constitutional law

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Tank and soldiers shown on Mexico border

The New “National Defense Area” at the Southern Border: What You Need to Know

NSPM-4 creates a military area that is twice the size of Washington, D.C. and expands the military’s role in stopping cross-border migration.
In this handout photo provided by the Salvadoran government, members of the Salvadoran army stand guard at the gates of the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) at CECOT on March 16, 2025 in Tecoluca, El Salvador.

Deportation to CECOT: The Constitutional Prohibition on Punishment Without Charge or Trial

Sending migrants to El Salvador’s CECOT prison raises grave constitutional concerns under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.
Drafting the Declaration of Independence in Antique Illustration (Getty Images)

No, the President Cannot Issue Bills of Attainder

Trump orders functioning as bills of attainder are prohibited by the Constitution and repugnant to its separation of powers.
U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) speaks on the REINS Act on the left of the screen. Poster with REINS Act on the right of the screen.

Why the REINS Act’s Approach to Regulatory Reform Is So Problematic

The REINS Act would hamper agencies’ ability to carry out their statutory duties and protect the public.
A photograph of a prison officer, taken from the level below.

The Illegality and Human Rights Violations in El Salvador’s Bizarre Offer to House US Prisoners

There is no modern precedent for sending U.S. citizens who are convicted of crimes to other countries for punishment. Doing so is a crime.
black and white image of the sworn statement of witnesses verifying the departure statement of Wong Kim Ark

Jurisdiction, Territorial Sovereignty, and the Fourteenth Amendment

A long line of authority holds that persons or things within a country’s territorial borders are subject to its jurisdiction.
The Pentagon logo and an American flag are lit up in the briefing room of Pentagon in Arlington, VA.

How the Pentagon Personnel Firings Threaten Our Apolitical Military

This unprecedented purge of the nation’s top brass suggests that Trump may attempt to fill these roles with officers he perceives as loyal.
Members of the national guard move a red ladder.

Trump’s Doubly Flawed “Invasion” Theory

The president is wrong about what an invasion is—and what powers it triggers.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC, USA. Blue Sky with Puffy clouds, Street, Rickshaw, Passersby and Green Trees are in the image. Wide angle lens.

What Just Happened: Purges at the DOJ and FBI — How Do and Don’t the Civil Service Laws Apply

Expert Backgrounder on how civil service laws do or do not protect DOJ and FBI officials from retaliation.
Donald Trump signs an executive order at his desk in the Oval Office

The Most Indefensible Aspects of DOJ’s Briefs in the Birthright Citizenship Cases

Updated to account for reply briefs and Feb. 5 judicial opinion issuing a nationwide preliminary injunction
Schmidt stands at a podium with the OHR logo on the front, against a backdrop of the logo and the name of his office, with the OHR and Bosnian flags at the left edge of the photo.

European Court Intervention by Bosnia’s International High Representative Risks Limiting the Country’s Potential

Following his recommendation would secure the grip of ethnonationalists and those responsible for the “fragile” conditions he laments.
Several men stand along a street holding signs and wearing black and yellow Proud Boys paraphernalia. The man in the center of the frame wears a black and yellow cap and an American-flag-patterned around his face.

The Threat from Unlawful Private Militias Has Evolved. The Federal Government’s Response Must Evolve Too.

Federal legislation, like the Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act, offers a pathway to disrupt unlawful militia activity while safeguarding constitutional rights.
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