Protect Democracy

An infographic titled "A spectrum of soft and hard guardrails in our democracy." A horizontal timeline displays a range of democratic protections from left to right. On the far left, labeled as Soft Guardrails, are norms, rules, and laws that constrain power. Examples listed include the Hatch Act, DOJ Independence, and War Powers. The spectrum moves toward the right, passing through Spending Powers, Habeas Corpus, Grand Juries, and Freedom of the Press. On the far right, labeled as Hard Guardrails, are practical barriers to consolidating power, such as resources, capacity, or systemic counterbalances. Key examples listed here are Elections and Public Opinion. The visual transitions from thin, spaced lines on the left to a solid, thick block on the right, illustrating how guardrails become increasingly less permeable as they move from "not allowed" to "actually cannot".

When it comes to meddling in elections, there is a major constitutional "hard" guardrail Trump simply cannot bypass. Read which barriers to autocracy are holding firm and what you can do to help: https://protdem.org/4b0oHFW

The Supreme Court questions the future of the Voting Rights Act Proportional representation should be our answer

As SCOTUS appears to be questioning some of the bedrock principles of the Voting Rights Act, Michael Later, Alicia Menendez-Brennan, and Farbod Faraji explain what needs to happen if the justices take such a damaging step: https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/the-supreme-court-questions-the-future

"By targeting researchers and advocates for their work studying and reporting on social media platforms and online harms, the policy chills protected speech and distorts public debate about issues of profound public importance," says senior staff attorney @carriedecell.bsky.social.

Technology Researchers Challenge Trump Policy Threatening Deportation for Work on Social Media Platforms and Online Harms

🚨NEWS: @knightcolumbia.org & @protectdemocracy.org just filed a lawsuit on behalf of @thecoalition.bsky.social challenging the Trump administration's policy targeting social media researchers and trust & safety workers for visa revocation and deportation. More: knightcolumbia.org/content/tech...

The Coalition for Independent Technology Research has filed a lawsuit with the @knightcolumbia.org and @protectdemocracy.org challenging a US State Department policy to revoke or deny visas of non-citizen researchers because of their work studying the societal impacts of technology. (1/4)

Protecting online safety research and advocacy from government censorship Our lawsuit challenges a new U.S. immigration policy that targets technology researchers, advocates, and trust and safety professionals.

The policy targets people working in misinformation research, fact-checking, content moderation, and trust and safety — labeling their work “censorship.”

Gov action that chills protected speech crosses a constitutional line. Learn more about the suit on behalf of @thecoalition.bsky.social ⬇️

Trump is using immigration policy to suppress speech, lawsuit claims A new lawsuit accuses the administration of violating the First Amendment by threatening the visas of researchers for work on disinformation and content moderation of social media.

Researchers and NGO leaders — including a U.S. lawful permanent resident — have already been targeted for deportation or exclusion under a new immigration policy from the Trump admin. So, we filed suit with @knightcolumbia.org ⬇️

Protect Democracy’s new guide to operational security for coalitions

Is your advocacy coalition or group following best practices for operational security? We released a new resource for you.

Key sections include:
✅ Digital security
✅ Internal comms & info-sharing
✅ Member vetting protocols, and more

Get the guide: https://protdem.org/Security-Coalition-Guide

Challenging the federal use of chemical weapons against Portland residents Protect Democracy is suing the Trump administration for violating the consitutional rights of Portland residents.

We are grateful to our partners in this effort: @democracyforward.org, Jacobson Lawyers Group PLLC, and Bradley Bernstein Sands LLP, and we look forward to continuing to fight on behalf of our clients.

Read more about our case:

Stop calling it immigration enforcement DHS is carrying out violent crackdowns in our communities

This victory in Portland isn't isolated. It’s connected to a disturbing pattern of abuse we’ve seen across the country. DHS’s strategy is the same: use "law enforcement" as an excuse to terrorize communities and sow chaos.

"From Los Angeles to Chicago to Minnesota, and in Portland too, we have witnessed a coordinated campaign by DHS to sow chaos and terrorize communities under the guise of immigration enforcement ... This court has now affirmed what we have long argued: the government cannot knowingly poison families in their own homes." Katie Schwartzmann Special Counsel

This isn’t about crowd control. This is about a 72-year-old veteran hospitalized with heart failure. It’s about children sleeping in closets to escape fumes.

DHS treated this neighborhood like a war zone, releasing poison into the bedrooms of innocent community members.

Headline: DHS Ordered to Stop Gassing Portland Residents Subheader: Ruling asserts the government cannot knowingly poison families in their own home

🚨 VICTORY 🚨 A federal judge ordered DHS to stop flooding Portland homes with toxic chemical munitions.

For months, federal agents have knowingly gassed the families, veterans, and seniors living at Gray’s Landing.

The court said: No more.
⬇️🧵 protdem.org/4b0Vr3m

"The president’s projection of strength, his bravado in starting this war, is not just hubris. It is an illusion. In truth, this administration is currently weaker than it has ever been. And many of the most critical guardrails in our democracy — especially those around elections — are still (relatively) intact." Read more at ifyoucankeepit.org

While the administration is projecting absolute strength, the "authoritarian project" is currently facing a string of losses you might have missed. Why? Because not all limits on power are created equal.

More in our latest briefing: https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/if-trump-can-depose-a-regime-why

How democracy survives through elevating women Why anti-authoritarian movements are stronger with women in leadership

Among mass pro-democracy movements where women are on the frontlines, those movements are more likely to succeed.

Today on #IntlWomensDay revisit our deep dive into how democracy survives through elevating women: https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/how-democracy-survives-through-elevating

Defending Maine communities from federal surveillance and intimidation Protect Democracy is suing the Trump administration for violating the consitutional rights of Portland residents.

We sued DHS for unlawfully retaliating against Maine residents who dared to document the gov's abuses in their communities.

🤳 If you experienced or witnessed a similar incident of intimidation of legal observers in Maine, report it here: https://protdem.org/MEIntakeForm

More about the case ⬇️

Checks & Balances | Substack Protecting the Constitution and rule of law against illiberalism, without regard to political party or partisan affiliation. Checks & Balances is a newsletter of the Society for the Rule of Law Instit...

What we're reading: The folks at @chkbal.bsky.social have a new must-read newsletter. They’re an essential voice for principled conservatives, libertarians, and those without a clear ideological bent — all standing up for democracy.

Read Checks & Balances here: https://chkbal.substack.com/

If Trump can depose a regime, why can’t he rig an election? A moment of weakness, not strength

As Trump launches a unilateral war to project strength, his administration may actually be at its weakest point yet. And when it comes to meddling in elections, there is a major constitutional guardrail he can't bypass. Here's why: https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/if-trump-can-depose-a-regime-why

A steel mill the president might not be able to seize DOD, Anthropic, and the history of presidential attempts to control industry

Need a breakdown of the power struggle between the Trump administration and Anthropic? Protect Democracy's Technology Policy Strategist, Nicole Schneidman and Exec. Dir, @ianbassin.bsky.social
have you covered.

Defense experts back Anthropic in letter to Congress, slam DOD for setting 'dangerous precedent' Former defense and intelligence officials and policy experts are urging Congress to investigate the Pentagon's labeling of Anthropic as a supply chain risk.

A bipartisan coalition is raising the alarm on the Trump administration's threats to penalize Anthropic for declining to remove safeguards against mass domestic surveillance, and points to the public’s wide support for such safeguards. We're proud to support the coalition:

get the guide Operational Security for Coalitions An overview of best practices and resources for group safety and security BEST PRACTICES FOR SECURING COALITIONS

What’s inside Protect Democracy’s new guide to operational security for coalitions? Best practices for:
✅ Vetting new members
✅ Securing group communications
✅ Navigating media attentions
✅ Responding to bad-faith investigations

Get the guide here: https://protdem.org/Security-Coalition-Guide

LETTER TO CONGRESS Judge Blocks Trump’s Illegal Mass Layoffs NatSec, Tech Leaders Urge Congress to Investigate Pentagon’s Supply Chain Risk Designation Threats Signatories urge congressional oversight and warn against attacking US companies, like Anthropic

"We further urge Congress to exercise its oversight authority against this inappropriate use of executive authority against Anthropic, and to consider legislative guardrails ensuring that such designations are reserved for their intended purpose: protecting the United States from foreign threats, not disciplining American companies for disagreeing with the executive branch." LETTER TO House and SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEEs

We're proud to support this bipartisan coalition of high-level former defense officials and policy leaders urging Congress to investigate the Trump admin’s threat to designate Anthropic as a supply chain risk - a penalty for disagreeing w/the admin.

Read the letter: https://protdem.org/4sq0yjm

Are you a leader or member of a coalition? Check out our new guide on operational security best practices — from vetting members to navigating politicized investigations — here's how to keep your collective work secure and effective. https://protdem.org/Security-Coalition-Guide

A new lawsuit alleges DHS illegally tracked and intimidated observers Observers watching federal immigration enforcement in Maine who were told by agents they were "domestic terrorists" and would be added to a "database" or "watchlist" are now part of a new federal clas...

We recently sued DHS for attempting to silence and intimidate Maine residents. But this case isn’t just about Maine — the agency's actions are part of a national playbook to unlawfully retaliate against those who dare to document abuses by the federal government.

Read more about our lawsuit ⬇️

How to stop a dictator I spent months studying how authoritarians like Trump lose. The answer is shockingly simple.

What we’re reading: “How to stop a dictator”by @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social ⬇️

https://www.vox.com/politics/479924/democracy-us-brazil-south-korea-poland-backsliding-resilience

Holding the Trump Admin Accountable for Violating Court Orders A Minnesota judge reveals ICE’s sweeping defiance of court orders and models new tactics for holding the Trump administration to account.

How do you hold the Trump administration accountable for violating court orders? Protect Democracy’s JoAnna Suriani weighs in with a piece in Just Security: https://www.justsecurity.org/131966/trump-administration-accountable-violating-court-orders/

Protect Democracy - Protect Democracy is hiring an Editorial Specialist - Apply by March 15! This is an excellent opportunity for strong writers with some policy analysis skills looking to expand their publication experience. Contribute to our flagship newsletter If you can keep it and more.

Now hiring: We're seeking an Editorial Specialist to support our in-house editorial team with writing + editing content for our flagship newsletter, website, socials, and more...
🌎 Fully remote (US-based)
💰 $84,000-94,000 annually + stellar benefits

More details here: https://protdem.org/47cFvbG

An informational graphic with a forest green background and a light tan header and footer. At the top left, the logo for The Civil Service Archive is displayed next to an icon of overlapping stylized paper sheets. The main text on the left states, "We’ve made it easy to find and understand the policy changes affecting how our civil service works.". On the right side, under the heading "WAYS TO SEARCH" with a magnifying glass icon, is a list of search filters: Agency Employee Category Policy Topic Document Type Theme Date Issued The footer displays the website URL: civilservicearchive.org.

The civil service has changed significantly since Trump took office. We built a tool to understand those changes and how they fit together, so that we can advocate for the civil service today, and rebuild and revitalize it tomorrow. https://civilservicearchive.org/

How Proportional Representation Could End Gerrymandering YouTube video by Protect Democracy

Our current electoral system creates a doom loop:
❌ gerrymandering makes safe districts
🔻 safe districts breed extremists
🔻 extremists gerrymander to lock in power, and the cycle repeats.

The way out is simple and achievable, but new to most Americans. Watch and spread the word

If you can keep it February 27, 2026 Header: America after Trump SubHeader: How democracies fall - and how they can come back

A new Vox series explores: How does the United States escape the threat of permanent authoritarianism? Quote from Swati Sharma, Vox editor-in-chief: "This package takes as its starting point that global democracy is in a bad way - but that the diagnosis, while serious, isn't terminal. America can learn from the example of other democracies that have also faltered, but ultimately succeeded. It can learn from its own past, which tells us that democratic reform not only is possible but inevitable. And it can learn from ideas given new life by our predicament, as we search for a path out of this anti-democratic cul-de-sac."

Vox is doing some of the most important pro-democracy reporting of the decade right now. In our latest briefing, @raders.bsky.social shares highlights (and gift links) from Vox’s new series “America after Trump: How democracies fall — and how they can come back.” https://protdem.org/4tVuvJL

Still, Trump’s power is limited and pushing back on his attempts to keep it will take all of society to speak with one voice.

That’s why CREW and @protectdemocracy.org are uniting to uphold that: Presidents are not kings. The Constitution is not optional. And no one is above the law.