Civil Liberties Are Environmental Protection
By Christy McGillivray, Legislative and Political Director
Sierra Club Michigan awarded Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson our Environmentalist of the Year award in 2020 for her work to protect the integrity of our elections here in Michigan. Our logic holds true today; none of our work to preserve, protect, and enjoy our beautiful state is possible without a functioning democracy.
Since the Trump administration assumed power we have all been bombarded by his open attacks on the basics of public oversight and standing legal precedent, while his administration simultaneously undermines the institutions he was sworn to uphold. The flurry of executive orders is breathtaking and they are aimed at many of Sierra Club’s top priorities. https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/trump-attacks-climate-action-environmental-protections-first-day-back-power However, this article will not detail the ramifications for all of the issue areas we care about. We are going to focus on one: the protection of civil liberties.
Civil liberties often serve as shorthand for the equal application of the Bill of Rights – our right to freedom of speech, our right to assemble, our right to due process, etc. Without the protections of our Bill of Rights, we are not protected from abuses of power from the government we are criticizing. Nothing is more core to our ability to make the change we seek than our ability to do so without fear of dangerous retaliation from those that we criticize. The Trump administration’s threats to pull funding from entities and organizations even discussing equity https://www.aclu.org/campaigns-initiatives/project2025 to his unconstitutional demands that all levels of government must aid in his mass deportations https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-blasts-trump-administration-threats-against-state-and-local-officials indicate that the checks and balances envisioned by the framers of the constitution are under serious threat. The Trump administration has made clear that he is taking literal aim at anyone who criticizes him. Within hours of taking office he removed secret service protection for his critics facing the threat of assassination https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/29/gop-trump-iran-hitmen-00201318, and reporting this week indicates that the retaliation will continue. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-administration-swiftly-enacts-retribution-political-enemies-rcna188763
The combination of attacks on free speech and the right to assemble, coupled with the threat of physical violence levied at critics, paints a picture of how the Trump administration plans to continue to consolidate power to quell dissent. Alarms raised back in 2023 about how social media platforms are sharing data with the Federal government https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/ftc-must-investigate-meta-and-x-complicity-government-surveillance indicate that we may not be able to use these platforms to communicate safely with each other.
In light of this, the Michigan Chapter will be working closely with our partner organizations across Michigan to push our elected officials here to take a much stronger stand against these abuses of power, as well as calling on membership to help with direct aid to targeted communities. Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order directing State Agencies to assess how to comply with Trump’s executive orders is a dereliction of duty, https://michiganadvance.com/2025/01/28/whitmer-orders-state-departments-to-review-trump-executive-orders-on-dei-transgender-policies/ and we must make it clear to our elected officials that we need them to stand strong against Trump, not capitulate and cower under the guise of pragmatism. History tells us exactly how we should respond to autocrats seizing power: swiftly and loudly refuse compliance, support and protect targeted populations, and build the solidarity necessary to push back on abuses of power. This is harder to do with civil liberties under threat, but that is even more of a reason to fight for our Bill of Rights and basic constitutional protections. The Michigan Chapter will keep you updated.