It’s been just about 100 days since Trump took office, not even three months, and even in that short time, his actions have set a perilous precedent that threatens the fabric of our Constitution. The White House’s decisions and actions in these first 100 days are not just a cause for fear; they’re enough for all Americans to pull a five-alarm fire on this administration.
There are two ways in which Donald Trump has objectively damaged and attempted to ignore our Constitution: 1. ignoring direct court orders, and 2. threatening and signing executive orders that inhibit the abilities of law firms across our country to do their job.
The courts
Although “deported” is used throughout this article for clarity, it’s worth mentioning that, in many cases, the individuals in question face imprisonment abroad, not just removal from the United States.
The actions of the Trump administration have displayed a direct rebuttal and refusal towards the judicial branch of the United States government and its ability to interpret the law. A persuasive example is the White House’s decisions on March 15, 2025. Below is a quick timeline of that day.
In the early hours of the morning, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Democracy Forward filed suit on behalf of five Venezuelan immigrants, who feared they would be deported under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 for falsely being labeled members of the Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua. This act was initially designed to protect the United States in a time of war, giving the President authority to detain and deport natives of “enemy nations.” It has been invoked three times in U.S. history: World War I, World War II, and the War of 1812; therefore, its use today is an alarming and surprising interpretation of the act. Raising many questions regarding its legality.
The same morning the ACLU filed suit, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a restraining order to prevent the deportation of those five immigrants, ensuring he could review the suit before any irreversible decisions were made.
At around four o’clock, the Trump administration officially announced the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act.
About two hours later, Boasberg decided he must issue an order to pause the deportations of any person under the Alien Enemies Act, expanding it past just the previous five Venezuelan Immigrants. In doing so, he told the Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Todd Blanche to “Inform your clients of this immediately and that any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States.”
Instead of complying with the judge, the United States government went forward with the deportation of around 261 immigrants, 137 of whom were deported using the Alien Enemies Act. Many legal experts claim that this total disregard for a judge leaves our courts in a precarious position. The United States government should have kept all immigrants in U.S. custody, appealed the decision, and waited for an order from the appeals court. While they did appeal, by the time the court ordered a ruling, which was in agreement with Judge Boasberg by a vote of two-to-one, 137 people had already been deported to one of the harshest prisons in the world, located in El Salvador, CECOT. One of the judges, Judge Patricia Millett of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, claimed that “Nazis got better treatment” under this very act. The Nazis had the chance for a hearing board but these alleged gang members had no due process. This very lack of due process has resulted in at least three legal immigrants being rendered to foreign prisons.
One Maryland man with legal status, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a U.S. citizen wife, and a 5-year-old daughter, was deported under “an administrative error,” according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Up to this point, the White House has refused to acknowledge this man’s legal status and has made no efforts to return him to his home in the U.S. Since the writing of this article the Supreme Court ordered the return of Mr. Garcia yet the Trump administration has made no efforts to follow through with the Court’s unanimous decision. Further, they deported a two-year-old American citizen and a 4 year old American citizen with cancer. Another man, who was seeking asylum over persecution in Venezuela for his sexuality, was picked up and deported for having two tattoos on his wrists, one reading “mom” and the other reading “dad,” each with a crown over the word. There is a third report that a legal refugee in Miami was also picked up by ICE and deported. The Trump Administration essentially disappeared three legal residents to CECOT, known for its steel beds, cells of 80+, and an allocated 30 minutes a day that can be spent outside of the cell.
Now, while there is a genuine concern about the legality of the order and the use of the act to deport presumed gang members, that is for the courts to figure out. What is more concerning is the United States government’s lack of hesitation or consideration in complying with the judge’s direct ruling and its decision to ignore it hastily. The United States has three branches of government, and when the executive branch no longer acknowledges the power of the judiciary or the legislative branch, it is no longer a democracy.
This is not the only example of the Trump administration ignoring a Judge’s order. A federal judge in Rhode Island, John J. McConnell Jr., ruled on February 10 that the Trump administration had not been complying with his order to release the billions of dollars in federal grants that had been frozen. Yet, even with the federal appeals court upholding McConnell’s order, it’s unclear if the Trump administration has complied. For many, it leaves local support systems in limbo, threatening the livelihoods of millions of Americans.
The White House’s actions regarding court orders are dangerous and scary. Instead of complying with America’s judicial branch, this administration ignores it and instead calls for judges to be impeached. Although unlikely and nearly impossible, as it requires two-thirds of the Senate, it sets a dangerous precedent, one that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John G. Roberts felt obligated to speak out against. Releasing a statement that labeled calls for Judges’ impeachment over disagreement as un-American and dangerous.-“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”- This is significant as the Chief Justice rarely releases statements like such, exemplifying the severity of the moment.
Regardless of your opinion, this is un-American. A part of the beauty of this country is that we have checks and balances. If someone disagrees with the Trump administration, that person goes to court, and a judge rules. We let the courts work it out. Even if you disagree with the judge, you obey their ruling and then appeal. You don’t get to ignore the order; that’s just not how our courts work.
But the Trump administration has decided that what the courts say doesn’t matter and that any judge who disagrees with them is a “radical left lunatic” and needs to be impeached. Still, we have yet to see multiple judges or anybody take a clear and unambiguous stance against the White House’s utter disregard for our courts and their role in this country. Judge Boasberg was moving in that direction by looking into the prospect of holding the White House in contempt. Still, those proceedings were temporarily frozen by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. So why would the White House change its behavior when it can get what it wants, no matter what the courts say, because no one is enforcing the orders? It is risky for America, leaving us on a tightrope as a Republic. The way to respond to the White House is to hold them accountable, to not just stand by, to take action like Judge Boasberg. Once again, since the writing of this article, a Judge, Hannah Dugan, in Wisconsin has been arrested for allegedly obstructing immigration officials, raising concerns about the reason for her arrest.
Law Firms
Trump’s administration hasn’t only gone after judges. They’ve also begun going after lawyers and law firms, whether it be for filing suit against them, for historically supported democrats, or for his belief that they deserve to feel his wrath.
The Trump administration issued a memo on March 23, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the attorney general to sanction any law firm that files “frivolous” lawsuits against the White House. But who gets to determine what suits are frivolous? That power rests entirely with the Trump Administration. This means that all law firms considering filing a suit against the White House must consider the punishments they could face. It discourages people from fighting back out of fear of retribution.
This memo followed the signing of three executive orders attacking the firms: Paul Weiss (March 14) for having a firm partner who tried to build a case against Trump in the Manhattan DAs office, Perkins Cole (March 6) for representing the Hillary campaign, and Covington & Burling (February 25) for providing pro bono counsel to Jack Smith, the special prosecutor who indicted Trump.
The executive orders suspended the security clearance of the firm’s employees and barred them from entering federal buildings. It also ordered federal agencies to review any grants going to those firms’ clients. This jeopardizes these firms’ ability to meet, defend, and recruit clients, punishing them from ever going against the Trump White House in any way, shape, or form.
Following the memo and these three executive orders, other law firms have also been targeted, including Jenner & Block on March 25, the firm where one of the lead investigators into Trump’s ties with Russia during the 2016 election works. Then, on March 27, the White House targeted WilmerHale, where Robert Mueller, the lead investigator into the 2016 election, had previously worked.. Despite the risk of retaliation, these two firms, along with Perkins Coie, have sued the Trump administration over these orders. But given the track record of this White House, even if the judge rules in their favor, who knows if their access to federal buildings and such will be reinstated?
One firm, Paul Weiss, felt it had no choice but to strike a deal with the Trump administration and accept a settlement, in hopes of keeping its clients and saving the firm. They agreed to provide $40 million in pro bono work, which was approved by the White House. Similarly, the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Firm agreed to $100 million in pro bono work to avoid an executive order similar to those faced by other firms.
This sends a dangerous message to the law firms of America: if you come after the White House, you face a real threat to your business’s success and competitiveness. It discourages firms from speaking up and standing up for their minds. It damages the capabilities of the American judicial system, and now no firm may ever want to file suit against the White House again out of fear of retaliation. The question these firms must be asking themselves is terrifying :Do we effectively give in and do whatever the Trump Administration says for the next four years, or do we fight an impossible battle?
The Constitution
The dry ink on the Constitution laid the foundation for the greatest republic ever known to man. Yet, today, that democracy is under siege by the man behind the Resolute desk. You’re probably asking yourself, What can I do? Protest in every way possible. Speak out on social media. Get your friends involved. Attend your congressman’s town hall or a local rally. Take action in every way you can. We cannot afford to be complacent. Doing nothing is not neutral. Complacency is compliance, and silence makes you complicit. History will judge these days. One day, your grandchildren will ask you what you did when American Democracy was on the verge of collapse. You must ask yourself: What will my answer be? Will I stand up, or stay silent? This isn’t a hyperbole. We are at a turning point in our Republic, and we must all fight back or risk losing this grand experiment we know as America.
