A Recap of May and June: 75+ Threats to Freedoms

The actions below represent a coordinated campaign to consolidate executive power and silence opposition that directly follows the Orban playbook.

Military Deployment Against Civilians

1. 4,000+ National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles in June 2025 to suppress immigration protests
2. 700 Marines activated from Twentynine Palms to support National Guard operations in LA
3. First Marine civilian detention occurred June 13 - detained U.S. Army veteran Marcos Leao with zip ties
4. Federal troops deployed against governor's wishes - Trump federalized California National Guard over Newsom's objections
5. 8-day military occupation of downtown LA with ongoing curfew enforcement
6. Federal agents dragged Senator Alex Padilla from press conference, forced to ground and handcuffed
7. Active-duty troops threatened - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of Marines deployment if "violence continues"
8. Supreme Court allowed military deployment - Appeals court overruled federal judge's order to return Guard to state control
9. Military commanders unsure of authority - LA Police Chief said Marine/Guard roles "still not clear"
10. 470+ protesters detained/arrested since military deployment began

Immigration Enforcement as Authoritarian Tool

11. Alien Enemies Act invoked for first time since WWII to justify mass deportations
12. "Invasion" declared at southern border as pretext for military border enforcement
13. Expedited removal expanded nationwide - deportations without court hearings for those in US under 2 years
14. Criminal trespass prosecutions of asylum seekers under federal land declarations
15. Birthright citizenship executive order issued January 20 (blocked by courts)
16. Travel ban expanded to 19 countries - full bans on 12 nations, partial on 7 others
17. Refugee resettlement suspended indefinitely as of January 27
18. Duration of status elimination proposed rule sent to OMB for international students/workers
19. Habeas corpus suspension discussed by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during testimony
20. ICE raids at "sensitive locations" - schools, hospitals, churches no longer protected

Press Freedom Under Attack

21. Associated Press banned from White House events for refusing to say "Gulf of America"
22. FCC investigations opened into ABC, NBC, CBS for alleged bias and DEI practices
23. CBS forced to hand over raw footage and transcripts of Kamala Harris "60 Minutes" interview
24. News distortion complaints revived against three major networks (but not Fox News)
25. NPR and PBS investigations launched with Carr suggesting Congress cut their funding
26. Disney/ABC probe opened into diversity programs as "invidious discrimination"
27. Comcast/NBC investigation for promoting "invidious forms of DEI"
28. FCC chair selectively targeted liberal outlets while ignoring Fox News complaint
29. Congressional probes launched into FCC's "sham investigations" of media
30. Broadcast license threats continued from 2024 campaign into presidency

Weaponization of Justice Department

31. "Weaponization Working Group" established to investigate Trump prosecutions
32. 20+ career prosecutors fired in first days, reassigned to immigration task force
33. Jack Smith's team dismissed - all special counsel staff terminated
34. 8 senior FBI leaders forced out - ordered to retire, resign or be fired
35. Death penalty moratorium lifted with focus on immigrants and drug crimes
36. Federal executions resumed after Biden's pause
37. Trump prosecution reviews ordered including NY state cases outside DOJ jurisdiction
38. January 6 investigation staff targeted - FBI agents who worked cases face scrutiny
39. Sanctuary city prosecutions threatened - AG Bondi vowed criminal charges for officials
40. Civil rights enforcement redirected away from traditional protections

Educational Institutions Under Siege

41. 60+ universities under investigation for alleged DEI violations
42. Federal funding freeze threatened for schools with diversity programs
43. Harvard specifically targeted with travel ban preventing foreign students
44. $2.6 million in DEI contracts cancelled by Department of Education
45. 200+ web pages removed from Education Department promoting DEI
46. Career staff placed on leave who worked on diversity initiatives
47. Foreign funding disclosure demands with threats to revoke grants for non-compliance
48. Nine universities with $1B+ endowments targeted for civil rights investigations
49. State schools and Ivy Leagues probed including Georgetown, Rice, Vanderbilt, NYU
50. Teacher union lawsuits filed challenging vague and unfounded DEI directives

Free Speech Violations

51. Columbia student activist arrested - Mahmoud Khalil detained by ICE without charges
52. Law firms sanctioned for representing Trump opponents (5 firms targeted)
53. Congressional member threatened - Rep. Robert Garcia warned by federal prosecutor
54. $100+ million in pro bono work extracted from law firms to avoid punishment
55. Student protest crackdown with arrests of demonstrators nationwide
56. Academic freedom undermined through funding threats and investigations
57. DEI speech restrictions - federal contractors must certify no "prohibited" programs
58. Journalist access restricted with partisan podcasters given preference
59. "Chilling effect" documented - organizations self-censoring to avoid federal retaliation
60. Fact-checking partnerships ended as Meta withdrew from third-party verification

Judicial System Manipulation

61. Nationwide injunction power limited - Supreme Court 6-3 decision strips judicial oversight tool
62. Sanctuary city funding blocked by multiple federal judges (repeatedly circumvented)
63. Appeals court shopping - administration seeks favorable venues for challenges
64. Constitutional violations ignored - executive orders proceed despite court blocks
65. Separation of powers violated - spending authority usurped from Congress
66. Due process violations documented in multiple federal court rulings
67. Emergency powers abused through questionable national emergency declarations
68. Court order defiance - new executive orders issued to circumvent injunctions

Democratic Institution Undermining

69. Civil service system dismantled - federal DEI offices closed, staff fired
70. Government websites purged of diversity and climate content
71. Federal employee loyalty tests implemented for advancement
72. Administrative state targeted - career officials replaced with political appointees
73. Scientific integrity compromised - research grants frozen over prohibited language
74. International cooperation damaged - allies concerned about authoritarian drift
75. Electoral concerns raised - experts warn of infrastructure for future vote challenges
76. Transparency reduced - FOIA responses delayed, records withheld
77. Whistleblower protections threatened - federal employees fear retaliation
78. Democratic norms abandoned - precedents broken without legal justification