The Standing Record
A non-partisan record of US democratic norms —4 entries on this date.
The United States and Eswatini signed a Memorandum of Understanding dated May 14, 2025, made available on the State Department website that June. Under it, at least 30 people have been forcibly sent to Eswatini across four flights between July 2025 and July 2026; a DHS spokesperson described the initial group as "depraved monsters" despite several having U.S.-granted humanitarian protections.
FBI Director Kash Patel directed field offices nationwide to permanently shift approximately 2,000 special agents — roughly 45% of agents in the 25 largest field offices — to full-time immigration enforcement operations during the week of May 12–14, 2025. The directive siphoned resources from counterterrorism, counterintelligence, organized crime, and fraud investigations; individual field offices lost half or more of their agents to immigration work, and the Justice Department simultaneously deprioritized white-collar and corporate crime investigation.
El Monte, California City Manager Alma Martinez arranged a closed-door City Council vote on May 14, 2025 that raised her total compensation from about $280,000 to nearly $430,000, including a 25% base-salary increase, car and education allowances, lifetime medical benefits, back pay, and 18 months' severance. The raise came as the city faced a roughly $5 million budget deficit and most other employees received only 5% raises; Mayor Jessica Ancona publicly called the deal a "blank check." Whistleblower Ed Rardin, a city code enforcement officer, filed complaints with the Los Angeles County District Attorney, the FBI, and the state Fair Political Practices Commission alleging Martinez engineered the raise after rejecting an independent compensation study's findings.
On May 14, 2025, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 796, barring the use of state funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion positions, offices, and programs at the state's public colleges and universities. The law also prohibits institutions from requiring diversity statements in admissions or hiring, from mandating the disclosure of a person's pronouns, and from requiring DEI-related training. It took effect July 1, 2025, with a compliance deadline of July 1, 2026.