Dear NRDC Supporter,

Most Americans have never heard of the “God Squad.”

Frankly, that was by design.

It’s a little-known committee with extraordinary power: the ability to override the Endangered Species Act and greenlight projects that could push endangered species toward extinction.

Congress intended it to be an absolute last resort. In nearly 50 years, it had only been convened a handful of times.

Until now. The Trump administration just brought it back.

Earlier this year, administration officials dusted off the God Squad for the first time in more than three decades, and used it to hand the oil and gas industry something it has wanted for years: a sweeping exemption from key Endangered Species Act protections in the Gulf of Mexico.

That means companies could move forward with oil and gas activities while bypassing some of the safeguards that have protected endangered wildlife for decades — including sea turtles, manatees, and the critically endangered Rice’s whale, one of the rarest whales on Earth.

This isn’t just about the Gulf.
That’s what makes this so dangerous.

The administration has already directed the God Squad to meet regularly. Not because these exemptions are rare emergencies, but because it wants this to become business as usual.

If they succeed here, what’s stopping them from using the same playbook anywhere endangered species stand in the way of drilling, mining, logging, or other industrial development?

NRDC isn’t waiting to find out.
Within days of the God Squad’s decision, NRDC took the Trump administration to court.

Our lawsuit argues that officials ignored the law, skipped critical safeguards, and abused an emergency authority that was never meant to serve as a blank check for the fossil fuel industry.

This case isn’t just about protecting wildlife in one region.

It’s about defending one of the strongest environmental laws ever passed, and stopping a dangerous precedent before it spreads across the country.

Because once an administration proves it can sidestep the Endangered Species Act whenever it wants, any vulnerable species could be next.

That’s exactly why NRDC is fighting back.

Court battles like this are how we stop dangerous environmental attacks before they cause lasting damage. If you’d like to help power our work, we’d be grateful for your support.

Thank you for your support, your advocacy, and your relentless pursuit of a safer, healthier world for us all.

Sincerely,

Michael Jasny
Director, Marine Mammals, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)