Sarah Mahmood, Ryan Hayward  //  8/7/17  //  Daily Update

Civil rights groups are suing the State Department for refusing to process visa applications for winners of a federal visa lottery program from the countries included in President Trump’s travel ban. Lambda Legal reacts to reported guidance on the transgender military ban by saying “See you in court, President Trump." Betsy DeVos declined to answer a question about whether she would intervene if states offered vouchers to private schools that discriminated against LGBTQ students. The Trump administration issued a formal notice announcing the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris climate deal. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked the White House for documents related to Michael Flynn.

IMMIGRATION

A renewed initiative in Tucson, Arizona to criminally prosecute those who attempt to unlawfully cross the border has the potential to do much harm, cautions Bijal Shah at Take Care.

Civil rights groups are suing the State Department for refusing to process visa applications for winners of a federal visa lottery program from the countries included in President Trump’s travel ban (The Hill).

The Trump Administration’s immigration plan is short-sighted, argues John Trasviña at ImmigrationProf Blog. 

• A similar plan under President Johnson failed (The Atlantic).

Governor Brown has said he supports California’s “Sanctuary Cities” lawsuit (ImmigrationProf Blog).

CIVIL RIGHTS 

President Trump’s is transforming his politics of white resentment into policies of white rage, argues Carol Anderson at the New York Times.

 Lambda Legal reacts to reported guidance on the transgender military ban by saying “See you in court, President Trump” (Lambda Legal).

Betsy DeVos declined to answer a question about whether she would intervene if states offered vouchers to private schools that discriminated against LGBTQ students (ACLU).

DEMOCRACY

The Justice Department clarified that it was not pursuing charges against reporters as part of its leak investigations (NYT).

JUSTICE & SAFETY

Drug courts are not the perfect solution some make it out to be, argues Jasmine L. Tyler at The Hill.

Leak investigations have tripled under the Trump Administration, compared to those open at the end of Obama’s presidency (NYT).

The United Nations Security Council imposed punishing new sanctions on North Korea (NYT).

CONFLICTS OF INTERST 

The plaintiffs in CREW v. Trump have filed their brief opposing President Trump's motion to dismiss (Take Care).

REGULATION

The Trump administration issued a formal notice announcing the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris climate deal (The Hill).

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked the White House for documents related to Michael Flynn (The Hill).