Day 72
April 1, 2025
11 incidents
- Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern Civil Rights
ACLU and League of Women Voters file challenges
Voting rights organizations file lawsuits challenging the executive order as exceeding presidential authority and violating voting rights protections.
From: Executive Order on Elections: Voter Suppression and Presidential Seizure of Election Administration
- Major Abuse of Power Civil Rights
ACL staff cut by half
HHS Secretary Kennedy lays off nearly 50% of the Administration for Community Living staff, cutting the agency responsible for disability services, independent living, and protection and advocacy.
- Major Abuse of Power Federal Dismantlement
Student loan servicing disruptions documented
Federal student loan borrowers report inability to reach servicers, delays in income-driven repayment applications, and disruptions to loan forgiveness processing. Consumer advocacy organizations document complaints from borrowers unable to access accounts.
From: Department of Education: Near-Abolition and Mass Staff Terminations
- Major Abuse of Power Federal Dismantlement
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists analysis
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists publishes an analysis concluding that the DOGE firing fiasco at NNSA 'means everything but efficiency,' noting lasting damage to recruitment, morale, and institutional knowledge at nuclear weapons facilities.
From: DOGE Fires 350 Nuclear Weapons Workers at NNSA, Including Pantex Warhead Assemblers
- Major Abuse of Power Federal Dismantlement
HHS RIF begins with widespread errors; NIOSH gutted
The Department of Health and Human Services begins a formal reduction in force. Approximately 20% of the firings are later determined to have been made in error. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) loses two-thirds of its workforce.
From: DOGE-Directed Mass Firings and Forced Resignations of Federal Workers
- Serious Rights Violation Corruption & Self-Dealing
Court orders DOGE to disgorge and delete SSA data
In an unprecedented order, a federal court requires all DOGE team members to disgorge and delete all non-anonymized personal information obtained from SSA systems.
From: DOGE Unauthorized Access to Treasury, OPM, and Social Security Databases
- Major Abuse of Power Military Overreach
Troop levels expand to over 10,000
Border military deployments escalated to over 10,000 active-duty troops, with expanded authority to detain and search people.
From: Military Deployments at the US-Mexico Border and the Posse Comitatus Act
- Major Abuse of Power Civil Rights
Death penalty sought for Luigi Mangione
AG Bondi directs prosecutors to seek the federal death penalty against Luigi Mangione for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, marking the first federal death sentence sought under the executive order.
From: Federal Death Penalty Expansion and Discriminatory Application
- Serious Rights Violation Foreign Policy & War
Administration seeks deep cuts to PEPFAR
The administration requests significantly less PEPFAR funding and cancels numerous HIV-related awards. Congress later continues to appropriate PEPFAR funding near prior levels, including $4.8 billion for FY2026 (KFF).
From: PEPFAR Freeze: HIV/AIDS Treatment Cut for 20 Million People Across Africa
- Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern Deportation to Torture
Courts issue injunctions; administration appeals
Federal courts issue multiple injunctions against deportation flights and detention policies. The administration appeals aggressively and in some cases proceeds with removals while challenges are pending.
From: Second-Term Mass Deportations: Largest Enforcement Operation in U.S. History
- Significant Democratic Concern Foreign Policy & War
NATO emergency consultations — transatlantic fracture documented
European NATO leaders convene emergency consultations on how to maintain security cooperation given U.S. posture changes. France and UK accelerate independent defense investment discussions. The European Defense Industrial Strategy is accelerated.
From: NATO Article 5 Threats: Encouraging Russia to Attack Allies Who Don't Pay