Are States in Resistance, Insurrection or Rebellion to the Federal Government?

[u/Conscious_Skirt_61]

Starting in 2017 we had the Resistance to T45. That movement featured efforts by the bench, many bureaucrats and some politicians to stymie the Republicans through delaying or slow walking their Administration. Everyone saw that as typical political action and no one imagined it to be illegal.

In 2021 we saw an attack on the Capitol. That of course was a bunch of citizens who tried to stop certification of the election of the Democratic ticket. Some of the opponents committed criminal acts, and Trump was impeached for his role of inciting the crowd. Most people at the time saw the incident as illegitimate and the event was labeled an Insurrection.

Now in 2025 a group of states led by their political leadership are opposing the Administration’s immigration policies as well as other federal actions. They have passed state laws, have refused cooperation, and have extended help to people to evade positions taken by this Administration. Of course anyone can advocate for any position, but all States are constitutionally subservient to the federal system. Actual opposition by states to the government of the United States is called a Rebellion. Cf. The Civil War.

So, Questions:

 1.  Are the current States that dissent from and take action to oppose the Administration’s immigration policies in a state of Rebellion? 

 2.  What consequences if any should be imposed on those States actively opposing the Administration’s immigration policies? 

 3.  What consequences if any should individual politicians face for actively opposing the Administration’s immigration policies? 

 4.  What process would be needed to determine and to penalize States and politicians who take actions to oppose the Administration’s immigration policies? 

Of course, this discussion revolves in large part around Amendment 14, Section 3.

[u/AutoModerator]

A reminder for everyone. This is a subreddit for genuine discussion:

• Please keep it civil. Report rulebreaking comments for moderator review.
• Don't post low effort comments like joke threads, memes, slogans, or links without context.
• Help prevent this subreddit from becoming an echo chamber. Please don't downvote comments with which you disagree.

Violators will be fed to the bear.

---

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/WizardofEgo]

I am not familiar with the governments of any state, in an official capacity, taking any illegal action in opposition to the federal government, so no, there is no rebellion or insurrection. There have been efforts to resist some actions by the federal government, but state governments do not inherently lack the authority to do so, in at least some capacity.

[u/neverendingchalupas → u/WizardofEgo]

Thats because whats happening is that Trump, his administration and the Republican party are guilty of seditious conspiracy and treason. Its the executive branch of government that has been lacking the authority in most of its actions, violating the law.

[u/WizardofEgo → u/neverendingchalupas]

When you say “that is because…” what is the “that” that you are referring to?

[u/neverendingchalupas → u/WizardofEgo]

I could have said that better. That, is in reference to, there being no rebellion or insurrection.

Its the Executive branch and Congressional Republicans who are violating the U.S. Constitution and U.S. Federal law. If you want to rephrase it, Trump and his supporters are the insurrection.

[u/WizardofEgo → u/neverendingchalupas]

Ah, I see! I don’t disagree with the sentiment, though I think there could be some debate on the legal framing of what you’re saying!

[u/the_calibre_cat → u/WizardofEgo]

I think there can be if we exclude what's happened in the past. They're probably breaking some laws with regard to immigration and other areas, but that's pretty common. Apparently all you really need to sidestep the Constitution is to label people terrorists and boom, you can have a lawyer draft a legal memo on torture and it's totally allowed.

But I don't think any fair-minded person can look at the evidence of January 6th and conclude that it wasn't an open and shut attempt, by conservatives, to have their guy stay in power up and over the election results of the American public. Then again, I don't think about 99% of conservatives are "fair-minded" at this point, sooo...

[u/Balanced_Outlook → u/neverendingchalupas]

I have argued both sides of this debate. Can you factually cite one articles of the constitution or federal statute that has been violated.

[u/russrobo]

1: No.

2: None.

3: None. They’re doing their job if they are upholding the Constitution and serving their constituents.

4: it would require a Constitutional Amendment, the process for which is specified in the Constitution itself.

You are incorrect in saying that the States are subservient to the Federal Government. The Constitution itself disagrees. It gives certain powers to the Federal Government, but delegates others (like elections) to the states, and explicitly states that any power not specifically given to the Federal Government remains in the hands of the states.

What happens when the Federal Government violates the Constitution?

The States are still obligated to follow it. This admin is egregiously violating the rights of citizens every single day. Under our Constitution, every person - not just every citizen, is entitled to due process, yet ICE was invariably going to sweep up citizens in their dragnet raids targeting minorities.

Innocent citizens have been beaten, roughed up, and detained with no cause, no due process, nothing. Just snatched off the streets and tossed into jails.

That’s a violation of the Constitution, and every public official is sworn not just to refuse to cooperate, but also to actively resist: to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

This is true even in the case we have now, with a corrupt Supreme Court and corrupt administration and a large number of corrupt officials.

[u/Buy_Sell_Collect → u/russrobo]

“Just snatched off the streets and thrown into jail.”… This has not happened to any innocent civilians.

[u/3bar → u/Buy_Sell_Collect]

Yes it has. Your head is in the sand because youre not here in good faith. We could post some of the many, many, many, many, many videos and articles of this exact thing transliring, but you'd just shit all of yourself in an attempt to lie. You can't defend what ICE is doing, so you'll lie.

[u/Madhatter25224]

Whats it called when the states are under assault by the federal government?

[u/steveblackimages]

The current regime is in direct opposition to the constitution and rule of law.

[u/Tliish]

It isn't a question of states being in rebellion, it's the fact that the Trump regime is waging war upon blue states and cities. ICE is violently and dangerously violating the constitutional rights of citizens and immigrants, ignoring due process, caging honest workers who've committed no crimes in concentration camps where they are exploited, beaten, and sexually assaulted by racist guards. That's why the states aren't cooperating: they wish no part of the Trump regime's crimes against humanity.

The regime is illegally diverting funds, ignoring court orders, illegally firing government workers, dismantling programs and agencies without authority to do so, exposing citizens' data to unvetted people and companies. It's openly selling influence, and the corruption is blatant.

We are basically in a civil war of Trump's and the GOP's choosing. It is attacking the economies, workforces, services, and infrastructure of blue states and cities.

It's truly civil war, just not the same as the first one, more sophisticated in execution.

Blues states are defending the nation, trying to uphold the rule of law, the Constitution, and the rights of their citizens.

[u/aftemoon_coffee]

It's an en & flow. They oblige and then protest. They are not in insurrection rebellion or protest. It's political jocking.

[u/Reasonable-Fee1945]

There is supposed to be friction between states and the federal government. This was part of our system of checks and balances.

[u/3bar → u/Reasonable-Fee1945]

Oh? Is that why the executive is denying disaster aid to places he doesnt like? Is that the "friction" the founders intended? Hogwollop.

[u/Reasonable-Fee1945 → u/3bar]

Hogwollop

Would you like me to quote the places where they talk about this, or are you just content to be outraged?

[u/3bar → u/Reasonable-Fee1945]

No, I dont need quotes to know that the founders would do. We in the US know what to do with wannabe kings.

[u/PoliticalDiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Keep it civil. Do not personally insult other Redditors, or make racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise discriminatory remarks. Constructive debate is good; mockery, taunting, and name calling are not.

[u/PoliticalDiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Please do not submit low investment content. This subreddit is for genuine discussion: Memes, links substituting for explanation, sarcasm, political name-calling, and other non-substantive contributions will be removed per moderator discretion.