Lawfare's Litigation Tracker follows legal challenges to the Trump administration’s executive actions that deal with national security issues, as well as cases on behalf of the Trump administration to enforce them. View it here: www.lawfaremedia.org/trumptracker

If you've been following the Mohsen Mahdawi case, check out this @lawfaremedia.org article about the history of the foreign policy provision added to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) in 1990 & its current use by the Trump admin. to attempt to ideologically deport foreign noncitizens. 🗃️⬇️

Over at Lawfare, I examine the peculiar constitutional theory undergirding OPM's final rule on Schedule Policy/Career

Every month Lawfare material supporters are able to attend a webinar to ask our contributors their most pressing questions. Become a supporter today to attend this month's webinar featuring @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org, @sranderson.bsky.social and @ericcolumbus.bsky.social. lawfare.substack.com

Over the past five years, the number of attacks on health facilities and personnel in armed conflict has tripled. Elevating the legal duty of proportionality can reduce the severity and number of attacks on hospitals that result in unnecessary harms, writes Leonard Rubenstein.

Join Lawfare, @georgetownprivacy.bsky.social, and the @gtowntechlaw.bsky.social an event marking the 40th anniversary of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. 🗓️Friday, March 6 🕗8:30am - 2pm 🔗 www.lawfaremedia.org/ecpaevent

OPM recently published its final rule implementing Schedule Policy/Career, which would convert at least 50,000 federal employees to at-will employment status. @nicholasbednar.bsky.social explores the constitutional theory being asserted by this rule, which would upend 150 years of civil service law.

On Lawfare Daily, Eric Ciaramella and Francis Farrell joined @lapatina.bsky.social to discuss the first year of the Trump presidency through the lens of the war Ukraine and whether the ongoing peace talks have any chance of succeeding. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/lawf...

On today's Lawfare Daily @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org, @annabower.bsky.social, @rparloff.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, Troy Edwards, and Peyton Baker discussed courts finding various U.S. attorneys to be unlawfully appointed, the arraignment of Don Lemon in Minnesota, and more.

On Friday, Don Lemon and his codefendants were arraigned in Minnesota. Peyton Baker reports from the hearing, which foreshadowed disputes over complex-case designation, grand jury disclosure, and the government’s handling of digital evidence.

"[U]nless it is paired with credible continuity and jurisdictional assurances, along with a complementary resilience strategy, many will treat an American-stack package as a useful floor while continuing to build options that reduce U.S. dependence," writes @pablochavez.bsky.social.

Lawfare is dedicated to high quality analysis of hard national security choices–never behind a paywall. This is only possible because of the support of our readers. Donate today:

Try to solve Lawfare’s latest national security-related crossword puzzle! The puzzle includes a bonus answer at question 63 down. We will have a lottery drawing of the correct responders, and one lucky submitter will win some Lawfare swag!

After a whirlwind year, ICE and CBP have a lot more resources than at the dawn of the administration—but also a lot more opposition. How will it all shake out? @ericcolumbus.bsky.social sat down with @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social to discuss. www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-zo...

Any new government in Venezuela will have to address the country’s broken military, fragmented politics, and an oil sector vulnerable to corruption, writes @garciaponce.bsky.social.

Come Work With Lawfare—As Our New Development Manager! The development manager will support the planning, coordination, execution, and development of donor relationships. Apply today:

Last week, @tylermcbrien.com sat down with @pwbeck.bsky.social and @seamushughes.bsky.social to discuss what happens when “dockets die in darkness" in ‘news deserts,’ that are devoid of even a single newspaper, let alone a reporter dedicated to its federal court. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFZd...

"It is a stark example of how, during Trump’s second term, the Department of Justice has eroded long-standing norms, weaponized prosecutorial power, and turned the courtroom into a stage for political theater," write @annabower.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, and Troy Edwards.

ICYMI: Watch @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, @rparloff.bsky.social, @annabower.bsky.social, Troy Edwards, and Peyton Baker to discuss discussed the arraignment of Don Lemon, affidavits released for the FBI search of the Fulton County election office, and more.

@annabower.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, Troy Edwards unpack the Don Lemon indictment, its factual allegations, the elements the government must prove to convict, and the potential defenses available to the accused.

Check out the Week that Was, a roundup of Lawfare's articles and podcasts of the past week, compiled by Marissa Wang.

In 1 hour, @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org, @annabower.bsky.social, @rparloff.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social and Troy Edwards will discuss the affidavits supporting the FBI's search warrant at a Fulton County election center, a PI in Senator Mark Kelly’s suit against the DOD, and more.

Trump’s attempts to dominate allies come with many costs and few benefits, write @atabatabai.bsky.social and @j-dren.bsky.social.

"Is it unbecoming a federal judge? Yes. Is it an intellectually compelling way for a judge to write? No. Is it adolescent? Yes. But it is arresting. It does make one stop and think." In The Situation @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org considers the role of the exclamation mark in a judicial opinion.

This week's Seriously Risky Business looks at leaked docs from China that suggest the country is developing capabilities to attack power grids and transportation networks, a U.S. cyber operation that disrupted Iranian air defense systems last year, and more. Read the newsletter, from @tom.risky.biz.

Attacks on LLM-based systems have evolved into a distinct class of malware execution mechanisms. Bruce Schneier, Oleg Brodt, Elad Feldman, and Ben Nassi propose a “promptware kill chain” to provide policymakers with a framework to address the escalating AI threat landscape.

Today's Lawfare Daily is a panel with @sranderson.bsky.social, Claire Finkelstein, Christopher Maier, Larry Lewis, and Geoffrey Corn on the challenges of civilian harm mitigation in urban warfare environments at a conference hosted by the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law. youtu.be/bexOMyFLaPg

"While this “precision cycle” has at times advanced civilian harm mitigation, it also risks hollowing precision into performance—allowing visual credibility to stand in for legal, strategic, and ethical judgment," writes Christopher Fuller.

Around the world, lawmakers are limiting how young people interact with digital services. Isabel Arroyo explains the 3 major ways digital platforms try to figure out the ages of its users and the risks these methods pose to privacy and online expression. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/to-r...

On Rational Security, @sranderson.bsky.social, @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org, and @lapatina.bsky.social discussed the latest developments in Ukraine, including Russia’s ongoing winter campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, U.S.-backed negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more.

Quick explainer on Judge Boasberg’s order just now. It affects the handful of Venezuelans among the 135 sent to CECOT under the Alien Enemies Act who, after being prisoner-swapped to VZ, escaped to a 3d country ... 1/7 storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

During a Fox News interview in January, White House Border Czar Tom Homan said that he was pushing DHS to create a “database” of people arrested during ICE protests. Hannah Berkman and Stacy Livingston analyze the First Amendment concerns raised by Homan's plan.

Advanced AI will not automatically help consumers achieve desired legal outcomes at lower costs. Justin Curl, @sayash.bsky.social, & @randomwalker.bsky.social identify three bottlenecks that stand between AI capability advances and more accessible legal services in the latest Lawfare Research paper.

On Lawfare Daily, @alanrozenshtein.com sat down with Justin Curl and @randomwalker.bsky.social to discuss their new Lawfare research report which identifies structural features of the legal profession that will prevent AI from delivering dramatic cost savings anytime soon. youtu.be/pNWoN6kn1XY

NEW: Don Lemon is set to be arraigned this week on charges tied to a protest at a church. The case has raised press freedom concerns. But the constitutional provision most likely to derail the indictment isn’t the First Amendment—it’s the Commerce Clause. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.lawfaremedia.org/article/minn...

The Justice Department's actions leading up to Don Lemon's arrest are the latest example of how the Trump admin has eroded norms, weaponized prosecutorial power, and turned the courtroom into a stage for political theater, write @annabower.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, and Troy Edwards.

Following a Jan. 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, MN, the Justice Department arrested 9 people, including 2 journalists. @annabower.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, and Troy Edwards analyze the charging documents against the defendants and the legal hurdles that could sink the case.

Try to solve our latest national security-related crossword puzzle by Brad Wiegmann. We will have a lottery drawing of those who correctly answer the bonus answer at question 63 down and one lucky submitter will win some Lawfare swag! www.lawfaremedia.org/article/insi...

I strongly recommend this podcast, not because I asked the questions but because @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social explains everything related to Trump immigration developments so clearly. youtu.be/b-zoJZy7czA

"The government cannot punish a person without first convincing grand jurors of something...In savage times, that permission is no mere formality. It is the line between a society that flirts with barbarism and a society that plunges into it" writes @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org in The Situation.

Since taking office last year, the Trump administration has shown persistent interest in Belarus, engaging in diplomatic talks and sending multiple delegations to Minsk. @katiebelarus.bsky.social explores what the U.S. may be gaining from Belarus—and specifically Lukashenka.

On Lawfare Daily, @tylermcbrien.com sat down with @pwbeck.bsky.social and @seamushughes.bsky.social to discuss the impact of ‘news deserts,’ a place that is largely devoid of even a newspaper that can cover its federal court and what happens when “dockets die in darkness.” youtu.be/oFZd2G--dJI

The supporting affidavits for the FBI's warrant to search the Fulton County election office—where agents seized 700 boxes containing ballots and other documents related to the 2020 election—have been unsealed. Read the affidavits, from @tylermcbrien.com.

My latest take on the NVE threat, in @lawfaremedia.org: A Terrorism of Vengeance

BREAKING: The supporting affidavit for the warrant to search Fulton County election records has been unsealed. Read it via @lawfaremedia.org: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Watch the fourth lecture in @lkatfield.bsky.social's Lawfare Lecture series now! She discusses the National Conservative movement, often referred to as the NatCons, the major figures in the movement, and their efforts to consolidate a national conservative identity. youtu.be/jkgMet1vcNE

President Trump’s newly announced “Board of Peace,” which Trump says could replace the UN, is the latest attempt by the United States to build "coalitions of the willing." Kristina Daugirdas and Katerina Linos look at why previous efforts have failed and what they mean for the Board of Peace.

In December, a district judge upheld the Trump administration's $100,000 fee on temporary visas for high-skilled workers (H-1B). Irene Loewenson explains the decision and what happens next in the case. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/trum...

After a whirlwind year, ICE and CBP have a lot more resources—but also a lot more opposition. On Lawfare Daily, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social sat down with @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social to discuss what is—and isn’t—likely to look different in the upcoming year of Trump administration immigration policy.