Over the weekend, President Trump repeatedly broke the law, ignored the Constitution, and defied the orders of a federal judge, bringing the country closer to a dictatorship and threatening institutions that millions of New Jerseyans rely on, said Democrat Katie Brennan (pictured).

On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order eliminating the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency, and other independent federal agencies funded by Congress.

On Saturday, President Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to bypass immigration laws and detain and deport people without court hearings or due process; the last time this act was invoked was to justify Japanese internment camps during World War II.

On Sunday, President Trump openly defied US District Judge James Boasberg’s order to halt the deportation of more than 130 people under the 18th century act; later in the night, Trump posted that former President Biden’s pardons are void. The open defiance of the judiciary and legal actions taken by the previous administration bring the country deeper into a constitutional crisis.

In response to Trump’s actions this weekend, New Jersey Assembly candidate Katie Brennan issued the following statement:

“Donald Trump spent the entire weekend breaking the law and ignoring the Constitution. We should all be alarmed by how our system of checks and balances is failing, because each illegal act that goes unchallenged moves us further from democracy and closer to a dictatorship. It’s becoming difficult to even keep up with the sheer volume of laws being broken right now, but we can’t look away or allow it to become the new normal.

“When Trump breaks the law, it’s not only a threat to our values but to the safety and stability of people here in Jersey City, Hoboken, and across the state. We are all less safe when the Trump administration can make people disappear on a whim without due process or any regard for the law.

"When Trump eliminates independent government agencies, his administration isn’t just burning books but burning down the very institutions that families rely on everyday. We’re already battling a housing crisis, our libraries are already underfunded, and our small businesses are already struggling to stay afloat. It’s impossible to ignore the real human cost of these reckless cuts.

“If Trump wants to be a dictator and burn it all down, New Jersey needs to build a firewall against these attacks on our communities. Our state must challenge these attacks in court, build up a budget reserve to backfill federal cuts, and even consider withholding our tax dollars if the federal government refuses to follow the law. Above all, we must be clear-eyed and unafraid to say what’s really happening here: Donald Trump is breaking the law and ignoring the Constitution, and that’s not okay.”

Meet Katie Brennan:

Katie Brennan is a long-time Jersey City resident, dedicated public servant, and community advocate who gets things done. A trusted policy expert on housing, environmental justice, and protections for survivors of sexual assault, she has spent the last 15 years standing up to powerful interests and turning bold ideas into real results for working families. Katie has served in leadership roles at state and local housing agencies in New Jersey and New York.

For more information about Katie Brennan, visit: www.katiebrennanfornj.com

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