This Week in Democracy - Week 9: Bombs Abroad, Arrests at Home
Zeteo's project to document the ongoing, week-by-week growth of authoritarianism in the Trump second term.
Donald Trump’s assault on the rule of law, migrants, press freedoms, and so much more reached new levels this week. It got so dangerous that the chief justice of the highest court of the land stepped in and issued a rare rebuke of the president for his troubling rhetoric toward judges. Still, it doesn’t appear Trump cares or will listen, as evidenced by the list below.
From sending migrants to an El Salvador prison without due process to greenlighting Israel’s massacre in Gaza, here’s what Trump and his allies did this week that harms the US democratic and constitutional order, academic freedom, free speech, and our free societies as a whole:
Saturday, March 15
Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a wartime authority used to arrest and deport noncitizens without due process. Trump claimed he was targeting the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which he says is “invading” the US, but as Zeteo’s legal contributor Kim Wehle writes, it will “undoubtedly have deeply disturbing implications for countless noncitizens with no ties to that gang” – something that may have already happened.
Just hours later, US District Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Trump administration from using the law to deport migrants and ordered any planes carrying migrants out of the country to immediately turn around. The Trump administration apparently defied the order, as three planes transferring migrants landed in El Salvador. More than 135 of the 300 migrants flown to the Central American country were deported using the Alien Enemies Act.
Attorney General Pam Bondi baselessly accused Judge Boasberg of “support[ing] Tren de Aragua terrorists over the safety of Americans.”
On Twitter, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that individuals coming to the US “to join pro-terror riots” will have their visas denied, and those who do so “after lying your way into our country” will have their visas revoked.
On Truth Social, Trump, who campaigned on an anti-war pledge, announced that he ordered the US military to “launch decisive and powerful military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen” - without congressional authorization. Since then, US strikes have killed at least 53 people, including several children.
After Trump took executive action ordering the gutting of the agency that oversees pro-democracy outlets Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Radio Free Asia (RFA), more than 1,300 VOA employees were placed on leave, and the administration terminated funding for RFE/RL and RFA.
Sunday, March 16
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, Trump, and Rubio all shared footage of migrants deported to El Salvador being pulled off planes with their hands and feet shackled and having their heads shaved.
Bukele said the US would "pay a very low fee," which is reported to be $6 million, to imprison the 300 men for one year.
On Twitter, Elon Musk said the impeachment of Judge Boasberg was “necessary.”
Monday, March 17
On Twitter, press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that the administration did not “refuse to comply” with the deportation court order related to the use of the Alien Enemies Act, arguing the order “had no lawful basis” and that “a single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrying foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from US soil.”
In a court filing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) argued that Judge Boasberg’s verbal order was “not enforceable as an injunction.”
In a court filing, an ICE official confirmed that some of the immigrants deported to El Salvador didn’t have criminal records in the US.
The Trump administration sent a letter to an appeals court calling for Judge Boasberg to be removed from hearing the deportation case associated with the Alien Enemies Act.
On Truth Social, Trump declared that the pardons issued by President Joe Biden in mid-January are “void, vacant and of no further force or effect,” because they were signed with autopen, which Trump himself has admitted to using. Among the list of pardons Biden issued were members of Congress who sat on the Select Committee to Investigate Jan. 6, Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci and members of his own family.
Also on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Iran will be held responsible for “every shot fired by the Houthis,” saying the “consequences will be dire.”
Trump appointed his allies to oversee US military academies, including Michael Flynn, who lied to the FBI and called for martial law, Walt Nauta, Trump's co-defendant in the classified documents case, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and the daughter of Steve Bannon.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it would phase out gender-affirming medical care for veterans in response to Trump’s anti-trans executive order.
On Fox, Leavitt said the Trump administration was consulted by Israel before it broke the ceasefire with Hamas and bombarded Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians, including more than 180 children.
Trump revoked Secret Service protection for Joe Biden’s children, Hunter and Ashley.
Trump attacked The Atlantic staff writers Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer, calling Parker a “radical left lunatic” and complaining Scherer “has never written a fair story about me.” He also called The Atlantic a “third rate magazine” that will “hopefully fold up and be gone in the not-too-distant future.”
After the Trump administration gutted the board of the US Institute of Peace (USIP), a congressionally-funded independent nonprofit, DOGE employees eventually gained access to the building after several unsuccessful attempts. George Moose, the USIP CEO fired by the administration, vowed legal action, calling the moves "an illegal takeover by elements of the executive branch."
The New York Times reported that the EPA is planning to gut its Office of Research and Development and fire over 1,000 chemists, biologists, toxicologists, and other scientists.
Asked about a federal judge’s ruling to rehire terminated federal workers, Trump called it “a very dangerous decision for our country.”
The DOJ told European officials that the US would withdraw from the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
Masked immigration agents detained Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University postdoctoral researcher, saying his student visa was revoked. DHS has accused Suri, who has not been charged with a crime, of “spreading Hamas propaganda” and having “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist.”
Tuesday, March 18
After Trump referred to Judge Boasberg as a "radical left lunatic" and called for his impeachment, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, in an extraordinary move, publicly rebuked Trump, saying in a statement: “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
Republican Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas tweeted that he introduced articles of impeachment against Boasberg, baselessly saying he is “guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office.”
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from banning trans people from serving in the military.
AG Bondi, in a statement, called the protests against Tesla “violent attacks” that are “nothing short of domestic terrorism,” adding that the DOJ has already charged individuals, with some charges requiring five-year mandatory minimum sentences.
Trump fired both Democratic commissioners at the FTC, a move one of them said amounted to “corruption.” Former Biden FTC Chair Lina Khan called the firings illegal and said their dismissals are “a gift to corporate lawbreakers that squeeze American consumers, workers and honest businesses.”
USIP filed a lawsuit to block DOGE from shutting down the organization.
A federal judge ruled the dismantling of USAID likely violates the Constitution and blocked DOGE from making any further cuts to the agency.
A federal judge blocked Trump’s military transgender ban, calling it “unabashedly demeaning” and “soaked in animus.”
Trump signed a memorandum eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the US Foreign Service.
Rubio threatened “severe” sanctions on Venezuela if the country does not accept expelled migrants from the US.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from clawing back $20 billion in Biden-era climate grants from the EPA.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing they violated the Constitution and federal laws by terminating federal funds for the broadcaster.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Health and Human Services Department is considering making drastic cuts to federal funding for domestic HIV prevention.
Wednesday, March 19
A federal judge in New York said Mahmoud Khalil must remain in the US for now, but he moved Khalil’s challenge of his arrest to a court in New Jersey.
In a court filing, the Trump administration said it’s weighing whether to invoke the state secrets privilege in the case involving deportations to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act.
Later, AG Bondi and other top DOJ officials submitted an emergency filing in the Alien Enemies Act deportation case, arguing the judge is “continuing to beat a dead horse” by requiring the agency to answer questions detailing the deportations to El Salvador.
The Trump administration froze $175 million in funding to the University of Pennsylvania, citing the school’s trans athlete policies.
The French government said a scientist had been denied entry to the US and was sent back to France after immigration officers found text messages critical of the Trump administration on his phone.
A federal judge rejected an emergency request by USIP to temporarily stop DOGE from dismantling the organization.
On Truth Social, Trump attacked Fox reporter Jacqui Heinrich, who spoke out against the administration’s move to choose which reporters are allowed in the White House press pool, saying she was “absolutely terrible” and that “she should be working for CNN, not FOX.”
A federal judge declined to block the IRS from sharing tax records of noncitizens with DHS.
Steve Bannon told NewsNation that a team is working to develop ways Trump can run for a third presidential term in 2028, saying, “We’ll see what the definition of term limit is.”
The New York Times reported that Musk made donations to Republican members of Congress who have supported impeaching federal judges challenging Trump administration actions.
The American Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education, arguing the agency violated federal law when it stopped processing applications for affordable student loan repayment plans.
On Fox, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick encouraged viewers to buy Tesla stock, which would benefit shadow president and top Trump donor Musk and is against federal ethics regulations.
Thursday, March 20
Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education, a congressionally-created department.
A federal judge temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing Social Security systems, calling their efforts a “fishing expedition” and ordered the so-called agency to delete any personally identifiable data they may have.
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting Suri “unless and until the court issues a contrary order.”
Trump rescinded an executive order to suspend security clearances and cancel federal contracts of prominent law firm, Paul Weiss, after it rolled over and agreed to provide $40 million in free legal services to support the president’s agenda.
On Truth Social, Trump continued to attack “radical left judges” who have issued injunctions against his administration, accusing them of wanting to “assume the powers of the presidency” and calling on the Supreme Court to “fix this toxic and unprecedented situation.”
He also posted about Boasberg, accusing the judge of “doing everything in his power to usurp the power of the presidency.” Trump called him a “local, unknown judge, a grandstander, looking for publicity” and said his rulings are “ridiculous” and “inept.”
Trump signed an executive order that appears to give DOGE “full and prompt” access to unclassified federal agency records, data, and software systems.
Axios reported that Musk’s political action committee is bribing voters in Wisconsin with $100 to sign a petition opposing “activist judges.”
Due to staffing shortages, the National Weather Service is reducing and suspending several weather balloon launches, which could lead to less accurate forecasts.
Friday, March 21
Trump revoked security clearances from Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Liz Cheney, and a whole host of other political and legal opponents.
The Trump administration announced it would be revoking the legal status of 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans currently in the US and covered by TPS, or ‘temporary protected status.’
On Truth Social, Trump attacked the New York Times for reporting that Musk was set to be briefed by the Pentagon on the US military’s plan for any war that could break out with China. He called the publication “one of the worst and most purposely inaccurate newspapers anywhere in the world.” Trump referred to reporter Maggie Haberman as “Maggot Hagerman,” and called her a “scammer” who “owes me a totally discredited Pulitzer Prize for her bad reporting.”
After threatening to jail individuals caught “sabotaging Teslas” for up to 20 years the night before, Trump floated sending them – US citizens – to El Salvador prisons.
Trump announced that the Small Business Administration will take over the Department of Education’s student loan portfolio, while the Department of Health and Human Services will be responsible for “handling special needs” – an apparent reference to education services the government must provide by law to students with disabilities.
A federal appeals court denied the Trump administration’s request to reverse a lower court’s ruling to block the cancellation of grants for DEI-related programs.
Boasberg lambasted DOJ lawyers in a hearing on the El Salvador deportations case, saying their filings included “the kind of intemperate and disrespectful language I’m not used to hearing from the United States.” He also noted that Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act carries “awfully frightening” policy implications.
Cornell graduate student Momodou Taal, who is a dual citizen of the UK and The Gambia, was told to surrender to ICE custody just days after he, along with another graduate student and a professor, sued the Trump administration over the president’s executive orders that target foreign students who protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Taal was suspended from Cornell last year over his participation in pro-Palestine protests.
The DOJ filed a motion seeking to disqualify US District Judge Beryl Howell from presiding over a case challenging a Trump-issued executive order that targets prominent Seattle-based law firm Perkins Coie for its past legal work. The motion comes after Howell signed off on a temporary restraining order blocking parts of the executive order from being implemented.
Columbia University caved to the Trump administration and agreed to a number of demands the government said were necessary to begin talks on restoring $400 million in federal funding it stripped from the school earlier this month. The concessions include banning masks at protests, hiring new security personnel who will be able to make arrests, and appointing a senior vice provost with broad authority to oversee the university’s Middle East programs.
Missed previous weeks? Catch up here.
Subscribe to Zeteo to make sure you get ‘This Week in Democracy’ in your inbox every week.
If you are already a Zeteo subscriber but would like to increase your support for our accountability journalism in this era of Trump and authoritarianism, please do consider a donation, too.
The US administration's rank hypocrisy and ignorance is breathtaking. Do they not realise how much damage they have done in three months to their overseas reputation and potentially the American and world economies! Perhaps they don't care but that is simply crass stupidity.
I'm relieved that most functioning democraties in Europe and the rest of the world are uniting, and taking steps to limit the damage the US government is doing to their own people and abroad.