PJLC Announces Strategic Pivot to Address National Threats
to Democracy

The Peace and Justice Law Center (PJLC) is announcing a strategic pivot to address growing national threats to democracy and the rule of law. This shift follows Donald Trump’s reelection despite his role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, raising serious concerns about democratic backsliding and weakened accountability.

For years, PJLC’s work has focused on challenging abusive gang policing and defending people targeted by false or exaggerated gang allegations in California. During Trump’s first presidency, gangs such as MS-13 were repeatedly invoked to justify harsh enforcement policies and expanded executive power. Similar fear-driven narratives resurfaced during the 2024 campaign, reinforcing concerns that public safety rhetoric is being used to undermine constitutional protections.

January 6 marked a clear break from democratic norms. Trump’s return to office despite that event signals heightened risks for civil rights organizations and the communities they serve. For PJLC, this moment underscored that tools long used against marginalized communities—gang labels, emergency narratives, and weakened due process—are now central to national political strategy.

In response, PJLC is reallocating staff time and launching new projects to address these risks at the federal level, while continuing its core state and local work. This pivot reflects a strategic assessment that local reform efforts are increasingly vulnerable if broader democratic safeguards continue to erode.

PJLC enters this phase with national experience through its leadership of the Decriminalizing Neighborhoods Network, a coalition advancing alternatives to punitive gang policing across multiple states. That work has demonstrated how local harms often stem from shared national narratives and policy frameworks.

This strategic shift ensures that PJLC’s expertise is applied where it can be most effective in the current environment—defending individual rights while helping protect the legal systems that make those rights enforceable.