Democracy Forward

Rule Changes

Co-counsel in J.G.G. v. Trump

The Alien Enemies Act has been invoked only four times in American history—during the War of 1812, World War I, World War II, and now. In March 2025, President Trump became the first president to use the 1798 wartime statute outside of a declared war, targeting alleged members of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang and sending 137 men to El Salvador's maximum-security CECOT prison within 24 hours. On February 12, 2026, a federal judge ordered the government to facilitate their return to the United States, ruling they were denied the right to challenge their removal.

Updated Feb 12

Rule Changes

Lead counsel for plaintiffs in SSA v. AFSCME

The Privacy Act of 1974 was written to prevent exactly this: government employees using federal databases containing Social Security numbers, health records, and bank account information for unauthorized purposes. For nearly a year, Department of Government Efficiency staffers did it anyway—copying the records of 300 million Americans to unsecured servers, sharing files with outside political groups, and coordinating with election-denial activists to match voter rolls against Social Security data.

Updated Jan 26

Rule Changes

Counsel for a coalition of nonprofits and local governments challenging HUD changes

HUD tried to rewrite the rules of America’s biggest homelessness grant program in the middle of the funding cycle—then acted surprised when states and cities ran to court. On December 19, Judge Mary McElroy told HUD: stop. Not later—now.

Updated Dec 19, 2025

Rule Changes

Counsel for a broad coalition challenging the fee in a separate case

The Trump administration didn’t just tighten H‑1B visas. It put a $100,000 toll booth on “new” petitions—and dared employers to pay up. Now twenty states are trying to blow up that toll booth in federal court, calling it an illegal end-run around Congress.

Updated Dec 13, 2025