Tag: Brennan Center for Justice

As Trump Sets Military Against Civilians, Service Members Have Duty to Disobey

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The Marines are trained in combat, not crowd control. People are likely to get hurt.

As Trump Sets Military Against Civilians, Service Members Have Duty to Disobey

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If your conscience troubles you… you may have options

In recent years, we have gotten calls on the GI Rights Hotline from service members concerned about having to police the US-Mexican border and/or police demostrations in the US. Others feel disturbed by US support for specific overseas operations, like Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Many call us with a troubled conscience, and some ask about applying for a conscientious objection (CO) discharge. Military regulations spell out very specific criteria for military members to qualify as a conscientious objector. Keep reading to see if a CO discharge may be appropriate for you. Even if you don’t meet the definition of a conscientious objector, you may still qualify for a different discharge. You can call us on the hotline to discuss your options: 877-447-4487.

Trump Called Threat to Journalistic Freedom After Foreign Press Hit by ‘Non-Lethal’ Rounds

Judge blocks Trump 2.0’s declaration of war on Venezuelan “gangs”

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Federal judge blocks Trump’s plan to target ‘alien enemies’ for deportation

In his latest move to clamp down on illegal immigration and immigration more broadly, President Trump has filed a presidential action invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a seldom-used law that gives the president authority to detain or deport nationals of an enemy nation during wartime. It’s only the fourth time in American history a president has used the act — and the first since World War II.

The directive targets members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan prison gang, and authorizes expedited removal of all Venezuelan citizens 14 and older, deemed to be members of the organization, who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

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Project 2025: Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Experts warn the proposed SAVE Act could make it harder for some married women to vote. Here’s who could be affected. – CBS

A 2023 Pew Research survey found that about 80% of women married to men in the U.S. take their husband’s last name. Under the SAVE Act, if their voter registration name differs from the name on their birth certificate or passport, they may need to show additional documents.

If the SAVE Act were to become law, Bedekovics said married women who have changed their names should obtain certified copies of all marriage certificates, locate their birth certificates, and keep any change-of-name documentation on hand for any updates to their voter registration.

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U.S. tech companies prepare for potential drone attacks as international strikes spark concern

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

U.S. tech companies and government agencies are racing to develop defenses against potential terrorist drone attacks, a threat that has security experts increasingly concerned as they’ve watched the rise of drone warfare in Israel, Ukraine and Yemen.

U.S. tech companies prepare for potential drone attacks as international strikes spark concern

Sponsored by Raytheon or something like that. /s

Revealed: how US immigration uses fake social media profiles across investigations

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Records from the Department of Homeland Security show it sought to expand undercover operations online despite pushback from Facebook

Revealed: how US immigration uses fake social media profiles across investigations

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DHS Continues To Violate Facebook Policies By Allowing CBP, ICE Officers To Create Fake Social Media Profiles

Meanwhile, social media surveillance continues uninterrupted. The documents show CBP is still allowed to create fake profiles to passively monitor public Facebook posts. ICE can go a bit further. It has been given explicit permission to create fake accounts to engage in undercover investigations as long as the tactics used online are somewhat analogous to undercover activities carried out in the real world.

US to cut military presence in Niger + Pentagon lied to Congress

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The Pentagon reportedly plans to pull out some of its troops from the African country

The US has begun “repositioning” the troops it has in Niger and plans to cut their number “nearly in half” over the next several weeks, Politico reported on Friday citing two Defense Department officials.

US to cut military presence in Niger

Related:

Pentagon Misled Congress About U.S. Bases in Africa

Rand Paul: Why do we still have troops in Niger?

The Shitshow Over Gerrymandered Election Maps in Wisconsin

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

“The entire country should know what’s happening here in Wisconsin,” said the state’s Senate Democrats.

Alarm Grows Over Wisconsin GOP’s Supreme Court Impeachment Threats

Wisconsin Republicans are afraid to lose their majority!

Related:

‘What Authoritarianism Looks Like’: Wisconsin GOP Threatens to Impeach Liberal Justice

Right-Wing Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Accused of ‘Meltdown’ After Liberal Takeover

Rules for Pentagon Use of Proxy Forces Shed Light on a Shadowy War Power

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)2 Comments

U.S. Special Operations forces are not required to vet for past human rights violations by the foreign troops they arm and train as surrogates, newly disclosed documents show.

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The irregular warfare program has provided training to allied forces in countries that face a threat of invasion by larger neighbors, the senior Defense Department official said. The Washington Post has reported that an irregular warfare proxy program in Ukraine was terminated just before the Russian invasion, and that some officials want to restart it.

Rules for Pentagon Use of Proxy Forces Shed Light on a Shadowy War Power