Protests erupt across the USA over ICE operations and fatal shootings by federal agents

This update covers developments relating to the freedoms of expression, association and assembly in the United States of America from 1st January to 28th February 2026.

Context

Military intervention in Venezuela

On 3rd January 2026, the Trump Administration took military action in Venezuela and abducted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The government claimed this was to hold the public officials accountable for drug crimes. Human rights organisations, including CIVICUS and Amnesty International, have noted that this act was likely a violation of international law and raises grave concerns for the human rights of the civilian population in Venezuela. Such an act is also likely to be unconstitutional under US law, as Congress holds authority over war powers.

This action took place in the midst of continued illegal boat strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Ocean. In January and February 2026, the US carried out nine strikes, killing 28 people.

Voting rights battle continues

On 11th February 2026, the House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires individuals to show proof of citizenship to register to vote. This bill has passed multiple times in the House and this passage marks the latest push to disenfranchise Americans, particularly young voters, voters of colour, and women whose married names are not reflected on their birth certificates. According to the Brennan Centre for Justice, over 21 million US citizens do not have easy access to these documents, with about 50 per cent of Americans lacking a passport.

At the state level, Arizona lawmakers are calling for the deployment of ICE agents to polling stations to “observe election activities,” mirroring calls by the Trump Administration. The SAVE Act has not passed the Senate. Efforts to limit access to voting pose threats to fair elections across the US ahead of the mid-term elections this year.

Peaceful Assembly

ICE unleashed on communities, sparking outrage in Minnesota and beyond

In January 2026, protests spread across the country in response to cruel, arbitrary and violent immigration enforcement operations, particularly in Minnesota, carried out as part of the government’s efforts to deport people. Authorities responded with repression, mirroring a pattern of crackdowns on sustained and peaceful demonstrations seen in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland since June 2025.

In early December 2025, the federal administration began deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Minnesota for “Operation Metro Surge,” a sweeping immigration enforcement campaign mostly targeting the state’s Somali American community. Civil rights organisations have documented federal agents conducting racial profiling, including the arbitrary stopping and detention of Asians and Latinos, among them US citizens and lawful residents, as well as Native Americans.

According to official sources, approximately 3,000 armed and masked agents were sent to the state during its span and over 4,000 immigrants were arrested in the “largest DHS operation ever.” On 2nd December, President Trump used derogatory language when referring to Somalian people in a Cabinet meeting, demonstrating an escalation in targeting efforts and racist rhetoric to dehumanise black and brown people.

Since then, people have taken to the streets to document and protest the arrests and raids taking place in their communities. The following is a summary of some of these incidents.

On 9th December, DHS agents physically attacked protesters during an operation in the Cedar-Riverside neighbourhood of Minneapolis, a populated area with Somali and African American communities. According to eyewitnesses, protesters gathered on public sidewalks, who were not interfering with or impeding enforcement actions. An agent reportedly displayed a tear gas canister from a vehicle before officers exited and pepper-sprayed protesters, despite having a clear route to leave the area.

The first major flashpoint occurred on 7th January 2026, when an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, who was lawfully serving as an observer of ICE activities in her Minneapolis community. Shortly after the murder of Good - a US citizen - administration officials, including Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Krisi Noem and Vice President JD Vance, framed her actions as “domestic terrorism” or “classic terrorism.” Moreover, senior Justice Department officials reportedly pressed for a criminal investigation into alleged ties of Good’s widow to activists.

Officials claimed that she had attempted to run over the ICE agent who shot her; however, video footage appears to discredit these claims. On 12th January, the state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) filed a lawsuit against the DHS over the federal enforcement operation. The state alleged that the government violated the First and Tenth Amendments, Equal Sovereignty Principle, and the federal Administrative Procedure Act.

Following Good’s killing, mass protests erupted nationwide in support of immigrants’ rights. On 8th January, protesters gathered outside the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis. Despite reports that the demonstration was peaceful and lawful, DHS deployed tear gas into the crowd without prior warning. Witnesses also reported that officers physically pushed protesters, including a 63-year-old woman using a cane who was attempting to comply with dispersal instructions. In a particularly alarming incident, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer drew a firearm and pointed it directly at the face of a protester at close range for several seconds before re-holstering it.

On 10th January 2026, over 30 people were arrested outside a Hilton Hotel, where out-of-state ICE agents found accommodations. One police officer had minor injuries after ice was thrown at them. On 15th January, President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy the military or National Guard to states to stamp out the protests, and to control critics under the false pretence of a national crisis. The centuries-old law allows the use of military forces in certain and extreme emergencies on domestic soil.

The following day, a federal judge ruled that law enforcement agents could not arrest, detain, retaliate against, or use pepper-spray on peaceful protesters. They were also prohibited from stopping or detaining people in vehicles without “reasonable articulable suspicion.” On 21st January, a federal appeals court temporarily paused the ruling. The same day, a CPB officer reportedly pepper-sprayed a peaceful protester directly in the face at close range in South Minneapolis.

On 23rd January 2026, tens of thousands of people marched in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in sub-zero temperatures as part of a large-scale one-day general strike, shutting down businesses to fuel an economic blackout. People also mobilised in solidarity by closing small businesses, calling off work, missing school, and avoiding purchases to stall the economy. Police reportedly arrested around 100 clergy members during a peaceful protest at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, where faith leaders demonstrated against deportation flights and immigration enforcement practices.

Tensions escalated further on 24th January 2026, when two federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse working at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, at least 10 times as he lay on the ground after being pepper-sprayed. The shooting happened when Pretti resisted arrest after officers were unable to get him and a woman protester out of the street. Pretti had been recording federal enforcement agents on the street before he was killed. While authorities initially claimed that Pretti posed a threat and was armed, ProPublica reported that “some analyses of bystander video appear to show a federal agent taking Pretti’s gun from his hip before the first shots were fired.”

Shortly after the killing, approximately 50 peaceful protesters gathered at the scene. Without prior warning, DHS agents reportedly deployed flash-bang grenades, causing loud explosions, and opened fire with “less-lethal” weapons as protesters attempted to flee. Several of them were injured. For example, a 73-year-old man sustained multiple fractures to the jaw and required reconstructive surgery.

On 11th February 2026, UN Experts warned that the killings of Good and Pretti “may amount to arbitrary deprivation of life and other gross violations of international human rights law, and could constitute extrajudicial killing.” One week after Pretti’s murder, the Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation into Pretti’s killing, which later shifted hands to DHS. The federal government denied Minnesota access to evidence, preventing an independent investigation by the state. Good and Pretti are two of the nine people killed by ICE in the first two months of 2026; several more have died in ICE custody, although the US government has not released those figures.

On 12th February, White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced that “Operation Metro Surge” concluded and that “Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals.” Despite claims that “dangerous criminal illegal aliens” were arrested in the sweep across the state, data shows that a majority did not have criminal records.

During the reported period, concerns about the use of excessive force extended beyond Minnesota. For example, on 13th January in Santa Ana, California, federal officers fired “less-lethal” munitions at peaceful protesters, seriously injuring at least two of them who were struck in the face.

According to ACLED, physical confrontations at pro-migration protests are more than four times as likely in states where federal agents carry out major operations. Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, more than 7,700 pro-migration protests have taken place across the US, with around three per cent involving violence, forced dispersals or arrests. In the first half of January 2026, Minneapolis recorded 10 times the average rate of physical confrontations.

Anti-ICE demonstration at Minnesota church triggers broad federal charges against activists

On 18th January 2026, around three dozen people disrupted a Sunday service at a Southern Baptist church in Minnesota, chanting “ICE out” in protest at the pastor’s role in leading a local office of ICE. The action formed part of a broader wave of protests against immigration enforcement operations across the state (see above). The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the US, is known for its conservative evangelical theology.

Federal authorities responded within days. The assistant attorney general for civil rights at the DOJ said that there “is zero tolerance for this kind of illegal behaviour and we will not stand for it.” She also mentioned that her office was investigating “potential violations of the federal FACE Act,” calling the incident “un-American and outrageous.”

On 22nd January, FBI and DHS agents arrested three activists, including Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen and William Scott Kelly. They were charged under 18 U.S.C. § 241, alleging a conspiracy to interfere with the congregation’s First Amendment right to worship, a provision that criminalises coordinated efforts to “injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate” the exercise of constitutional rights. No arrest warrants were presented at the time of their detention.

The same day, a federal judge ordered the release of Levy Armstrong and Allen, finding that prosecutors had not met the legal threshold for pretrial detention. Despite this, both remained in custody for nearly 24 hours while the government appealed. They were released on 23rd January after a district judge upheld the decision to grant bail. Levy Armstrong and Allen were released on bond under conditions restricting travel outside Minnesota and prohibiting contact with the church. Kelly remained in federal custody until the following day.

Levy Armstrong’s attorney said he had offered for his client to surrender voluntarily, but that federal authorities declined the request, the usual process in non-violent cases and instead proceeded with arrest. The case drew further controversy after the White House posted a digitally altered image of Levy Armstrong’s arrest on 22nd January, falsely depicting her as crying and appearing to darken her skin tone. The image, captioned “Arrested far-left agitator Nekima Levy Armstrong for orchestrating church riots in Minnesota,” was published 30 minutes after Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, posted a picture of her arrest, showing Levy Armstrong calm and composed.

According to legal experts, Trump’s second term has “ramped up his use of hyper-realistic but fabricated visuals on Truth Social and other platforms, often glorifying himself while lampooning his critics.”

On 29th January, prosecutors charged nine people (Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Allen, William Scott Kelly, Don Lemon, Jerome Richardson, Jamael Lydell Lundy, Trahern Crews, Georgia Fort and Ian Austin) with conspiracy to interfere with religious freedom under the FACE Act, a provision generally used to protect access to places of worship. The federal 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) makes a federal crime the interference or intimidation of “any person by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship (18 USC § 248 (a) (2)).” Penalties can range up to a year in prison and up to a USD 10,000 fine.

Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were among those arrested and charged, despite stating that they were present in a reporting capacity (see freedom of expression). In the following weeks, authorities expanded the scope of the case. By 27th February, the DOJ announced that 30 more people had been indicted and that 25 had been arrested, with more arrests to come later. In a social media post, Attorney General Bondi also condemned the disruption of the church service, expressing, “YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP” in a post on X.

According to media reports, all 39 people face charges of conspiracy against the right to religious worship, as well as violations of federal law prohibiting obstruction of access to places of worship. The nine protesters and journalists initially charged have pleaded not guilty and expressed confidence that the charges will be dropped or that they will be acquitted at trial.

Mass walkouts and rallies mark first anniversary of Trump presidency

On 20th January 2026, a nationwide protest known as the “Free America Walkout” took place across the US, marking the first anniversary of President Trump’s inauguration. Women’s March organised the action, with support from groups including the 50501 Movement and FEMINIST. Participants mobilised in all 50 states, alongside smaller solidarity actions abroad, to protest the Trump administration. After midday, protesters left workplaces, schools and commercial activities, while also withholding spending and contacting elected representatives.

Some of the largest gatherings took place in California. In Los Angeles, hundreds demonstrated at City Hall, while students from East Los Angeles high schools joined marches in the city centre. Over 1,000 people attended rallies across Orange County communities. In San Francisco, up to 1,000 protesters gathered at Civic Centre Plaza before marching to a federal building.

On 30th January, coordinated protests also took place nationwide under the banner of a “National Shutdown”. Thousands walked out of workplaces and schools, closed businesses and staged rallies across the country. The mobilisation was organised by grassroots networks in response to recent immigration enforcement operations (see above).

Protests were reported in major cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, as well as in smaller towns. Participants engaged in student walkouts, business closures, traffic disruptions and public demonstrations.

Demonstrations remained largely peaceful. However, in Los Angeles, tensions escalated outside a federal detention facility, where some protesters clashed with federal agents. Law enforcement deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The mobilisations built on earlier large-scale protests, including the 2025 “No Kings Day” demonstrations. Recent data indicate a significant increase in protest activity, with more than 10,700 demonstrations recorded in 2025, representing a 133 per cent rise compared to 2017, the first year of the Trump presidency.

Oregon court moves to protect protesters and journalists from excessive force

On 3rd February 2026, a federal court in Oregon granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) in Dickinson v. Trump, finding that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their claim of First Amendment retaliation. The order remains in force for 14 days and applies to the area surrounding the Portland ICE facility. It does not prevent DHS officers from conducting lawful arrests where probable cause exists. The court scheduled an evidentiary hearing for 2nd March 2026 to determine whether to issue a preliminary injunction extending these restrictions.

The case, filed in November 2025 by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oregon and partner organisations, was brought on behalf of protesters and journalists who alleged the use of excessive force by federal officers at an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon.

The court identified credible and consistent evidence that federal officers directly targeted protesters and journalists, including strikes to the head and the use of chemical agents and projectile munitions, despite no immediate threat being present. The court further stated that isolated unlawful acts by some protesters do not relieve authorities of their constitutional obligations. Notably, it found that a “policy or custom of retaliation” could be inferred, including from public statements by senior officials that appeared to condone such conduct.

The TRO prohibits DHS officers, and those acting in coordination with them, from using crowd-control munitions, including tear gas and pepper balls, against people engaged in non-violent protest or journalistic activity, unless they face an imminent physical threat.

Tenant unions announced a historic mobilisation in Minnesota

On 17th February 2026, tenant and labour unions in the Twin Cities announced that if Minnesota Governor Tim Walz does not meet their demands for rent relief and an eviction moratorium by 1st March 2026, approximately 26,000 union members would engage in a rent strike. This would be the “largest rent strike in the US in the last 100 years” and have a significant impact on the economy across the state.

Association

Pattern of retaliation against pro-migrant activists

Legal observers in Minnesota – activists and community members who have been trained and affiliated with civil society organisations, who monitor police conduct to document potential rights violations in the context of immigration enforcement activities – have reported that federal agents linked to DHS have engaged in a pattern of intimidation and retaliation against them. Civil society organisations documented that authorities have targeted people who photograph, film or otherwise record law enforcement operations.

For example, on 23rd January 2026, a Minneapolis-based school social worker reported that three federal agents stopped abruptly, approached her vehicle while armed and masked, and issued verbal threats after she followed a federal vehicle at a safe distance in the Whittier neighbourhood. Agents warned her not to continue monitoring their movements: “This is [the] United States Border Patrol. You cannot fucking follow us. This is your first and final warning. If you continue to follow us, I will pull you out of your fucking car.”

On 29th January 2026, a resident in St. Peter, Minnesota, reported that DHS agents cut off her vehicle while she documented enforcement activity. Three masked agents exited with firearms drawn, pointed weapons at her and forcibly removed her from the vehicle. Dashcam footage captured the incident. Local police intervened, halted the arrest and prevented her transfer to a federal facility.

On 8th January 2026, federal authorities issued an audit notice to administrators at Hennepin County Medical Centre in Minneapolis, shortly after hospital officials publicly criticised the presence of ICE agents at a patient’s bedside without a judicial warrant. The audit reportedly linked to employment verification procedures. The developments took place within a broader pattern reported by healthcare workers, who said immigration agents had appeared in hospital settings, fuelling fear among staff.

Other legal observers have reported that agents followed, stopped, or identified them by name after monitoring enforcement operations. As reported by The Intercept, investigations based on interviews and video evidence indicate that agents have, in some cases, tracked legal observers to their homes, raising concerns about targeted surveillance practices. “This pattern of behaviour sends a clear and chilling message: The federal government knows who they are and where they live.”

These incidents occur against the backdrop of expanded use of surveillance technologies by federal authorities, including biometric identification tools, licence plate readers and facial recognition systems. Civil society organisations warned that such practices risk deterring lawful monitoring of public officials and public interest reporting.

Investigation of Minnesota officials

On 17th January 2026, media reported that the Department of Justice opened an investigation and issued grand jury subpoenas to Minnesota public officials including Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Attorney General Keith Ellison for alleged conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents (18 U.S. Code § 372). Conviction under this statute can result in fines or imprisonment. This investigation comes after officials expressed condemnation of the illegal federal immigration enforcement actions in their state and support for peaceful protest in January 2025.

Counter-terrorism framework expands

On 13th January 2026, the Trump Administration designated the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Lebanon as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and designated the Egyptian and Jordanian branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). These designations create a difficult operating environment for organisations based in the US working on human rights and democracy in the Middle East because MB is a decentralised movement consisting of political parties, social service organisations, and paramilitary bodies across the region, which is difficult to disentangle. Since stepping into office, the Administration has designated 26 organisations as FTOs.

On 21st January 2026, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated six Palestinian organisations and the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) as SDGTs. The Trump Administration has expanded the terrorism designation and sanctions apparatus to designate organisations operating in Palestine, as well as cartels. These measures chill the work of civil society organisations working on issues linked to justice and accountability for Palestine and immigrant rights.

Congress goes after nonprofits

On 10th February 2026, the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on foreign influence on US politics and culture through tax-exempt organisations entitled “Unmasking Threats from Beijing and Beyond.” This is the latest in a series of Congressional hearings scrutinising the US nonprofit sector, taking aim at organisations engaged in Palestine advocacy and climate justice work.

The Ways and Means Committee has been especially active in targeting nonprofits: the hearing followed a letter they sent to the IRS on 20th January 2026, calling for oversight and accountability of nonprofit organisations, and calling for an investigation into the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), about alleged improper use of federal funds and illegal activity.

On 12th February 2026, nineteen Republican State Attorneys General released a letter urging Attorney General Bondi and the DOJ to investigate over 150 climate change and green energy organisations. Following that, on 26th February 2026, Congress introduced the Stop Proxy Organisations Nurturing Subversive Operations and Riots (SPONSOR) Act in both the House and Senate, which would make 501(c)(3) organisations serving as fiscal sponsors criminally liable for activities carried out by organisations they support financially, including protest activity.

Abandonment of international organisations & the fight to protect the planet

On 27th January 2026, the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change, came into effect. This came after President Trump signed an executive order upon reentering office, laying out steps to formally withdraw from the agreement. The US has also pulled out of several other climate change bodies and arrangements as well as over 60 international organisations, significantly reducing its participation across issues and contexts at the international level.

Healthcare and education workers secure wins on the coasts

On 21st February 2026, New York City’s largest and longest union strike of hospital nurses ended with the ratification of a new contract by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). The strike first began on 12th January 2026 when about 15,000 nurses walked out of work across New York Hospitals, including Mount Sinai Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian, and lasted 41 days. NYSNA demands included workplace safety and fair health care benefits.

In a separate incident, on 13th February 2026, following a four-day walk-out from 120 schools, public school teachers in San Francisco, California secured a tentative agreement for a new contract for increased wages and healthcare. This marked the first strike among teachers, a field predominantly consisting of women, in one of America’s most expensive cities in 47 years.

Expression

Journalist assaulted by federal agents while covering Minneapolis protest

On 24th January 2026, Border Patrol agents shoved and pepper-sprayed journalist and TV anchor Jana Shortal, while reporting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. The incident occurred as protesters began to gather in the Whittier neighbourhood shortly after the shooting (see above).

Shortal reported that federal agents moved the press line and physically pushed journalists despite visible press credentials. She stated that an officer shoved her multiple times and that a chemical irritant was deployed directly into her eye without warning. “An agent probably twice my size pushed me pretty hard. And I said, ‘Don’t push me, I’m press.’ I was wearing my press credential. And he did it again. And I said, ‘Do not push me, I’m press.’”

She received assistance from a local resident and medical attention before resuming reporting.

A similar case occurred on 15th January 2026, when independent photographer John Abernathy reported that federal agents used force against him while he documented a veteran-led protest outside the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Abernathy stated that he was filming the demonstration with his back turned when agents tackled him to the ground. He said that officers attempted to seize his phone and camera equipment. While he remained restrained and posed no apparent threat, an agent sprayed pepper spray directly into his face. Agents then dragged him inside the building and issued a citation accusing him of using bear spray. Abernathy stated that officers did not provide evidence to support the allegation.

Journalists face prosecution and surveillance following coverage of Minnesota pro-migrants protests

Following a protest at a Southern Baptist church in Minnesota on 18th January 2026 (see above), authorities initiated criminal proceedings against journalists and protesters. On 29th January 2026, the Justice Department charged nine people, including independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, with conspiracy to interfere with religious freedom under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act). Lemon and other journalists stated that they were present to document the protest, invoking First Amendment protections. Both were released and pleaded not guilty in court to these federal charges.

On 27th February, journalist Junn Bollmann was also arrested and indicted for conspiracy and obstruction for coverage of the same protest. His devices, including a laptop, camera, and cell phone, were taken away and have not been returned at the time of writing.

The use of the FACE Act in this context marks a departure from its typical application. The law, adopted in 1994, has primarily been used in cases involving protests at abortion clinics, with limited application to places of worship. Legal experts noted that prosecutions of journalists under this statute appear unprecedented, raising concerns about its potential impact on media coverage of protests.

Government overreach and intimidation of reporters

On 7th January 2026, the House Committee on Oversight voted in favour of subpoenaing journalist Seth Harp for posting information about a military official he reported was involved with the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (see context). The motion was introduced by Representative Anna Paulina Luna. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Electronic Frontier Foundation, and other organisations focused on First Amendment and journalist protections, called on Congress to rescind the subpoena, noting the harmful implications of a move to investigate a reporter for carrying out their work.

In an escalation of scrutiny of journalists, on 14th January 2026, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched the home of Hannah Natanson, a Washington Post reporter, and seized her electronic devices as part of a broader investigation into an official charged with housing classified documents in their private residence.

Social media platforms censor outcries over immigration enforcement

In response to immigration enforcement action in Minneapolis in January 2025, celebrities, social media influencers, and other platform users sounded alarms over reported TikTok censorship of their videos condemning the raids and attacks on migrant communities.

TikTok US Joint Venture, which took over ownership of the outlet on 22nd January 2026 and consists of American investors, including Larry Ellison, a close connection of President Trump, expressed that the app was not operating correctly due to a data centre outage and was being addressed. On 25th January, US Senator Chris Murphy noted on X the growing concerns around media censorship as one of the “threats to democracy”.

Shrinking traditional press

On 4th February 2026, The Washington Post laid off hundreds of employees as a result of a “strategic reset” of the news organisation, said Executive Editor Matt Murray. The sports desk was cut completely and the international desk was significantly reduced. The union representing most Post staff remarked that “continuing to eliminate workers only stands to weaken the newspaper, drive away readers and undercut The Post’s mission: to hold power to account without fear or favour and provide critical information for communities across the region, country and world.” Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and one of the richest people in the world, bought The Post in 2013.

New Kansas Bill targets transgender residents

On 26th February 2026, SB 224, a bill enacted by the Kansas state legislature, went into effect. It called on the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to invalidate drivers’ licences and “correct the gender identification” on this official document, and the Office of Vital Statistics to do the same with birth certificates. Transgender residents of the state received letters from the DMV notifying them of this policy change.

The bill also prohibits transgender people from using public bathrooms that align with their gender and allows private citizens to sue for damages transgender people suspected of violating this law. State officials utilised “gut and go,” a mechanism by which to replace the language of a bill without meaningful vetting, and push it quickly through the legislature for passage. Two transgender residents of Kansas filed a lawsuit challenging the bill, alleging violations of protected speech, expression, and privacy.