Politics

The American Bar Association (ABA) has expressed its worries that several recent actions taken by the Trump administration may be operating outside the bounds of the law. In a striking statement, the association urged “every attorney to stand with us and demand that our government, a government of the people, adhere to the law.”

Observers have noted a series of orders issued in the past two weeks that could potentially violate U.S. law. There is a growing sentiment that things are moving too quickly and without the necessary due process.

"Wide-scale affronts"

Critics particularly highlight cuts that require Congressional approval but are being made without any consultation with lawmakers. In its statement, the ABA specifically refers to “wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself.” These offenses include “attacks on constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, the dismantling of USAID, and attempts to criminalize those who support lawful initiatives aimed at eliminating bias and promoting diversity.”

In a curious twist of timing, the ABA's announcement came on February 10, coinciding with the Trump administration's implementation of a keyword purge in funding programs at the National Science Foundation. This purge primarily targeted terms related to diversity; however, a list obtained by Tagtik shows that the word “women” was also included. Beyond ideological concerns, the list features terms such as "bias" and “barrier,” which are commonly used in statistics and various other fields.

The American Bar Association is a voluntary organization founded in 1878 with just under 200,000 members in the US.

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