Day 72

Deportation of US Military Veterans

The Trump administration deported military veterans who served in the US armed forces, including Purple Heart recipients wounded in combat. An estimated 94,000 veterans lack US citizenship, leaving them vulnerable after the administration replaced Biden-era protections with a memo stating military service 'doesn't automatically exempt' immigrants from deportation. Army Sgt. Jose Barco, a Purple Heart recipient who saved fellow soldiers in Iraq, was deported to Mexico in November 2025.

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

Mike Waltz removed as National Security Advisor

Mike Waltz is removed from his position as National Security Advisor, reportedly being moved to the UN Ambassador role. The transition is widely attributed at least in part to the Signalgate incident.

From: Signalgate: Top Officials Share Classified Strike Plans in Unsecured Group Chat

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.

From: Systematic Rollback of Disability Rights Protections

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

US suspends intelligence and military aid

The administration suspends intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine, explicitly conditioning their restoration on progress toward the minerals agreement — leveraging Ukraine's survival against its natural resources.

From: Ukraine Minerals Coercion: Trump Demanded $500B 'Payback,' Humiliated Zelenskyy, Conditioned Aid on Deal

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

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

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

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 US-Mexico Border in Violation of Posse Comitatus Act

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

Former DOGE staffers testify about AI-driven DEI targeting

Former DOGE staffers testify before Congress that they used AI tools to scan federal agencies for DEI-related content, flagging grant programs, training materials, and employee records for elimination. The testimony reveals the automated, dragnet nature of the purge.

From: DOGE-Directed Elimination of Federal DEI Programs and Mass Firings of DEI Workers

FY2026 budget proposes 83% cut to PEPFAR

The Trump administration's FY2026 budget proposal includes cutting PEPFAR funding from $6.9 billion to approximately $1.2 billion — a reduction that would end the program's capacity to maintain existing treatment patients, let alone expand coverage.

From: PEPFAR Freeze: HIV/AIDS Treatment Cut for 20 Million People Across Africa

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

Journalist arrests documented during protests

Multiple journalists covering protests and public demonstrations are arrested or detained by law enforcement. Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders document an increased pattern of journalist interference during early second term.

From: Second-Term Press Attacks: AP Banned, Journalists Arrested, Press Pool Restricted

Canada tariffs imposed — trade war with closest ally

Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Canada as threatened. The tariffs trigger a trade crisis with the U.S.'s largest trading partner and closest ally. Canadian officials describe the relationship as fundamentally altered. U.S.-Canada trade disruptions affect auto, agricultural, and energy sectors.

From: Annexation Threats: Greenland, Panama Canal, Canada — Territorial Expansionism

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