LIVE: Meiselas AND DEM AGs on MAJOR BREAKING NEWS!!
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖A coalition of 23 Democratic Attorneys General has achieved an 80% success rate in lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's actions.
- ❖California AG Rob Bonta reported protecting $168 billion in state funding and successfully removing unlawfully federalized National Guard troops.
- ❖Illinois AG Kwame Raoul highlighted a Supreme Court victory against National Guard deployment and Justice Kavanaugh's policy shift on race-based immigration stops.
- ❖Massachusetts AG Andrea Campbell stated her office filed 47 lawsuits, protecting $3.11 billion of $3.27 billion in targeted state investments.
- ❖The AGs criticize the U.S. Department of Justice for its perceived weaponization, incompetence, and undermining of state-federal law enforcement collaboration.
- ❖Federal resources, including FBI and DEA agents, are being redeployed from fighting serious crimes (e.g., fentanyl, gun, human trafficking) to civil immigration enforcement.
- ❖State AGs emphasize their commitment to trauma-informed victim support, contrasting it with the perceived lack of empathy and transparency from the federal DOJ in cases like the Epstein files.
- ❖Federal officials, including ICE agents, do not have absolute immunity and can be prosecuted for state crimes if their actions are not reasonably necessary to their official duties.
Insights
1High Success Rate in Challenging Federal Actions
Democratic Attorneys General have achieved significant legal victories against the Trump administration, winning approximately 80% of their lawsuits. These wins have protected substantial state funding, upheld constitutional rights like birthright citizenship, and prevented federal overreach in state affairs.
AG Bonta stated, 'We've won 80% of the time approximately in of our lawsuits.' AG Campbell noted, 'our 45 plus lawsuits have protected 3.11 billion dollars of Massachusetts investments.'
2DOJ's Loss of Trust and Competence
The U.S. Department of Justice has experienced a precipitous decline in reputation, trust, and competence under the current administration. State AGs observe politicization, a lack of objectivity, and a diversion of resources, leading to low morale and attrition among federal prosecutors and agents.
AG Bonta described the DOJ's 'sad and unfortunate demise,' noting it has been 'completely manipulated' and is engaged in 'political persecution instead of criminal prosecution.' AG Raoul mentioned an 'unprecedented number of no bills delivered by grand juries,' indicating a lack of prosecutorial integrity. AG Campbell cited the 'lack of integrity' and 'lack of exceptionalism' undermining the entire justice system.
3Redeployment of Federal Law Enforcement Resources
Federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and ATF, have seen their resources and personnel redirected from traditional crime-fighting efforts (e.g., gun, drug, human trafficking) to civil immigration enforcement. This shift undermines state-federal collaboration and impacts public safety initiatives.
AG Raoul noted the 'redeployment of FBI, DEA, ATF agents to doing civil immigration work instead of work focused on fighting crime.' AG Campbell explained that federal employees 'are being redirected to immigration enforcement instead of human trafficking, instead of gun trafficking, instead of drug trafficking.'
4State AGs as Defenders of Vulnerable Populations and Essential Services
Beyond high-profile constitutional battles, state Attorneys General are actively protecting funding and services for vulnerable populations, including SNAP benefits, healthcare, education, and victim support. These efforts often counter federal attempts to cut or withhold such resources.
AG Campbell stated, 'We're protecting folks SNAP benefits. We're protecting infrastructure projects and transportation projects... mental health services, services for opioid addiction... our public schools, and public education.' AG Bonta highlighted protecting 'all of the support that we have protected for the most vulnerable... who rely on housing, on food, on health care, on education, on victims of crime funding and support.'
5Federal Officials Can Be Prosecuted for State Crimes
Despite claims of absolute immunity, federal officials, including ICE agents, are not immune from prosecution for state crimes committed within a state's jurisdiction if their actions exceed their official duties or are not reasonably necessary.
AG Bonta affirmed, 'absolutely 100% attorneys general who have criminal prosecution authority... have the opportunity and the ability the power and the authority to prosecute state crimes within our state.' He added, 'There's no such thing as a having a pass... just because you have your ICE uniform on.'
Key Concepts
Legal Fortress
The concept that a coalition of Democratic Attorneys General has built a robust legal defense system to protect the rights and freedoms of Americans, acting as a barrier against perceived unlawful actions and overreach by the federal administration.
Weaponization of Justice
The AGs' perspective that the U.S. Department of Justice has been manipulated for political purposes, engaging in 'political persecution instead of criminal prosecution' and targeting 'blue states and blue cities,' thereby losing public trust and undermining its traditional role.
Courts, Crowds, and Courage
AG Bonta's framework for public engagement and resistance: using courts for justice, crowds for collective demand and voice, and courage to stand up against bullying and intimidation, emphasizing that individuals are not helpless in a democracy.
Lessons
- Stay informed and engaged with state-level legal actions, as Attorneys General are actively challenging federal policies that impact daily life, from funding to civil liberties.
- Recognize the importance of state AG offices in providing critical services, such as victim support and public safety initiatives, especially when federal agencies are perceived as disengaged or politicized.
- Support civic engagement and voting to elect officials who prioritize constitutional adherence, transparency, and collaboration between state and federal governments, particularly in the justice system.
Notable Moments
AG Raoul discusses Justice Kavanaugh's 'about face' on race-based immigration stops, hidden in a footnote of a National Guard Supreme Court decision.
This highlights a subtle but significant shift in judicial interpretation on a critical civil rights issue, demonstrating that public outcry and legal challenges can influence even Supreme Court justices.
AG Campbell connects her fight for birthright citizenship and SNAP benefits to her personal background as the first Black AG of Massachusetts and a former SNAP recipient.
This personalizes the legal battles, illustrating how the AGs' lived experiences drive their commitment to defending fundamental rights and social safety nets, making the fight more relatable and urgent.
AG Bonta shares his family's immigration story from the Philippines due to rising dictatorship, drawing parallels to his current fight for the rule of law and democracy.
This personal narrative underscores the deep-seated motivations behind the AGs' work, framing their legal challenges not just as policy disputes but as a defense of democratic principles against authoritarian tendencies.
Quotes
"When we fight, we win. When we fight together, we win even more."
"He may never advance his agenda unlawfully. And we have built together the, uh, 23 Democratic attorneys general, a legal fortress around the rights and freedoms of Americans."
"It's very difficult for state AGs to hold federal federal employees accountable because of qualified immunity, because of other protections that they have. It really should be the US attorney's office or the Department of Justice holding them accountable."
"Such pardons do not apply to uh state cases though and so um notwithstanding that as AG Campbell pointed out um the the the prosecution of federal authorities who enjoy certain immunities are are are challenging. Um but nothing is removed from the table."
"If you can't trust that main justice is going to operate with integrity, how can you have trust in our system at large?"
"If you are an average person that goes out on the street and harms someone, we hold you accountable. You're not treated any different. So why should a president or someone with power be treated any differently?"
"Don't feel hopeless because you're not helpless. You have the most powerful and most potent power that there is in a democracy which is people power. All um stay engaged, stay enraged about the abuses of power this administration."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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