GARE Public Resources

Session Description:
For this GARE Conversation, we were joined by organizers working to support federal workers for a deep-dive conversation on the dismantling of civil rights by the current administration.

Objectives: 

• Understand the current state of civil rights protections amidst federal attacks

• Gain insight into the ongoing fight to protect civil rights at the federal level

• Discuss strategies for protecting civil rights at each level of government

Session Leads:

• Paul Osadebe (he/him), Steward, AFGE 476; Organizer, Federal Unionists Network

  • Paul is a trial attorney in HUD's Office of Fair Housing in the General Counsel's Office. He's one of the two public HUD whistleblowers. He's a steward with AFGE 476 and an organizer with the Federal Unionists Network.

• Cathy Albisa (she/her), Co-Executive Director for Field-Building and Organizational Strategy, Branch 4

  • Cathy  is a U.S.-based human rights lawyer, activist, and organizational leader known for her work at the intersection of racial justice, economic rights, and government accountability. She was previously Vice President of Institutional Change at Race Forward, where she worked on transforming governance systems and embedding racial equity into public institutions.

Recording Date:
Thursday, January 15, 2026

Session Reads:

• HUD Whistleblower Report on Civil Rights: https://www.federalunionists.net/press/whistleblower-report

Session Notes:

• Paul: Trial Attorney, Office of Fair Housing at HUD

• Prosecuted housing-related discrimination cases

• Helped settle cases without years of litigation

• Wrote regulations including disparate impact rule (2020)

• Advised Congress on civil rights laws

• Ensured federal housing funding compliance with civil rights

• Federal Unionist Network leader

• Cross-agency network protecting agency missions

• Union organizing for a democratic, equitable administrative branch

• Whistleblower currently on leave fighting for job

• Emails requesting employees inform on DEI-related work

• No compliance from staff

• Contract cancellations flagged for words: accessibility, equity, minority, disadvantaged

• Gag order (day 3): Trial attorneys banned from contacting parties, judges, complainants

• Illegal directives cutting civil rights lawyers from compliance processes

• Investigation restrictions

• Stopped cases involving disparate impact, environmental justice, LGBT rights

• Withdrew charges illegally (violates Fair Housing Act requirements)

• Settlement interference

• Removed government lawyers from negotiations

• Created political appointee bottleneck via spreadsheet review

• Cases with homeless complainants stalled despite agreed settlements

• Fired almost all probationary employees

• Reassigned civil rights attorneys to defensive litigation/ethics

• Craig Trainer (new investigative head) previously dismantled Dept of Education Civil Rights

• Enforcement collapse: 6 total charges in 2025 (4 under Biden in January)

• Shift to political attacks on cities (Boston investigation example)

• No investigator involvement or evidence review

• Public guilt determination before investigation

• Same playbook across DOJ, Department of Education, HHS, CFPB

• 200 DOJ civil rights lawyers quit under duress

• Universal elements:

1. Work restrictions based on political ideology

2. Staff removal through firing/reassignment

3. Agency weaponization against equity work

4. Legal violations unless forced by lawsuits

5. Union busting to prevent collective response

• Four whistleblowers (two public, two anonymous)

• Coordinated approach with Congress, media, civil rights organizations

• Public launch September 2024 with sustained attention strategy

• Collective legal advice and mutual support

• Prepared for retaliation while refusing to be silenced

Recommendations for State/Local Government:

• Immediate actions:

1. Prepare for loss of federal civil rights support

2. Document and publicize negative impacts with specific cases

3. Target stories to members of Congress, especially Republicans and business leaders

4. Archive current equity work for future rebuilding

• Warning signs of federal targeting:

1. Political disagreements with administration in news

2. Inquiries from DOJ/HUD (not neutral fact-finding)

3. Historical language about addressing discrimination

4. Environmental justice or LGBT justice work

5. Conflicts with administration-connected oligarchs

• Language strategy: Word changes may help with lazy/incompetent searches but no complete safety guaranteed

• Federal Unionist Network conducting legal informational pickets

• “Let the union be my shield” approach

• Unionism for common good:

• Worker conditions = public conditions

• Bargaining for independence from political decisions

• Partnership with impacted communities and social movements

• Coalition building across civil servants, teachers, unions, journalists, faith leaders

• Power through numbers, not money: voters and workers as primary leverage

Next Steps & Ongoing Actions:

• March GARE session: Navigating local responses to federal militarization

• Additional support spaces being created for practitioners

• Federal workers need community support and visibility of their struggles

• Cross-level government collaboration essential (federal, state, local)

• Concrete impact stories needed for Congressional pressure

• Continued truth-telling and solidarity building against administration narrative control

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