Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• EPA eliminates research and development office and begins mass layoffs — The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday the elimination of its Office of Research and Development (ORD) and a reduction of more than 3,700 employees (nearly 23% of total staff), bringing EPA staffing from January levels to 12,448. The ORD, which has provided scientific underpinnings for EPA's environmental and health protection mission, will be replaced by a new office of applied science. The agency projects savings of nearly $750 million. Union leaders and Democratic lawmakers warned the cuts will devastate public health and eliminate hundreds of scientist positions.

Supporting reports

• RFK Jr unilaterally appoints eight new members to CDC vaccine advisory panel (ACIP) — Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr unilaterally appointed eight new members to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), replacing 17 previous members. The new chair, Dr Martin Kulldorff, was fired from Harvard for refusing COVID-19 vaccination. The first meeting revealed conflicts of interest disclosure gaps, agenda changes removing a COVID-19 booster vote, and the formation of two new working groups to re-examine vaccine schedules and long-approved vaccines—issues historically promoted by anti-vaccine advocates.
• RFK Jr fires all 17 career members of vaccine advisory panel and appoints ideological replacements — Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr unilaterally dismissed all 17 career scientists and CDC-vetted members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in June 2025 and replaced them with eight ideological allies, including vaccine skeptics and medical professionals with limited vaccine expertise. One newly appointed panelist subsequently withdrew after a government financial review and public disclosure that the secretary's claims about the panelist's university affiliations were false. The action consolidated Kennedy's control over vaccine recommendations that shape national policy and insurance coverage.

Supporting reports

• Appeal filed — American Association of University Professors v. United States Department of Justice (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-02429 — Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil dismissed the case. That day, the Plaintiffs appealed to the Second Circuit.
• Appeal filed — Boyle v. Trump (D. Md.) 8:25-cv-01628 — Defendants appealed Judge Maddox's summary judgment order to the Fourth Circuit.
• Case update — American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO v. Goldstein (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-03072 — Plaintiffs filed their second amended complaint .
• Case update — Carter v. Department of Education (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00744 — The court stayed the case pending the status of appeals in State of New York v. McMahon , Civil Action No. 25-10601 (D. Mass.) and Somerville Public Schools v. Trump , Civil Action No. 25-10677 (D. Mass.).
• Case update — City of Chicago v. United States Department of Homeland Security (N.D. Ill.) 1:25-cv-05462 — Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint , adding Boston, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle as plaintiffs. The amended filing described each city's reliance on the Securing the Cities program and the harms from DHS's freeze on 2025 reimbursements and failure to release approved 2024 funds, shifted emphasis from primarily APA claims to a stronger Appropriations Clause theory challenging DHS's withholding of congressionally allocated funds, and stressed the need to restore funding before major events requiring heightened security, including political conventions and national holidays.
• Case update — City of New York v. Trump et al. (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-01510 — Plaintiff filed their second amended complaint (redline here ).
• Case update — J.G.G. v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00766 — Plaintiffs/Appellees filed their opposition in the D.C. Circuit to the Defendants'/Appellants' emergency motion seeking a stay of Judge Boasberg's June 4 order pending appeal.
• Case update — Northern Alaska Environmental Center v. Trump (D. Alaska) 3:25-cv-00038 — Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint , which added the Conservation Law Foundation as a plaintiff.
• Motion granted — Democracy Forward Foundation v. Department of Education (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00940 — DOE answered Plaintiff's complaint, arguing that Plaintiff failed to state a claim for which relief can be granted, that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to grant relief authorized under FOIA, and that Plaintiff is not entitled to compel the release of records properly withheld under FOIA exclusions or exemptions, among other defenses.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Schiff v. U.S. Office of Personnel Management (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-10595 — Defendants filed a motion to dismiss , arguing that Plaintiffs' claims are moot in light of Defendants' compliance with the preliminary injunction order issued on May 23.
• House Judiciary Report on Trump Pardons — Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee released a report estimating that Trump's pardons have cost taxpayers over $1.3 billion in fines and restitution. The report highlights the financial impact of presidential pardons.
• R Kelly's Lawyers File Court Documents Alleging Overdose in Prison — Lawyers for R Kelly have filed new court documents alleging that the singer, who is serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking, was rushed to the hospital after overdosing on medication provided by prison staff. The filing claims that Kelly was placed in solitary confinement on June 10 and given medication with instructions to take it, leading to an overdose on June 13. The documents also allege a plot by Bureau of Prisons officials to have Kelly killed by another inmate, prompting a request for his release to home detention, which federal prosecutors have opposed.
• Case update — Project on Government Oversight, Inc. v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00527 — Defendants filed an unopposed motion before Judge Boasberg seeking clarification or, alternatively, a stay of further proceedings. They argued that under 28 U.S.C. § 2243, no responsive pleading (return) is due in habeas proceedings until the court issues a writ or show-cause order, and that the preliminary-injunction briefing had already served that function. In the alternative, they requested that any requirement to file a return or dispositive motion be stayed until after the D.C. Circuit resolves the appeal of the June 4 order.
• Motion granted — Northern Alaska Environmental Center v. Trump (D. Alaska) 3:25-cv-00038 — Defendants moved to dismiss the complaint or stay proceedings in the alternative.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Harris County Texas v. Robert F Kennedy Jr (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-01275 — The court granted State of Alaska's motion to intervene . Judge Sharon Gleason ordered that the State of Alaska be admitted into the case as an intervenor-defendant.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Project on Government Oversight, Inc. v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00527 — Judge Christopher Cooper issued a memorandum opinion that granted in part and denied in part Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction. Judge Cooper granted relief to some of the grants held by four local-government plaintiffs (Harris County, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Davidson County and Nashville, Tennessee; and Kansas City, Missouri) and decided against granting relief to all terminated grants nationwide. Defendants are enjoined from enforcing or otherwise giving effect to the March 2025 terminations of grants issued directly or indirectly to these four plaintiffs under the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020, the CARES Act, and the CRRSAA.
• Temporary restraining order ruling — Association of American Universities v. Department of Defense (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-11740 — Judge James E. Boasberg denied Plaintiff's preliminary injunction motion. In the supporting memorandum , Judge Boasberg noted Plaintiff failed to show a likelihood of irreparable harm absent a preliminary injunction.
• Temporary restraining order ruling — National Job Corps Association v. Department of Labor (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-04641 — The Court granted Plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order, prohibiting the DOD from enforcing the Rate Cap Policy.
• Case update — Association for Education Finance and Policy Inc. v. McMahon (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00999 — Judge Carter extended the temporary restraining order through June 25.
• Case update — CREW v. DOGE (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00511 — Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint . In this amended complaint, plaintiffs removed their ultra vires and Impoundment Act claims. Plaintiffs also added counts specifying the IES terminations and their associated alleged APA violation.
• Case update — Democracy Forward Foundation v. U.S. Department of the Treasury (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00684 — CREW filed a motion for summary disposition with the D.C. Circuit following the Supreme Court's Jun. 6 order.
• Complaint filed — EA T-B v. Bostock — Democracy Forward and the Department of the Treasury filed a joint status report to note the identification of 5,807 potentially responsive documents and the parties' efforts to further narrow Plaintiff's FOIA request to alleviate processing burdens and allow for a more expeditious processing of documents.
• Motion denied — Democracy Forward Foundation v. U.S. Department of Justice (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-01535 — Defendants/Appellants filed their reply in support of their emergency motion in the D.C. Circuit to stay Judge Boasberg's June 4 order pending appeal.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — San Francisco Unified School District v. AmeriCorps, a.k.a. the Corporation for National and Community Service (N.D. Cal.) 3:25 — A complaint was filed in the Western District of Washington under the case caption EA T-B v. Bostock, docket number 2:25-cv-01192. The case involves legal challenges related to actions taken by the Trump administration. Further details about the case are forthcoming.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — W.J.C.C. v. Trump (W.D. Pa.) 3:25-cv-00153 — DOJ, DHS, and State Department (Agency Defendants) answered Plaintiff's complaint. The Agency Defendants admitted they received the FOIA requests but denied improperly withholding records from Plaintiff under FOIA.
• Summary judgment ruling — Grundmann v. Trump et al . (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00425 — The court granted Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction, thereby enjoining Defendants from imposing and enforcing new conditions on Plaintiffs' AmeriCorps grants during the pendency of the lawsuit.
• Temporary restraining order ruling — Dvortsin as Next Friend of Hayam El Gamal et al., Petitioner, v. Noem (W.D. Tex.) 5:25-cv-00664 — Judge Stephanie Haines restated her holding in A.S.R. v. Trump , No. 3:25-cv-00113, that the presidential proclamation is a valid exercise of the AEA. Judge Haines, however, granted a preliminary injunction in favor of W.J.C.C., rejecting the government's claim that it could apply shortened notice akin to expedited removal procedures. The court held that the petitioner was entitled to: “(1) twenty-one (21) days' notice and an "opportunity to be heard," (2) notice that clearly articulates the fact that he is subject to removal under the Proclamation and the AEA, (3) notice in English and Spanish, the language of the one sought to be expelled, and if needed, Spanish-to-English interpreters shall be provided for any necessary hearings, and (4) notice of all of the foregoing to his counsel.” The court denied the petitioner's request for a preliminary injunction that would have barred the government from transferring him out of the district.
• Federal Appeals Court Rejects DOJ Representation for Trump — The D.C. Circuit issued an administrative stay of Judge Sparkle's March 12 order granting Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment .
• Federal Judge Blocks Education Department Firings — Judge Orlando Garcia granted a motion to extend the previous temporary restraining order blocking the removal of the family from the district or the United States.
• Federal Judge Blocks EPA Grant Cancellations — A federal appeals court rejected President Trump's request to have Justice Department lawyers represent him in his appeal of E. Jean Carroll's defamation case. The decision maintains the separation between personal and official legal matters.
• Case update — ACLU v. United States Social Security Administration (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-01217 — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from executing mass firings at the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. The decision prevents potential disruptions to civil rights enforcement.
• Stay pending appeal decided — Newsom v. Trump (N.D. Cal.) 3:25-cv-04870 — A federal judge blocked the EPA's cancellation of $600 million in environmental justice grants issued during the Biden administration. The ruling protects funding for underserved communities.
• Federal Judge Blocks Transportation Grant Conditions — Defendant Agencies answered Plaintiff's complaint. These agencies admitted that they failed to respond to Plaintiff's FOIA request, but provided several defenses to Plaintiff's action, including alleging Plaintiff is not entitled to compel the production of records under FOIA, the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiff's requests, and that they did not improperly withhold the records Plaintiff requested under FOIA.
• Appeal filed — Mahmoud Khalil v. William P. Joyce et al. (D.N.J.) 2:25-cv-01963 — The Ninth Circuit granted the federal government a stay pending appeal .
• Motion denied — Darwin Antonio Arevalo Millan v. Trump (C.D. Cal.) 5:25-cv-01207 — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from tying federal transportation grant funding to immigration enforcement cooperation. The ruling protects states' rights to manage their own policies.
• Motion granted — J.G.G. v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00766 — Judge Farbiarz ordered Mahmoud Khalil, who is currently detained by federal immigration authorities in Louisiana, be released from custody. On that same day, the government appealed Judge Farbiarz's June 11 order granting a preliminary injunction to the Third Circuit. Note: Mahmoud Khalil submitted a notice of claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act, seeking $20 million in damages from the administration for his detention. The notice alleges that Khalil's arrest and prolonged confinement were the result of discriminatory intent by Secretary Rubio, and that his treatment-including prolonged solitary confinement and denial of medical care-constituted multiple tortious acts by federal officers.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — American Federation of Government Employees, et al. v. Office of Personnel Management et al (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-01237 — Judge Holcomb denied petitioners' ex parte application for a writ of habeas corpus, noting petitioner's detention remains permissible under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) because of the government's intention to appeal the grant of relief in petitioner's removal proceedings (since petitioners can remain in custody pending such appeals).
• Preliminary injunction ruling — American Foreign Service Association v. Trump (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-01030 — Judge Boasberg granted the Defendants unopposed motion for clarification, confirming that the Defendants does not need to take further action in the district court until the D.C. Circuit issues its mandate in the appeal of his June 4 order.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — American Oversight v. Hegseth (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00883 — In connection with the June 9 preliminary injunction order, Judge Cote ordered OPM to file a report within two weeks describing the procedures put in place since March 6, to ensure adherence to the requirements of the Privacy Act with respect to new grant of access permissions by OPM to records containing Plaintiffs' personally identifiable information (PII). Judge Cote also ordered OPM to file a report within four weeks concerning OPM's grant of access permissions to any records containing Plaintiffs' PII made to DOGE personnel.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — Open Technology Fund v. Kari Lake (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-00840 — The D.C. Circuit en banc stayed the preliminary injunction order pending appeal.
• Preliminary injunction ruling — President and Fellows of Harvard College v. Department of Homeland Security (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-11472 — Judge Boasberg granted in part and denied in part the Plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction, granting a narrower relief by requiring that Defendants perform their mandatory notification and referral obligations, as explained in its accompanying memorandum opinion .
• Stay motion decided — State of New York v. United States Department of Education (S.D.N.Y.) 1:25-cv-02990 — Judge Royce Lamberth granted Plaintiff's preliminary injunction motion, thereby enjoining Defendants from withholding congressionally appropriated funds under the grant agreement for Fiscal Year 2024 between USAGM and OTF.
• Summary judgment ruling — Association of American Universities v. National Science Foundation (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-11231 — Judge Burroughs issued a preliminary injunction barring that administration from banning Harvard from participating in the State Department's Student and Visitor Exchange Program.
• Federal Judge Blocks Harvard Student Ban — The Second Circuit denied Defendants' motion to stay the district court's order, finding DOE's actions likely arbitrary and capricious under the APA-without any particularized assessment and insufficiently attentive to reliance interests-and concluding that a stay would substantially injure the plaintiff States.
• Federal Judge Orders Release of Mahmoud Khalil — The court granted Plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment. Implementation of the 15% Indirect Cost Rate is vacated and declared invalid, arbitrary and capricious, and contrary to law. The court further ordered that within 72 hours of entry of this order, Defendants provide written notice of the order to all funding recipients affected by the 15% Indirect Cost Rate.
• — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from prohibiting Harvard University from admitting international students. The ruling prevents the implementation of a plan to remove the school from the Student and Visitor Exchange Program.
• — A federal judge ordered the release of Mahmoud Khalil from ICE detention on bail, citing concerns that his detention was used as punishment for his activism. Khalil is a Palestinian green card holder involved in student protests.

Supporting reports

• RFK Jr announces 10,000 job cuts and restructuring of HHS — Robert F Kennedy Jr, US Health Secretary, announced the elimination of approximately 10,000 jobs from the Department of Health and Human Services' 82,000-person workforce, combined with previous cuts bringing total losses to roughly 20,000 workers. The restructuring includes closing half of HHS's regional offices, consolidating 28 branches into 15 new divisions, and creating a new agency called the "administration for a healthy America." Specific cuts target the FDA (3,500 employees), CDC (2,400), NIH (1,200), and CMS (300). Kennedy characterized the cuts as streamlining bureaucracy and realigning the department with new priorities.
• Robert F Kennedy Jr announces 20,000 HHS layoffs — Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced the Department of Health and Human Services will lay off approximately 20,000 workers—nearly 25% of its 82,000-person workforce—and consolidate 28 branches into 15. The cuts affect agencies including the CDC, NIH, CMS, and FDA. Health experts and Democratic senators warn the layoffs will impair pandemic preparedness and enable privatization of critical public health services, exacerbating health inequalities and undermining disease surveillance and emergency response capacity.
• HHS announces additional workforce reductions — The Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to cut 10,000 employees in addition to 10,000 who have already departed and more than 5,000 probationary workers fired in the previous month. The cuts include 3,500 full-time employees from the Food and Drug Administration and 2,400 employees from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, further degrading public health agency capacity.
• Trump administration implements workforce reductions across federal agencies — Internal White House documents obtained by the Washington Post detail planned employee cuts ranging from 8% to 50% across federal agencies. The Department of Housing and Urban Development faces a 50% workforce reduction, the Interior Department 25%, the IRS approximately one-third, the Justice Department 8%, the National Science Foundation 28%, the Commerce Department 30%, and the Small Business Administration 43%. These cuts follow earlier dismissals of approximately 20,000 IRS employees, particularly in enforcement divisions.
• Trump administration withholds federal funding from Columbia University over antisemitism concerns — The Trump administration withheld $400 million in federal grants from Columbia University, citing antisemitism concerns, until the university complied with administration demands. After Columbia's leadership agreed to changes, administration officials stated the modifications were only "early steps" and warned that other universities "should expect the same level of scrutiny and swiftness of action if they don't act to protect their students and stop anti-Semitic behavior on campus."

Supporting reports

• Trump administration targets NOAA with budget cuts — The Trump administration has initiated significant budget cuts and a political crackdown on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a leading US climate research agency. The administration plans to reduce NOAA's budget by roughly a third, affecting staffing and halting projects focused on inclusion and equity. Representatives from the "department of government efficiency" have demanded access to NOAA's IT systems and editorial control over intranet sites. These actions are part of a broader effort to align NOAA's operations with Trump's executive orders, potentially dismantling the agency's climate research capabilities.
• Trump administration fires hundreds at NOAA — The Trump administration has terminated hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a key climate research agency within the Department of Commerce. The firings, which occurred on a Thursday afternoon, primarily affected probationary employees, including those hired through Schedule A, which supports diverse candidates such as veterans and people with disabilities. This move has sparked criticism from various quarters, including lawmakers and scientific experts, who argue that the cuts will harm NOAA's ability to provide critical weather forecasts and climate data, ultimately affecting public safety and national security.
• NOAA announces cuts to workforce — The Trump administration has fired hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a key climate research agency within the Department of Commerce. The firings specifically targeted probationary employees, affecting roughly 10% of the agency's workforce. This move has sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers who warn that the cuts could jeopardize national security and public safety by leaving NOAA understaffed and unable to perform its critical functions effectively.
• — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced cuts of 800 workers, with potential further cuts bringing the total to 1,000, impacting its ability to monitor climate change and provide essential weather reports.