📢 Power to the People News | December 31, 2025
Power to the People News — December 31, 2025. Democracy is on the line. Get informed and take action today.
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🚨 ICE Says U.S. Citizen’s Birth Certificate Is Fake After Arresting Her: Attorneys
“A Maryland woman has spent days in immigration detention despite being a U.S. citizen with a valid birth certificate and other documentation — documents ICE claims aren’t authentic, her attorneys told HuffPost Thursday.” Advocates note that such incidents are not isolated and point to systemic failures in identity verification. “They’re denying that any of her birth certificates, which are from Laurel, Maryland, her records of immunization, medical records — they’re denying the authenticity of them. It is something I’ve never encountered.” said her attorney. The case raises alarms about accountability and the risks faced by citizens and immigrants alike. — HuffPost
🤝 Court Rules Trump-Vance Administration Cannot Block Members of Congress From Conducting Oversight at Federal Immigration Detention Facilities
“A federal court temporarily stopped the Trump-Vance administration’s policy blocking Members of Congress from unannounced oversight visits to federal immigration detention facilities today. The decision restores Congress’s ability to conduct real-time oversight of how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain individuals — including U.S. citizens — and spend billions in taxpayer dollars, while the case continues. Democracy Forward and American Oversight represent plaintiffs.” The orders create breathing room for due process to unfold in complex litigation. — Democracy Forward
🕯️ICE Detainee Dies After Being Held at a Troubled Jailhouse in Newark
A man held by immigration authorities died while in custody at a detention facility in Newark. Federal officials confirmed the death and said an internal review is underway. Advocates and local leaders are raising concerns about medical care, detention conditions, and accountability. “Jean Wilson Brutus, 41, was one of four migrants to die in the past week after medical emergencies in detention centers in New Jersey, Michigan, Mississippi and Pennsylvania.” The death adds to growing scrutiny of fatalities inside immigration detention centers. — The New York Times
🤝 Police in Many Sanctuary Cities Have Repeatedly Collaborated With ICE
Truthout documents how local police departments in cities labeled as “sanctuaries” continue to cooperate with immigration enforcement despite public policies claiming otherwise. Through data analysis and case examples, they show how information sharing and joint actions still occur. Advocates argue these practices betray community trust and place immigrants at greater risk. The findings raise questions about the effectiveness and honesty of sanctuary policies nationwide. — Truthout
💧 No, Abortion Pills Aren’t Polluting U.S. Waterways
Are abortion pills really contaminating America’s drinking water—or is this another manufactured scare? An analysis in Ms Magazine debunks claims that medication abortion, including mifepristone, is polluting U.S. waterways, noting there is no scientific evidence to support the allegation. While trace amounts of many medications can appear in wastewater after human use, experts say mifepristone poses no environmental or water safety risk. “Policymakers should push back on baseless environmental claims about medication abortion and instead advance evidence-based protections for our water and environment. It is also critical that experts and advocates denounce water policies focused on medication abortion for what they are: an effort to surveil, restrict and eventually ban abortion care.” — Ms. Magazine
🗺️ Interactive: How Abortion Laws in the U.S. Have Changed Since Roe v. Wade
Your rights now depend on where you live. An interactive map by the New York Times shows how abortion laws have shifted state by state since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Users can track bans, protections, and ongoing legal battles across the country. The visuals reveal a fractured legal landscape shaping access to care nationwide. — The New York Times
💸 The cost of winning abortion rights in Missouri — without expanding access
What if winning the vote still doesn’t mean getting care? Missouri voters protected abortion rights, but access remains limited by staffing shortages, regulations, and geography. “New abortion data backs our longstanding argument: that legal doesn’t mean accessible.” Clinics struggle to meet demand despite legal victories. Advocates warn that rights without infrastructure leave patients behind. — Missouri Independent
🇪🇺 European lawmakers vote for scheme to improve access to abortions
Can international cooperation close abortion access gaps? European lawmakers voted on a plan to improve abortion access across member states facing bans and funding barriers. “The European Union’s parliament voted on Wednesday in favor of a scheme that would enable women from nations restricting abortion to terminate pregnancies in another member state free of charge.” Supporters frame the proposal as a public health and human rights necessity. — Reuters
💼 Hassett Says Supreme Court Risks Creating Tariff Refund Problem
A Supreme Court decision could trigger billion-dollar consequences almost overnight. A senior economic adviser warns that a pending ruling may force the government to refund massive sums collected through disputed tariffs. Economists caution that such refunds could disrupt federal budgets and weaken trade enforcement authority. The case shows how court decisions can send shockwaves far beyond the legal system. — Bloomberg
📜 Conservatives Want the Antebellum Constitution Back
What if the Constitution is being interpreted as if the Civil War never happened? In a piece for the Atlantic, Adam Serwer argues that recent legal and political trends are reviving pre–Civil War constitutional ideas focused on states’ rights and narrow federal power. Critics warn this approach risks rolling back hard-won protections and entrenching inequality under the banner of historical originalism. The framing raises alarms about how selective readings of history are being used to justify modern governance. — The Atlantic
⚖️ It’s time to accept that the US supreme court is illegitimate and must be replaced
Is the Supreme Court losing the public’s trust? Many would argue that controversial rulings, ethics concerns, and perceptions of partisan influence are accelerating a legitimacy crisis. Decisions with sweeping social and political consequences are increasingly seen as disconnected from democratic accountability. Critics warn that without reform, confidence in the rule of law itself may continue to erode. — The Guardian
💥 Calls to Action:
Click here to Ban Members of Congress from Trading Stock While in Office
Click here to Tell Congress: An Oath to the Constitution Requires Saying No to Illegal Orders
Click here to Demand Congress Reject “Trump-Kennedy Center” Rename
Click here to Tell Apple & Google CEOs: End your contracts with ICE NOW.
Click here to Tell Your Governor: Reject the Federal School Voucher Program
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