July 8

Goldman and Raskin Demand All Documents Mentioning Trump in Epstein Files

House Democrats Daniel Goldman and Jamie Raskin sent a formal letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding the DOJ produce all documents in the Epstein investigation that mention Donald Trump by name. The demand came one day after the DOJ released a memo claiming no client list existed. Republicans dismissed the demand as political theater, while Democrats argued the public had a right to know the full scope of Trump's documented relationship with Epstein.

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Navy WEXMAC contract launched to build migrant detention centers for DHS

The Naval Supply Systems Command launched an expansion of its Worldwide Expeditionary Multiple Award Contract on July 8, 2025, under the banner Territorial Integrity of the United States, with an initial ceiling of $10 billion. The contract, designed for overseas military construction, was repurposed to fund migrant detention centers through the Navy's contracting system, bypassing standard civilian procurement oversight. The performance work statement covered infrastructure, staffing, and supplies for detaining people in DHS administrative custody.

ICE Issues Guidance Applying Mandatory Detention to Interior Immigrants

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons issued interim guidance on July 8, 2025, declaring that Section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which governs mandatory detention of applicants for admission at the border, applied to all undocumented immigrants detained in the interior of the US regardless of how long they had lived in the country. The memo eliminated bond hearings for millions who had previously been eligible for individualized review under Section 236.

Biden signs executive order protecting abortion access after Dobbs

Two weeks after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, President Biden signs an executive order directing federal agencies to take actions to protect and expand access to reproductive healthcare. Key provisions include directing HHS to expand access to medication abortion and ensure it can be dispensed by mail, protecting patient privacy under HIPAA to prevent states from accessing medical records to enforce abortion bans, directing the DOJ to file briefs defending women's right to travel across state lines for abortions, and providing legal assistance to those affected by state bans. Biden calls the order a necessary executive response to a Congress that won't act and courts that have stripped constitutional rights.

Senate opens hearings into 1996 campaign-finance scandal

On July 8, 1997, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee opened public hearings into fundraising abuses from the 1996 elections. The inquiry focused on foreign money, soft money and access to President Bill Clinton and the Democratic National Committee.