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The Wren Collective

Reimagining the Way Our Country Approaches the Legal System

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The Wren Collective works to transform America’s approach to public safety, expose the weaponization of the legal system, and ensure every person has the chance to participate in civic society. For too long, those with power have exploited the criminal legal system to take away the rights of marginalized communities, people of color, immigrants, and increasingly, their political opponents. 

Wren pushes for a world where everyone—not just those with money and power—can live healthy, safe, and dignified lives.

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Wren’s twice-monthly newsletter has moved! Subscribe on Substack to learn how the state and federal governments are undermining democracy and making us less safe.
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The End of Accountability

“People die in ICE custody. People die in county jails. People die in state prisons.” That is how Border Czar Tom Homan responded to the death of Isidro Pérez in…

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A Devastating Budget for American Communities and Public Safety

“[T]he largest loss of healthcare in American history.” – Rep. Boyle (D-PA) Congress is poised to pass Trump’s budget, adopting sweeping cuts to Medicaid that will result in approximately $1.1…

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Control, Punish, Surveil: The Multi-Front Attack on Reproductive Rights

The headlines keep circling back to Trump—but we’re missing the bigger picture. This week, we’re zooming in on recent attacks on reproductive care at every level. As we’ve emphasized throughout…

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“In America, We Don’t Do Kings”

Tomorrow, millions are expected to take to the streets to protest Trump’s authoritarian rule. While the “No Kings” protests have been planned for weeks to coincide with Trump’s birthday military…

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“Well We Are All Going to Die”

A senior Senator from Iowa, Joni Ernst, got accidentally candid about a bill that will take vital healthcare and food assistance away from millions of Americans. The cuts are designed…

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Trump’s Longing for the Days of Jim Crow

The federal government no longer prohibits contractors from having segregated facilities. If you believe this statement is a typo from a bygone, shameful era, you are wrong. President Trump made…

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Contracted to Fail, Part 2: How Flat-Fee Contracts Undermine the Right to Counsel in California

New data reveals that California’s public defense caseload crisis is far worse than previously thought–with some lawyers handling 500 to 600 cases a year. This Part 2 report, written with…

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Court Decisions on Democracy

Note to Readers: Exciting news! This year the Wren Collective has moved our newsletters to Substack, creating an opportunity for you to more easily find and engage with them. This…

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I wish we had been wrong: A Wren Collective 2025 Year in Review

“One thing is clear: in the years to come, we will see a lot of horrible things happen. We will see our undocumented friends deported, political prosecutions increase, and surveillance…

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