All articles tagged with #judiciary
A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration’s policy of deporting undocumented immigrants to countries where they are not citizens is unconstitutional, saying the government must allow more time for legal challenges to removals amid concerns that migrants could face imminent danger, potentially limiting future third-country deportations.
A Boston federal judge, Judge Brian E. Murphy, ruled that the Trump administration’s policy of deporting detainees to third countries without first attempting removal to their home country or a country designated by an immigration judge is unlawful, requiring meaningful notice before any transfer abroad and pausing the order for 15 days to allow an appeal.
Judges warn that aging federal courthouses are deteriorating and pose safety risks, urging Congress to transfer building and maintenance authority from the General Services Administration to a new Judiciary Buildings Service; GSA disputes the crisis depiction, citing budget constraints. The feed then shifts to other Capitol Hill updates, including Iran briefings ahead of the State of the Union, attendance choices for lawmakers, and clashes over a key aviation-safety bill (ROTOR) and related legislation.
A New York Times live blog tracks a surge of development around Trump: an ICE whistle-blower accuses a pared-back, deficient training program; a federal judge permanently bars release of Jack Smith’s report on Trump’s handling of classified documents; Trump asserts broader tariff powers despite a court ruling; and U.S. diplomacy regarding Iran includes last-minute negotiations and the consideration of a limited nuclear-enrichment compromise alongside potential military options, with additional political moves like inviting Jimmy Lai’s daughter to the State of the Union.
Judge M. Hannah Lauck in Virginia appointed James W. Hundley as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, replacing a Trump-era appointee, but Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fired Hundley two hours later in a social-media post—marking the second such ouster this month and highlighting ongoing tensions between the federal judiciary and the DOJ over interim U.S. attorney appointments.
A federal judge issued a scathing ruling condemning the Trump administration's immigration crackdown as a form of 'terror' against immigrants, criticizing aggressive enforcement and signaling renewed judicial pushback against immigration policy.
A federal judge in Minnesota found a Justice Department lawyer in civil contempt for failing to return a detained immigrant’s identification documents and to release him as ordered, imposing a $500 daily fine to begin Friday. The ruling highlights growing judicial frustration with the Trump-era administration’s compliance in habeas cases amid sweeping immigration actions, and it may mark one of the first contempt findings against a Trump administration official in this term.
Federal judges are pushing back against executive overreach. Judge Richard J. Leon issued a lengthy, exclamation-filled 29-page ruling blocking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s attempt to censure Sen. Mark Kelly for defending military personnel’s duty to refuse unconstitutional orders, underscoring First Amendment protections for legislators and retirees. In a separate case, Judge James Boasberg criticized the administration for defying court orders and insisted on facilitating the return of Venezuelans and allowing challenges to their deportations, reflecting ongoing lower-court resistance to executive non-compliance.
A POLITICO review shows ICE routinely defying or delaying court orders to release detainees, moving people across state lines to hinder habeas petitions, delaying releases after orders, and imposing conditions that violate rulings, prompting judges—especially in Minnesota—to threaten contempt and tighten release orders.
Judges warn that the surge in immigration enforcement under President Trump is overwhelming federal courts, driving up caseloads and backlogs as detention measures and expedited removals expand, raising concerns about the system’s capacity to handle the surge.
Minnesota federal courts are overwhelmed by a surge of immigration-related habeas cases tied to the Trump administration’s crackdown. Prosecutors say the case load, limited training, and detainee backlogs have stretched staff, with at least one DOJ attorney bluntly telling a judge, 'The system sucks. This job sucks.' The hearing before Judge Jerry Blackwell highlighted the government’s failure to follow court orders to release detainees and underscored that agencies must operate within constitutional limits, a concern echoed by judges nationwide.
An overwhelmed DOJ attorney tells a judge, “the system sucks, this job sucks,” highlighting turmoil at the department—from staffing shortages and aggressive recruitment to criticism of the Trump-era approach toward prosecutors and judges—set against Minnesota’s ongoing legal frictions.
A federal judge blocked Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem’s seven‑day advance notice rule for congressional oversight visits to ICE detention facilities, ruling the policy violated appropriations law and is unlikely to be enforceable even when funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB); in a second setback this year, the court indicated Democrats are likely to prevail, preserving Congress’s ability to access detention sites amid heightened scrutiny of immigration enforcement.
Reuters reports that President Trump spoke to some FBI agents a day after they searched the Fulton County Election Hub outside Atlanta, with DNI Tulsi Gabbard reportedly calling Trump during the meeting; Trump addressed the agents on speakerphone, praising their work, while critics say the Georgia investigation is politically motivated and note that courts and state officials have rejected widespread 2020 election-fraud claims.
A federal judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security likely violated a congressional funding restriction by blocking unannounced visits by lawmakers to ICE detention facilities, upholding issues with the DHS one-week advance-notice policy and noting that funds already spent to implement the policy cannot be segregated under Section 527 restrictions; the decision affects 13 Democratic members who joined the suit, follows previous blocks of the policy, and leaves a temporary restraining order in place while DHS coordinates further action.