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.
4,711 Articles
Bureaucrats are “the Program”
The citizens of Washington, D.C. are used to having their city constantly disparaged and civil servants from around the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) ably endure the endless…
Full Text of Remarks by Top State Dep’t Official Discharged by Trump’s White House
Last week, six top State Department officials were suddenly discharged by the White House—an Undersecretary, an acting Undersecretary, and four Assistant Secretaries—without…
Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Jan. 27 to Feb. 3)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of…
Tinkering Won’t Save the Immigration and Refugee Executive Order–How to think about “Terrorist Safe Havens”
In a recent post I pointed out the serious flaws in the Trump administration’s claim that the seven countries identified in its Executive Order on immigration were selected on…
The Yemen Raid—What Was Normal and Abnormal About the Process with Lessons for the Future
Over the past five days, accounts of Sunday’s special operations raid in Yemen have continued to evolve to a point where questions are now being raised as to the process that…
Lufthansa To Abide By Anti-Ban Court Order–Travelers Targeted by Trump Can Now Fly (to Boston)
In what may well be a sign of things to come, Lufthansa has posted a notice to its website that, pursuant to the rulings of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts,…
Rare U.S. Military Acknowledgment of Civilian Casualties in Yemen—Concerns about transparency persist
In a rare acknowledgment, the U.S. military admitted last night that civilians, including children, “were likely killed” in the commando raid in Yemen on Sunday. This acknowledgment…
In The Trump administration, Islamophobia Is Truly A Family Affair
With the arrival of Sebastian Gorka at the White House, another Islamophobe has joined Team Trump. But first, some background on the significance of this latest personnel move.…
Police Militarization in the Trump Era
Since his swearing in, President Donald Trump has issued a flurry of controversial Executive Orders. One frequently overlooked yet dramatically important issue that has yet to…
Executive (Dis)order and Refugees—The Trump Policy’s Blindness to International Law
President Trump says that his recent executive order on immigration is required by national security concerns. More specifically, he has said that its goal is to screen out “radical…
Yates Letter Points to Evidence Showing Executive Order Unconstitutional
As Acting Attorney General, Sally Yates dropped a bombshell late Monday, telling Justice Department employees that the DOJ would not defend Trump’s executive order on “immigrants…
How Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration Violates Religious Freedom Laws
The ACLU and other lawyers are filing complaints across the country against Trump’s executive order on immigration. Yet these lawsuits do not always bring the strongest—or…