The issue focused largely on provisions designed to prohibit prisons from contracting out prisoners, despite broader reforms enacted during Obama's tenure that restricted prisoner swaps and inmate incarceration rates. But advocates argued it represented an egregious breach of inmates' constitutional rights and freedoms of assembly and petitioning prison officials for redress of grievances.

Activists protested outside Trump Tower Monday afternoon after protests erupted earlier this week against plans by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey to testify before Congress about allegations that Russian meddling helped sway the presidential election last year