A lot of people are asking what is competitive authoritarianism—and if it can happen in the US. NPR breaks it down.
www.npr.org/2026/02/16/n...
06.03.2026 23:24
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A lot of people are asking what is competitive authoritarianism—and if it can happen in the US. NPR breaks it down.
www.npr.org/2026/02/16/n...
Our immigrant & refugee neighbors have rights that deserve respect & that protect them from imprisonment
Habeas petitions are freeing people every day & our team wants to empower attorneys who want to fight.
See here for our most recent legal training on Habeas petitions in the immigration context
Immigration authorities in Minnesota have identified legal observers by name and address, and in some cases showed up at their homes.
Note how they're co-opting the language of "human rights" while also dehumanizing segments of the population. There is no justification for the countless violations of international law caused by their warmongering. This is a classic move by authoritarian regimes globally.
DOJ’s attempt to silence protestors through federal charges is failing because judges and juries are seeing right through their authoritarian tactics. It’s outrageous that the federal gov continues to take resources away to intimidate dissent.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
These are the things you should know: static1.squarespace.com/static/62c31...
DHS is sending hundreds of subpoenas to Google, Meta & others tech demanding data on accounts.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
A big part of the authoritarian playbook is war. War takes over the news. War blots out criticism. War divides a nation’s people, subjecting those against it to being called unpatriotic. War grants leaders all sorts of emergency powers. War consumes everything else.
We mustn’t let this war do so.
Orange text: "ICE agents don’t get to pick and choose when the First Amendment applies." Orange text: "We have a right to record law enforcement in public." Orange ACLU logo. Black background.
When ICE agents are working, we have a right to film them in public. Period.
BREAKING: Our client Mahmoud Khalil is appealing an immigration judge’s ruling that says the Trump administration can re-detain and deport him.
This judge’s order was baseless and retaliatory, and must be reversed before Mahmoud’s rights are violated again.
“I’m going into federal court to get a federal judge to tell ICE and the immigration judge that they have to play by the rules.”
One thing is clear: we’re witnessing the gutting of the DOJ, the expansion of federal overreach, and the practical end of habeas corpus.
#LawAgainstAuthoritarianism
Judge Blackwell continued:
“If anything, it ought to be a warning sign. Continued detention is not lawful just because compliance with release orders is administratively difficult for you.”
Judge Jerry Blackwell issued a warning that shouldn’t be necessary:
“Having what you feel are too many detainees, too many cases, too many deadlines, and not enough infrastructure is not a defense to continued detention.”
Thousands of people—including U.S. citizens—are now stuck in detention months after judges ordered their release.
Why? There are too few people left at the DOJ to process the paperwork.
Habeas corpus has become optional.
Meanwhile, ICE has ramped up enforcement to historic levels:
→ “Kavanaugh stops” (warrantless racially motivated stops stops)
→ Mass nationwide raids
→ Billions invested in deportation infrastructure
Arrest everyone. Sort out the legality of arrests later.
She went on to say that the DOJ is processing habeas corpus petitions with:
→ Untrained ICE volunteers
→ Military JAG lawyers with no civilian court experience
→ Probationary attorneys with no orientation
The infrastructure for basic constitutional work has collapsed.
She confessed on the record:
“I’m a probationary attorney with no proper orientation or training. I stupidly volunteered for a mission I was not equipped to handle.”
Julie Ye appeared before Federal Judge Jerry Blackwell in the U.S. District Court to answer for the government’s failure to comply with judicial orders releasing people from ICE detention.
abcnews.go.com/US/job-sucks...
“This job sucks. Please detain me so I can get some sleep.”
That’s what a DOJ lawyer told a federal judge last week.
The headline went viral for many in the legal world.
But the story behind it is a constitutional crisis.
My latest reprinted in @truthout.org. "One group member admitted that she followed ICE vehicles while honking loudly so often that her car horn broke."
Minnesota is facing serious and growing challenges in the midst of ongoing federal occupation and violence, and our communities are calling for meaningful change. Protest can be a powerful tool for challenging unjust systems and pushing leaders to act. At the same time, actions like rent strikes can carry significant legal and financial risks. Minnesota renters deserve clear information about those risks so they can make informed decisions about whether participating is the right choice for them. <HOME Line logo>
RISKS OF PARTICIPATING IN A RENT STRIKE -Threats/retaliation from landlord -Eviction / Forced move -Loss of a rental subsidy -Non-renewal of lease -Long-term credit and rental history problems --Owing additional money on top of your regular monthly payment (late fees, court fees, and attorney fees—could be $400+) <HOME Line logo>
PEOPLE AT SIGNIFICANT RISK -Tenants who cannot afford to pay the additional fees associated with an eviction. -Tenants who have subsidies. -Tenants who would have difficulty attending court or representing themselves due to language, transportation, or employment barriers. -Tenants on a month-to-month lease or leases that may soon expire. -Tenants with roommates- if a roommate doesn’t pay their rent, the eviction is for all tenants. <HOME Line logo>
Head to our website to check out all the details about the risks associated with participating in a rent strike https://homelinemn.org/rentstrike If you would like to discuss your specific situation with an attorney, please use our Email an Attorney form. https://homelinemn.org/email
HOME Line Legal & Organizing staff have prepared an educational resource about rent strike risks: homelinemn.org/rentstrike
Statement: MN is facing serious and growing challenges in the midst of ongoing federal occupation and violence, and our communities are calling for meaningful change.
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“The boycott is the latest attempt by critics to put pressure on companies that may be able to influence government officials to bring change.”
www.newsweek.com/resist-and-u...
"If you exercise your First Amendment right to protest injustices you believe your government is committing, you risk being targeted by that very government. If you don’t want Big Tech helping that government target you? You may have to be right back at that protest again."
slate.com/news-and-pol...
“ICE lawyers in New York City earn more than $100,000 a year, enjoy generous benefits and post about rich social lives. Their work is vital to Trump’s deportation agenda”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
For the legal profession watching this happen:
If career prosecutors won’t be complicit in abandoning justice, what’s our responsibility?
Private lawyers. Law professors. Bar associations. Civil rights orgs.
When the DOJ becomes a weapon, who holds the line?
#LawAgainstAuthoritarianism
These aren’t isolated acts. Federal lawyers are resigning across DOJ offices nationwide.
They’re being asked to prosecute dissent, shield abuse, and abandon civil rights enforcement.
Some are refusing. Some are walking away. Some are speaking out.
Six federal lawyers walked away rather than turn the law into a weapon against a widow.
because their oaths—to justice, to conscience—meant more than compliance with authoritarian orders.
Acting AG Thompson in Minnesota said no.
He refused to prosecute Nicole’s grieving widow. He objected to shielding the shooter.
Five of his colleagues resigned with him.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/u...
