Brennan Center for Justice

Feb. 15, 2018 – Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that President Trump’s third attempt to institute the Muslim Ban promised during his presidential campaign is likely unconstitutional. The case is now poised to come before the U.S. Supreme Court, which allowed the ban to be implemented until related litigation […]

February 7, 2018 – Today, President Trump signed an executive order establishing a “National Vetting Center” for immigrants and travelers to the U.S. Faiza Patel, co-director of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law’s Liberty & National Security Program, issued the following statement: “We already rigorously vet people traveling to the U.S., so […]

New York, NY January 3, 2018 – The White House announced tonight it is disbanding the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law released the following statements in response: “This commission started as a tragedy and ended as a farce,” said Michael Waldman, the president of […]

Dec. 18, 2017 – Under the Constitution, our courts are obliged to provide equal justice regardless of wealth, status, or political connections. But at a time when courts are increasingly called upon to check the excesses of our political system, a new report from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and […]

Nov. 1, 2017 – Following yesterday’s tragic terror attack in New York City, President Trump swiftly pivoted to promoting his longstanding immigration agenda. In statements over the past 24 hours, Trump said that he has “ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program” and also that he has begun the process of […]

New York, NY September 25, 2017 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s latest Uniform Crime Reporting Program data, released today, found that the overall crime rate fell for the 15th year in a row in 2016. It also found the national murder rate increased, due in part to upticks in cities like Chicago. The FBI’s […]

New York, NY — Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he has been receiving and acting on recommendations from a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety. The panel, created in February under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, was asked to provide recommendations by Thursday, July 27. Task Force guidance already […]

Washington, D.C. June 1, 2017 – Concerned by the nature of the involvement of the attorney general and deputy attorney general in the termination of FBI Director James Comey, the Center for American Progress, the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, American Oversight, and Professor Kathleen Clark sent a […]

May 25, 2017 – Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld an injunction against President Trump’s highly contested travel ban that targets six Muslim majority countries and blocks refugees from around the world. The court found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the […]

NEW YORK, NY, May 15, 2017 – Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered federal prosecutors to return to aggressive practices of the past that put more people behind bars unnecessarily, wasted government resources, and had little public safety benefit. Under the Obama administration, prosecutors were given discretion to seek lower sentences that would not trigger federal […]

May 11, 2017 – According to news reports, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order today that will create a “Presidential Commission on Election Integrity.” Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach are reported to be Chair and Vice Chair. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of […]

April 18, 2017 – Crime rates have dropped dramatically and remain near historic lows, despite localized increases in some places, according to a new report from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law analyzing data from the last quarter-century. In Crime Trends: 1990-2016, a team of economics and policy researchers analyzed data […]

March 16, 2017 – The Trump administration is reportedly planning to revamp a controversial program, “Countering Violent Extremism,” to focus solely and explicitly on American Muslims, potentially even renaming it “Countering Islamic Extremism.” But a new report from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, the most comprehensive look yet at these […]

Feb. 7, 2017 – Today, the House Administration Committee, by a party-line 6-3 vote, approved the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Termination Act (H.R. 634) and a bill to dissolve the Presidential Election Campaign Fund (H.R. 133). H.R. 634 would eliminate the EAC, an independent government agency that sets security standards for voting machines and functions […]

NEW YORK, NY, Jan. 27, 2017 – President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order opening a wide-reaching investigation into voter fraud in American elections. This follows Trump’s false claim that 3 to 5 million people voted illegally in the 2016 election. Reports indicate “the probe would likely be carried out through Trump’s Justice […]

October 12, 2016 – A federal judge in Tallahassee today extended Florida’s voter registration deadline to October 18 after voting advocacy groups filed a lawsuit arguing more than 100,000 voters could be disenfranchised because of disruptions caused by Hurricane Matthew. The League of Women Voters of Florida, along with counsel from the Brennan Center for […]

October 4, 2016 – Reuters reported today that Yahoo complied with a government directive last year to scan all of its incoming customers’ e-mails for certain content. Previously, companies were known to turn over e-mails from particular accounts, but this broad a search of content by a company has never previously been reported. Ironically, the […]

NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 7, 2016 – After recent claims the November election will be “rigged,” some politicians, including Republican nominee Donald Trump, have called on law enforcement and citizen volunteers to monitor polling places, serving as “election observers” to root out fraud. What’s the truth behind these claims? As part of a new “Election […]

Aug. 3, 2016 – Yesterday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said the election would be “rigged,” citing a string of court decisions blocking or loosening restrictive voting laws. His campaign also said there will be “massive fraud” this November. But Brennan Center studies show otherwise. You are more likely to be struck by lightning than […]