Indivisibles,

Forgive me, but I'm going to skip the shambolic fireworks of the 250th anniversary. The most important thing that happened last week wasn't the tragic Trumpification of America's birthday -- it was the end of the Supreme Court term. We need a collective assessment of what this court has done, because any successful pro-democracy movement will have to undo it.

The Supreme Court has systemically expanded Trump’s power. Often this court doesn't even bother explaining itself, blessing Trump through unsigned emergency orders. Let’s roll the tape:

April 2025: Trump can freeze Department of Education grants.

May 2025: Trump can fire NLRB members and strip protected status from over half a million immigrants fleeing dangerous conditions.

June 2025: Lower courts can’t block Trump with nationwide injunctions. Also, state attacks on trans kids are OK. 

July 2025: Mass firings across the federal workforce and the dismantling of the Department of Education? All fine.

Sept 2025: Trump can unilaterally kill $4 billion in foreign aid. And ICE goons can stop people based on race. 

Dec 2025: Texas’ racist gerrymander is A-OK. 

Feb 2026: Most tariffs struck down. Corporations rejoice.

April 2026: Voting Rights Act gutted -- former confederate states can now dismantle Black and Latino districts with near-impunity.

June 2026: Trump can replace leadership at some two dozen regulatory agencies. States can force the inspection of young girls’ genitals for school sports. And political parties can coordinate unlimited spending with candidates.

But…Trump can’t fire Fed governors. Mail-in ballots still count. Birthright citizenship survives.

What constrains the court? Other than us, precious little. I can identify two reasons that explain Trump’s few “losses”:

1. Siding with capital against Trump. Killing the tariffs and protecting the Federal Reserve were losses for Trump but were big wins for America’s wealthy elite.
2. Occasionally rejecting the blatantly unconstitutional. The Constitution literally reads “All persons born or naturalized in the United States…are citizens of the United States.” The fact that only five justices agreed that the Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship is proof of just how far gone this court is. 

In short: this is a political body making political decisions to achieve political goals. It expands Trump’s power except where it conflicts with protecting capital. Even the most basic affirmations of words literally written into the Constitution depend on 5-4 decisions.

The pro-democracy movement cannot accept this. Democrats must stop treating the court as a sideshow. The next Democratic Congress must investigate the court's well-documented corruption. And Democratic lawmakers must get on board with court expansion before it's too late.

None of that is possible without mass organized people power. And as always, we’ve got ideas about how you can help build that power wherever you live.

In solidarity,
Ezra Levin
Co-Executive Director, Indivisible

Your weekly to-dos

1. Join our first Immigrant Justice Summer virtual training call THIS Thursday, July 9 to learn how to respond when ICE surges in your community (8pm ET/5pm PT). Across the country, communities are getting organized to respond to ICE’s cruelty -- and it’s working. ICE is already offloading 7 of the 11 warehouses they bought to turn into concentration camps, but with its recent $70 billion cash infusion, our fight isn’t over. This summer’s five-part virtual training series will give you the tools you need to respond to ICE surges with your neighbors in a safe, immigrant-aligned way.
2. Email your Members of Congress and urge them to hold the line and not give another dime to fund Trump’s illegal war with Iran. After launching a disastrous war with Iran against the will of the American people (and without the authorization of Congress) Trump is now seeking $87 billion from our tax-dollars to pay for it. Congress has passed War Powers Resolutions rebuking the regime over this illegal war. But that means little if they now vote to fund it.
3. Email your Members of Congress and urge them to reject right-wing plans to deepen US-Israeli military entanglement and insulate the Netanyahu government from accountability. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) moves through Congress each year, giving lawmakers an opportunity to sneak in other policies that would not typically pass on their own. This year, Congress is being asked to consider provisions that would enable even deeper entrenchment of the Trump-Netanyahu military relationship, while shielding it from typical congressional oversight -- even as Netanyahu sabotages ceasefire efforts and continues gross human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza. This is bad policy that should not be passed into law.
4. If you have a Democratic senator, call and urge them to OPPOSE a toothless CLARITY ACT, and push for real crypto regulation instead. Financial disclosures show that Trump has profited from his crypto coins to the tune of a billion dollars since leaving office. It’s some of the most startling corruption in presidential history -- but somehow Congress is advancing a “crypto regulation” bill that would not address it -- or address other critical consumer protection and corruption issues around cryptocurrency. 78 House Dems helped pass the CLARITY Act last year -- our senators can’t make the same mistake.
5. Prepare for Trump’s attempts to undermine the midterm elections by joining Hands Off Our Vote, Indivisible’s new program to ensure that 1) every voter can cast their ballot and 2) every vote is counted. You may have heard us say that we’re getting in “election protection formation,” and you can join us! By signing up, you’ll hear about key voting deadlines in your state, learn updates on threats to voting rights and how to counter them, and how to mobilize in case any election sabotage comes our way.
6. Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 7, join our kickoff call for Michigan endorsed candidates Abdul El-Sayed (MI-Sen), William Lawrence (MI-07), and Donavan McKinney (MI-13) (8pm ET/5pm PT). Join Indivisibles across the country to hear from co-executive director Ezra Levin about our plans to get El-Sayed, Lawrence, and McKinney across the finish line in Michigan’s primaries on August 4. All three candidates are bold champions for working people, and we’re proud to stand with them in the fight against fascism. Paid for by Indivisible Action. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

P.S. We ended June just $10,000 under our fundraising goal. We’re working hard to beat the summer fundraising slump as we ramp up our fight to elect progressive champions and defend the midterms from Trump’s voter intimidation -- and continue all of our day-to-day work like demanding our Members of Congress fight the regime and refuse to rubber stamp Trump’s fascist agenda. If you can, please chip in to help us get a head start on July’s fundraising and fuel our fight against authoritarianism.

July 16: Faith on the Front Lines Organizing Call

Faith communities have a long tradition of opposing authoritarianism. It’s imperative that we show moral courage in the face of the Trump regime -- including strong, organized opposition to cruel and inhumane policies that harm immigrant families.

Next Thursday, July 16, join Indivisible and our partners for Faith on the Front Lines, a virtual discussion about how faith leaders and active members of faith communities can engage in movements against ICE detention centers in our communities (8pm ET/5pm PT).

We’ll be joined by Interfaith Alliance, Interfaith Immigration Coalition, Church World Service, and other partners to learn how to engage with faith communities and encourage our faith leaders to stand up for our immigrant neighbors.

This call is organized as part of Indivisible’s Courage Collectives, community groups organized around shared identities working to build power, resist authoritarianism, and defend democracy within key pillars of society. Learn more about our Faith Pillar here.

Good News for a Change

Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s anti-trans ruling last week, the New Jersey legislature passed a shield bill protecting patients and providers of gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare.

Shield laws are crucial to ensuring that patients can safely access abortion and gender-affirming care without interference or intimidation, no matter where they live. A surge of blue states enacted similar laws after the overturn of Roe v. Wade and continued attacks on healthcare for trans youth.

After years of advocacy and previous attempts to pass the bill, it now heads to Governor Mikie Sherrill’s desk for signature. This is a big win to celebrate -- especially for trans people and their families.

 Upcoming events + Election shifts

These nationwide events, calls, training sessions, and electoral volunteer opportunities are coming up soon. For even more Indivisible happenings, check our national calendar and get in touch with Indivisible groups near you!