The author argues that the 47th president’s federal takeover of D.C.’s police and deployment of National Guard troops—despite declining crime rates—marks a dangerous consolidation of executive power. Coupled with rollbacks of civil rights protections, judicial retreat from constitutional freedoms, and the end of federal police oversight, it signals an accelerating slide into authoritarianism that demands urgent community defense.
Author Archives: Civitas
Posted inUncategorized
LA is just the beginning: Project 2025, martial crackdowns, and the big, beautiful coup
On June 6, the deployment of U.S. troops to suppress peaceful protests in Los Angeles marked a pivotal escalation in the execution of Project 2025—a sweeping, authoritarian agenda to consolidate executive power, dismantle civil rights protections, and suppress dissent. This opinion piece warns that America is already halfway through a legalistic coup, and urges civilians and military alike to resist the normalization of military crackdowns, voter suppression, and threats to constitutional freedoms.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: The great unraveling: How this week marked the legal end of constitutional America
The United States has entered an authoritarian phase marked by constitutional erosion, mass surveillance, political arrests, and economic destabilization driven by the implementation of Project 2025. As democratic norms collapse and survival becomes politicized, citizens are urged to prepare, organize and resist through local resilience and civic defiance.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: The Constitution was court-martialed: How the firing of America’s military lawyers signals the collapse of justice
The mass firing of top military legal officers and the rollback of civil rights protections mark a coordinated assault on constitutional checks to advance authoritarian control, with the greatest impact falling on marginalized communities.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Canary Mission and the new McCarthyism: How a digital blacklist is attempting to silence a generation
Canary Mission, a secretive online blacklist, targets predominantly marginalized students who advocate for Palestinian rights or otherwise criticize Israeli and U.S. government policies, leading to real-world consequences like job loss, immigration issues and online harassment. Critics argue it mirrors historical repression tactics, threatening free speech and democratic dissent on U.S. campuses under the guise of combating hate.
Posted inCommentary
The war on birthright citizenship is a war on all of us
On May 15, 2025, the Supreme Court will hear a case challenging Oval Office Executive Order 14160, which seeks to revoke birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants—threatening a core protection enshrined in the 14th Amendment. If upheld, the order could dismantle over a century of settled law, redefine citizenship as a privilege, and grant future presidents dangerous new power to unilaterally rewrite constitutional rights.
Posted inPolitics
‘Margaritagate,’ propaganda and the erosion of justice: Why the Abrego García case is a national alarm bell
The orchestrated photo op between Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and wrongfully deported Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego García, dubbed “Margaritagate,” exemplifies the government’s use of propaganda to mask state misconduct and deportation abuses. This case highlights a broader erosion of democratic principles—where truth-tellers are punished, due process is subverted, and marginalized communities face systemic injustice.
Posted inOPINION
At the threshold: Why the D.C. Bar election matters for the future of legal integrity in America
The 2025 election for President-Elect of the D.C. Bar Association, though under the radar, could significantly influence the ethical direction of the legal profession during a time of heightened political pressure. As concerns about impartiality and the politicization of justice grow, the leadership of the Bar stands as a critical safeguard for legal independence and public trust.
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: ‘Leave Now.’ Deportation emails, the delayed military report, and the dangerous rise of executive power
In April 2025, the Department of Homeland Security sent mass emails to thousands of immigrants, warning them to leave the U.S. within seven days or face removal—part of a broader, escalating strategy under the Trump administration to instill fear, provoke self-deportation, and test constitutional limits. While the Supreme Court has temporarily paused the removals, the administration continues advancing a militarized, legally dubious agenda targeting vulnerable communities and reshaping immigration enforcement through executive force.
Posted inCommentary
They said he wasn’t from here — but he was born in the USA
Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen born in Georgia, is being held in a Florida jail after police falsely labeled him an “unauthorized alien,” despite his family providing proof of citizenship. His case highlights the dangerous rise of racial profiling and unconstitutional detentions targeting Black and Brown Americans—signaling a deeper erosion of civil rights and due process.
Posted inU.S. Government
First signs of hope — Sen. Van Hollen meets with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador
Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s in-person meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador confirms that the Maryland resident is alive and well, bringing renewed hope to those demanding his safe return. The moment has sparked a call to action, urging the public to amplify awareness, pressure lawmakers, and stand united in defense of justice and democracy.
Posted inU.S. Government
Sen. Van Hollen is fighting for a disappeared father—and for all of us
Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to seek justice for Kilmar Ábrego García, a Maryland father who was apprehended and imprisoned without due process under Trump-era policies targeting Black and Brown communities. Denied access and proof of life, Van Hollen’s visit highlights growing concerns over unconstitutional detentions and the potential expansion of secret prison systems for marginalized Americans abroad.