Stephanie Krent

There is so much unknown about how ICE intends to use Paragon's terrifying no-click surveillance spyware. We appreciate members of the House Oversight Committee for sending this letter and trying to find out how this spyware will be used.

In Landmark Ruling, Federal Court Says Trump Administration Violated First Amendment By Deporting Foreign Citizens for Pro-Palestinian Advocacy

Judge Young: "The First Amendment does not draw President Trump’s invidious distinction and it is not to be found in our history or jurisprudence." An extraordinary, historic victory for democratic freedom. knightcolumbia.org/content/in-l...

Considering race as one of several factors when remedying historical discrimination in voting, education, and hiring = unconstitutional, un-American, unacceptable

But using race as the sole factor to profile, detain, and deport someone = totally fine and cool, actually

Quoting from Justice Roberts in a recent decision

Chief Justice Roberts (2007): “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”

Justice Kavanaugh (2025): ethnicity “can be a 'relevant factor' when considered along with other salient factors” in immigration stops.

Unlocking Justice: A Policy Roadmap for Victims of Spyware To introduce accountability for cyberattacks, Congress should make it clear that U.S. courts are the right venue for spyware cases.

Commercial #spyware poses significant harms to privacy and civil liberties.

In our new series with the Atlantic Council, “Legal Frameworks for Addressing Spyware Harms,” Nadine Farid Johnson lays out a policy roadmap for redress in U.S. courts.

www.justsecurity.org/118704/polic...

Last week, I spoke with @cristianfarias.com from @knightcolumbia.org about what I've seen at immigration court these last few weeks.

I encourage everyone to come see what's happening for yourself and to use your voice to speak out against these injustices happening in our City.

Honored to be featured alongside @bradlander.bsky.social for this week's podcast episode! Tune in to listen to this important discussion of ICE's disturbing practice of arresting immigrants at courthouses and the impact of these arrests on immigrants' First Amendment rights

Appeals Court Revives Journalists’ Case Against Spyware Manufacturer NSO Group

“We’re pleased with today’s decision and look forward to seeking justice on behalf of El Faro journalists in U.S. court, where the case belongs,” says @carriedecell.bsky.social. Learn more & see statement from @elfaroenglish.bsky.social's @carlosdada.bsky.social: knightcolumbia.org/content/appe...

Institute Files New FOIA Request for Records About ICE’s Courthouse Arrest Policy

We just filed a new #FOIA request for records about ICE's courthouse arrest policy. A recent surge in ICE arrests at courthouses reinstates a controversial practice from the first Trump administration. More on this in a blog post by @allieschiele.bsky.social. knightcolumbia.org/blog/institu...

Episode 2: Farmers Fight Data Purge Podcast Episode · The Bully's Pulpit: Trump v. The First Amendment · 05/23/2025 · 34m

📍Episode 2 is live. Soon after Trump took office, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture purged vital climate-focused information from its web pages. @cristianfarias.com & @stephaniekrent.bsky.social discuss how our lawsuit with @earthjustice.org helped restore it. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Text says: now, emboldened by his close alliance with President Donald Trump, Bukele appears to be escalating his crackdown on dissent, analysts and human rights defenders say.

At @knightcolumbia.org we've represented members of @elfaro.net since 2022. Seeing Trump and Bukele enable each others' most authoritarian impulses feels uniquely depressing. But through it all our clients remain inspiring in their devotion to their work.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

USDA Reverses Course, Commits to Restore Purged Climate Webpages in Response to Farmers’ Lawsuit

In response to our lawsuit with @earthjustice.org, the U.S. Department of Agriculture last night reversed course & committed to restoring vital climate-focused webpages purged from its websites. See staff attorney @stephaniekrent.bsky.social’s statement: knightcolumbia.org/content/usda...

And just wait until we get a response to Part 2 of the request (maybe...eventually...)

Columbia Agrees to Trump’s Demands After Federal Funds Are Stripped The administration has moved to cut $400 million in federal funding to the university without changes to its policies and rules.

I work at Columbia now; I went to school here too and so did both of my sisters. I've spent most of my formative years on and around this campus. This decision is a total betrayal--of students, staff, faculty, and of all of the values Columbia was supposed to uphold.

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/n...

The airport panopticon is getting people deported and detained One lawyer called it a ‘feedback loop’ of surveillance.

Visa holders face more risk than US citizens & permanent residents from device searches at ports of entry, Saira Hussain told @theverge.com. “If you refuse a search of your phone or your laptop, customs officers can use that to potentially revoke your visa.”

Knight Institute Says Threats to Deport Student Protesters Pose “Existential Threat” to Universities

Statement from @jameeljaffer.bsky.social below and at link.

knightcolumbia.org/content/knig...

This is a sharp turn, but OLC/DOJ were already on a path toward embracing a broad conception of executive power + presidential authority. A few years ago, Jonathan Shaub tracked that evolution for @lawfare.bsky.social, using OLC memos from @knightcolumbia.org's reading room.

tinyurl.com/4pemkb6z

Compare Bondi's memo, which characterizes DOJ attorneys as "the president's lawyers," with this memo that Ted Olson, who was then Reagan's OLC chief, sent to AG William French Smith in 1982. knightcolumbia.org/documents/jw...

Paramount in Settlement Talks With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit (Gift Article) A settlement, if reached, would be an extraordinary concession by a major U.S. media company to a sitting president.

If Paramount agrees to settle this frivolous lawsuit, it will send the message that news outlets should stop reporting that angers Trump - or other powerful people. But the right to criticize government officials is at the heart of the 1st Amendment and our democracy. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/b...

If you’re a federal health employee and having concerns about your ability to speak in your personal capacity, reach out to info@knightcolumbia.org.

Maybe this is poorly drafted, but maybe that's part of the point. We all know that in the absence of clarity, employees and scientists will feel scared to speak out even in their personal capacities.

But it also blurs the line between regulating HHS’s speech and controlling employees’ private speech, prohibiting participation in public events and prohibiting employees from issuing any documents or communications (would this include posting an HHS doc on their personal social media accounts?).

Importantly, Tuesday's memo from the Acting HHS secretary makes clear that personal correspondence (at least with public officials) isn’t affected. That would be blatantly unconstitutional.

www.science.org/do/10.1126/s...

Knight Institute v. CDC

In 2020, Trump’s team acted similarly to consolidate and control the speech of public scientists and researchers at a crucial time: the start of the pandemic. @knightcolumbia.org eventually sued to understand exactly how those speech restrictions worked.

knightcolumbia.org/cases/knight...

Trump Administration Temporarily Mutes Federal Health Officials Scientific meetings were canceled, and research data on the bird flu outbreak was delayed, amid confusion over the directive.

Just one day after entering office, Trump moved to tighten control over public health communication and messaging (again). This isn’t just a public health problem; it’s a free speech problem.

tinyurl.com/bdz7v4y8