NILC, June 9, 2025 — by Heidi Altman
The National Immigration Law Center documents how the Trump administration has turned immigration enforcement into a testing ground for authoritarian power. Since January 2025, Trump has invoked emergency and wartime laws to bypass courts, ordered National Guard and even Marine deployments to U.S. streets without state consent, and used the Alien Enemies Act to deport men without hearings to prisons abroad. Courts have repeatedly found the government in contempt for ignoring judicial orders, yet deportations continue. Alongside attempts to revoke birthright citizenship and limit due process, the administration has also targeted students, scholars, and even elected officials for opposition, escalating to arrests and criminal charges. The report warns these tactics fit the authoritarian pattern: consolidate power by demonizing a vulnerable group, then expand the tools against anyone in the way.
Critical Mass: Three Point Five Percent 