Just Security

Just Security is an online platform dedicated to thoroughly examining U.S. national security law and policy. Our mission is to foster practical and principled approaches to the national security challenges faced by policymakers. Our Editorial Board comprises experts with extensive experience in government, civil rights law, academia, and other respected fields. Just Security is hosted by New York University School of Law. We appreciate the support from the Open Society Foundations, Atlantic Philanthropies, and New York University School of Law. The opinions shared on this website belong solely to the individual authors and reflect their personal views. They do not represent the views of any other authors, editors, or any organization or individual with whom the authors may be associated or advise in legal matters.

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Hidden in the U.S. Army’s New Reform Initiative Is a Warning for Europe

1 week ago | justsecurity.org | Ryan Goodman

In early May, Vice President J.D. Vance struck a conciliatory tone at the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington D.C. Rather than criticizing Europe for what he described as illiberal censorship, as he did at the Munich Security Conference in February, he said the United States and Europe were on the same team. “It’s completely ridiculous to think that you’re ever going to be able to drive a firm wedge between the United States and Europe,” he told the audience.
The Strategic Stakes after Israel’s Opening Strikes on Iran

2 weeks ago | justsecurity.org | Brian O'Neill

In the early hours of this morning, Israel launched a sweeping military offensive targeting Iran’s nuclear sites, military bases, and senior military leadership. It marks Israel’s most significant operation against a regional nuclear program since its 2007 bombing of Syria’s suspected reactor at Al-Kibar.
Welcoming Danae Askar, Legal Editor

2 weeks ago | justsecurity.org | Tess Bridgeman |Ryan Goodman

We are thrilled to welcome Danae Askar to the Just Security team as a Legal Editor. Askar comes to us most recently from the Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser, where she served as an Attorney-Adviser. Prior to that, she was Counsel for a global, pro bono law firm.
How Trump’s Death Penalty Order Codifies Dangerous Speech

3 weeks ago | justsecurity.org | Rebecca Hamilton

President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14164, one of 26 he signed on the first day of his second term, did much more than reinstate federal executions. Trump directed the Attorney General to seek the death penalty in every case in which a “capital crime” is committed by an undocumented migrant. By tying the harshest punishment the state can impose to the identity of the accused, the order signals that some people—by virtue of who they are—deserve to be killed.
Early Edition: June 6, 2025

3 weeks ago | justsecurity.org | Beatrice Yahia

Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news.
Early Edition: June 4, 2025

3 weeks ago | justsecurity.org | Tess Bridgeman |Rebecca Ingber

Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:GLOBAL AFFAIRSSouth Korea’s new President Lee Jae-Myung today pledged to “unite the people” and “never again” allow democratic institutions to be threatened in his inauguration speech, delivered a day after the Democratic Party candidate’s win in the country’s snap election. Yvette Tan and Koh Ewe report for BBC News.
Why Lawmakers Want to Block Arms Sales to the UAE

4 weeks ago | justsecurity.org | Ryan Goodman

The war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has raged on for more than two years, leaving the country entrenched in one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises. The conflict has been marked by extensive harm to civilians. Flows of weapons into the country have sustained the conflict along with illicit trade in gold, the common food ingredient gum arabic, and other commodities.
What Just Happened: The Trump Administration’s Dismissal of Voting Rights Lawsuits

1 month ago | justsecurity.org | Paul Rasmussen

Congress created the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in 1957 and authorized the federal government to seek court injunctions against efforts to interfere with the right to vote. Further empowered by the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) and other laws, the Division has worked to eliminate racial discrimination and protect the right to vote for almost 70 years.
How Trump’s Law Firm Settlements Circumvent Congress and Violate Federal Spending Laws

1 month ago | justsecurity.org | Ryan Goodman

The Constitution grants Congress exclusive control over federal spending—an essential check on the executive branch. But a recent wave of settlement agreements between the Trump administration and major law firms marks the latest in a growing pattern of executive maneuvers that erode this safeguard. By redirecting valuable resources toward White House-aligned initiatives without congressional approval, the administration has effectively created a shadow appropriation.
DOJ “Contrivance” to Keep other Abrego Garcia in CECOT Prison

1 month ago | justsecurity.org | Erwin Chemerinsky |Ryan Goodman

I have previously written about another case that is very similar to Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s, and in some respects, even worse with respect to the government’s alleged violation of the law. The case is J.O.P. v. DHS, and the plaintiff, who goes under the pseudonym “Cristian,” is currently in CECOT prison due to the U.S. government violating a court-enforced settlement agreement prohibiting his removal from the United States.