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Trait: Surveillance of ordinary citizens increases; elite crimes remain opaque ×
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Category 5
Attack target 35
Rule of Law 43Immigrants & Refugees 35The Information Environment 33The Justice Department 27Truth 27The Civil Service 13Transparency 12Elections 7Public Service 6Separation of Powers 5Congress 4Law Enforcement 4Minorities 4Privacy 4The Constitution 4Education 3Public Health 3The Press 3Workers 3Dissent & Protest 2Inspectors General & Watchdogs 2Public Norms & Decency 2The Courts 2The Intelligence Community 2Voting Rights 2Children 1Diplomacy 1Global Democracy 1LGBTQ People 1Low-Income Americans 1Peaceful Transfer of Power 1Religious Freedom 1The Military 1The Presidency 1Whistleblowers 1
Tier 1 carried by a primary record
Corroborated 2+ independent news desks
Every result is verified and democracy-related.
Open an event to see its evidence. Attack and trait tags link to their definitions
Apr 23, 2025 Plaintiffs in Centro de Trabajadores Unidos v. Bessent supplemented their injunction request over a finalized taxpayer-data sharing agreement. Tier 1 · Primary Institutions and Governance
The filing asked courts to review a new executive data-sharing arrangement with implications for privacy and administrative limits.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reports
- Preliminary injunction ruling — Centro de Trabajadores Unidos v. Bessent (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00677 — Plaintiffs filed a supplemental memorandum in support of their motion for a preliminary injunction in which they proposed a revised preliminary injunction order in light of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) finalized
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 14 – 2025-04-19–2025-04-25
wk14_IG_082
Apr 22, 2025 Gerald Connolly requested investigations into DOGE's data practices and possible exfiltration of personal information. Corroborated Institutions and Governance
The request was a congressional oversight effort aimed at checking executive data handling and enforcing privacy rules.
Independently corroborated by2 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Congressional oversight requested into DOGE's data practices — Gerald Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, requested investigations into the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) data practices, specifically regarding any
- Congressional oversight requested regarding DOGE's data practices — Gerald Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, requested investigations into the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) data practices, specifically regarding the
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 14 – 2025-04-19–2025-04-25
wk14_IG_052
Apr 10, 2025 Courts and litigants in multiple federal cases advanced challenges involving deportation, records, education, immigration, and agency control Tier 1 · Primary Institutions and Governance
The filings and rulings showed courts continuing to mediate conflicts over executive power across many policy areas.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Lawyers file petition to US Supreme Court to stop execution by firing squad — Lawyers for Mikal Mahdi, a South Carolina death row inmate, have filed a petition to the US Supreme Court to halt his execution by firing squad.
- Case update — Abrego Garcia v. Noem (D. Md.) 8:25-cv-00951 — On the evening of April 10 the Supreme Court, in a per curiam opinion without any dissent, upheld the district court order in large part.
- Case update — American Oversight v. Hegseth (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00883 — Following a hearing, the court ordered the Defendants to provide supplemental declarations to address “specific clarifications” missing from the first round of declarations.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 12 – 2025-04-05–2025-04-11
wk12_IG_039
Apr 1, 2025 The Trump administration deported Venezuelans to El Salvador based on tattoos, clothing, and other disputed gang indicators Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
The deportations relied on thin markers of identity and raised concerns about arbitrary punishment without meaningful process.
Independently corroborated by5 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- US deports Venezuelan makeup artist to El Salvador prison for tattoos — Andry José Hernández Romero, a Venezuelan makeup artist, was deported from the US to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador.
- Deportation of Venezuelans based on tattoos and clothing — Several Venezuelan individuals have been deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration based on tattoos and clothing deemed indicative of gang membership.
- Trump administration uses tattoos as evidence for gang membership — An internal Trump administration document, revealed in a federal court case, claims that tattoos such as the Michael Jordan "Jumpman" logo and wearing high-end urban streetwear are indicators of membership in the
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 11 – 2025-03-29–2025-04-04
wk11_CR_012
Mar 27, 2025 President Trump refused to fire officials involved in the Signal military chat leak Tier 1 · Primary Power and Authority
The decision signaled tolerance for serious security failures at the top of the executive branch.
Independently corroborated by4 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump refuses to fire officials involved in Signal chat leak — President Donald Trump has decided not to fire National Security Adviser Mike Waltz or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth despite their involvement in a Signal group chat leak that included sensitive military plans.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 10 – 2025-03-22–2025-03-28
wk10_PA_023
Mar 27, 2025 President Trump and senior administration officials planned Yemen military strikes on Signal and defended the practice after disclosure Corroborated Power and Authority
Using an unsecured channel for military planning showed executive disregard for security and records safeguards.
Independently corroborated by6 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Administration Officials Planned Military Strikes on Yemen via Unsecure Messaging App — Senior members of President Trump's administration, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, planned military strikes on Yemen using the unsecure messaging app Signal.
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 10 – 2025-03-22–2025-03-28
wk10_PA_024
Mar 25, 2025 The Trump administration invoked state secrets privilege in J.G.G. v. Trump Tier 1 · Primary Institutions and Governance
The filing sought to narrow what courts could examine about contested deportation operations.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reports
- Case update — J.G.G. v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00766 — Defendants filed a notice invoking the state-secrets privilege in response to the March 18 minute order.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 10 – 2025-03-22–2025-03-28
wk10_IG_025
Mar 22, 2025 The IRS and ICE moved toward sharing confidential taxpayer data to locate undocumented immigrants Tier 1 · Primary Economic Structure
Using tax records for immigration enforcement risked deterring compliance and repurposed a public system for coercive surveillance.
Independently corroborated by2 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- IRS Reportedly Close to Agreement with ICE to Use Tax Data — The Washington Post reported that the IRS is nearing an agreement with ICE to utilize confidential tax data to locate undocumented immigrants.
- IRS Allows ICE Access to Migrant Tax Data — The Washington Post reported that the IRS will allow ICE to use tax data to confirm the names and addresses of migrants for the first time.
- IRS nears deal with ICE to share data of undocumented immigrants — The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reportedly close to finalizing a deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to share tax data of undocumented immigrants.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 10 – 2025-03-22–2025-03-28
wk10_ES_003
Mar 22, 2025 Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander clarified and enforced a restraining order blocking DOGE access to Social Security personal data Tier 1 · Primary Institutions and Governance
The rulings checked executive access to sensitive records and reinforced judicial oversight of agency data practices.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reports
- Judge clarifies order regarding SSA and DOGE — Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander clarified her earlier order regarding the Social Security Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency, stating that only employees directly involved with DOGE are subject to
- Judge issues restraining order against Department of Government Efficiency — U.S.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 10 – 2025-03-22–2025-03-28
wk10_IG_002
Mar 19, 2025 President Trump signed an order granting DOGE broad access to unclassified federal records, data, and software systems Tier 1 · Primary Power and Authority
The order expanded executive reach into agency information systems and raised new privacy and oversight concerns.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump Signs Order Granting DOGE Access to Federal Records — President Trump signed an executive order granting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to unclassified federal agency records, data, and software systems.
- Executive Order to Eliminate Information Silos — On March 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at eliminating information silos within federal agencies to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 9 – 2025-03-15–2025-03-21
wk09_PA_018
Mar 17, 2025 Immigration officials detained or targeted additional students, researchers, and advocates tied to pro-Palestinian speech Corroborated Civil Rights and Dissent
The pattern suggested immigration powers were being used to police political expression and create fear in academic communities.
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Immigration Agents Detain Georgetown Researcher — Masked immigration agents detained Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University researcher, after revoking his student visa.
- Arrest of Leqaa Kordia by Immigration Agents — On March 13, 2025, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian student from the West Bank, was arrested by immigration agents in Newark after her student visa was deemed expired.
- Revocation of Student Visa and Self-Deportation of Ranjani Srinivasan — On March 11, 2025, Ranjani Srinivasan, a Columbia PhD student from India, self-deported after her student visa was revoked by the Department of Homeland Security.
Traits
Citizenship is stratified by wealth, ideology, and heritageDissent is reframed as disorder, treason, or terrorismDissenters are labeled unpatriotic, subversive, or corruptLaw is a weapon of the state, not a limit on its powerPolice and military are aligned with elite preservation, not public defenseSurveillance of ordinary citizens increases; elite crimes remain opaqueUniversities are pressured to suppress dissent or lose funding
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 9 – 2025-03-15–2025-03-21
wk09_CR_005
Mar 6, 2025 The Trump administration delayed release of an Epstein-related report Corroborated Information, Memory and Manipulation
The delay limited public access to politically sensitive information and raised questions about selective transparency.
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump administration delays release of Epstein report
Attacks
Verified: Corroborated — 2+ independent news desks
Week 7 – 2025-03-01–2025-03-07
wk07_IM_008
Feb 19, 2025 Workers at the General Services Administration resigned in protest over DOGE requests for access to Notify.gov data Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
The resignations were a form of internal dissent against expanded state access to personal data and weak privacy safeguards.
Independently corroborated by3 independent news desks
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Resignations at the General Services Administration over DOGE's data access requests — Workers at the General Services Administration resigned in protest after a request from a Musk ally for access to sensitive information from the Notify[DOT]gov system, which could allow unilateral access to personal
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 5 – 2025-02-15–2025-02-21
wk05_CR_018
Feb 19, 2025 Reports on DOGE showed that claimed savings figures were inaccurate or exaggerated Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
The discrepancies undermined public accountability by showing that headline claims about government waste were not reliably supported.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Claims of cost-saving measures by DOGE found to be inaccurate — Reports revealed that claims made by DOGE regarding $16 billion in canceled contracts were inaccurate, with one contract valued at $8 billion actually being closer to $8 million.
- Trump administration's claims of government waste questioned — The Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency have claimed to be eliminating "massive waste, fraud, and abuse" in government spending.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 5 – 2025-02-15–2025-02-21
wk05_IM_014
Feb 19, 2025 DOGE tried to access Social Security and IRS databases containing personal information Tier 1 · Primary Information, Memory and Manipulation
The effort threatened privacy and expanded the reach of politically connected actors into sensitive state information systems.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reports
- DOGE attempts to access Social Security Administration databases — DOGE has been reported to be trying to gain access to sensitive databases from the Social Security Administration, which contain personal information about individuals, including income and medical records.
- DOGE seeks access to taxpayer data from the IRS — Reports indicate that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is attempting to gain access to sensitive taxpayer data from the IRS, including the Integrated Data Retrieval System.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 5 – 2025-02-15–2025-02-21
wk05_IM_015
Jan 20, 2025 President Trump ordered enhanced vetting and possible admission suspensions for nationals of selected countries Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
The order expanded nationality-based screening and gave the executive branch broader power to restrict entry by category rather than individual conduct.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Executive Order on Protecting the U.S. from Foreign Terrorists — On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at enhancing the vetting and screening of aliens seeking admission to the United States.
- Trump orders identification of countries for potential admission suspension — Officials have been ordered to identify countries that, in the administration's view, do not provide sufficient vetting information.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 1 – 2025-01-20–2025-01-24
wk01_CR_012
Jan 20, 2025 President Trump signed an order to enforce stricter immigration laws through task forces, detention expansion, and pressure on sanctuary jurisdictions Tier 1 · Primary Power and Authority
The order concentrated coercive immigration power in the executive branch and increased federal leverage over states and localities.
Primary sourceA record that carries the claim alone
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Executive Order: Protecting The American People Against Invasion — On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled "Protecting The American People Against Invasion." This order aims to enforce U.S.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 1 – 2025-01-20–2025-01-24
wk01_PA_009