Weekly Spotlight: A Significant Milestone

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CHECKS AND IMBALANCES

A landmark 100 days.

April 29 marked 100 days since the start of President Trump’s second term. At this significant milestone, the majority of voters across party lines believe the president is overreaching his constitutional authority and that he should not be able to ignore Supreme Court orders or to eliminate programs that Congress established. POGO’s Executive Director Danielle Brian writes on these first 100 days, “Many safeguards have proven extremely fragile. If we hope to emerge from this crisis with our democracy intact, we must also confront what has failed and what we must change.”

• ANALYSIS Trump's First 100 Days of Unchecked Power: Reflecting on the past 100 days, and what we need to do in the next 100 days and beyond. 
• Dig deeper: 10 key numbers that sum up Trump’s first 100 days (NPR)
• RESOURCE FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES Ten Frequently Asked Questions About Whistleblowing: Answers to ethical, practical, and procedural questions for blowing the whistle on corruption and abuses in the government.

ABUSING POWER AND RIGHTS

“Could,” Should, Won’t

President Trump said in an interview this week that he “could” bring Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully and lawlessly deported, back to the United States. But he is still failing and refusing to, even in the face of explicit Supreme Court orders. Abrego Garcia is one of hundreds of people who have been removed from the country without due process. And despite mounting legal challenges, the administration is hurtling onwards. An internal memo recently obtained by USAToday revealed that the Justice Department authorized ICE agents to enter and search homes without a warrant under the Alien Enemies Act. The wartime law does not give the government leeway to violate your due process and privacy rights — these are inalienable, and protected by the Constitution. The courts and Congress must intervene to protect the public from these egregious abuses of executive power. 

• A federal judge permanently blocked the administration from carrying out its targeted deportations under the Alien Enemies Act in the southern district of Texas. It’s the first permanent ruling declaring Trump’s invocation of the wartime law against a Venezuelan gang unlawful because there’s been no armed attack by a foreign nation.
• The government recently deported three young children who are U.S. citizens. The families’ attorneys are disputing DHS’s claims that their mothers, who were also deported, chose to take them with them.
• ANALYSIS Mass Deportations Will Rely on Authoritarian Surveillance: The administration is relying on surveillance technology to aid their mass deportation agenda — and they’re dismantling crucial privacy guardrails to do it, writes POGO’s Don Bell. 
• Rodney Scott, who has a history of misconduct and condoning abuse at Customs and Border Protection, had his confirmation hearing to lead the agency this week. The Senate must reject his nomination — this role must be held by someone who can hold the agency accountable.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

The big reveal

The Trump administration revealed their budget plan for 2026. Some of the toplines:

➡️$1.01 trillion for the Pentagon, up 13% from 2025

➡️ A “historic” $175 billion to Homeland Security, a 65% increase from 2025 enacted levels

➡️$163 billion in cuts to key programs and grants related to public health, energy, education, and the environment — a near quarter reduction

In their budget request, the administration acknowledges the "unprecedented" nature of the increases to homeland security and defense spending. They also note that they are assuming a significant portion of the funding for these increases ($325 billion) will come from the budget resolution currently under reconciliation in Congress. 

• The spending boosts for homeland security and defense aren’t just unprecedented — they’re unnecessary. Pentagon spending is rife with waste, and the Department of Homeland Security has a proven history of misconduct, abuse, and impunity. These agencies don’t need more money — they need oversight. 
• Speaking of Congress: The House Armed Services Committee approved an additional $150 billion for the Pentagon through reconciliation this week. Congress should not be rubberstamping this brash attempt to funnel more unchecked spending to the Pentagon. Congress’s job is to hold these agencies accountable. 
• One bright light: The Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memo that secures the right to repair for future Army contracts. This is a big win — we’ve long pushed for right-to-repair at the Pentagon so they can repair equipment they own without having to rely on contracting companies. This will be great for Army readiness, service member safety, and of course taxpayers. But the billions saved by right-to-repair won’t do much to move the needle if the administration and Congress direct more unnecessary funds to the Pentagon.

EXECUTIVE POWER GRAB

The Trump administration doesn’t want you to have a say

The Trump administration has undermined the power of the courts and Congress. Now, they’re trying to undermine you. In March, the White House quietly moved to change the process for some federal regulations — unilaterally designating immigrations and customs rules as “foreign policy activities” so they no longer go through a public notice and comment process, “one of the most fundamental processes in modern American government,” POGO’s David Janovsky and Janice Luong write in a new analysis. The administration is giving itself unprecedented authority to bypass rulemaking laws. That is just one part of a broad effort to block the public from understanding — and participating in — the government’s regulatory process, which profoundly affects the everyday lives of millions.

• ANALYSIS Nothing to See Here: Eliminating the public notice and comment process means you may no longer have the opportunity to voice your concerns and criticisms when the government proposes a regulation or policy that infringes on your rights.
• Demanding transparency from President Trump and DOGE. POGO is suing to secure public access to DOGE’s records so you can know what they are doing with their sweeping and unchecked power.