CASE SUMMARIES
Whether through lawsuits, emergency motions, or amicus briefs, we use the law to safeguard our democracy, defend against executive overreach, and protect public servants who keep our government running every day.
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Elev8 v. AmeriCorps
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and community organizations across the nation sue to block the administration's attempt to dismantle AmeriCorps without congressional authorization.
Birthright Citizenship
For over 150 years, that answer has been clear: If you’re born in the United States, you are a U.S. citizen. On his first day in office in 2025, President Trump tried to rewrite the 14th amendment and deny citizenship to certain children born in America. We’re proud to be among the first lawsuits filed challenging this unconstitutional overreach and defending the 250,000+ babies born in the U.S. each year.
Rengel v. United States
Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel is a Venezuelan barber who was living in Texas with his family and awaiting an immigration hearing when the U.S. government unlawfully detained and transferred him to CECOT, the notoriously brutal maximum security mega-prison in El Salvador.
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Elev8 v. AmeriCorps
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and community organizations across the nation sue to block the administration's attempt to dismantle AmeriCorps without congressional authorization.
Widakuswara v. Lake
Journalists, federal workers, and their unions sued the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to challenge the unlawful shuttering of the agency and to stop the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful effort to silence independent journalism and strip workers of their jobs in violation of federal law and the First Amendment.
Democracy Defenders Fund v. FBI
DDF sued the FBI after the agency refused to release records about FBI Director Kash Patel’s trip to the Winter Olympics in Italy. The February 2026 trip brought about public scrutiny as Patel stepped away from the U.S. while major national security events were unfolding. His use of government aircraft for a lavish personal trip suggested the use of taxpayer resources.
JGG v. Trump – Amicus Brief
A bipartisan group of 174 former federal, state and international judges urge the D.C. Circuit to allow criminal contempt proceedings to continue after the Trump administration defied the district court’s order not to pause deportation removals.
Democracy Defenders Fund v. DOJ
Democracy Defenders Fund sued the Department of Justice for refusing to comply with public records laws and release documents from its investigations of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell—specifically documents that mention President Trump and his Mar-a-Lago residence.
United States v. McIver
Congresswoman LaMonic McIver was indicted on three counts of allegedly interfering with federal officers after performing her duties of congressional oversight at an ICE detention facility in her district. Democracy Defenders Fund helped organize and file a bipartisan amicus brief on behalf of a group of former members of Congress, urging the court to dismiss the indictment.
J. Does v. Musk
Elon Musk and DOGE effectively dismantled USAID by seizing control of its systems, placing over 90% of its workforce on administrative leave, and terminating thousands of contracts and grants representing the substantial majority of USAID’s programming.
DSCC v. Trump
After losing in court on his first anti-voter executive order, President Trump issued a second elections executive order that went further to attack mail-in voting. The president has no constitutional authority to regulate elections or commandeer Congress’ exclusive power over the U.S. mail.
Democracy Defenders Fund v. DHS
Under the Trump administration, ICE has moved aggressively and without constraint. This case is grounded in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) violations, but the underlying conduct is far more consequential: the deployment of biometric surveillance technology against the American public, at scale, without transparency, oversight or meaningful legal restraint.
Birthright Citizenship
For over 150 years, that answer has been clear: If you’re born in the United States, you are a U.S. citizen. On his first day in office in 2025, President Trump tried to rewrite the 14th amendment and deny citizenship to certain children born in America. We’re proud to be among the first lawsuits filed challenging this unconstitutional overreach and defending the 250,000+ babies born in the U.S. each year.
Rengel v. United States
Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel is a Venezuelan barber who was living in Texas with his family and awaiting an immigration hearing when the U.S. government unlawfully detained and transferred him to CECOT, the notoriously brutal maximum security mega-prison in El Salvador.
Newhouse et. al. v. U.S. Agency Global Media et. al.
This is a case about censorship and propaganda carried out by the U.S. government.