Executive Branch
Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis of the U.S. executive branch related to national security, rights, and the rule of law. Analysis and informational resources focus on the executive branch’s powers and their limits, and the actions of the president, administrative agencies, and federal officials.
4,757 Articles
Protections Fall for Vietnamese Immigrants as Trump Pushes Deportations
The Trump administration has reinterpreted a 2008 agreement with Vietnam in multiple ways to expand the categories of refugees it can deport. The effort appears to have affected…
U.S. Sanctions Against Iran’s Foreign Minister and International Law
Sanctions against a foreign minister are a provocation that impede diplomacy. Their legality under international law also turns out to be a complex issue.
“Domestic Terrorism” Bills Create More Problems Than They Solve
Lack of will and focus are the real impediments to investigating and prosecuting perpetrators. What's more, proposals to expand the definition of “terrorism” could harm activity…
New Resource Tool Sheds Light on Government’s Prepublication Review System
For more than three years, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have been litigating a series of Freedom of Information…
U.S.-Turkey “Safe Zone” Likely to Add Fuel to Syria Conflict
"While there is a significant risk that a new arrangement will further destabilize this highly volatile region and threaten the security of millions of civilians, there is also…
Blame Trump, Not the U.S. Code, for His Abuse of Emergency Authority
It began in earnest with President Donald Trump’s invocation of the National Emergencies Act in an effort to grab money to build a border wall. It reemerged with Trump’s reference…
“Offshore Processing” in Guatemala: A Deeper Look at the U.S. Asylum Deal
U.S. agreement to "offshore" asylum seekers (of different nationalities) to Guatemala bears striking similarity to Australia's policy of offshoring asylum seekers to an island…
Expert Summaries of Mueller Report: A Collection
Top legal experts provide condensed, brief summaries of the Special Counsel's report.
Effective U.S. Grand Strategy Includes Harnessing Diverse Educational Institutions
The best way to confront the wide spectrum of global risks and competition today is to operationalize the intellect and lived experiences of a diverse workforce. Historically black…
Part III: The Muddy Middle: A New Framework for Use of Force
We may not have wanted to land in this muddy middle between peace and war that we currently find ourselves in, but this is the reality of the current moment in the counterterrorism…
Part II: The Muddy Middle: Challenges of Applying Use of Force Policy Guidance in Practice
In part two of a three-part series, the authors explain how new operational models for both why and how the U.S. used force outside areas of active hostilities created tensions…
The Muddy Middle: The Disappearing Lines in America’s Counterterrorism Wars and How to Restore Order
In three articles, the authors explain how the lines have blurred between U.S. military operating procedures for use of force in hot war zones versus outside areas of active hostilities…