Impact Docket – 12/10/2025

Written By Shaeleigh Severino

This week demands action. Here are five ways you can push back right now:

Whether you have 2 minutes or 2 days, join the fight. Keep reading for more context.

📌 If you’d rather not receive the bi-weekly Impact Docket but still want to get other L4GG emails, you can opt out of just this newsletter here.

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🔴 The Moment We’re In: A Line We Cannot Allow to Move

The pace of government overreach is accelerating, and the consequences are immediate. In the wake of a recent shooting incident in D.C., the administration has seized on fear to justify sweeping actions that punish entire communities — halting asylum processing, suspending visas, and reviving the same fear-based tactics as the Muslim Ban.

At the same time, immigrant youth protected by DACA are facing their most dangerous moment yet, and New Yorkers are just days away from a decision that will determine the scope of abortion access, trans healthcare, and patient privacy in the state.

These fights are connected. They reflect a broader strategy of narrowing rights, shrinking protections, and testing how much discrimination the public will tolerate.

But we’re not moving. We’re holding the line — together. And your actions this week will help decide what happens next.

⚡ L4GG ACTIONS

🏥 NY Rapid Response: Protect Abortion, Trans Healthcare & Privacy

📍 L4GG.org/SaveNYHealth | THIS FRIDAY, 10-10:30 AM ET

Three critical bills are on Governor Hochul’s desk—Shield Law 2.0, the NY Health Information Privacy Act, and the Hospital Transparency Act—and she could sign or veto them as early as Friday night.

These bills protect reproductive rights, trans healthcare, and sensitive patient data—but they’re under real threat. That’s why L4GG is hosting a 30-minute action event this Friday at 10:00 AM ET. We will

  • Ground you in what’s at stake

  • Help you craft a short, effective call script

  • Organize 5–10 minute calling shifts across the day

Your voice could be the reason these protections become law. Let’s make sure the Governor hears us loud and clear.

🛑 Stop Collective Punishment After the D.C. Shooting

📍 L4GG.org/RejectHate | 2 min

In the aftermath of a recent D.C. shooting, the Trump administration responded not with justice—but with sweeping overreach. Instead of addressing an isolated act of violence, they’ve launched a crackdown that punishes entire communities based on nationality.

The result?

  • All asylum decisions have been halted—leaving thousands in limbo

  • Visas and immigration processing for Afghans and other Muslim-majority countries have been suspended

  • Permanent residence grants are being reexamined for entire populations, with no evidence of wrongdoing

These actions are unconstitutional, unethical, and grounded in collective punishment. They mirror past abuses like the Muslim Ban and revive the worst instincts of government by fear. Contact your elected officials and demand they oppose these discriminatory policies.

📣 Support the DREAM Act and Protect DACA Recipients

📍 L4GG.org/SupportDREAM | 2 min

We’re facing the most dangerous moment in DACA’s 13-year history. Court rulings, unlawful detentions, and federal efforts are threatening protections for Dreamers. In recent weeks, DACA recipients have even been wrongfully detained despite valid status.

Congress has a bipartisan solution on the table: the DREAM Act, reintroduced by Senators Durbin and Murkowski. It offers a permanent path to citizenship for Dreamers—who’ve contributed to every sector of our society and are American in every way but on paper.

We can’t let DACA quietly die. Urge your Senators to co-sponsor the DREAM Act.

🛠️ LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENT

🎥 Rights in Reel Time: Law Student Info Session

📍 L4GG.org/ReelTimeInfo | Dec 17 at 2 PM ET

L4GG has officially launched the Rights in Reel Time Challenge—a brand-new national video contest inviting law students to bring the Constitution to life through short, compelling videos. With cash prizes up to $3,000, this is a unique opportunity for students to practice public legal education while reaching new audiences with accessible content about constitutional rights.

L4GG is hosting a live info session next week to introduce the challenge, walk through the rules, and help students get started:

🗓️ Wednesday, Dec 17 at 2:00 PM ET
🔗 Register here
📚 Full contest details

📣 If you’re a student, faculty member, clinic lead, or just someone connected to law students—please help us spread the word. We want as many students as possible to take part.

📌 Can’t attend the session or want to take action faster? Use this promo toolkit with sample language and graphics to share the challenge across your networks!

⚖️ Volunteer with L4GG’s Court of Federal Claims Clinic

📍 L4GG.org/COFC | 30–50 hrs over 3–6 months

After the federal government unlawfully terminated billions in environmental justice grants, communities were forced into a complex legal maze to recover. That’s why L4GG launched the COFC Clinic—to help them file claims in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

What volunteer attorneys do (remote, limited scope):

  • Review grant contracts and federal docs

  • Assess breach-of-contract claims

  • Draft complaints and prep federal filings

  • Guide grantees through procedures (no court appearances)

Requirements:
✔ Licensed attorney (no prior COFC experience needed)
✔ 30–50 hours over 3–6 months
✔ Full training and supervision provided

Your support could make the difference between a canceled climate project and a community getting justice. Sign up to volunteer today!

🎉 Community Impact: Kipnuk Wins More Time—Thanks to You

In our last Impact Docket, we shared the urgent fight to protect Kipnuk, Alaska—a Native Village devastated by flooding after Typhoon Halong. Entire homes were swept away, and residents were displaced. Yet FEMA moved forward with plans to rebuild in the same flood-prone area—ignoring earlier indications that relocation was possible, and giving the public just 15 days to comment, ending on Thanksgiving Day. The comment window all but excluded Tribal elders, residents, and advocates.

Thanks to rapid response from our network, we helped secure a 60-day extension through January 11—ensuring Kipnuk’s leaders and allies will have a real chance to be heard. Our sign-on letter garnered 223 organizational and individual signatures despite only being open for a few hours.

This is what advocacy looks like: fast, targeted, and community-driven. Thank you for standing with Kipnuk and for proving again that legal voices can shift the outcome.

We’ll be back in two weeks with more ways to take action—but the work doesn’t stop here. 

  • Know someone else who would be interested in this newsletter? Share this link so they can sign up too.

  • Join our rapid-response SMS group by texting “community” to 771-203-4895.

Shaeleigh Severino
Next

Impact Docket – 11/26/2025