Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Federal judge blocks Trump administration from defunding 34 sanctuary cities and counties — US District Judge William Orrick issued an order on Friday blocking the Trump administration from cutting federal funding to 34 "sanctuary cities" and counties that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ruling expands a previous April decision finding the administration's funding freeze unconstitutional. Cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, Denver, and Albuquerque are now protected from defunding. The administration had signed executive orders in January and February threatening to withhold funds from Democratic-led cities refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

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• Federal judge rules Trump-appointed US attorney unlawfully serving without Senate confirmation — Chief US District Judge Matthew Brann ruled that Alina Habba, Trump's former lawyer appointed as interim US attorney for New Jersey in March 2025, has been unlawfully serving in the role. The judge found that her four-month temporary appointment ended in July and that the Trump administration's legal maneuvers to retain her without Senate confirmation violated federal law. Brann disqualified Habba from prosecuting three defendants who challenged her appointment and placed his order on hold pending appeal.
• Federal judge rules Alina Habba illegally serving as acting US attorney for New Jersey — District Judge Matthew Brann ruled that Alina Habba is not lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of US Attorney for New Jersey and must be disqualified from participating in any ongoing cases. The judge concluded she is not currently qualified to exercise the functions and duties of the office in an acting capacity, effectively removing her from the role.

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• Attorney General Bondi retaliates by firing career prosecutor and reinstalling Habba as acting US attorney — After federal judges in New Jersey exercised their statutory power to replace Alina Habba with a career prosecutor when her temporary appointment lapsed in late July 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi retaliated by firing that prosecutor and moved to reinstall Habba as acting US attorney. This action directly contradicted the judicial order and the statutory succession mechanism designed to fill the vacancy.

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• Representative Nicole Collier filed a habeas corpus petition to challenge her confinement as illegal. — Representative Nicole Collier filed an application for a writ of habeas corpus against the Texas House of Representatives' Sergeant-at-Arms, seeking immediate release from what she characterized as "illegal confinement." The petition challenged the authority of legislative leadership to restrict her liberty and movement as a condition of performing her duties as an elected representative.

Supporting reports

• California Republicans file suit to block Newsom's fast-track redistricting plan — Republican state legislators in California filed an emergency petition on Tuesday to block Governor Gavin Newsom's mid-year redistricting plan, which aims to counter Texas's redrawn congressional maps. The suit argues the legislative process violates a 30-day introduction-to-vote requirement and bypasses the state's independent citizens redistricting commission. Newsom announced the plan to use California's voting power to counteract Republican gains expected from Texas redistricting, framing it as a response to Trump's influence over mapmaking in Republican-led states.
• Texas House Republicans impose surveillance protocols and "permission slips" on Democratic lawmakers — Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows ordered around-the-clock police escorts and mandatory "permission slip" forms for Democratic representatives who had left the state to break quorum on redistricting votes. Democrats, who had fled to California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York to delay Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts favoring Donald Trump, returned to Austin on Monday. Upon return, they faced surveillance including plainclothes officers following them to homes and grocery stores. On Tuesday, Democrats tore up the permission slips and occupied the House floor in protest, calling the protocol "demeaning" and an attack on their dignity and freedom of movement.
• Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows demanded Democratic representatives sign commitment statements and assigned state troopers to monitor their movements to ensure attendance at redistricting vote. — After 51 Democratic Texas state representatives returned from a quorum-breaking absence on August 19, House Speaker Dustin Burrows required them to sign statements committing to appear for a Wednesday vote on congressional redistricting maps. Refusal to sign risked arrest. Burrows also assigned state troopers to monitor the Democrats' movements around the clock until the final vote. The measure would convert five Democratic congressional seats to Republican-dominated districts at President Trump's direction.
• Texas House speaker assigned state troopers to police Democratic members — The Republican Texas House speaker assigned state troopers to police Democratic members to ensure they show up and provide enough lawmakers present to conduct business. This enforcement mechanism was used to compel attendance during legislative sessions, including redistricting votes.

Supporting reports

• California Republicans file suit to block Newsom's fast-track redistricting plan — Republican state legislators in California filed an emergency petition on Tuesday to block Governor Gavin Newsom's mid-year redistricting plan, which aims to counter Texas's redrawn congressional maps. The suit argues the legislative process violates a 30-day introduction-to-vote requirement and bypasses the state's independent citizens redistricting commission. Newsom announced the plan to use California's voting power to counteract Republican gains expected from Texas redistricting, framing it as a response to Trump's influence over mapmaking in Republican-led states.

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• Ed Martin demands New York AG Letitia James resign — The New York Times reported that Ed Martin, Trump's "weaponization czar" who was recently selected by the DOJ to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James, sent a letter to her lawyer last week in which he said that her resignation would be considered an "act of good faith" and "best serve the good of the state and nation." While James' lawyer didn't directly respond to calls for her client to resign, she wrote a letter to the DOJ calling Martin's visit to James' apartment last week a "truly bizarre, made-for-media stunt" that is "outside the bounds of DOJ and ethics rules."

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• Democratic states sue Trump DOJ over Victims of Crime Act funding restrictions — A coalition of over 20 Democratic-led states and DC sued Trump's Justice Department over efforts to block a new policy that would prevent states from accessing federal funds under the Victims of Crime Act if they don't cooperate with the president's immigration crackdown, calling the move "unprecedented."

Supporting reports

• California Governor Newsom sued to limit military use in Los Angeles — California Governor Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration to limit the use of military forces in Los Angeles following the June 7 deployment of Marines and federalized National Guard personnel. A trial was held last week in which the case was litigated.

Supporting reports

• Texas judge issues restraining order blocking Beto O'Rourke's group from sending funds out of state — Tarrant County Judge Megan Fahey issued a restraining order against former congressman Beto O'Rourke and his political organization Powered by People, barring them from sending money out of Texas. The order, sought by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, freezes funds and restricts financial institutions and platforms including ActBlue from removing property belonging to O'Rourke or his group from the state. Fahey found the fundraising for Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to block redistricting constituted deceptive trade practices under Texas law.