A new briefing from the Prison Policy Initiative contends that policies enacted by the Trump administration, particularly the expansion of immigration enforcement and drug prosecution, are driving a rapid increase in federal incarceration and detention levels nationwide.
Local jails are a critical part of the federal deportation infrastructure, relying on voluntary cooperation with ICE, and states have responded differently to the Trump administration’s efforts to expand its use of these facilities.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy warned that American democracy is at risk due to the collapse of respect for truth, process, and institutions, and the need for civility, judicial independence, truth, and the steadfast refusal to surrender to fear.