Melissa Schwartz
@mschwartz3.bsky.social
📤 276
📥 267
📝 38
Seasoned strategic and crisis communicator; perpetual resistance fighter. Team
@DemocracyForward.org
reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
about 11 hours ago
If Trump is serious about ending Noem’s tenure, DHS should immediately reverse her decisions to: **put ICE in schools, hospitals, and houses of worship **make it harder for people fleeing autocratic nations to seek asylum **deprive people of due process Until then, we will still be in court.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
2 days ago
BREAKING: In our case challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s cuts to FEMA, a federal court has ordered discovery, including a deposition of Kristi Noem. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
@democracyforward.org
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
2 days ago
More dysfunction from the Trump-Vance administration today. And now, we have been granted permission to depose Secretary Kristi Noem and other officials. The truth will come out.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
3 days ago
Said it before. Will say it again. Courage is the new currency. I’m proud of the firms that pushed back, including my former firms, WilmerHale and Covington. As a mentor who has since passed away once told me, “sometimes you have to get in there and be a lawyer.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/u...
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Trump Administration Abandons Efforts to Impose Orders on Law Firms
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/us/politics/trump-executive-orders-law-firms.html
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
3 days ago
Today’s ruling makes it clear that Sec. Noem cannot silence elected officials who are doing their jobs. The court once again affirmed that oversight is not optional, transparency is not negotiable, and human rights do not disappear at the doors of a detention center.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
7 days ago
NEWS: We're suing to block the Justice Dept from eviscerating noncitizens’ right to appeal decisions in their immigration cases with its new rule. Despite what the Trump-Vance admin may think, everyone – regardless of citizenship status – has the right to due process. We will prove it in court.
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Legal Services Organizations Sue to Block Sweeping Immigration Appeals Rule That Eliminates Meaningful Judicial Review
Washington, D.C. — Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, Brooklyn Defender Services, Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, HIAS, the American Immigration Council, and National Immigrant Justice…
https://democracyforward.org/news/press-releases/legal-services-organizations-sue-to-block-sweeping-immigration-appeals-rule-that-eliminates-meaningful-judicial-revieww/
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Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
8 days ago
In our case, a federal judge just confirmed that the Trump-Vance admin violated the law by mishandling the addresses of more than 40,000 U.S. taxpayers by sharing with ICE. We will keep fighting to stop the IRS from putting sensitive data at risk.
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Judge: IRS broke law ‘approximately 42,695 times’ in giving DHS data
A court on Thursday issued an opinion on a data-sharing agreement between the taxpayer agency and federal immigration authorities.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/26/irs-data-federal-judge-dhs-illegal/
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Katherine Clark
9 days ago
The real state of the union is chaos and crisis. Donald Trump has broken every promise he made to the American people. Together with partners like Skye Perryman at Democracy Forward, we’re fighting on behalf of working families to hold the GOP accountable.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
9 days ago
Courts continue to find that this administration’s attempts to target DEI initiatives are unconstitutional, including the recent case we won protecting America's public schools.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
10 days ago
Our nation is in crisis, but We the People are strong. The state of the union is up to all of us.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
9 days ago
Democracy in the United States is in crisis. But the story of this moment is not only one of crisis. It is also one of courage. Ahead of President Trump’s State of the Union address tonight, we released our new report ⬇️
democracyforward.org/work/researc...
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The State of Democracy in the United States
https://democracyforward.org/work/research/the-state-of-democracy-in-the-united-states/
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
10 days ago
We're back in court seeking an emergency order to stop unlawful ICE activity at and around Minnesota public schools. The presence of armed, masked agents patrolling near schools and bus stops is devastating attendance, draining school resources, and traumatizing children.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
10 days ago
The Trump-Vance administration is separating children seeking asylum from their approved family sponsors and throwing them back into detention. We’re suing to end the admin’s unlawful newest form of family separation and protect the rights of immigrant children.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
13 days ago
The legal resistance is working. We will continue the fight to protect American history and science at all national parks sites.
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Philadelphia’s slavery exhibit is restored at President’s House Site
“This is the American people fighting back and saying we will not accept this,” said one Independence Mall visitor. “Will not allow history to be rewritten.”
https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-presidents-house-slavery-exhibit-restored/
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
14 days ago
BREAKING: SCOTUS rightly rejects President Trump’s attempt to establish tariffs far beyond congressional limitations in Learning Resources. Inc. v. Trump. No president or administration can ignore the Constitution.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
17 days ago
We’re suing to stop the Trump-Vance administration from erasing history and science at national parks across the country. Censoring “America’s largest classroom” cannot erase this country's truths. We will fight in court to ensure everyone can learn about the real American experience.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
18 days ago
Jordan Klepper shared a message of hope and perseverance with all of us at Together for Democracy 2026. Courage, community, and kindness are the antidotes to the Trump-Vance admin’s cruelty and apathy.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
21 days ago
Tonight’s ruling is an important win for every single person in this county because it concerns our ability to access legal counsel. The court is clear: the Trump-Vance admin’s overreaching and inhumane approach to immigration enforcement is unlawful and violates basic constitutional rights.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
20 days ago
WIN: Court calls out the Trump-Vance admin for its "vague word salad" explanation for dismantling the Dept. of Education and issued a rare order forcing the govt to hand over ALL records to justify its mass firing decision. This is a critical step in our case to protect public education in the U.S.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
20 days ago
At Together For Democracy 2026, we brought together the people shaping our democracy to connect, create, and chart the path forward for our country. A better future can’t be won alone. We must do it together.
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Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
20 days ago
BREAKING: We secured another court order blocking the Trump-Vance admin’s unlawful immigration raids at houses of worship. This ruling restores essential safeguards to religious freedom, and protects people of faith from ICE intrusion.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
21 days ago
BREAKING: We won a court order requiring DHS to immediately restore meaningful access to lawyers for people detained at immigration detention centers in Minneapolis. Access to a lawyer is not optional; it is a fundamental right. We will keep fighting to defend it.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
22 days ago
We now know that DOGE may have stood for “Dept. of Gutting Elections.” I joined Rep. Larson and our clients on Capitol Hill to expose the Trump-Vance admin's abuse of Social Security data to potentially undermine our free and fair elections. We'll continue fighting these autocratic threats in court.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
23 days ago
CEO
@skyeperryman.bsky.social
is featured in the Post Next among 50 people who are shaping society in 2026. “People are going to win this fight for our country.” Read how Skye is leading our team to create change this year.
www.washingtonpost.com/post-next/interactive/2026/#profile-skye-perryman
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
24 days ago
It’s never been about immigration enforcement – it’s about pushing a cruel, inhumane agenda that doesn’t make anyone safer. The data says it all.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arrests-violent-criminal-records-trump-first-year/
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Less than 14% of those arrested by ICE in Trump's 1st year back in office had violent criminal records, document shows
The official DHS statistics, which had not been previously reported, provide the most detailed look yet into who ICE has arrested during the Trump administration's crackdown.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arrests-violent-criminal-records-trump-first-year/
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
27 days ago
Another Friday night at
@democracyforward.org
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
28 days ago
“You get all the liars in the same room, and you start hearing different stories.”
[email protected]
reacts to President Trump, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s obvious attempt to cover up the admin's accelerating attacks on our elections.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
Every single one of us has a part to play in the fight for democracy — and we’re just getting started.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
28 days ago
President Trump has made $4 billion since his second inauguration. And now, he's suing the Treasury Department and IRS for $10 billion more in "damages." So we're filing a brief urging the court to reject President Trump’s scheme and protect taxpayers.
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Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS raises conflict of interest concerns
Legal experts say President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax information raises a host of conflict of interest questions.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-leak-irs-lawsuit-df70440e1a01193c7ea456d41caeb990
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
28 days ago
Here's how we're fighting for Minnesota in court.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
"It's not about election security. It's not about integrity. It's about undermining what the people want." CEO
@skyeperryman.bsky.social
joins
@ms.now's
The Weeknight to discuss the Trump-Vance admin's ongoing assault on U.S. elections, including the raid in Georgia.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
We said we’d see them in court, and we meant it. Today, we filed to block the Trump-Vance admin’s sweeping suspension of immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries – on behalf of immigrant families, workers, and legal assistance groups.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
BREAKING: We won another court order blocking the Trump-Vance admin’s unlawful policy restricting members of Congress – in Minnesota and across the country – from investigating conditions in ICE detention centers. Oversight is necessary to hold ICE accountable as reports of abuse and violence grow.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
The Trump-Vance administration is still attempting to distract people from its lack of transparency around the Epstein Files. As CEO
@skyeperryman.bsky.social
said on BBC News, we will keep fighting in court to get the full truth that people across the world deserve.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
If you want to know what hope looks like, look to Black history. It’s resilience in the face of cruel injustice, communities organizing against oppression, and people using the law as a tool for change. This Black History Month, we honor that legacy and recommit to the work ahead.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
CEO
@skyeperryman.bsky.social
joined
@wajali.bsky.social
today to talk about the arrest of Don Lemon and 3 other Black journalists, ICE’s illegal actions, and the fight for democracy amid increasing unlawfulness. The courts and American people will hold the Trump-Vance admin accountable.
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Breaking: The DOJ Ramps Up its Terror Campaign to Distract from ICE Murders and to Pave the Way for Permanent Rule
The arrest of Don Lemon & three Black journalists, the raid on Fulton County, Georgia, the Epstein-Trump cover-up, and the terror escalation in Minnesota are all connected to Trump's fascist end game.
https://thelefthook.substack.com/p/breaking-the-doj-ramps-up-its-terror?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web×tamp=3423.2&triedRedirect=true
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
Arrests of journalists covering federal agents in Minneapolis won't stop the truth of the Trump-Vance admin’s unlawful actions from coming to light. CEO
@skyeperryman.bsky.social
joined
@lincolnsquare.media
@mayaonstage.bsky.social
to explain how these arrests reveal the admin is losing control.
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Trump's Arresting Journalists — Here's What You Need to Know | Skye Perryman Joins Maya May LIVE
Trump and his Department of Justice are tearing up the the Constitution.
https://substack.com/@mayaonstage/note/p-186340468?utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
This year's Together for Democracy conference is in full swing! At a moment where our democracy is being tested, TFD brings partners, organizers, policymakers, and artists from all 50 states together in defense of democracy.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
Come along for a day at Together For Democracy 2026!
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
about 1 month ago
The people in America are stronger together. Every individual showing up to demand accountability from the Trump-Vance admin is helping hold the line against this accelerating authoritarian playbook. Join us
@democracyforward.org
.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
about 1 month ago
Thank you
@morningjoe-msnow.bsky.social
for having me on to discuss the latest in our case to restore congressional oversight over detention facilities — especially in light of alarming allegations about conditions at the Whipple Detention Center in Minnesota.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
In the streets and in the courts, people in America are pushing back against the Trump-Vance administration. CEO
@skyeperryman.bsky.social
joined
@katiephang.bsky.social
to talk about protecting the rule of law and fighting back against authoritarian actions in Minnesota and beyond.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Katie Phang
about 1 month ago
Fighting in the courts has been an effective way to curb Trump's lawlessness &
@democracyforward.org
has been a key leader in that battle. Skye Perryman joins me to talk about Bondi’s attempts to extort Minnesota & how DOGE accessed Americans' personal data of at the SSA.
youtu.be/GL03syJbrAk?...
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Trump DOJ Launches EXTORTION SCHEME Amid ICE BACKLASH
YouTube video by Katie Phang
https://youtu.be/GL03syJbrAk?si=v5lJ2HK_FC2vZQzn
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
ICE's presence in Minnesota is not about immigration enforcement. It's an autocratic power grab that threatens voting. As
@skyeperryman.bsky.social
said on
@morningjoe-msnow.bsky.social
, it's important to connect the dots.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
The Weekend on MS NOW
about 1 month ago
“What we are seeing unfold in Minnesota…is part of an autocratic power grab”
@skyeperryman.bsky.social
on the shooting of another American citizen by federal agents in Minnesota.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
As
@skyeperryman.bsky.social
says: We need to connect the dots. At the heart of the power grab in MN is a power grab to take our nation away from the people. Skye joined
@theweekendmsnow.bsky.social
to explain how the admin's strategy is headed straight for our elections.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Skye Perryman
about 1 month ago
On the ground video evidence in MN shows that our federal government has killed another person in broad daylight. For anyone who is sitting on the sidelines or worse, enabling this admin’s reign of terror, the regime wants to deny what you are seeing with your own eyes.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
BREAKING: We're suing to stop the Trump-Vance admin's unlawful, politically-driven attempt to freeze $10B in child care funding across 5 states. The admin's weaponization of gov funds threatens the lives and livelihoods of families, children, and providers. We're pushing back in court.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
What's happening in Minneapolis is horrific, cruel, and unlawful. We will see ICE in court.
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reposted by
Melissa Schwartz
Democracy Forward
about 1 month ago
We just filed to add the Trump-Vance admin’s admissions of brazen misconduct to our lawsuit, as well as demand proof from the DOJ that no records have been destroyed. The Trump-Vance admin and DOGE cannot abuse social security data for political gain – then lie about it in court.
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