Trump Is Cracking Down on Justice Reform. Advocates for Cashless Bail Promise a Fight.

“There’s no question about whether or not misdemeanor bail reform was necessary and that it’s working,” Genesis Draper, the chief public defender for Harris County, Texas, told NOTUS.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Roosevelt Room.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Mark Schiefelbein/AP

President Donald Trump is cracking down on states and cities with cashless bail policies. But advocates in those states say their systems have been successes — and they’re likely to go to court to protect them.

Trump’s executive order on Monday directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to create a list of cities and states using cashless bail policies. Those local governments will then be targeted for federal funding cuts.

In the executive order, the Trump administration said cashless bail creates a situation where “law enforcement must arrest the same individuals multiple times, and dangerous criminals are sometimes rapidly released.”