Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• SCOTUS grants stay and certiorari in DHS v. D.V.D. immigration removal case — The Supreme Court granted an emergency stay of a February 2026 District Court order from Massachusetts that had invalidated the Government's guidance on third-country removals. The Court also granted certiorari and directed the parties to brief four questions, including whether the district court had jurisdiction, whether it had authority to enter classwide declaratory relief and APA vacatur, whether the Government's removal guidance violates 8 U.S.C. §1231(b), the Due Process Clause, or FARRA/CAT regulations, and such other questions the Government deems appropriate. The case is scheduled for argument in December 2026. Three Justices (Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson) would have denied the stay.
• US Supreme Court lifts lower-court restrictions on third-country deportations — The US Supreme Court's six-justice conservative majority temporarily lifted a lower-court decision requiring the Trump administration to provide immigrants notice and opportunity to claim fear of torture or persecution before deporting them to third countries. The administration had argued the requirement prevented efficient removals. The ruling takes effect while the Court considers the larger case, with oral arguments scheduled for December. The administration has deported over 25,000 immigrants to at least 29 countries under these agreements.
• Supreme Court temporarily permits third-country deportations to continue — The Supreme Court approved the Trump administration's request to suspend a lower court ruling that restricted deportations to countries other than immigrants' countries of origin. A federal district judge had ruled against the administration's procedures for carrying out these removals, including treatment of notice and opportunities to raise fears of persecution or torture. The Supreme Court's order temporarily permits the contested procedures to continue while the case proceeds; oral arguments are scheduled for December. The Court has not yet issued a decision establishing whether the policy is lawful.

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• Tennessee governor denies clemency for Christa Pike; execution scheduled for September 30 — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee denied clemency for Christa Pike on Monday, September 29, 2026, clearing the way for her execution on Wednesday, September 30. Pike, 50, was convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 for killing a classmate at age 18 and has been on death row for 30 years. If executed, she will be the first woman executed in Tennessee in 200 years. Pike's attorneys have requested a stay from the state supreme court, citing her history of severe childhood sexual abuse, mental illness (bipolar disorder and PTSD), and evolving understanding of her crime.

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• Administration removed approximately 760,000 people from Affordable Care Act health coverage rolls — The Trump administration announced it was removing approximately 760,000 people from Affordable Care Act health coverage, claiming they were fraudulently enrolled in the program. The administration stated that cutting these enrollees and removing dishonest brokers would save $2.2 billion. The action affected hundreds of thousands of Americans' access to health insurance without clear evidence of systematic fraud.

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• Trump claimed direct control over MAGA Inc. super PAC funds in violation of campaign finance law — President Trump stated publicly that he has "complete authority" over MAGA Inc.'s funds and can "spend it for what I want to spend it for," despite federal law prohibiting direct control of super PAC finances by candidates or officeholders. Trump's super PAC has raised over $400 million since his return to the White House—an unprecedented sum exceeding any prior midterm election war chest. The statement represents an explicit assertion of illegal control over campaign funds.

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• Jack Smith testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee; Republicans attack his prosecutorial record — Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on 29 September 2026 regarding his two federal investigations into Donald Trump. Republican senators, including Eric Schmitt, John Kennedy, and Ted Cruz, launched aggressive attacks on Smith's conduct, making accusations of perjury (based on a false claim about an Atlanta Hawks game), bias, and targeting of Republicans. Smith defended his prosecutorial decisions and denied allegations that he was politically motivated. Democratic senators defended Smith and highlighted the January 6 Capitol attack.
• Jack Smith testified before Senate Judiciary Committee on Trump investigations — Special Counsel Jack Smith testified under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding his investigations into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his retention of classified documents. Smith defended the independence and factual basis of his prosecutions, stating that grand juries in two separate districts had found sufficient evidence of criminal activity. He emphasized that his decisions were based solely on facts and law, not political affiliation, and warned that the rule of law faces unprecedented challenges, including threats of prosecution against individuals perceived as opposing the President and vilification of career prosecutors and FBI agents on his team.
• Jack Smith testified before Senate Judiciary Committee on DOJ investigation of Trump — Special Counsel Jack Smith appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 29, 2026, to testify about the DOJ's investigation into former President Trump. In his opening remarks, Smith stated that the investigation had developed "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" that Trump engaged in serious crimes, including a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election results and prevent the lawful transfer of power. Smith also noted that since January 2025, there had been attacks on the institutions and public servants involved in the investigation, and that he himself had been threatened with jail by the sitting president.

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• Complaint filed: State of Colorado v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security — The State of Colorado filed a federal complaint challenging DHS and ICE's award of a five-year contract to The GEO Group to renovate and operate the former Hudson Correctional Facility as a 1,200-bed civil immigration detention center (Big Horn facility). Colorado alleges DHS violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to prepare an environmental impact statement, violated the Administrative Procedure Act by acting arbitrarily and capriciously without explanation for departing from prior NEPA review practice, and violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by failing to ensure local infrastructure could support the facility. Colorado seeks declaratory relief, vacatur and stay of the contract, preliminary and permanent injunctions, and remand to the agencies.

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• CNN reported Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commission made repeated calls for public executions of political opponents — CNN reported that Bo French, the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, has repeatedly called for public executions of his political opponents, including former President Barack Obama, using the hashtag "HangEmHigh" over the past six years. The report noted that Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton have not withdrawn their endorsements of French despite the inflammatory rhetoric.

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• Trump announces $15bn Iowa steel plant financed by Export-Import Bank — President Trump announced a $15 billion steel plant to be built in eastern Iowa by Indian-owned Mesabi Metallics, claiming it will be the largest in American history. The Export-Import Bank will provide up to $10 billion in federal financing. Trump credited his tariff policies for attracting the investment and projected 6,000 construction jobs and 2,000 manufacturing jobs, with production expected to begin in 2030. The announcement was made in the Oval Office with Iowa Republicans present, including Senate candidate Ashley Hinson.
• Trump announced Iowa steel plant project — Trump announced plans for a massive steel plant in Iowa as part of an $18 billion investment from Mesabi Metallics, a company owned by India's Essar Group. The project is valued at $15 billion and Trump claimed it would create construction jobs in a state hit hard by his policies. However, the plant would not come online until 2030. The project has been supported by the U.S. Export-Import Bank with loans worth up to $10 billion. Trump hired Jason Miller, a longtime Trump adviser, as Mesabi's lobbyist, paying him at least $240,000. The Indian government also hired Miller's company for $150,000 per month for strategic counsel.
• ICYMI: President Trump Announces Largest-Ever Steel Plant Coming to Iowa — The White House published this release on 2026-09-30 through its releases channel.
• Trump announces $15 billion Iowa steel plant deal without completed financial or permitting details — Trump announced a deal to build a $15 billion steel plant in Lee County, Iowa, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick crediting Trump's tariffs and stating the deal was done. However, local reporting found no major property purchases tied to the project, company officials said they lack details about plans, no permits have been filed, and financial arrangements remain unsettled. The Iowa legislature was scheduled to meet in special session to debate incentives, and the exact location in Lee County had not been disclosed.

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• Supreme Court schedules Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota for December argument — The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled the case Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota for argument in December. In that case, the Republican National Committee, backed by the Trump Justice Department, argues that Arizona may cancel the registrations of voters it deems noncitizens during the 90-day quiet period before Election Day. The Trump DOJ has already signaled it will argue that the quiet period does not apply to efforts by a state to remove noncitizens, and that "systematic checks within the 90-day window are the only way" for states to keep noncitizens off the rolls.

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• Senate Democrats demand DHS Secretary cease actions undermining elections — Thirty-four Senate Democrats sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding he cease actions they argue are undermining elections and threatening constitutional protections. The Democrats accused Mullin of promoting the president's conspiracy theories about elections, pressuring states to participate in illegal activities, and explicitly threatening to reduce grant funding and initiate criminal investigations against states that do not comply with the administration's demands.

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• Datacenter developers accused of circumventing EPA air pollution permitting rules — Environmental advocates allege that datacenter developers, including Amazon and Duke Energy, are manipulating EPA air pollution permitting processes by dividing emissions sources into multiple "minor" permits to avoid "major" source reviews and associated emission controls. Cases cited include North Carolina (Amazon/Duke with 649 diesel generators), New Mexico (Project Jupiter proposing two natural gas microgrids), and Maryland (four datacenters on one campus). The tactic reduces public scrutiny and regulatory oversight while potentially exposing low-income communities to increased air pollution.

Supporting reports

• DOJ closed 23,000 criminal cases under Bondi — ProPublica reported that in the first days after Pam Bondi was appointed Attorney General, the DOJ began shutting down pending criminal cases at a record pace. The cases included investigations into a Virginia nursing home with a record of patient abuse, probes of fraud involving New Jersey labor unions (including one opened after a top union official was accused of embezzlement), and an investigation into a crypto company suspected of cheating investors. In total, the DOJ quietly closed more than 23,000 criminal cases in the first six months of Trump's administration, abandoning hundreds of investigations into terrorism, white-collar crime, drugs, and other offenses as it shifted resources to pursue immigration cases. The bulk of these cases, known as declinations, had been referred to the DOJ by law enforcement agencies under prior administrations that believed a federal crime may have been committed. The number of declinations under Bondi marks a striking departure from both the Biden administration and the first Trump term. The shift comes as the DOJ has undergone an extraordinary overhaul, with entire units shuttered, directives to abandon pursuit of certain crimes, and thousands of lawyers quitting or being forced out.

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• DOJ employees wrote open letter about sledgehammer approach — ProPublica reported that nearly 300 DOJ employees who have left the agency under Trump signed an open letter stating that the Trump DOJ is "taking a sledgehammer" to long-standing work to "protect communities and the rule of law." The employees stated that the DOJ is retreating from its mission to impartially uphold the rule of law, keep the country safe, and protect civil rights.

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• Trump administration aired taxpayer-funded campaign ad — New York Times reporter Bayliss Wagner reported that the Trump administration is airing another taxpayer-funded political advertisement, this time from his 2024 campaign. In the ad, Trump states: "We will demolish the deep state, expel the warmongers from our government... We will rout the fake news media." The bulletin notes this represents use of public funds for campaign promotion during the midterms.
• Trump administration airs government-funded political advertisement — The Trump administration aired a black-and-white political advertisement on television stations nationwide, including Fox News Sunday, Saturday Night Live, and college and NFL football games, funded with taxpayer dollars. The ad features Trump walking down a hallway while audio from a rally speech plays, with Trump declaring "This is the final battle" and vowing to "demolish the deep state" and "expel the warmongers." The White House defended the ads as "public service announcements," but ethics experts and lawmakers have argued the use of federal funds for political advertising violates federal law banning taxpayer-funded propaganda. The ad cost approximately $319,000. This is the second such government-funded pro-Trump political ad in recent days; the first used a song by artist JMSN without his permission.
• Trump administration aired political advertisement funded by U.S. government during NFL and college football broadcasts — The Trump administration aired an advertisement during NFL games, Fox News Sunday, Saturday Night Live, and college football games that was labeled "Paid for by the U.S. Government." The ad featured Trump's "Final Battle" rhetoric attacking the deep state, warmongers, globalists, communists, and the media. The White House characterized it as a "public service announcement," but ethics experts and lawmakers questioned the legality of using federal funds for what appeared to be campaign propaganda.

Supporting reports

• Supreme Court paused lower court order on SAVE citizenship database — The Supreme Court, over the dissent of its three liberal justices, paused a lower court order and allowed the administration to resume using its overhauled SAVE database while litigation continues. The SAVE system links Social Security data with state voter rolls for citizenship verification. A federal judge had found in June that the overhaul violated the Privacy Act and other federal laws. When Texas ran all 18 million of its voters through SAVE, the system flagged 2,724 people; nearly 20 percent were confirmed as citizens and reinstated. Federal law prohibits systematic voter purges within 90 days of federal elections. The Court's majority acknowledged this limit but stated citizenship checks remain permissible in that window and each state decides whether to use SAVE.
• U.S. Supreme Court rules Trump administration may resume voter suppression database for voter removal — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Trump administration can resume using its voter suppression database to help Republicans remove voters from the rolls. The decision permits the federal government to conduct individualized voter inquiries using the modified SAVE program during the 90-day quiet period before Election Day, though the Court acknowledged this "limits the potential impact" of the ruling. The Court has scheduled a separate case, Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota, for December argument to consider the scope of the quiet period and whether states may conduct systematic noncitizen removal during that window.

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• Prosecutor resigns under protest in Broadview Six case — Sheri Mecklenburg, a career Department of Justice prosecutor near retirement, resigned on September 26 in protest over the handling of felony charges against six Democratic activists arrested at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility protest in Illinois. In her resignation letter, Mecklenburg alleged that U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros, a Trump supporter, had personally directed the felony prosecution against her objection that misdemeanor charges were more appropriate, threatened to fire her if she pushed back, and later scapegoated her for prosecutorial misconduct when the cases fell apart.

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• White House blocks CNN and MS Now from state dinner coverage — Hours after CNN, MS Now, and Politico journalists were granted delayed entry to the White House on Thursday morning (after being initially denied entry), CNN's editorial team and an MS Now reporter were blocked from covering a state dinner commemorating Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit. This occurred after the federal court order mandating restoration of their White House access.
• White House blocks CNN from Air Force One travel — The Trump White House excluded CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One on Saturday, preventing the network from fulfilling its rotating TV press pool duties covering the president's trip to Tennessee for a college football game. This followed the administration's revocation of White House access for CNN, Politico, and MS Now a week earlier, citing unfavorable coverage. A federal judge had ordered restoration of access after the outlets sued on First Amendment grounds, but CNN and MS Now were later blocked from covering a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
• White House excludes CNN from Air Force One press pool — The White House barred CNN from the presidential press pool covering Trump's travel to Tennessee for a college football game on September 26, despite CNN being a member of the five-major-network pool and scheduled to provide television footage. Trump posted on social media that outlets perpetrating "FAKE NEWS" should not be allowed in the White House, later telling reporters he supports a free press but opposes "fake news."
• White House reimposed ban on CNN from Air Force One pool coverage — On 27 September, despite the federal court's temporary restraining order, the White House barred CNN from joining the press pool traveling with the president on Air Force One. Attorney General Blanche claimed this was routine practice and not a denial of access. The action defied the judicial order and reignited the dispute after other outlets had briefly refused pool coverage in solidarity with the three banned outlets.

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• Administration refuses to spend $810 million Congress appropriated — On September 26, the Trump administration announced it is refusing to spend $810 million that Congress appropriated on a bipartisan basis for research in Health and Human Services and programs serving immigrants and minority groups, characterizing the spending as "wasteful and harmful government spending that does not benefit American citizens." The Government Accountability Office has determined that such "pocket rescissions" are unconstitutional, as they violate the constitutional requirement that the president "take care that the laws be faithfully executed" and usurp Congress's power of the purse.
• Administration announced refusal to spend approximately one billion dollars Congress appropriated for programs helping Americans — On Friday, September 27, the Trump administration announced it was refusing to spend approximately one billion dollars that Congress had appropriated for programs designed to help the American people. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated that this refusal to spend congressionally appropriated funds is illegal. The action came as the administration faced criticism over other spending decisions and policy implementations.
• Sen. Collins denounced $810 million in pocket rescissions — Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) posted on X that Congress received an $810 million package of pocket rescissions from the administration without warning or consultation. Collins stated this represents an attempt by OMB to undermine Congress's constitutional power of the purse, violating the Impoundment Control Act. She noted the OMB intentionally withheld funds for months to execute the unlawful cancellation of bipartisan appropriations. Collins pledged to work with colleagues to address the illegal actions.
• Government Accountability Office found Trump's funding cancellation unconstitutional — The Government Accountability Office sent a letter to congressional leaders on September 29 stating that Trump's cancellation of $810 million in federal funding, primarily for Health and Human Services programs serving refugees and asylum seekers, violated the Constitution. Trump used the "pocket rescission" process to bypass Congress, ensuring the funds would go unspent before the end of the fiscal year.
• Complaint filed: State of California et al. v. Trump (N.D. Cal. 3:26-cv-11185) — Seven states (California, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon) filed a complaint in the Northern District of California challenging President Trump's Sept. 25, 2026 rescission of $810 million in federal appropriations, including $567 million for refugee and entrant assistance at HHS. The states allege the administration timed the rescissions to expire before Congress could act under the Impoundment Control Act and withheld additional funds as "quiet impoundments." They seek declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and an order compelling the administration to obligate and spend the withheld funds, arguing the impoundments violate the separation of powers, the Presentment Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
• Complaint filed: State of New York v. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — The State of New York filed suit in federal district court challenging HUD's decision not to obligate $56.1 million in congressionally appropriated funds for the Housing Counseling program. Trump announced a "pocket rescission" of the funds on September 25, 2026, citing alleged failure to reduce delinquencies and claiming grantees pursued "DEI-centric discriminatory agendas." New York alleges HUD exceeded its statutory authority, violated the Administrative Procedure Act, and breached the mandatory obligation requirement in 12 U.S.C. § 1701x(a)(4)(A). The state seeks declaratory relief, vacatur of HUD's decisions, and an order compelling full obligation of the appropriation.
• Trump administration withheld $810 million in congressionally allocated funds — The Trump administration is refusing to spend $810 million in funds that Congress allocated. More than half of the withheld money—over $405 million—is designated for programs supporting refugees, asylees, and other non-citizens. The impoundment represents an assertion of executive power over congressionally mandated spending.

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• Trump administration petitions Supreme Court to overturn third-country deportation ban — Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Department of Justice filed a petition with the US Supreme Court on Thursday, September 25, 2026, seeking to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that blocked the Trump administration's policy of deporting immigrants to countries other than their own. The administration has already deported over 25,000 migrants to at least 29 third countries, including dangerous locations such as the Central African Republic and South Sudan. The lower court had declared the Department of Homeland Security's policy unlawful, and the appeals court upheld that decision in a class-action lawsuit brought by migrants subject to deportation orders.

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• California Supreme Court orders sheriff to return confiscated ballots — California's Supreme Court ruled that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco unlawfully confiscated over 650,000 ballots during an inquiry into unsubstantiated fraud claims following a November 2025 special election. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero found the seizure violated election law and created substantial risk to election integrity. Attorney General Rob Bonta had ordered Bianco to return the ballots; Bianco refused. The court rejected Bianco's argument that the AG could not direct a sheriff's investigation, affirming state authority over election materials. Governor Newsom signed legislation preventing future ballot seizures.
• California Supreme Court ordered sheriff to return confiscated ballots — The California Supreme Court ordered Sheriff Chad Bianco to return the confiscated ballots, ruling that it was Bianco, not voters, who was endangering elections. The court stated: "Allowing law enforcement unfettered access to ballots, or the ability to handle and count them in secret, based on unregulated protocols, itself creates a substantial risk to election integrity."

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• DHS whistleblower alleges voter impersonation by federal agents — A Department of Homeland Security whistleblower alleged that DHS, as part of its "Unlawful Voter Initiative," directed federal agents to impersonate voters in violation of state laws, using Social Security numbers and other information to look up voter history on state websites. The allegation prompted US Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff to request an investigation by California's attorney general, citing concerns about how DHS obtained and used voter data and whether it complied with law.

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• Senate Republicans block war powers resolution to end US-Iran conflict — Senate Republicans voted down a House-passed war powers resolution on Thursday, September 25, 2026, that sought to end the US military conflict with Iran. The measure failed 49-50, despite bipartisan House passage and support from four Republican senators (Tillis, Murkowski, Paul, Collins). The conflict had reached 200 days with 19 US service members killed and over 750 injured. Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer and Andy Kim, invoked the War Powers Resolution to force the vote. The defeat marks the latest in a series of failed Democratic attempts to end the war since Trump ordered military strikes in late February 2026.

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• Ketanji Brown Jackson criticizes Supreme Court's emergency docket practices in public speech — Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered remarks at the University of the District of Columbia's law school, expressing concern that the Supreme Court's use of the "shadow docket" or emergency docket undermines public faith in the judiciary. She stated the practice risks becoming "an end-run around the standard review process" and noted that while the Court has begun providing more explanation for emergency rulings, it still falls short of full merit-docket review. Her comments came hours after the Trump administration filed another emergency request seeking to allow deportations to countries other than immigrants' home nations.

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• Trump administration denies White House access to CNN and MS Now journalists despite federal court order — On Thursday evening, the Trump administration barred journalists from CNN and MS Now from covering a White House state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping, hours after U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued an overnight order requiring the administration to restore press credentials to the three banned outlets (CNN, MS Now, Politico). CNN was permitted only a photojournalist and audio technician, excluding editorial staff. MS Now reporter Laura Barrón-López was denied credentials entirely. The administration had revoked the outlets' hard passes on Saturday, citing "fake news," but Kelly ruled the revocation violated due process and likely breached First Amendment protections.
• White House blocked CNN and MS NOW from state dinner with Chinese leader Xi Jinping — On the evening of September 25, CNN and MS NOW were blocked from full access to the White House state dinner with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The White House told CNN it could send only an audio producer and a cameraman, not a reporter or producer. CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes stated the outlet was "specifically denied access" and that the White House was "not letting in the CNN editorial presence."

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• ICE stopped publicly revealing locations of detainees subject to deportation orders — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stopped publicly revealing where it is holding thousands of detainees who are subject to final deportation orders, according to the Associated Press. The policy change makes it harder for families and lawyers to locate detainees or file additional legal challenges.