Defend the Olmstead Promise: Say No to Forced Institutionalization

Defend the Olmstead Promise: Say No to Forced Institutionalization I am writing to urge you to aggressively oppose the Department of Justice’s recent Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memo, which weaponizes a distorted interpretation of federal law to chip away at disability civil rights. This dangerous directive attempts to rewrite nearly three decades of established legal precedent under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the landmark Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C. By falsely claiming that states are not legally mandated to provide community-based care, the administration is laying a cruel, unlawful path toward mass institutionalization. Forced segregation in restrictive psychiatric facilities does not solve systemic challenges like homelessness or a lack of mental health resources—it merely revives a dark history of warehousing and neglecting vulnerable citizens. Furthermore, decades of data show that community-integrated care is not only vastly more humane and effective but also significantly less costly than forced confinement. This administration's attempt to strip away the autonomy of millions of disabled Americans is a blatant violation of their fundamental civil liberties. I strongly compel you to use your legislative authority to block any regulatory implementation of this memo, protect federal Medicaid funding for home-based care, and forcefully defend the right of every American to live with independence and dignity.