This week’s federal policy updates span immigration enforcement, artificial intelligence in national security, civil liberties, public health, and the preservation of American history. From a congressional vote leaving military operations in Iran unchecked, to courts pushing back on refugee detention policies and congressional oversight restrictions, to the Pentagon’s expanding reliance on private AI companies, federal decisions are affecting communities across the country in real time.
Affordable Care Act Subsidies Remain in Limbo: The Senate has still not acted on restoring ACA premium tax credits, and families are now entering a third month of higher health insurance costs without the enhanced subsidies. Many households must either absorb increased premiums or forgo coverage altogether. Continued inaction is already affecting access to care. Contact your senators and urge them to protect ACA tax credits. Click HERE to take action.
Congressional Authority and Military War Operations
Congress Blocks Restrictions to Trump’s War Power Authority: The U.S. Senate and House voted 53-47 and 219-212, respectively, to block a war powers resolution under the 1973 War Powers Act that would have required President Trump to obtain congressional authorization before continuing military operations against Iran. The Act was specifically designed to prevent any president from taking the country to war without Congress having a say. By blocking the resolution, Congress effectively allows the administration to keep fighting without a formal vote from the people’s elected representatives. For communities already concerned about U.S. involvement in the Middle East, the outcome means there is currently no legislative brake on how far or how long this conflict can go.
Immigration and Refugee Policy in the Courts
Judge Blocks Arrest and Detention of Some Lawful Refugees in Minnesota: A U.S. District Judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from arresting and detaining lawfully admitted refugees in Minnesota solely because they had not yet obtained green cards. At the center of the case is Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening (PARRIS), a Department of Homeland Security program that re-vetted refugees and transferred some to detention facilities. The judge noted that refugees cannot even apply for green cards until they have been in the country for a year, raising legal questions about the administration’s detention authority.
DHS Data Requests Raise First Amendment Privacy Concerns
DHS Use of Administrative Subpoenas to Obtain Americans’ Online Data Draws Scrutiny: The Department of Homeland Security has increased use of administrative subpoenas on users from private major technology companies, including Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord, seeking to obtain personal data on Americans who have publicly criticized immigration enforcement. Google has reported a 15 percent increase in requests over the previous six months. Unlike judicial subpoenas, which require a judge’s approval, administrative subpoenas are issued directly by federal agencies without court oversight. Using administrative subpoenas in this way raises significant privacy concerns and questions about potential overreach, since personal data can be accessed without prior judicial review. The practice also raises concerns about targeting for constitutionally protected speech, and members of Congress have begun raising questions about its scope.
Pentagon Expands AI Partnerships for Military Operations
U.S. Military Used Anthropic’s Claude AI in Iran Strikes Despite Federal Ban: The U.S. military reportedly used Claude, an AI model developed by Anthropic, despite a directive from President Trump ordering federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology. The order was issued hours before the strikes on Iran began. On Truth Social, Trump described Anthropic as a “Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about.” Anthropic has previously expressed concerns about how its AI systems could ethically be used in military operations, creating tensions with defense agencies over safeguards and oversight.
Defense officials acknowledged the difficulty of quickly removing AI tools like Claude from the system when they are deeply integrated into military operations. The episode highlights the growing reliance on artificial intelligence in military decision-making and surfaces broader tensions between federal agencies and private AI companies over how their tools are used in warfare and national security contexts.
Pentagon Turns to OpenAI for Military AI Tools After Ending Contract with Anthropic: Following the Pentagon’s break with Anthropic, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced an agreement to deploy the company’s tools, including ChatGPT, on the Pentagon’s classified network. The deal was reached almost immediately after Anthropic was dropped as the Pentagon’s existing AI contractor. Altman acknowledged that OpenAI does not control how the Pentagon uses its products in military operations and has since asserted that its technology will be used legally.
Questions have emerged about how OpenAI resolved the ethical concerns Anthropic previously raised while meeting Department of Defense requirements. The broader context for the deal is significant: the Pentagon has been pressuring AI companies to remove safety guardrails from their models to allow a wider range of military applications. The agreement signals a deepening partnership between private AI companies and U.S. defense agencies, and raises ongoing questions about oversight, transparency, and the ethical boundaries of AI use in warfare.
Justice Department Actions Spur Legal Battles and Independence Questions
Trump Orders Investigation into Biden’s Use of Autopen as DOJ Declines to Pursue Indictments: President Trump directed federal officials to investigate former President Biden’s use of an autopen device to sign official presidential documents during the final days of his presidency. The directive focused on pardons and commutations Biden granted before leaving office. The Department of Justice, however, declined to pursue criminal charges related to the matter despite pressure from the White House to do so. Autopens have been used by presidents from both parties to sign documents when not physically present, and legal experts generally consider autopen signatures valid under those conditions.
The DOJ’s decision not to bring charges is consistent with a broader pattern in which the department has been unable to follow through on the administration’s demands for criminal prosecution of political opponents. The episode intensifies ongoing tensions between the White House and federal prosecutors over the independence of the Justice Department in politically sensitive cases.
DOJ Seeks to Continue Trump’s Battle with Law Firms: The Trump administration abruptly reversed course on Tuesday, announcing it would continue court fights to enforce executive orders targeting several prominent law firms. The reversal came one day after the administration had abandoned those efforts. The executive orders targeted the firms’ security clearances, government contracts, and access to federal buildings, citing their clientele and hiring practices. The firms fought back in court, and federal judges have repeatedly sided with them, describing one executive order as an unprecedented attack on the U.S. judicial system. The continued litigation leaves open questions about the limits of presidential authority to penalize private law firms through executive action and creates ongoing uncertainty for firms that rely on government clearances or contracts to represent certain clients or participate in federal work.
Federal Actions Affect Public Health Programs and Cultural Institutions
States Move to Restrict HIV Drug Assistance as Ryan White Program Faces Funding Pressures: Tens of thousands of Americans living with HIV are losing access to treatment as nearly 20 states tighten eligibility requirements and reduce medication coverage under Ryan White AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, the nation’s primary HIV safety net. The programs, funded through discretionary federal appropriations and state dollars, support roughly 25 percent of the 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States by covering medication costs or insurance premiums.
Funding has not kept pace with rising drug prices or growing need, particularly as health care subsidies have expired and premiums have increased. The largest immediate impact came in Florida, where at least 16,000 residents lost benefits and the state stopped covering Biktarvy, the most widely prescribed HIV medication. Interruptions in antiretroviral therapy can allow the virus to rebound, raising the risk of transmission and the development of drug-resistant strains. People with low and moderate incomes, including those who lost Medicaid coverage after pandemic-era protections ended, face the steepest barriers to maintaining consistent care.
National Park Service Reviews and Removes Exhibits Following Administration Directive: Displays and materials at hundreds of national park locations have been flagged for review since last summer following orders from the Trump administration to remove content described as “partisan ideology,” material that “disparages” Americans. The flagged materials cover a wide range of topics including slavery, civil rights, LGBTQ+ history, climate change, and pollution. Some exhibits have already been removed, though the Interior Department has not clarified which flagged materials will ultimately be removed or revised.
In nearly a year since the order, park sites have removed exhibits addressing slavery, the experiences of minority and marginalized communities, and climate science. Last month, a federal judge in Pennsylvania ordered the administration to restore displays about slavery at a Philadelphia site where George Washington lived as president. That ruling signals that courts may define limits on the administration’s authority over historical interpretation at federally managed public sites.