Latest news with #ScottMichelman
Axios
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Trump's federal crackdown on D.C. causes confusion: What to know
President Trump is stepping up federal law enforcement in D.C. this week, deploying officials from over 15 agencies in a high-profile push to crack down on crime. Why it matters: D.C.'s mix of federal- and city-controlled land creates overlapping law enforcement zones — making it easier to increase arrests, but also raising alarms over accountability and civil rights. State of play: Trump's high-visibility, multi-agency operation launched Friday — led by the U.S. Park Police, with potential for extension. It includes familiar agencies like U.S. Capitol Police, Metro and Amtrak police. Other agencies seen less frequently on D.C. streets include: DEA, FBI, ATF, Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals. Federal officers will patrol in marked units and uniforms. How they'll coordinate with the Metropolitan Police Department is unclear. The agency didn't respond to Axios' requests for comment. 🧭 Target zones: Tourist-heavy areas — the National Mall, downtown museums — plus Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, Union Station, the George Washington and Baltimore-Washington parkways, and more. Friction point: Civil rights groups warn the crackdown is unnecessary and risky. "A huge concern is training. When you start injecting entities with a different mission and different way of looking at the world, that can be a recipe for danger," ACLU-D.C. legal director Scott Michelman tells Axios. He points to federal authorities' response to racial justice demonstrations in Lafayette Square in 2020 during the first Trump administration, which led to lawsuits and policy changes years later. "Accountability mechanisms for federal law enforcement — if they violate the Constitution — are so much weaker versus state and local." Meanwhile, D.C.'s patchwork of city-controlled and federal land — and generally harsher penalties for federal violations — makes things murkier. Zoom in: 90% of D.C. parks are federally controlled. That includes neighborhood gathering spaces like Malcolm X, Dupont and Logan Circles, as well as most of downtown's green space. Penalties can be more severe on federal land for minor offenses — including open alcohol containers or marijuana possession, which is legal in D.C. "You can come across any agency at any given time," says Sharell Jarvis, an organizer with Free DC, a group that campaigns to protect Home Rule. Catch up quick: On Tuesday, Trump threatened to federalize D.C. following what police said was an unarmed carjacking attempt near Logan Circle and beating of a former DOGE staffer.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ACLU challenges firing of federal employees working on DEI
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a class action complaint with a federal employment board, asking it to review the firings of employees who worked on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and accessibility efforts. The filing notes that two orders signed by President Trump stretched back to Election Day, targeting employees who worked on DEI and accessibility (referred to as DEIA) issues but who were transferred to other roles ahead of his inauguration. 'The implementation of the EOs [executive orders] betrays their partisan political goals by targeting employees, not positions, for [reductions in force], and by insisting on the elimination of those employees whom the government perceived to have worked in DEIA on the date of the presidential election, November 5, 2024,' the complaint states. The complaint, filled with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), said those employees were 'unlawfully punished for their perceived political affiliations.' 'Targeting hard working civil servants because they are associated with an idea the government dislikes violates the First Amendment. President Trump can't drag us back to a dark chapter in history where the government targeted people simply for their views or values,' Scott Michelman, legal director at the ACLU-D.C., said in a statement. 'The decision to go after people for DEI work they are no longer doing shows the administration's true motive: to punish employees who they think hold values that clash with the president's extremist agenda.' The filing notes that 'Trump has explicitly associated DEIA programs with his Democratic predecessor, Joseph R. Biden.' It also says the firing likely violated the Civil Rights Act, contending the workers were targeted for their sex and race. The MSPB has temporarily reinstated some employees fired by Trump, including probationary workers who were fired en masse. Probationary workers, who generally have been hired within the last year or two, must be fired for cause. Other employees who worked on DEI and accessibility issues have previously filed legal challenges beyond the MSPB. Several CIA officers who were temporarily assigned to DEI and accessibility roles sued after they were placed on administrative leave and faced imminent firings. 'None of these officer's activities was or is illegal, and at no time have the agencies employing Plaintiffs contended that they individually engaged in any misconduct, nor are they accused of poor performance,' the suit says. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
26-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
ACLU challenges firing of federal employees working on DEI
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a class action complaint with a federal employment board, asking them to review the firings of employees who worked on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) efforts. The filing notes that two orders signed by President Trump stretched back to Election Day, targeting employees who worked on DEIA issues but who were transferred to other roles ahead of his Inauguration. 'The implementation of the EOs betrays their partisan political goals by targeting employees, not positions, for [reductions in force], and by insisting on the elimination of those employees whom the government perceived to have worked in DEIA on the date of the presidential election, November 5, 2024,' the complaint states. The complaint, filled with the Merit Systems Protection Board, said those employees were 'unlawfully punished for their perceived political affiliations. 'Targeting hard working civil servants because they are associated with an idea the government dislikes violates the First Amendment. President Trump can't drag us back to a dark chapter in history where the government targeted people simply for their views or values,' Scott Michelman, legal director at the ACLU-D.C, said in a statement. 'The decision to go after people for DEI work they are no longer doing shows the administration's true motive: to punish employees who they think hold values that clash with the president's extremist agenda.' The filing notes that Trump 'Trump has explicitly associated DEIA programs with his Democratic predecessor, Joseph R. Biden.' It also says the firing likely violated the Civil Rights Act, contending the workers were targeted for their sex and race. The MSPB has temporarily reinstated some employees fired by Trump, including probationary workers who were fired en masse. Probational workers, who generally have been hired within the last year or two, must be fired for cause. Other employees who worked on DEIA issues have previously filed legal challenges beyond the MSPB. Several CIA officers who were temporarily assigned to DEIA roles sued after they were placed on administrative leave and faced imminent firings. 'None of these officer's activities was or is illegal, and at no time have the agencies employing Plaintiffs contended that they individually engaged in any misconduct, nor are they accused of poor performance,' the suit says.
