Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration withholds SNAP emergency reserve funds despite congressional appropriation — The Trump administration refused to release emergency reserve funds Congress appropriated for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), claiming it lacked authority to do so during the government shutdown. The withholding threatened to cut benefits to 42 million Americans (one in eight U.S. residents) receiving an average of $186 monthly. Two federal judges found the withholding likely illegal and ordered the administration to use the emergency funds to maintain SNAP benefits.
• Federal judges block Trump administration from suspending SNAP benefits during government shutdown — Two federal judges issued separate rulings on October 31, 2025, blocking the Trump administration from suspending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for nearly 42 million low-income Americans. Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order, and Judge Indira Talwani in Massachusetts ruled the government must continue funding the program. The administration had planned to halt payments on November 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown, but plaintiffs argued the USDA possessed sufficient contingency funds ($5.25 billion) to maintain benefits.
• Federal judge in Rhode Island orders USDA to provide SNAP benefits from emergency funds — U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island, in a lawsuit brought by several cities, a major labor union, and Rhode Island nonprofits, ordered the USDA to use emergency contingency funds to provide SNAP benefits and to provide an update by noon on Monday, November 3. McConnell stated that the six billion dollars in contingency funds are appropriated funds necessary to carry out the program's operation.
• Federal judge orders SNAP benefits funded from emergency reserves — U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of the District of Massachusetts, in a lawsuit brought by Democratic attorneys general and governors against the USDA and Office of Management and Budget, found that Congress had appropriated emergency funds specifically for such crises and ordered the administration to decide by Monday whether to release those funds for SNAP benefits. The judge stated: "Congress has put money in an emergency fund, and it is hard for me to understand how this is not an emergency."
• Temporary restraining order ruling — Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. United States Department of Agriculture (D. Mass.) 1:25-cv-13165 — District Court Judge Talwani found that State Plaintiffs have standing and are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the administration's suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is contrary to law during the ongoing appropriations lapse. The motion for a temporary restraining order remains under advisement until Monday, Nov. 3, to allow the administration to advise the court on whether it would use contingency funds to authorize at least reduced SNAP benefits for November 2025.
• Temporary restraining order ruling — Rhode Island State Council of Churches v. Rollins (D.R.I.) 1:25-cv-00569 — District Court Judge John McConnell, Jr. issued a temporary restraining order requiring the administration to distribute November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits using contingency funds effective immediately, to report to the Court on Monday, Nov. 3 regarding the status of the distribution, and to honor any existing waivers.
• Federal judge in Boston ruled Trump administration's SNAP suspension plan likely unlawful — A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration's plan to suspend SNAP food aid benefits during the government shutdown is likely unlawful. The judge ordered the Trump administration to respond by Monday with a plan to at least partially fund SNAP benefits, indicating the court's intent to prevent full suspension of the program.
• Federal judge in Rhode Island ordered USDA to distribute SNAP contingency funds for November 1 payments — A federal judge in Rhode Island issued an oral order requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute contingency funds to ensure SNAP benefits are paid on November 1, 2025, during the ongoing government shutdown. The judge stated the USDA must distribute the money "timely, or as soon as possible" to meet the deadline. This order directly contradicts the Trump administration's plan to suspend food aid benefits during the shutdown.
• Federal judge ordered Trump administration to release emergency SNAP funds immediately — A federal judge granted a request and ordered the Trump administration to release emergency funds for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) immediately, hours after Speaker Mike Johnson claimed there was "no way" to fund the program during the shutdown. The ruling came in response to litigation filed by Democrats challenging the administration's withholding of benefits. Johnson had previously dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous, but the court order directly contradicted his assertion that funding was impossible.

Supporting reports

• House Speaker Johnson refuses to swear in Representative-elect Grijalva — Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) was elected by voters on September 23, 2025, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has steadfastly refused to swear her into office. Grijalva has stated she will provide the final signature necessary on a discharge petition to force a vote on the public release of the Epstein files. Survivors of Epstein's sex trafficking enterprise sent a letter to Speaker Johnson on October 30 demanding that Grijalva be sworn in, stating that Johnson's refusal appears to be a deliberate attempt to block her participation in the discharge petition and obstruct transparency regarding Trump's connection to the Epstein files.

Supporting reports

• Trump DOJ requests 2020 election records from Fulton County, Georgia — On October 30, the Trump administration's Department of Justice, through its Civil Rights Division led by Harmeet Dhillon, sent a letter to Fulton County, Georgia election officials demanding they turn over records related to the 2020 election within 15 days. The request targets documents previously subpoenaed by the state election board, including voter lists, ballot images, and chain-of-custody forms. The DOJ justified the request under the Civil Rights Act and federal voting statutes, though legal experts note the letter lacks a required statutory basis for the demand.

Supporting reports

• Motion granted — Chicago Headline Club v. Noem (N.D. Ill.) 1:25-cv-12173 — The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted the government's request to temporarily block Judge Ellis' Oct. 28 order requiring CBP Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino to appear in court at 5:45PM on weekdays to report on use of force activities for each day.
• Appeals court paused order requiring CBP official to appear in court daily — An appeals court paused a federal judge's order requiring top CBP official Gregory Bovino to appear in court daily to provide updates about immigration enforcement activity in Chicago.
• Federal appeals court blocks judge's order for daily immigration sweep briefings — The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals blocked an order by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis that would have required Gregory Bovino, a senior border patrol official, to appear in federal court daily to report on immigration crackdowns and arrests in Chicago. The judge had previously stated that children in Halloween costumes do not pose an immediate threat justifying use of riot control weapons.
• — The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted the government's request to issue a writ of mandamus blocking the district court's order that had required CBP Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino to appear in court to report on use of force activities for each day. The court found that the order “puts the court in the position of an inquisitor rather than that of a neutral adjudicator” and “sets the court up as a supervisor of Chief Bovino's activities, intruding on the personnel management decisions of the Executive Branch,” concluding that the order infringes on the separation of powers.

Supporting reports

• Democratic congressional candidate indicted for ICE facility protest — Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old Palestinian American progressive running for Illinois's ninth congressional district, was indicted on federal charges related to September protests outside a Chicago-area ICE processing facility. The indictment alleges she and five others conspired to forcibly impede a federal agent, banging on the agent's vehicle, damaging it, and blocking its movement. Abughazaleh characterized the charges as political prosecution and a "gross attempt at silencing dissent," asserting the indictment criminalizes First Amendment protest rights.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration demands removal of transgender references from federal sex education program; 11 states comply, 16 states sue — The Trump administration issued a Monday deadline requiring states receiving federal sex education funding (the Personal Responsibility Education Program, or Prep) to remove all references to gender identity and transgender/non-binary people or lose millions in federal funding. At least 11 states with Republican legislatures complied or announced compliance. Sixteen Democratic-led states and Washington DC sued, claiming the demand tramples Congressional authority. A federal judge blocked the administration from cutting funding to the suing states, finding the administration provided no reasonable explanation for the new conditions beyond "pretext."
• Federal judge blocks HHS from defunding Democratic states over sex education curriculum dispute — U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken issued a court order late Monday blocking the Department of Health and Human Services from cutting federal Prep funding to Democratic-led states that refused to remove transgender references from sex education curricula. The judge found that HHS failed to demonstrate the new grant conditions were reasonable and provided no legitimate explanation beyond "pretext" for the action, noting HHS did not consider statutory objectives, relevant data, or anti-discrimination statutes.

Supporting reports

• Judge Ellis orders CBP officer Bovino to appear in court for TRO violations — U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered CBP sector chief Greg Bovino to appear in court on October 28, 2025, after a video showed him throwing what appeared to be a tear gas canister at protesters without warning. Plaintiffs argued the action violated the temporary restraining order Ellis had issued on October 9. Immigration officers claimed a "mob" of "hostile and violent" rioters had thrown a rock at Bovino and hit him in the head, though no videos from the protest corroborated this claim. At the October 28 hearing, Ellis reminded Bovino that agents must give warnings before throwing tear gas and called out specific incidents, including one in which an agent pointed a pepper gun and real gun at a combat veteran lawfully standing on the roadside, and another in which federal agents threw tear gas near a children's Halloween costume parade.
• Judge Ellis orders CBP officer Bovino to obtain body camera and undergo training — U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered CBP sector chief Greg Bovino to obtain a body camera by Friday and undergo training in its use after Bovino stated he does not wear one and has not been trained. Ellis reminded Bovino that the camera would enable him to substantiate claims such as the alleged rock-throwing incident. Ellis also ordered Bovino to submit all reports and body camera footage of use-of-force incidents in and around Chicago by Friday and to appear in her court every day at 6:00 p.m. to keep her informed of agents' actions. Bovino promised to abide by the temporary restraining order.
• Case update — Chicago Headline Club v. Noem (N.D. Ill.) 1:25-cv-12173 — Judge Ellis further clarified her TRO and ordered that all federal agents place a conspicuous identifier on their uniforms and reiterated that all CPB agents should wear body cameras. She further required that CPB Commander Geregory Bovino wear a body camera and report to her each afternoon to provide updates on the operation, and that the Defendants provide her with all body camera video and use of force reports to date by Oct. 31 and all subsequent such video and reports within 24 hours of the reports being finalized. She also directed that Defendants should provide her by Oct. 31 with a chart of all individuals detained for violations not related to immigration enforcement.
• Federal judge orders daily court reporting by border patrol chief over Chicago enforcement — US District Judge Sara Ellis ordered Gregory Bovino, chief of the El Centro border patrol sector leading Trump's "Operation Midway Blitz" immigration crackdown in Chicago, to appear in federal court each weekday to report on enforcement incidents. The order followed a hearing where Ellis rebuked Bovino for agents' use of chemical irritants against residents, including children in Halloween costumes. Ellis also mandated Bovino obtain body camera training by Friday. The order represents an exceptional judicial attempt to impose oversight after agents repeatedly violated prior court orders restricting use of force.

Supporting reports

• Democratic state attorneys general sued Trump administration over SNAP benefits suspension — A group of more than two dozen Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging its decision to suspend food benefits for more than 42 million Americans during a government shutdown. The attorneys general sought a court order to force the Trump administration to maintain SNAP benefits, which were set to expire on Saturday, October 25, 2025.
• Over two dozen states sued Trump administration over SNAP funding refusal — Over two dozen states sued the Trump administration for refusing to fund SNAP benefits during the government shutdown, a move the states argue is unnecessary and illegal, and could result in food insecurity and financial hardship for approximately 42 million people.
• Democratic attorneys general and governors sued Trump administration over SNAP funding — Dozens of Democratic attorneys general and governors sued the Trump administration over its decision not to tap emergency funds to keep food aid flowing to 42 million Americans during the government shutdown. Trump officials concluded they could not legally access a $5 billion contingency fund for SNAP amid the shutdown, despite the fund's existence for emergency purposes.
• Twenty-four states sue Trump administration over SNAP suspension during government shutdown — A coalition of 24 states, led by New York, California, and Massachusetts, filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging its decision to suspend food stamps (SNAP) benefits on November 1 during the government shutdown. The lawsuit argues the USDA has legal authority and approximately $6 billion in emergency reserve funds to continue distributing benefits to nearly 42 million families. The plaintiffs seek a federal court ruling by Friday to force the USDA to maintain food assistance, citing the government's legal obligation to protect low-income households and prevent widespread hunger.
• Governors and attorneys general from 25 Democratic-led states sue USDA over SNAP reserve funds — Governors and attorneys general from 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the USDA, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, the Office of Management and Budget, OMB Director Russell Vought, and the United States, challenging the administration's refusal to use $6 billion in USDA reserve funds to cover SNAP payments due November 1. The lawsuit argues that Congress has mandated SNAP payments and appropriated funds, including reserves designated for use "in such amounts and at such times as may become necessary to carry out program operations" under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. The USDA previously used reserves from another fund to cover the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program during the shutdown.

Supporting reports

• Attorney General Bondi announced review of Biden autopen pardons — On Twitter, Attorney General Pam Bondi said her team "has already initiated a review of the Biden administration's reported use of autopen for pardons" after the Republican-led House Oversight Committee published a report arguing that the former president's executive actions signed by autopen were "illegitimate." Committee Chair James Comer urged Bondi to investigate all of the former president's executive actions "to ascertain whether they were duly authorized" by Biden.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge planned to block Trump's federal employee layoffs during shutdown — A federal judge announced plans to issue a ruling blocking President Trump's layoffs of federal employees during the government shutdown. An official decision was expected to be handed down soon.
• Federal judge extended block on mass layoffs during shutdown — A federal judge extended her temporary block to prevent the Trump administration from carrying out mass layoffs during the government shutdown, saying, "I believe that I will find that their actions are arbitrary and capricious, as shown by the haphazard way in which the [reductions-in-force] have rolled out, and they are intended for the purpose of political retribution."

Supporting reports

• Federal judge ruled Trump's US Attorney pick illegally serving in role — A federal judge ruled that Trump's pick to temporarily lead the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California is illegally serving in the role and should have stepped down by July 31, and disqualified him from the position.

Supporting reports

• DOJ claimed ICE no longer required to accommodate congressional oversight visits — Politico reported that Justice Department lawyers said in court that ICE is no longer required to accommodate oversight visits from lawmakers to its facilities, arguing that the requirement was part of government funding laws that expired when the federal government shutdown began in September, and that ICE is now operating with appropriations made in Trump's tax and spending bill, which does not require congressional access to ICE facilities.
• Congress denied entry to ICE holding facilities for oversight inspections — According to a lawsuit filed in Washington DC, members of Congress have been denied entry to ICE field offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Washington for congressionally mandated oversight inspections of holding facilities. ICE claims these are not traditional detention centers and therefore not subject to congressional inspection. Additionally, the government shutdown has been cited by the Trump administration to override oversight rules preventing congressional inspection of holding and detention centers.
• ICE claims shutdown eliminates congressional oversight obligation — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) asserted that the government shutdown eliminates its legal obligation to permit congressional oversight visits to its detention facilities. This claim emerged despite ICE receiving an injection of $75 billion into its budget from July's budget reconciliation bill, allowing law enforcement agents to continue receiving paychecks including overtime. The assertion represents a unilateral claim of exemption from congressional oversight authority during the shutdown.
• ICE Claims Shutdown Limits Congressional Oversight — On October 28, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that the government shutdown means it no longer has a legal obligation to allow congressional oversight visits to its detention facilities. This statement raises concerns about transparency and accountability within the agency during the shutdown.

Supporting reports

• Over 100 ex-DOJ officials file amicus brief challenging Comey prosecution — More than 100 former Department of Justice officials filed an amicus curiae brief on October 27 supporting James Comey's legal defense and arguing that his prosecution violates longstanding DOJ policies barring vindictive prosecutions and violates constitutional due process requirements. The brief was organized by James Pearce, an ex-DOJ lawyer and senior counsel at the Washington Litigation Group. Additional amicus briefs supporting Comey were filed by the Protect Democracy Project and Democracy Defenders Fund.
• Over 100 former DOJ officials signed amicus brief in Comey case — More than 100 former Justice Department officials signed on to an amicus brief urging the federal judge overseeing James Comey's criminal case to dismiss charges against the former FBI director. They argue Comey's indictment "was not an exercise of the evenhanded judgment of a disinterested prosecutor" but "represented an act of personal retribution by the President."

Supporting reports

• Federal judge blocked subpoena to trans healthcare provider — A federal judge ruled that a wide-ranging subpoena issued by the Justice Department to an online trans healthcare provider cannot be enforced because it was not part of a legitimate investigation but was about pursuing Trump's agenda targeting gender-affirming care. In his ruling, the judge noted, "No clearer evidence of improper purpose could exist than the Government's own repeated declarations that it seeks to end the very practice it claims to be merely investigating."

Supporting reports

• Federal judge ordered DOJ and DHS to stop prejudicial statements about Abrego Garcia — In a court hearing, a federal judge ordered officials from the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security to stop making "prejudicial" statements about Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his case, warning that those who fail to comply could "be subject to sanctions." The judge noted that officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, made "extrajudicial statements that are troubling, especially where many of them are exaggerated if not simply inaccurate," including alleging that Abrego Garcia is a member of MS-13.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration filed emergency appeal to uphold Library of Congress copyright chief firing — The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court to uphold the firing of the copyright chief of the Library of Congress, Shira Perlmutter, who is challenging her termination in court.

Supporting reports

• Trump filed appeal to overturn hush money convictions citing presidential immunity — Trump filed an appeal to overturn his criminal hush money convictions, arguing in part that he should have been protected by the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity, with his lawyers calling the case the "most politically charged prosecution in our Nation's history."

Supporting reports

• Large law firms reduced representation of plaintiffs challenging Trump policies — The Washington Post reported that the largest law firms in the U.S. have been far less likely to challenge Trump's policies than during his first term. Large firms represented plaintiffs in only 15% of cases challenging Trump executive orders in his second term, compared with roughly 75% during a comparable period in his first term. The shift has placed significant burden on small- and medium-sized firms, which have taken on more of the workload in nearly 400 lawsuits filed between January and September. Some of Trump's executive orders this spring targeted major law firms.

Supporting reports

• Republicans maintain House shutdown and refuse Democratic negotiation — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) kept the House out of session during the government shutdown, and Republicans refused to negotiate with Democrats in the normal legislative process. Trump departed for Asia for a week, leaving the shutdown unresolved. This posture indicates a deliberate Republican strategy to avoid compromise and force Democrats to capitulate on their demand for extension of the premium tax credit for healthcare.
• Speaker Johnson canceled House business for the week of October 27, extending a 17-week pattern of minimal legislative activity — Speaker Mike Johnson announced the cancellation of House business for the week beginning October 27, 2025. Over the preceding 17 weeks, the House has convened on Capitol Hill for only 20 days total. This scheduling decision means the House will not reconvene before November 1, when at least 25 states have announced they cannot continue distributing SNAP benefits to over 42 million Americans without federal appropriations. The extended recess occurs amid a government funding impasse between Republicans and Democrats over healthcare subsidies and Medicaid restoration.
• Speaker Mike Johnson held press conference claiming House Republicans are working meaningfully while House remains adjourned. — Speaker Mike Johnson held his daily shutdown press conference, claiming that House Republicans are "doing some of the most meaningful work of their careers in their districts" while the House has been adjourned for 84 of the last 96 days, resulting in only 12 days of legislative work over three months. Members continue to receive full pay and benefits. Johnson's statement contrasts with the Senate, which has continued working, suggesting the House adjournment is not necessitated by the shutdown but rather serves another purpose.
• House Speaker announces no votes scheduled for following week; chamber inactive for six weeks — Speaker Mike Johnson announced that the House of Representatives would not conduct business during the following week. The House had not held a vote since September 19, leaving the chamber inactive for six weeks while members remained absent from Washington and did not conduct town halls in their districts.