Trump Action Archive

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• Trump attacks Supreme Court justices by name and threatens future retaliation — During a White House press briefing on February 21, 2026, Trump publicly denounced six Supreme Court justices who voted against his tariff authority, calling them a "disgrace to the nation" and "unpatriotic." He praised the three dissenters (Kavanaugh, Thomas, Alito) and attacked two of his own appointees, Barrett and Gorsuch, describing them as "an embarrassment to their families" and suggesting they would be excluded from the State of the Union. Trump alleged without evidence that the court had been "swayed by foreign interests."

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• President attacks justices and invokes Section 122 tariff authority — Within hours of the Supreme Court's ruling, the President issued a proclamation under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 imposing a 10% temporary import surcharge on virtually all imports, effective February 24, then raised it to 15% by Saturday. The President publicly attacked the justices who ruled against him, calling them "fools and lapdogs," praised the three dissenters by name, and alleged foreign influence over the Court. Treasury Secretary Bessent announced the goal is to achieve the same tariff posture through different legal channels with revenue "virtually unchanged."
• Trump responds to tariff ruling with public criticism of justices and announces new tariff order — After learning of the Supreme Court's tariff decision, Trump publicly attacked the justices in the majority, including two he appointed, calling them "fools," "lapdogs," and "unpatriotic." He claimed the Court had been "swayed by foreign interests" and that "obnoxious, ignorant and loud" people had frightened the justices. Trump then announced he would sign an order imposing a 10% global tariff under a different law permitting such action for 150 days, stating he had "the right to do tariffs" and did not need to work with Congress. That evening, he posted on social media confirming he had signed the order, effective "almost immediately."
• Trump held emergency press conference attacking Supreme Court justices — Trump held an unhinged emergency press conference after learning of the tariff ruling during a breakfast meeting with governors. He called the decision a "disgrace," attacked Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett as "fools and lapdogs for the RINOs," and claimed they were "disloyal to our Constitution." Trump alleged without evidence that foreign interests had "undue influence" over the Supreme Court and suggested Democrats should pack the court with 21 justices. He refused to commit to honoring potential refunds of $175 billion in tariffs already collected and claimed he had authority to "destroy the country" through trade actions.
• Trump's angry outburst after tariff ruling — After learning of the Supreme Court's tariff decision during a meeting with governors, Trump abruptly cleared the press from the room and engaged in an angry outburst. Witnesses reported him repeatedly attacking the courts and screaming profanities. Later, in a press conference, Trump called the justices "a disgrace to our nation," "fools," "lapdogs," and "very unpatriotic," with his remarks becoming increasingly unhinged.
• Trump attacked Supreme Court justices and announced plan to circumvent tariff ruling — Following the Supreme Court's decision blocking his emergency tariff authority, President Trump called the justices who ruled against him "very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution," suggested without evidence that they are being swayed by "foreign interests," and announced he will impose a 10% "global tariff" under a different statute—the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—which limits tariffs to 150 days unless authorized by Congress.
• Trump attacked Supreme Court Justices over IEEPA tariff ruling — After learning of the Supreme Court's IEEPA ruling, Trump publicly attacked the three conservative Justices who voted against him, calling them "fools and lapdogs for the RINOs and the radical left Democrats" and accusing them of being "unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution." He also claimed the Court had been "swayed by foreign interests." These statements constituted a direct assault on the judicial branch's independence and legitimacy.
• President attacks Supreme Court justices by name — The President publicly denounced the six justices who voted to strike down the IEEPA tariffs, calling them "fools and lapdogs," alleged that foreign interests had undue influence over the Court, and praised the three dissenters by name. This public attack on the judiciary followed immediately after the ruling.

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• Judge Provinzino held government attorney in civil contempt — U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino held a military lawyer on special assignment with the Department of Justice in civil contempt for failing to comply with her court order in a habeas case. ICE had released a detainee in Texas without returning identification documents, including a Minnesota driver's license and Mexican consular ID. The attorney acknowledged the office was overwhelmed and "the ball was dropped." The contempt finding carried a $500-per-day enforcement mechanism until compliance, which was lifted after documents were returned.
• U.S. Attorney called contempt ruling "lawless abuse of judicial power" — Following Judge Provinzino's contempt finding against a government attorney, the U.S. Attorney's office responded by characterizing the ruling as "a lawless abuse of judicial power," representing an executive branch rejection of judicial authority and enforcement mechanisms.

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• Immigration judges fired without cause under Trump's second term — Approximately 100 of 735 immigration judges nationwide have been fired without cause since Trump's second term began in 2025, including judges with low asylum grant rates. The Justice Department is actively recruiting replacements and has made clear through recruiting materials that "conscientious adjudication of asylum claims is no longer the point," explicitly advertising positions as "deportation judge" roles focused on maximizing deportations rather than fair adjudication.

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• Federal judge blocks Trump administration from detaining lawfully resettled refugees in Minnesota — US District Judge John R Tunheim issued a temporary restraining order halting the Trump administration's arrest and detention of lawfully resettled refugees in Minnesota, following a class-action lawsuit. The ruling mandated immediate release of all detained refugees in Minnesota and release of those transferred to Texas within five days. The detentions occurred under "Operation Parris," a DHS "re-vetting" initiative targeting 5,600 resettled refugees who had not yet become permanent residents. More than 100 refugees had been arrested in recent weeks, some flown to detention centers in Texas and released without resources to return home.
• Temporary restraining order ruling — U.H.A. et al v. Bondi et al (D. Minn.) 0:26-cv-00417 — Judge Tunheim granted Plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order of Operation PARRIS , enjoining the administration from arresting or detaining a putative class of Minnesota refugees who have not yet adjusted to lawful permanent resident status and have not been charged with any ground for removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act solely on the basis of their status. He also ordered refugees detained on these grounds be immediately released.

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• Federal judge summons ICE acting head Todd Lyons to court for alleged defiance of court orders — Minnesota's top federal judge summoned Todd Lyons, the acting head of ICE, to appear in court on Friday for allegedly defying court orders. The judge stated "The court's patience is at an end," signaling potential contempt of court proceedings against the ICE leader for failing to comply with judicial directives.
• Minnesota federal judge summons ICE acting director for contempt over defiance of court orders — Chief US District Judge Patrick Schiltz issued a three-page order summoning acting ICE director Todd Lyons to appear before him on Friday, warning of potential contempt charges. Schiltz accused the Trump administration of deliberately delaying or ignoring judicial directives across Minnesota's federal courts during "Operation Metro Surge," an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign. The judge cited a specific case in which he had ordered a man released on January 15 who remained in custody as of Monday night, and noted that detained immigrants had been sent to Texas or released far from home without means to return, causing "significant hardship."
• Multiple Minnesota federal judges weigh legal challenges to Operation Metro Surge immigration enforcement — Several Minnesota federal judges are considering broader legal challenges that could significantly restrict federal immigration enforcement in the state or halt Operation Metro Surge entirely. US District Judge Michael Davis accused the administration of attempting to "defy court orders" and "deny noncitizens their due process rights." Judge Kate Menendez ordered government lawyers to respond by Wednesday evening to claims the operation was designed to punish Minnesota for its sanctuary policies. Another federal judge is weighing whether the deployment of 3,000 immigration agents constitutes an unconstitutional occupation, a case that gained momentum following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal officers.
• Federal judge orders ICE director to appear in court and threatens contempt — Minnesota's chief federal judge, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz (appointed by President Bush), ordered the head of ICE, Todd Lyons, to appear in his courtroom on Friday and threatened to hold him in contempt for repeated defiance of judges' orders in the state. Judge Schiltz stated "The court's patience is at an end." The order came in response to the Trump administration's massive immigration enforcement action in the Twin Cities, which has flooded courts with emergency lawsuits. Schiltz noted that the administration has been slow-walking or outright defying directives of many Minnesota judges, including at least one of his own orders for release that was not complied with.
• Federal judge orders ICE director to appear in court for contempt of court — Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota ordered Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, to appear in court on Friday to explain why he was not in contempt of court after ICE officials apparently ignored Schiltz's order to permit a detainee to have a bond hearing or be released. On Tuesday, the government released the detainee. On Wednesday, Schiltz canceled the Friday hearing but identified "96 court orders that ICE has violated in 74 cases" and warned that he would haul Lyons or other government officials into court if they continued ignoring court rulings.
• Minnesota federal judge issues scathing order documenting 96 ICE court order violations — Minnesota's Chief Federal Judge Schiltz issued an order that included an appendix identifying 96 court orders that ICE has violated in 74 cases. The judge stated: "This list should give pause to anyone—no matter his or her political beliefs—who cares about the rule of law. ICE has likely violated more court orders in Jan 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence."

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• US District Judge Kate Menendez heard lawsuit challenging federal immigration surge in Minnesota — US District Judge Kate Menendez heard a lawsuit seeking to halt the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, with lawyers for the state arguing that the operation violates the 10th Amendment by coercing state compliance with federal demands. The judge repeatedly cited Trump's social media threats of "a day of reckoning and retribution" against Minnesota and Attorney General Pam Bondi's letter to Governor Walz (described by state lawyers as a "shakedown" and "ransom note") as evidence that the operation may be intended to strongarm state officials rather than solely enforce immigration law. The judge declined to rule immediately.
• Federal judge hears arguments on ending ICE surge in Minneapolis — A federal judge heard arguments on Monday regarding whether to end the federal officer surge in Minneapolis known as Operation Metro Surge. No ruling was expected imminently. The hearing follows the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and represents judicial review of the legality and scope of the federal immigration enforcement deployment.
• Minneapolis federal court hears constitutional challenge to Trump's "Operation Metro Surge" ICE deployment — A federal court in Minneapolis heard arguments on whether the Trump administration's deployment of 3,000 ICE agents to Minnesota violates the 10th Amendment by functioning as an illegal occupation of the state. Judge Kate Menendez ordered the Trump administration to respond to claims that Operation Metro Surge was designed to punish sanctuary jurisdictions. The case was filed after a fatal shooting of a Minneapolis nurse by federal agents and involves allegations that the surge uses coercion and racial profiling to force policy changes unrelated to immigration enforcement.
• Federal judge denies Minnesota's request to halt ICE Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis — Minnesota's state government, along with Minneapolis and St Paul, sued to end the Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge after ICE agents killed two people—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—sparking weeks of protests. The plaintiffs argued the operation violated the 10th Amendment by exceeding federal authority. On Saturday, federal judge Kate Menendez denied the request, ruling the state failed to demonstrate a constitutional violation, though she acknowledged the operation's "profound and heartbreaking" impact and evidence of racial profiling and excessive force by ICE and CBP agents.

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• The chief federal judge in Minneapolis district court criticized DOJ for a "frivolous" attempt to increase arrests of anti-ICE demonstrators and noted the court docket had been inundated with cases of illegal ICE detentions. — The chief federal judge in Minneapolis district court stated that the court's docket had been inundated with cases of "illegal detentions" by ICE and criticized the Department of Justice for a "frivolous" attempt to increase arrests of anti-ICE demonstrators who disrupted a St. Paul church service. The judge's comments reflect concerns about the volume and legality of ICE enforcement actions in the district.

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• U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez imposed restrictions on ICE's tactics in response to protesters' lawsuits, but the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals quickly stayed her decision at the Trump administration's request. — U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, overseeing lawsuits by protesters contesting illegal arrests and retaliation by ICE officers, imposed restrictions on ICE's ability to use pepper spray and other munitions against demonstrators. However, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals quickly granted a Trump administration request to stay her decision, a move that led to public celebration from top DOJ and DHS officials. Attorneys for protesters subsequently urged the federal appeals court to reinstate the restrictions, arguing that expected further protests in response to Pretti's death create "an urgent need for intervention."
• Federal appeals court allows tear gas and pepper spray against Minnesota protesters — A federal appeals court decision paved the way for federal officers to continue using tear gas and pepper spray against peaceful protesters in Minnesota. Following the ruling, a senior U.S. Border Patrol official, Greg Bovino, used tear gas against protesters in Minneapolis.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Tincher v. Noem (D. Minn.) 0:25-cv-04669 — The Eighth Circuit stayed the lower court's preliminary injunction restricting ICE officers' actions during protests and denied Plaintiffs' emergency motion to lift the administrative stay, finding that the injunction was overbroad and vague. The panel granted Plaintiffs' request for expedited merits briefing.

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• Federal judge orders Trump administration to continue CFPB funding — DC District Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued a 32-page ruling ordering the Trump administration to continue funding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The administration, through acting director Russell Vought, had claimed the Federal Reserve's operating losses made it unable to fund the agency. Jackson rejected this as a "manufactured" workaround designed to "starve" the agency, noting funding had continued seamlessly since 2011 despite prior Fed losses. The ruling upheld an earlier injunction blocking dismantling of the consumer watchdog and mass firings of its staff.

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• Vice President JD Vance announced list of judges and prosecutors for "swifter justice" — Vice President JD Vance stated at the TPUSA event: "Greatness awaits every single one of you in the America First movement we are building together, but we need your help to get there. Do you want more prosecutions? Great. So do we. Trump and I have a list of better judges and prosecutors to enact swifter justice." The statement indicates the administration is preparing to appoint judges and prosecutors based on loyalty to the "America First" movement rather than judicial independence.

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• Federal judge orders release of Kilmar Ábrego García from ICE custody; DHS vows appeal — U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland ordered the release of Kilmar Ábrego García from an immigration detention facility in Pennsylvania on Thursday, December 11, 2025, finding that the federal government lacked lawful authority to detain him without a final deportation order. Ábrego, a Salvadoran national and construction worker, was freed shortly before 5pm ET. The Department of Homeland Security immediately condemned the ruling as "naked judicial activism" and announced plans to appeal. Ábrego plans to return to Maryland, where he has lived with his U.S. citizen wife and child.
• Judge Xinis ruled ICE could not hold Ábrego García without final deportation order — On Thursday, December 12, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that ICE could not hold Kilmar Ábrego García because there was no final deportation order for him, noting that the judge had not ordered one in the original 2019 decision protecting him from deportation.

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• Bondi fires or ousts judges' selected U.S. attorney replacements — Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired or helped oust the officials that federal judges in New Jersey and eastern Virginia selected to lead U.S. attorney's offices under vacancy statutes. This action undermines the judicial authority established by courts that determined Habba and Halligan were unlawfully appointed and that vacancy statutes grant judges the power to select who will lead these offices.
• DOJ lists Lindsey Halligan as permanent U.S. attorney despite disqualification — The Department of Justice's official website describes Lindsey Halligan as leading the Eastern District of Virginia U.S. attorney's office, omitting the word "acting" or "interim" from her title. This assertion suggests she is a permanent U.S. attorney despite never being confirmed by the Senate or appointed by judges under vacancy statutes. Halligan herself has claimed the title of full U.S. attorney in court documents filed after her disqualification.

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• Alina Habba resigned as US Attorney for New Jersey following Third Circuit ruling — Alina Habba, who held the position of US Attorney for New Jersey through an illegal appointment, announced her resignation following a Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. In her statement, Habba said she was stepping down "to protect the stability and integrity of the office" but framed her compliance as not a surrender of her position or principles.
• Alina Habba stepped down as top federal prosecutor in New Jersey — On December 8, Alina Habba, Trump's former personal lawyer whom he maneuvered to keep as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, announced she would step down from her post after an appeals court ruled she was disqualified from the position. Habba said she would continue at the Justice Department as a senior adviser to the attorney general for US attorneys. Attorney General Pam Bondi tweeted that the DOJ "will seek further review" of the decision and that Habba "intends to return" if the ruling is overturned.
• Alina Habba resigns as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey after courts rule her appointment unlawful — Alina Habba, Trump's former personal lawyer appointed U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, resigned after federal courts ruled her interim appointment unlawful and she lacked Senate confirmation. The Trump administration had attempted to keep her in place by reappointing her as a "special attorney" after her 120-day interim term expired in July. Habba announced her resignation on social media but stated she would serve as a senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who indicated the DOJ would seek further review of the ruling.

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• Utah Governor Cox signs bill removing state Supreme Court's power to select its own chief justice — Governor Spencer Cox signed legislation that strips the Utah Supreme Court of its authority to choose its own chief justice. Under the new law, the governor will appoint the chief justice for an eight-year term, subject to state Senate approval. The bill was passed in response to the court's ruling striking down the state's gerrymandered congressional map.

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• Utah Republican lawmaker files impeachment charges against Judge Dianna Gibson — State Rep. Matt MacPherson filed impeachment charges against Utah District Judge Dianna Gibson after she struck down the state's gerrymandered congressional map and ordered adoption of a new map complying with a voter-approved constitutional amendment. MacPherson accused Gibson of "gross abuse of power, violating the separation of powers, and failing to uphold her oath of office." The ruling would likely give Democrats one of Utah's four congressional seats. Gibson was appointed by a Republican governor.

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• DOJ discloses Kristi Noem directed Venezuelan deportations — In a court filing, Justice Department lawyers disclosed for the first time that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem directed the deportations of 100 Venezuelan men to El Salvador's mega-prison in March, despite Judge James Boasberg's court order for them to remain in US custody. The disclosure reveals potential violation of a judicial order.

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• Stephen Miller calls Immergut ruling "legal insurrection" — White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller denounced Judge Immergut's ruling as "legal insurrection," using inflammatory language that analysts worry could incite violence against the judiciary.
• Trump attacks Judge Immergut and misidentifies her sex — After Judge Immergut's ruling blocking national guard deployment, Trump publicly attacked her, telling reporters "I wasn't served well by the people who pick judges" (despite having nominated her himself), and misidentified her sex, saying "That judge ought to be ashamed of himself." Trump falsely claimed Portland was "burning to the ground."

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• Federal district judge Karin Immergut blocks Trump's deployment of Oregon National Guard to Portland and imposes second order prohibiting any National Guard deployment — Federal district judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued an initial injunction blocking Trump's effort to deploy Oregon National Guard troops to Portland, stating his contentions about Portland's atmosphere were "simply untethered to the facts." When Trump attempted to circumvent this order by deploying federalized California National Guard troops to Oregon instead, Immergut imposed a second order prohibiting the deployment of any National Guard troops to Portland. The lower court ruling was later lifted by the three-judge appellate panel on October 21.
• Judge Immergut rejects Trump's Portland emergency claims and blocks national guard deployment — Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order blocking Trump's plan to deploy national guard troops to Portland, rejecting the administration's characterization of the city as "war-ravaged" and finding the president's emergency determination "untethered to the facts." Immergut concluded the deployment violated constitutional limits on executive power and misrepresented conditions on the ground. A federal appeals court later reversed her ruling on October 20, permitting deployment.

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• Judge Perry blocks national guard deployment to Chicago; appeals court upholds — Judge April Perry in Chicago issued a temporary restraining order rejecting the Department of Homeland Security's characterization of Chicago as a "war zone" and blocking national guard deployment, finding DHS claims "simply unreliable" and lacking credibility. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Perry's ruling. The Trump administration subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court to pause the ruling and permit deployment.
• Chicago federal judge blocks national guard deployment pending case resolution — Federal District Judge April Perry on Wednesday blocked national guard deployment to the Chicago area until her court decides the case or the US Supreme Court intervenes. Perry had previously blocked the deployment for two weeks through a temporary restraining order. Federal government attorneys said they would agree to extend the order but would continue pressing for an emergency Supreme Court order to allow deployment.

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• Trump administration fires 100+ immigration judges and recruits military lawyers to replace them — The Trump administration has fired more than 100 immigration judges since taking office, including roughly one-third of judges in San Francisco's major immigration court. In late August, the administration scrapped the rule requiring temporary immigration judges to have spent a decade practicing immigration law before qualifying for the bench, then cleared 600 military lawyers to fill vacant judge seats. This action has thrown already backlogged courts into chaos, with a 3.6 million case backlog.

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• Supreme Court Grants Stay in Trump v. Slaughter — The Supreme Court granted the federal government's request for a stay in the case of Trump v. Slaughter. This decision temporarily halts the reinstatement of Rebecca Slaughter, a former Federal Trade Commission commissioner, who was previously ordered by a lower court to be reinstated after being terminated. The stay was granted in a 6-3 decision, with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting. This order allows the federal government to maintain the status quo while the case continues through the appeals process.
• Supreme Court allows Trump to fire FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter — The Supreme Court ruled that Trump can move forward with firing Rebecca Slaughter, the last Democratic leader of the Federal Trade Commission, while the Court takes up her case. The justices will decide whether the president has the ability to fire heads of independent agencies, potentially overturning a 1935 landmark ruling that limited presidential removal power. Justice Elena Kagan wrote in dissent that the Court's majority has "handed full control of all those agencies to the president," who may remove "any member he wishes, for any reason or no reason at all."

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• Federal judges block Trump administration deportations of Guatemalan children and Venezuelan TPS holders — A federal judge in Washington DC ordered the Trump administration to halt deportations of Guatemalan unaccompanied minors with active immigration cases, finding the administration's claim that parents requested deportation "crumbled like a house of cards." Separately, a three-judge appellate panel rejected the administration's attempt to pause a lower court ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lacked authority to end Temporary Protected Status for approximately 600,000 Venezuelans. The rulings protect vulnerable populations from forced removal.
• Federal judge blocks majority of Trump's March 25 election executive order — A federal judge blocked the majority of Trump's March 25 executive order "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" after the order faced multiple legal challenges. The order had attempted to impose citizenship documentation requirements, withhold federal funding from states, and decertify voting machines.

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• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejects Trump administration stay request on Venezuelan TPS ruling — The San Francisco-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause a September 5 ruling by Judge Chen that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lacked authority to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans. The three-judge panel stated that vacating TPS "threw the future of these Venezuelan citizens into disarray, and exposed them to a substantial risk of wrongful removal, separation from their families, and loss of employment." The administration indicated it may appeal to the Supreme Court.

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• US appeals court blocks Trump's removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook — The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declined to allow President Trump to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, upholding a lower court's temporary block. Trump had claimed Cook committed mortgage fraud before taking office; Cook denies the allegations and argues they are pretextual retaliation for her monetary policy stance. The 2-1 decision (Biden appointees Garcia and Childs in majority; Trump appointee Katsas dissenting) preserves Cook's seat ahead of a Fed policy meeting. The administration signaled intent to appeal to the Supreme Court.