Sections on Habeas Corpus and Nobility Titles Were Temporarily Removed From Congress US Constitution Website
Key sections of the US Constitution, including provisions on habeas corpus and the prohibition of nobility titles, were temporarily missing from the Library of Congress website. The changes were first spotted by users on Lemmy forums and later reported by 404 Media. The missing sections were later restored after the Library of Congress described the issue as a coding error.
The Library of Congress hosts one of the most accessible online versions of the US Constitution, often appearing at the top of Google search results. Alongside the National Archives version, it serves as an official government source for the document. The sudden disappearance of critical sections raised concerns, especially since some of the removed provisions align with policies the Trump administration has expressed interest in altering.
The missing sections included Article I, Sections 8, 9, and 10. These contain fundamental protections such as the right to habeas corpus, which prevents unlawful detention, and the ban on granting titles of nobility. Also absent was the clause prohibiting US officials from accepting foreign gifts or emoluments without congressional approval.
Before the edits, the website had remained largely unchanged since at least 2019, according to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. The Constitution itself has not been amended since 1992, making the sudden disappearance of these sections unusual. The National Archives version of the document remained unaffected.
The Library of Congress addressed the issue on Bluesky, stating that the missing text was due to a coding error and would be corrected. The sections were restored by Wednesday afternoon. However, the timing of the incident has drawn scrutiny, given recent political developments.
Earlier this year, President Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, replacing her with Todd Blanche, one of his former defense attorneys, in an acting capacity. The Senate has yet to confirm a permanent replacement. This follows a broader pattern of the Trump administration altering government websites to remove terms deemed unfavorable, as reported by The New York Times in March. Words like equality, racism, transgender, and women were scrubbed from federal sites, while men remained untouched.
While deleting text from a website does not change the legal standing of the Constitution, the incident underscores the importance of preserving access to foundational rights. For those seeking an unaltered version of the document, alternative sources like the ACLU’s website remain available. The episode serves as a reminder of the need for transparency in maintaining public records, particularly those as critical as the US Constitution.
