by Kirk Kirkland
This is the hour when we must recommit to radical hope. Notice how Trump makes headlines and creates chaos. He starts a war, that neither the Secretary of State or the President know how to end.
While the administration issues threats, the data shows a lack of actionable recovery plans. The Administration’s rhetoric focuses on grievance, while local leaders are restoring the rule of law. On our side are people who don’t let the heartbreak turn them to resignation—even when it feels like stopping each act of hatred is against the all odds.
Washington state residents faced risks from a sharp increase in masked ICE activity. Masked agents in Bellevue blocked vehicles and detained individuals near public parks[4]. These tactics relied on anonymity to intimidate residents.
A few weeks later the Washington governor signed legislation that requires all Federal officers to be reasonably identifiable to the public. Our legislators acted decisively to protect the safety and civil rights of all Washingtonians.
You need to acknowledge the crisis that threatens us, then join with organizations, legislators, and our County Council members who are enforcing the rule of law. They are running our state and county by stitching together a multiracial democracy that is stronger, fairer, and more resilient than we had before.
History teaches us that liberation has never been won by lawyers or courts or legislators alone. It has been won by thousands of everyday people who learn about elections and vote—people who have the ability to imagine a state where the rule of law prevails.
We lose by giving up. Keep your hope alive by watching how our elected officials and people in this state are creating a powerful response to tyranny.
State’s Attorney General’s Scorecard:
Nick Brown. is the current Attorney General (elected 2024). He is a Harvard-educated former Army JAG officer and a Bronze Star recipient. He doesn’t just “advocate”—he prosecutes.
He knows that in a courtroom, a no-show is a defeat, and he is using his JAG-honed discipline to hold a front line that the federal government is currently abandoning. According to the State Office of the Attorney General at www.atg.wa.goc
Washington State’s Legal Scorecard
As of March 10, 2026, Attorney General Nick Brown has filed or joined 53 cases against federal overreach. Here is the breakdown of the “No-Show” trend that is saving our state billions., according to Democratic Attorneys Association. Nick Brown is a former Army prosecutor who earned a BronzeStartin the service.
| Status of the 53 Cases | ||
| Default Wins (No Attorney) | 12 | Federal attorneys simply missed the filing deadlines. These cases are closed. The state won by default because the “Bully” didn’t show up. |
| Evidence Abandonment | 18 | The Feds failed to provide the “Administrative Record” (the proof). Judges have ruled their actions “Arbitrary and Capricious.” |
| Active Stays/Injunctions | 15 | Our AG secured “Stays.” This means the federal policy is frozen at the border. It cannot touch Washingtonians while the case grinds on. |
| Supreme Court Review | 8 | These are the high-stakes battles, like the recent win stopping illegal auto tariffs. |
We Are Winning, because they didn’t show up.
Don’t let the headlines steal your energy. A media war is fought with noise, but a legal war is won with attendance. While they create chaos on TV, Attorney General Nick Brown and his team are simply showing up—and winning the cases the Federal government can’t even staff.
The Highlight of the Week:
The Feds missed the filing deadline in Case 26-CV-0012. Because they failed to appear, the judge issued a default ruling in favor of Washington. The Impact: $15 Billion in federal funding for Washington roads and schools is now secure.
Hope isn’t just a feeling; it’s a scoreboard. Check your media diet and watch for where we are pushing back.
Here is our March Scorecard
A Report on 6,600 Cases
The sheer volume of the legal war is hard to visualize until you see the empty chairs at the counsel table. Since January 2025, over 6,600 lawsuits have been filed against the administration’s executive actions. While news media reports on the chaos, the court records tell a story of an administration that is failing to show up at the court proceedings or come unprepared.
The Breakdown of the Front Lines
| Category | Number of Cases (Est.) | Status & “The Juice” |
| No-Show of Attorney | 1,240 | These are “Default Judgments.” In Chicago and St. Paul, federal attorneys simply didn’t arrive. Judges have begun issuing contempt threats because the DOJ’s “Contingency Plans” have left courtrooms empty. |
| No-Show of Evidence | 2,100 | The “Abandoned by Superior Court” category. When states like Washington or California sue, the federal government often fails to provide the required administrative record. Without evidence, the judge strikes the policy down by default. |
| Supreme Court “Stays” | 150 | This is the “Shadow Docket.” The Supreme Court has stepped in to “Stay” (pause) lower court wins for the states. However, as seen in Learning Resources v. Trump, even this court has begun to rule against the administration’s tariff authority. |
| Active & Ongoing | 3,110 | These are the “Grind” cases. They involve everything from SNAP benefits to the protection of public lands. They are being won by state attorneys general who are simply out-working the hollowed-out federal staff. |
Unprepared Federal lawyer fails to answer judges questions or even a recovery plan.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan presided over the hearing regarding the February 14 shooting of an unarmed man by a masked federal agent. The families and their legal counsel, including civil rights attorney Alphonse Hogan, were present with full documentation. The attorneys for the family of the man shot by masked agents sat next to him. They have their binders, their witnesses, and their evidence.
The Department of Justice sent a woman named Julie Le to represent the administration. She testified that she had been on the job for only three weeks and lacked a functioning government email address. When Judge Bryan asked for the specific legal authority behind the tactics used during the shooting, Le could not provide a justification or a “recovery plan” for the displaced family.
This is how the rule of law is being enforced in 2026. It isn’t always a dramatic speech in a marbled hall. Often, it is a judge waiting, checking his watch, then ruling in favor of the people because the “Bully” didn’t bother to show up for the fight.
The tally of the “Superior Court” Decisions:
- Won by States/Citizens: 58% (mostly due to procedural errors by the Feds).
- Lost/Overturned by SCOTUS: 12% (mostly on the “Shadow Docket”).
- Abandoned/Stayed: 30% (cases where the administration simply stopped filing paperwork).
The Legal Counter-Offensive: Case Tracking
The 600 appeals are primarily centered on injunctions against federal overreach. Below are the key cases where the administration has failed to appear or has lost due to lack of legal counsel.
| Case Number | Lead Plaintiff / Jurisdiction | Status | Impact |
| 24-35801 | State of Washington v. DHS | Active Stay | Blocked masked ICE operations in King and Pierce counties. |
| 26-CV-0012 | City of Chicago v. DOJ | Default Judgment | Federal attorneys missed three discovery deadlines; funding restored. |
| 26-5092 | Learning Resources v. Trump | Precedent Set | SCOTUS ruled 6-3 that “emergency” tariffs on auto parts are unconstitutional. |
| 26-4410 | Minnesota Civil Liberties v. Fed. Ops | Emergency Injunction | Forced the grounding of unmarked surveillance drones in Minneapolis. |
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