Washington State is Unmasking ICE, What's Your Legislature's Excuse? (3/24/26, FOUR Days to No Kings)
Plus a guide to tax resistance, get your money back from John Fetterman, get money out of politics in Michigan and more
🏫 Join the Union of Concerned Scientists holds workshop on how to oppose Trump’s nuclear weapons buildout TONIGHT at 6PM ET and organizers from Indivisible and the ACLU for a training on building digital engagement for protest events at 8PM ET 🏫
TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ
If you have questions, comments, and especially submissions for actions, please email us at roganslisttips@gmail.com!
MAJOR STEP FORWARD FOR UNMASKING ICE IN OLYMPIA
Folks who only read the headlines when a federal judge struck down California’s ICE mask ban last month walked away with the impression Trump had won. But Judge Christina Snyder specifically ruled the measure was unconstitutional because it exempted state law enforcement, and activists and legislators took the hint. Last week, Washington State became the first since that decision to put a full mask ban on law enforcement on the books. It took effect immediately. Now we need more states to follow suit – we’re already close in Hawai’i, Maryland, Oregon, Vermont and Virginia (full list of bills here).
ICE is covering their faces for the same reason any criminal gang does – to terrify and to make it harder to bring them to justice. These are public employees, and they answer to us. Time to make sure they know it. 🗣️ Let’s reach out to our state legislators and governors and tell them to stop the secret police and pass a mask ban ASAP. We can find call scripts and language here, or text SIGN PAYBWL to 50409 to send this message directly.🗣️
TAX RESISTANCE: A POWERFUL ACT OF NON-COMPLIANCE
$56,000 on giant banners with Trump’s face on them. $170 million on luxury jets for Kristi Noem. $934 million to retrofit Trump’s bribe jet from Qatar. $1 billion to kill offshore wind power projects in the middle of an energy crisis. $18 billion a year on a missile defense project that might get handed straight to Elon Musk. $30 billion and counting for a bloody war no one wanted. $38 billion for human warehouses.
And that’s just a small sample of the reasons why a lot of us are troubled at the approach of Tax Day this year. Under Donald Trump, we’re paying less and less into keeping our neighbors fed, healthy, housed and educated and contributing more and more to terrorizing them, locking them in concentration camps and killing them… and enriching politicians and their donors on the side. Voluntarily writing that check is not going to be a morally uplifting moment.
Tax resistance is a powerful act of non-compliance with an oppressive government, and one practiced by brave Americans from the Boston Tea Party to the abolitionist movement to Vietnam. Like much civil disobedience, of course, it is also against the law, and engaging in it can bring serious consequences. It’s a decision individuals should only make after serious deliberation and with their eyes open to the potential costs.
🏫 The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee has extensive resources available for us to consider, starting with this brief step-by-step guide on how to go about implementing tax resistance and this rundown of the risks it entails. Let’s read this material and consider joining them for their War Tax Resistance 101 seminar TONIGHT at 8PM ET. (It’s also available any time on YouTube.) 🏫
Meanwhile, Chicago community organizer and attorney Rachel Cohen has written a thoughtful essay on why she has decided to be a tax resister this year, including her research on potential penalties. Let’s give it a read.
TRUMP’S DHS SECRETARY, BROUGHT TO US BY JOHN FETTERMAN. AGAIN.
Markwanye Mullin has been confirmed as the next Secretary of Homeland Security, and will now be one of the leading officials in Trump’s deportation machine. We’ll continue to fight ICE and CBP terror under him as we did under Kristi Noem, but let’s also take a moment to identify the senator who made this possible: Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman. With Rand Paul a no, Democrats had the votes to block Mullin in committee. Fetterman sold us out.
It wasn’t the first time. Fetterman also voted to confirm Noem, and has voted for more of Trump’s nominees than any other Democratic senator. When he’s bothered to show up to work, he’s been MAGA’s favorite Democrat, supporting Trump’s boat strikes and war on Iran, being the only Dem to consistently vote to fund CBP and ICE and helping the GOP end the government shutdown without a solution to skyrocketing health care costs. This is not what we wanted when we elected him in 2022.
At the time, a lot of us were extremely excited about John Fetterman. Those of us who helped him win are ready to show our anger. 💸 The Working Families Party is asking us to request a refund of any contributions we made to his campaign. We can find instructions on how to do so here. 💸
TEXT TO GET CORPORATE MONEY OUT OF MICHIGAN POLITICS
We need to take our government back from the billionaires and big corporations. Activists are working right now in Michigan to get a little more of their money out of our politics. Michiganders for Money Out of Politics is aiming to put an initiative on November’s ballot that would ban regulated utilities and government contractors from making donations or spending dark money. Naturally, one of the state’s largest utilities and largest government contractors are pouring cash in to defeat them.
💬🗨️ On THURSDAY, Jane Fonda Climate PAC is holding a textbank from 5:30-8PM ET to help Mop Up Michigan get enough signatures to get on the ballot. Let’s sign up to help out here. 💬🗨️ We can also sign up to get notified of more opportunities to volunteer with this effort here.
If we’re eager to do even more texting, we can join the National Redistricting Action Fund to reach out to voters in the Wisconsin supreme court race today and tomorrow here or join the squad at Black Voters Matter for Texting Tuesdays tonight at 6PM ET here.
And if we want to keep working with Jane Fonda (and who wouldn’t?), we can join her for a phonebank to help elect climate champions to the board of one of America’s largest utilitiesTOMORROW from 4-6PM ET.
WHAT’S NEXT AFTER NO KINGS 3? WE SHUT DOWN THE COUNTRY
This Saturday, millions of Americans will hit the streets for No Kings in what we’re anticipating will be the biggest single-day protest in American history. (Find an event nearby we can join – there definitely is one!) And it’s just the beginning. We’re already laying the groundwork of our next mass demonstrations – and this time, we’re following Minnesota’s lead and shutting down the country.
On Friday, May 1st, May Day Strong organizers are calling for us to take our protests to the next level – no work, no school, no shopping, and direct action. It’ll be our own Day of Truth and Freedom from coast-to-coast. This is a major escalation in our tactics, and we need people committed to take part. ✊🏾 They’re holding a mass call TOMORROW NIGHT at 8PM ET to talk about their plans and how we get engaged. Let’s sign up to join them here. ✊🏻
✊🏻 If we’re already prepared to commit to a shutdown, we can sign a strike pledge here. And if we’re ready to lead in our community, we can find the toolkit to host a May Day event here. ✊🏾
THANK THE JUDGES WHO ARE HOLDING THE LINE
Facing threats, political pressure and a Supreme Court that has frequently not had their backs, lower court judges are still doing vitally important work to keep this administration’s power within the bounds of the law. Let’s acknowledge their work and send encouragement to keep fighting!
Judge Brian Murphy ruled that RFK Jr’s attempts to slash the recommended vaccine schedule disregard long term practices, such as being informed by a scientific committee that advises the CDC, and has blocked them for now. ✍🏻 Let’s write a note or postcard to thank Judge Murphy for protecting the current vaccine schedule. The fatalities from measles outbreaks have shown how disastrous skipping vaccines can be for children. ✍🏻
Judge Brian Murphy
John J. Moakley U.S. Courthouse
1 Courthouse Way
Boston, MA 02210
Federal judge Jerry Blackwell granted an injunction that allows clergy to visit immigrants detained in Minnesota. ✍🏻 Let’s write a note or postcard for Judge Blackwell insisting that clergy have access, which enables them to give spiritual guidance and comfort if wanted and be further witnesses to see the conditions inside and hear the detainees stories. ✍🏻
Judge Jerry Blackwell
7W US Courthouse
300 South Fourth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Judge Mustafa Kasubhai ruled that the government overreached when it made declarations that gender-affirming care was unsafe and ineffective, because it didn’t go through proper administrative channels and the rulings were not based on science. The government may not deny funding or dismiss the case until the matter has been further tried in court. ✍🏻 Let’s write a note or postcard to thank Judge Kasubhai for upholding science over ideology and for insisting the government follow due process. ✍🏻
Judge Mustafa Kasubhai
5400 United States Courthouse
405 East Eighth Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97401
Judge Timothy L. Brooks struck down an Arkansas law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in all classrooms. Similar laws remain in effect in Louisiana and Texas. ✍🏻 Let’s write a note or postcard to thank Judge Brooks for upholding the separation of church and state and our freedom of religion. ✍🏻
Judge Timothy L. Brooks
John Paul Hammerschmidt Federal Building and United States Courthouse
35 E. Mountain Street, Room 302
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered the Trump administration to restore operations at Voice of America, returning hundreds of journalists to work. ✍🏻Let’s write a note or postcard to thank Judge Lamberth for upholding the freedom of the press and for preventing the suppression of news broadcasting in languages other than English. ✍🏻
Judge Royce C. Lamberth
E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse
333 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001
👀 KEEPING AN EYE ON… 👀
UPDATE: Trump has detained the parents of more than 11,000 U.S. citizen kids
Thousands of U.S. Marines will arrive in the Middle East on Friday, keep up the pressure for no boots on the ground and an end to Trump’s Iran War
❌👑 FOUR DAYS to No Kings - find events near us, workshop how to bring in first-time protests TOMORROW at 8PM ET ❌👑
Stand with the Prairieland defendants - support their legal defense and help spread awareness about the April 4th International Day of Solidarity
The SAVE Act would disenfranchise millions of Americans - let’s keep calling and emailing Congress in opposition and spreading the word about this new poll tax among our networks
Meatpacking workers in Greeley, Colorado need our solidarity as their strike gets underway - donate to support the strike fund here
Looking for ways to get engaged in the midterms? Here’s a full list!
I’d like to see the following:
1. National boycott of all nonessential air travel until the masked men funded by our tax dollars are removed.
2. AGs of VT, VA, DE, IL, RI, and CA issue warrants for underlings. State-level “misprision” laws render them mandated reporters of felonies and treason. As soon as DC Metro Police receive the warrants, they’ll detain them in city jails for up to 30 days pending extradition. Presidential pardons don’t apply.
3. I’ve posted the 50 planks amended by readers and submitted them to my governor, senators, congressional rep and, most importantly, DNC. I’ve asked them to assign one plank per state and direct the experienced incumbents and enthusiastic candidates to collaborate on a plan of action, including timelines and budgets. If DNC holds a virtual midterm convention in October, states can present their findings before we vote in November. These problems won’t solve themselves. There may be better ideas for addressing them but, so far, I haven’t heard any.
I’m tired of false hope, empty promises, and maintaining a status quo of privilege for my elected representatives. I’ve read that both sides enjoy sending their kids to posh private schools and living in gated communities. Meanwhile, half a million US households lack running water. Enough already. They work for us. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/27/water-almost-half-million-us-households-lack-indoor-plumbing
Would like to see meaningful action while at No Kings.
Teachers / educators collecting signatures against children in jails.
Women getting signatures in states where their healthcare is most at-risk
Registering everyone to vote in purple/red/blue districts and explaining the rules before/after Save Act.
We need all hands on deck - beyond signs and community.