants' warnings that the arrangement violated federal statutes. The administration justified the agreement as preventing fraud and waste, though critics warn it will deter vulnerable populations from seeking medical care.

Supporting reports

• ICE Director Todd Lyons issued memo authorizing deportations to third countries with minimal notice — ICE Director Todd Lyons issued a memo to immigration officials authorizing deportation of immigrants to third countries they are not from, with as little as 6 hours' notice and no guarantees of safety from persecution or torture. In cases where receiving countries have not provided "diplomatic assurances" of safety, ICE must give 24 hours' notice. If a country has offered assurances deemed credible by the State Department, deportation may proceed with no notice at all.
• DHS announces deportation of immigrants to Eswatini — On Twitter, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin announced that the Trump administration deported five immigrants to the small landlocked African country of Eswatini, a nation none of them have ties to. The deportation to a country with no connection to the deportees raises humanitarian and due-process concerns.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration appeals racial profiling ruling — The Trump administration filed an appeal to overturn a federal judge's ruling that blocks the Department of Homeland Security from arresting people based on factors related to racial profiling, such as race, accent, and type of work. The ruling applies only to Los Angeles and surrounding areas and was issued following discriminatory ICE raids in California.

Supporting reports

• DOJ announces guidance limiting multilingual services — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced new Justice Department guidance to limit "non-essential multilingual services [and] redirect resources toward English-language education and assimilation" in an effort to comply with Trump's executive order designating English as the official language of the US.

Supporting reports

• DOJ drops charges against Utah doctor Michael Kirk Moore for vaccine fraud and saline substitution — US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the dismissal of charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore, a Utah physician accused of destroying over $28,000 in government Covid-19 vaccines and administering saline injections to children instead. Moore had been indicted in 2023 on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, distributing 1,937 fraudulent vaccination cards, and converting government property. Bondi stated Moore "gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so." The dismissal reflects the Trump administration's embrace of vaccine skeptics and represents a reversal of Biden-era prosecution.
• AG Pam Bondi dismissed charges against Michael Kirk Moore mid-trial — Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed charges against Michael Kirk Moore, a MAGA favorite who had been charged with discarding hundreds of COVID vaccines and distributing 2,000 fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards in exchange for cash or donations. Moore had administered saline shots to children, deceiving them into believing they were receiving the vaccine. Bondi's dismissal occurred mid-trial in an apparent attempt to divert attention from the Epstein files controversy.

Supporting reports

• Hundreds of detainees without criminal charges held at "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration facility in Florida Everglades — The Trump administration's "Alligator Alcatraz" detention facility in Ochopee, Florida holds hundreds of immigrants with no criminal records or charges, according to disclosures following a Democratic lawmakers' visit on Saturday. The Miami Herald obtained a list of 700 detainees showing at least 250 had committed only civil immigration violations. Authorities refused to release the full detainee list. Conditions include three exposed toilets per 32-person cage, inadequate water access, and excessive heat. Federal agencies claim the facility is state-run, contradicting public statements by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Trump about federal funding.
• Detained immigrants at "Alligator Alcatraz" reported inhumane conditions — CBS News reported that immigrants who are detained at the new facility dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" in the Florida Everglades have said conditions there are inhumane, including only being served one meal a day that had maggots in it, no water to take a shower, and a lack of access to healthcare.
• Rep. Wasserman Schultz documents inhumane conditions at immigration detention facility — Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz conducted an oversight tour of "Alligator Alcatraz," a new immigration detention facility, and reported that detainees are "living in cages" with 32 people per cage and only three toilets per cage. She noted that the sink is attached to the toilet unit, forcing detainees to obtain drinking water and brush teeth where they defecate.
• Miami Herald reports 250+ detainees at Alligator Alcatraz have no criminal record — The Miami Herald reported that more than 250 people detained at "Alligator Alcatraz" have no criminal record, contradicting official claims that the facility would be reserved for the "worst of the worst." The finding suggests the facility is being used to detain individuals without serious criminal histories.

Supporting reports

• Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara remains in ICE custody despite bond order — AP reported that Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara is still in ICE custody despite a judge ordering his release on bond last week. Guevara, who was arrested last month while covering the "No Kings" protest, continues to face deportation proceedings.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration detaining immigrants from 26 countries at Guantanamo Bay — CBS News reported that the Trump administration is currently detaining dozens of immigrants from 26 countries and six continents at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, including immigrants from Brazil, China, India, Kenya, Russia, the UK, and Vietnam.