Implications

• The U.S. Supreme Court concluded its 2025-2026 term by issuing rulings that impact state and territorial governments. • The Court released approximately 68 decisions and several emergency orders covering topics like federalism, immigration, and executive authority. • These rulings redefine the legal boundaries between presidential power and the constitutional rights of individuals and states.

• Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat identifies five key warning signs of democratic erosion: electoral manipulation, weaponized government, press intimidation, normalization of extremism, and transfer of power crises. • The analysis draws direct parallels between these indicators and recent political developments in the United States, specifically focusing on the actions of Donald Trump. • This framework matters because democratic systems typically collapse incrementally through gradual erosion and societal complacency rather than through sudden, outright failure.

• The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for individuals from Haiti and Syria. • This decision reverses lower court rulings which had previously found that the administration failed to follow proper procedures, such as conducting necessary inter-agency reviews. • Advocates and the National Nurses United union warn that the ruling threatens thousands of essential workers—including nurses and teachers—with deportation and potential family separation.