The Seven Principles

The constitutional framework for protecting due process at the state level. These aren't partisan positions — they're the boundaries the Founders drew.

01

Fiscal Neutrality

Local taxes for local priorities

State and local resources — police time, vehicles, buildings, personnel — should never subsidize federal administrative goals. If the federal government wants to use state assets, they must treat the state like a contractor: pay in full, in advance, with the state's voluntary consent.

Policy Asks

Cost Recovery

Require advance reimbursement at full cost for any state/local resources used in federal civil enforcement. No "in-kind" arrangements — cash up front.

Facility Limits

Ban use of state/local facilities for staging or processing civil enforcement operations. Exception only with advance payment + judicial authorization.

Bond & Indemnification

Federal agencies must post surety bond before any joint operation. No bond, no cooperation. State held harmless for any liability.

Contractor Extension

All fiscal neutrality rules apply to any person or entity acting on behalf of federal enforcement when using state resources.

Constitutional Foundation

The anti-commandeering doctrine (Printz v. United States, 1997) establishes that the federal government cannot compel states to administer federal programs — including bearing their costs.

The Pitch
"This isn't about immigration policy. It's about who pays the bill. If the federal government wants our help, they can pay for it like any other client."
02

Data Sovereignty

State data belongs to the people

When citizens give their information to a state agency — DMV, Board of Elections, licensing boards — that data is held in sacred trust. The state has a duty to prevent it from being leaked, sold to third-party brokers, or harvested via backdoor digital surveillance.

Policy Asks

Database Protection

Restrict state databases to defined purposes. Prohibit bulk sharing for unrelated enforcement. Mandatory retention limits — delete what you don't need.

Surveillance Limits

Prohibit government face recognition in public spaces without judicial authorization. ALPR data retention limits (24-48 hours max).

Data Broker Ban

Prohibit sale or transfer of state-collected data to commercial brokers for law enforcement resale. Close the backdoor where feds buy what they can't legally collect.

Vendor Compliance

State agencies shall not contract with any vendor that discloses state-originated data to federal civil enforcement agencies without judicial warrant.

Constitutional Foundation

The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches. Mass data sharing without individualized suspicion is the digital equivalent of general warrants the Founders explicitly rejected.

The Pitch
"When your constituents give their information to the DMV, they're trusting the state — not signing up to be tracked by data brokers."
03

Judicial Primacy

No enforcement without oversight

This principle restores the role of the local judiciary. Any state cooperation with federal agents — whether sharing a database or entering a home — requires a judge-signed warrant. It rejects "administrative requests" or "detainers" that bypass the Fourth Amendment.

Policy Asks

Warrant Requirements

No state/local employee may assist in entry, search, or seizure without a judge-signed warrant. ICE detainers are requests, not commands.

Officer Identification

State personnel shall not participate in joint operations unless all participants display visible identification. Non-compliance terminates state participation.

Transparency

Monthly public reports: requests received, complied with, refused, legal basis, agencies involved. Searchable public database.

Documentation

Mandatory logging of all federal requests. Creates paper trail for accountability. Deters informal pressure.

Constitutional Foundation

The Fourth Amendment: "No Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation."

Printz v. United States (1997) — States can't be commandeered. Galarza v. Szalczyk (3rd Cir. 2014) — ICE detainers are requests, not mandatory commands.

The Pitch
"Administrative warrants are issued by the same agency doing the enforcement. That's not oversight — that's a rubber stamp. We require real judges."
04

Institutional Sanctity

Green zones of civil life

Certain pillars of society — schools, hospitals, places of worship, and polling stations — must be off-limits to state cooperation with civil enforcement. For society to function, people must be able to vote, learn, heal, and worship without fear of federal intervention.

Policy Asks

Protected Locations

State personnel shall not assist federal civil enforcement at schools, hospitals, places of worship, courthouses, polling places, or legal aid offices.

Voting Protection

Voter roll data firewalls. Polling places as protected zones. Mandatory reporting of any federal presence at polling locations.

Protected Persons

Students while at school. Patients receiving care. Voters at polling locations. Witnesses in legal proceedings.

Communication Sanctuary

Protect privileged communications: attorney-client, medical provider-patient, clergy-penitent, journalist-source.

Constitutional Foundation

The First Amendment protects religious exercise and assembly. When enforcement chills participation in protected activities, it violates constitutional guarantees.

The Elections Clause (Article I, Section 4) gives states control over the "Times, Places and Manner" of elections.

The Pitch
"Children should go to school thinking about math, not whether their parent will be there when they get home. That's not partisan — that's parenting."
05

Personnel Protection

Those who serve are protected

State policies are only as strong as the people who implement them. If federal authorities can threaten, prosecute, or destroy the careers of state employees who follow state law, the law becomes unenforceable. This principle creates a shield around the humans who make the system work.

Policy Asks

Legal Immunity

Clear legal immunity for state/local officials who follow state law in good faith. State indemnification for legal costs.

State-Funded Defense

Automatic legal representation for any state employee facing federal action for following state policy. Emergency response within 24 hours.

Anti-Retaliation

Whistleblower protections. Confidential reporting channels. Documentation requirements for all federal pressure or threats.

Career Protection

Can't be fired for following state law. Pension protection. Professional license protection. Reinstatement rights.

Constitutional Foundation

Under Printz, the federal government cannot conscript state officers to administer federal programs. State employees answer to state authority, not federal direction.

The Pitch
"Follow state law, and the state has your back. Legal defense, job protection, pension security. You're not alone."
06

Interstate Solidarity

An attack on one is an attack on all

Individual states can be isolated and pressured. A coalition of states is a different matter. When states coordinate their legal strategies, share resources, and present a unified front, federal overreach becomes exponentially more difficult.

Policy Asks

Interstate Agreements

MOUs among AGs for information sharing, coordinated legal research, joint amicus briefs. Formal compacts for mutual aid and shared defense funds.

Coordinated Litigation

Multi-state litigation coordination. Create circuit splits to force Supreme Court review. Shared legal research and brief banks.

Information Sharing

Real-time intelligence on federal tactics. Secure communication channels between state AGs. Early warning systems for new enforcement strategies.

Shared Defense Fund

Multi-state fund for official defense. Reduces per-state cost. Signals commitment to federal opponents.

Constitutional Foundation

Article I, Section 10 permits interstate compacts. States have always cooperated on shared concerns — from water rights to criminal justice. Constitutional defense is no different.

The Pitch
"One state standing alone against the federal government is vulnerable. Twenty states standing together are a constitutional force."
07

Citizen Enforcement

Paper policies need teeth

Laws without enforcement are suggestions. When the only enforcer is the government, enforcement depends on political will, budget priorities, and who's in office. Citizen enforcement creates a distributed, self-funding accountability system that works regardless of who holds power.

Policy Asks

Private Right of Action

Any person aggrieved by a violation may sue. $1,000 per violation minimum. $10,000-$25,000 for willful violations. Attorney's fees to prevailing plaintiff.

Safe Harbor

Agencies using standardized procedures that cure violations within 14 days get protection from statutory damages for first-time procedural errors.

Whistleblower Bounties

State employees who report violations receive 15-30% of penalties recovered. Anti-retaliation protections. Confidential reporting option.

Qualified Immunity (Targeted)

Remove qualified immunity for claims against officials who acted contrary to written state policy. Preserve for genuinely ambiguous situations.

Constitutional Foundation

The Seventh Amendment preserves the right to civil jury trials. Private enforcement has deep roots: the Civil Rights Act (§1983), Fair Housing Act, ADA, and state consumer protection laws all use private enforcement.

Illinois's BIPA with private enforcement changed national corporate behavior. That's what citizen enforcement does — real consequences.

The Pitch
"Right now, if the government violates your rights, you file a complaint and hope. With this, you hire a lawyer, you sue, you win, you get paid. That's real accountability."

See How Your State Measures Up

We grade every state on these seven principles. Find out where your representatives stand — and what you can do about it.

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