Democracy Forward

Senior Counsel Bradley Girard has been named to the Richey Fellows Program. This program at George Washington University Law School partners with public interest attorneys to make the campus a resource for students considering non-profit or public sector legal careers. We are so excited for Bradley to offer his invaluable perspective to future attorneys by participating in this prestigious program. https://lnkd.in/esyygVxn

The Trump-Vance admin's policies authorizing armed ICE, FBI, and other federal agents to conduct immigration enforcement at polling places threaten our democracy ahead of the 2026 midterms. We’re suing to stop this unlawful practice from depleting voter confidence and local election administration. These policies directly conflict with a federal law dating back more than 150 years that prohibits federal officials from bringing armed personnel to election sites except when necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States. For Arlington County, these threats have already had serious impacts, given the locality’s location next to Washington, D.C. Local officials have been forced to develop new guidance for responding to federal agents and conduct unprecedented emergency preparedness exercises involving election officials, police, and prosecutors. The County has also fielded concerns from residents fearful that armed federal officers could appear at polling places and interfere with their ability to vote safely.

Our team was recently honored with the Stewart B. McKinney Award from the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC) for protecting housing access and advancing the rights of people experiencing homelessness. Senior Counsels Kristin Bateman and Madeline Gitomer accepted the award on behalf of the team at NHLC’s 2026 Housing and Human Rights Awards, hosted in Washington, D.C. In partnership with NHLC, our team has worked tirelessly on three critical federal lawsuits that seek to preserve housing opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people and protect evidence-based homelessness solutions from ideological interference. We will continue to ensure our government continues to provide critical housing assistance and recognizes the inherent dignity of every person.

People across America — and the world — are paying the price for the attack on the federal civil service. We're sicker, less safe, and more financially vulnerable. A new report from our Civil Service Strong initiative examines the costs of dismantling the federal workforce and the need to build a stronger, more responsive government Read the full report at the link in our comments

CEO Skye Perryman (she/her) joined MS Now from the DC No Kings: Vote Early Day to discuss the incredible momentum we are seeing from people across the nation, the threats to our voting rights, the work we're doing to confront them, and how each one of us can play a role: vote early, make a plan, know your options, and help your neighbors do the same. If chaos and fear are the point, we must build community and courage. https://lnkd.in/eHiWgwTJ

We're challenging the Trump-Vance admin’s unlawful effort to collect sensitive data about American voters from 47 states to investigate baseless voter fraud claims. Americans shouldn't have to surrender their privacy because they vote.

We blocked the Trump-Vance admin’s reckless and unlawful reorganization of USDA — closures of offices, forced relocations of employees, and disrupted essential services for millions of Americans. USDA provides vital services across America, supporting rural communities, protecting our food supply, feeding families, advancing agricultural research, and more. We’ll continue to fight against unlawful attacks on civil servants.

This Thursday, October 15, Democracy Forward is hosting a virtual town hall at 7 PM ET to discuss what we can all do to protect our elections. With just three weeks to go until the midterm elections, it’s critical that all of us embrace our power as voters, make a plan to vote, and encourage our communities to be heard. Join us: https://lnkd.in/eA3_zMnw

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we celebrate the history, culture and resilience of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, American Samoan ancestries, and Indigenous people and communities. We recommit to challenging systemic inequities at all levels to advance a more just democracy.

We’re suing the Trump-Vance admin to block the unlawful transformation of public lands into a military zone alongside the southern border. This harmful militarization of more than 100,000 acres allows military officials to conduct immigration enforcement and cuts communities off from using the land. The consequences are already being felt by people and organizations across the region. Communities and organizations have been restricted from using the land for hunting, hiking, humanitarian work to identify people loved ones who died along the border, and has disrupted the daily lives of border residents who use the space for community organizing or religious activities. https://lnkd.in/e6cmnWKe