This Week in American Autocracy
📅 June 30–July 6, 2025 | Trump plans to revoke citizenship, is purging federal scientists, and DOJ weighs criminal charges as it presses states for election data. An authoritarian regime in motion.
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📰 Top Stories You May Have Missed This Week
DOJ announces plans to prioritize cases to revoke citizenship
DOJ is prioritizing denaturalization cases—stripping U.S. citizenship from naturalized Americans—under new guidance issued June 11. The criteria now include a wide range of offenses, and U.S. attorneys can use civil cases that bypass public defenders and weaken due process protections.
Millions born abroad can now be targeted, stripped of rights, and silenced—without a fair trial. It’s a roadmap for mass revocations and political retribution.
Source: NPR
Justice Dept. Weighs Seeking Criminal Charges as It Presses States for Election Data
The Justice Department is weighing criminal charges against state and local election officials it deems negligent in securing voting systems, despite no evidence of wrongdoing. Prosecutors have already begun pressuring states like Wisconsin and Colorado for detailed election data, citing a March executive order to review systems and block noncitizen access.
This is a blatant power grab. Trump’s DOJ is using threats and fake conspiracy theories to criminalize election workers and try to rig the system in his favor. It’s a purge of anyone who won’t help him steal the next election.
Source: New York Times
ICE will require lawmakers to give a week’s notice before detention visits.
ICE now requires members of Congress to give at least 7 days’ notice before visiting detention centers—despite a federal law allowing unannounced oversight visits.
This is a direct attack on Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight. Trump officials are blocking lawmakers from exposing abuse, stripping them of their watchdog role, and shielding detention centers from accountability.
Source: New York Times
Two more Ice deaths put US on track for one of deadliest years in immigration detention
Two more migrant deaths—of a 75-year-old Cuban and a Canadian man—bring the 2025 ICE detention death toll to 13, putting the U.S. on track for its deadliest year ever in immigration custody. The system is operating at 140% capacity, with over 56,000 detainees.
Migrants are dying in overcrowded, unsafe facilities. This is systemic neglect and a human rights crisis unfolding in real time.
Source: The Guardian
CBP Seeks New Tools to Deep-Scan Phones at U.S. Border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seeking advanced tech to extract encrypted chats, find hidden data, and analyze massive datasets from seized phones and laptops. Device searches topped 47,000 in 2024, and CBP already uses tools like Cellebrite but wants even deeper forensic reach.
This is a sweeping expansion of border surveillance. With no warrant required and data stored for up to 15 years, the tools will target travelers for their political views and scan sensitive content, turning routine crossings into constitution-free zones.
Source: WIRED
Trump officials create searchable national citizenship database
Trump officials have merged immigration, Social Security, and other federal data into a centralized citizenship database—developed by DHS and unauthorized DOGE, with plans to add DMV records. Marketed as a “voter fraud” tool, the system allows instant checks of citizenship status. It was created without public input and is already facing lawsuits over privacy violations.
Trump is fusing government databases into a powerful tracking tool under the guise of “efficiency”—but in practice, it could be used to target immigrants, suppress votes, and can be weaponized against Americans.
Source: The Guardian
EPA puts on leave 139 employees who spoke out against policies under Trump
The EPA placed 139 staffers on administrative leave after they signed a “declaration of dissent” accusing the agency of abandoning its mission to protect health and the environment. The EPA called the move “unlawful sabotage” and launched an investigation. Over 270 employees signed the letter, including many anonymously.
Trump continues purging career scientists for prioritizing facts over subservience—silencing those who oppose policies that harm public health and the environment. Expertise is being replaced with obedience, turning science into a political weapon.
Source: Associated Press
Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Who Threatened Police Joins Justice Dept.
Jared L. Wise, a former FBI agent and Jan. 6 insurrectionist who shouted “Kill ’em!” at Capitol police, has been appointed counselor to Ed Martin, head of Trump’s DOJ “Weaponization Working Group.” Pardoned by Trump mid-trial, Wise is now helping oversee retribution against those who prosecuted Jan. 6 cases.
A man who incited violence against law enforcement is now helping weaponize the DOJ to punish Trump’s enemies. This is the justice system turned upside down—rewarding insurrectionists while targeting those who defended democracy.
Source: New York Times
Trump suggests he could demand journalists reveal source of Iran intel leak
Trump said journalists may be forced to reveal sources behind leaked intel showing U.S. strikes on Iran only delayed, not obliterated, its nuclear program. He blamed Democrats and vowed prosecutions, calling for reporters to disclose leaks tied to national security.
It’s a direct threat to press freedom. Trump is using national security as a pretext to punish accurate reporting and intimidate journalists.
Source: Washington Post
Trump’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ tour was a calculated celebration of the dystopian
Trump toured his new ICE detention center in Florida, “Alligator Alcatraz,” alongside Kristi Noem and Ron DeSantis. The facility, seized from Miami-Dade County and surrounded by marshland full of alligators and pythons, will hold 5,000 migrants in extreme heat.
This was a state-sponsored theater of cruelty. Trump used the spectacle to glorify mass detention, internment camps and to further dehumanize migrants. It was a gross show of force—and a preview of the dystopian policies he plans to expand.
Source: The Guardian
Columbia Cyberattack Appears Politically Motivated, University Says
A cyberattack crippled Columbia University’s systems and exposed data from millions of student applications. A pro-Trump “hacktivist” hijacked campus monitors with a smiling image of Trump, claiming the attack aimed to expose affirmative action practices. The hacker says they stole 460GB of sensitive data, including Social Security numbers, financial aid records, university ID numbers, and citizenship status.
Sophisticated hackers targeted Columbia to steal critical information. With Trump freezing research funds and ramping up pressure, it’s part of his broader war on higher education through fear and retaliation. Was someone in Trump’s circle involved in the hack?
Source: New York Times
Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Undermines That Effort
Trump struck a deal with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to deport MS-13 leaders from U.S. custody back to El Salvador, despite their central role in ongoing U.S. terrorism and corruption investigations. Prosecutors had built cases alleging Bukele’s government struck a secret pact with MS-13, exchanging political support and reduced violence for prison perks.
Trump is helping silence key witnesses and collapse years of work by U.S. law enforcement to prosecute MS-13 leadership, shielding a corrupt foreign government.
Source: New York Times
Trump Targets CNN Over Migration App Coverage
Trump officials are exploring whether CNN can be prosecuted for reporting on ICEBlock, an iPhone app that alerts users to nearby immigration agents. Kristi Noem accused CNN of “interfering” with law enforcement and said she’s working with the DOJ to investigate. Trump endorsed the idea of prosecution, while CNN asserted that its reporting is protected and lawful.
Trump continues testing the limits of the First Amendment by threatening to investigate and prosecute media outlets for journalism he doesn’t like—this time CNN. Going after reporters for covering public information is further escalation in his authoritarian assault on the free press.
Source: Reuters
Prominent L.A. politico detained upon return from international trip, report says
Rick Taylor, a veteran California political consultant who once helped elect Senator Alex Padilla, was detained for secondary screening by CBP at Miami airport after a family vacation. Unlike his wife and daughter, he was flagged for being from California and held in a room largely filled with Latino families, with no explanation.
This further shows how Trump’s politicized federal agencies are using geography and perceived political leanings to justify detentions. It mirrors authoritarian tactics—intimidating dissenters and punishing residents of blue states through surveillance and arbitrary targeting.
Source: KTLA
US sees spate of arrests of civilians impersonating Ice officers
Arrests of civilians impersonating ICE agents are spiking nationwide, from California to North Carolina. Recent cases involve armed suspects using fake DHS documents, threatening immigrants, and even committing sexual assault—enabled by Trump’s policy of sending masked, plainclothes federal agents to conduct raids and arrests in unmarked vehicles.
When the state blurs the line between legal and illegal force, chaos follows. Trump’s secretive, masked deportation squads are making it easier for vigilantes and criminals to mimic law enforcement, putting immigrants and all of us at risk.
Source: The Guardian
Trump’s Secret Service detail to pay $600K for golf carts and port-a-potties to use at his New Jersey club
The Secret Service is spending over $600,000 on golf carts and luxury portable toilet rentals to support Trump’s frequent visits to his Bedminster club. The contracts—funded by taxpayers—include $550,930 for golf carts and $80,385 for portable restrooms, with options to renew for three years.
Trump continues using the presidency to enrich his lifestyle at public expense. While pushing spending cuts, stripping healthcare for millions, and mass deportations, he’s racking up millions in taxpayer-funded golf perks—funneling federal money into his own properties.
Source: The Independent
Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations
While serving as South Dakota governor, Kristi Noem secretly funneled $80,000 to herself through her Delaware LLC from a dark money group backing her political career. The group paid her a 10% “fundraising fee” on $800,000 raised—income she failed to disclose on federal ethics forms after becoming Trump’s DHS Secretary.
More corruption. Noem personally profited from political donations, evaded disclosure laws, and used her personal company to hide it.
Source: ProPublica
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Source: 50501
Blue States Consider Withholding Federal Payments to Counter Trump’s Funding Cuts
In response to Trump’s funding freezes targeting blue states, Democratic lawmakers in Maryland, Connecticut, New York, and Wisconsin are proposing a novel tactic: withholding payments owed to the federal government. These bills would apply if Washington unlawfully withholds congressionally appropriated funds for health care, food aid, or disaster programs.
Source: NBC News
EPA employees put names to ‘declaration of dissent’ over agency moves under Trump
Over 170 EPA employees, backed by 20 Nobel laureates, publicly denounced Trump’s rollback of environmental protections, citing attacks on science, pollution rules, and vulnerable communities. Many signed anonymously, fearing retaliation.
Source: Associated Press
Goodbye to All That
Veteran FBI special agent Michael Feinberg published his resignation letter after being forced out due to a personal friendship with Pete Strzok, a former FBI official targeted by Trump allies. He says the decision came at Dan Bongino’s direction and was enforced by leadership loyal to Kash Patel.
Source: Lawfare
DC Archbishop Slams Trump Megabill, Immigration Crackdown
Washington’s Cardinal Robert McElroy condemned Trump’s immigration raids and “inhumane” deportation agenda, accusing him of ripping families apart. He also blasted the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” for cutting Medicaid and enriching the wealthy at the expense of the poor.
Source: The Hill
175+ Democrats Back NAACP Lawsuit to Block Trump’s Dismantling of Education Dept
Over 175 Democratic lawmakers, led by Elizabeth Warren and Jamie Raskin, filed a legal brief supporting the NAACP’s lawsuit against Trump’s attempt to abolish the Department of Education. The suit challenges mass purges, funding freezes, and program terminations as unconstitutional power grabs.
Source: ABC News
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Great coverage, as usual.