Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Federal judge orders release of Venezuelan migrant after seven months of ICE detention — Joswar Torres, a 29-year-old Venezuelan with a pending asylum application and humanitarian parole status, was detained by ICE in June 2025 following a routine DHS check-in in Spokane, Washington. After nearly 2,000 people protested his detention and 30 were arrested, U.S. District Judge James Robart ruled that DHS violated Torres's Fifth Amendment due process rights by failing to consider his individualized circumstances before detaining him. Torres was released after seven months in custody.

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• Over 300 federal judges rule against Trump administration detention policies — More than 300 federal judges have ruled against the Trump administration's effort to detain nearly all individuals with pending deportation proceedings, ordering the release or bond hearings in more than 1,600 cases as of January 2026. A national database reveals more than 17,000 habeas corpus petitions filed in federal court during the second Trump administration, with immigration attorneys reporting a dramatic increase in such filings.

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• Federal judge reverses Trump's freeze on Gateway Project rail funding — US District Judge Jeannette Vargas in New York issued a temporary ruling on Friday reversing a Trump administration freeze on $16 billion in federal funds for the Gateway Project, a critical rail infrastructure initiative connecting New York and New Jersey. The freeze, imposed on 30 September pending a compliance review, had halted work on a new Hudson River tunnel and repairs to a century-old tunnel serving 200,000+ daily travelers. Vargas found the states likely to succeed in claims that the freeze was arbitrary and violated legal procedures. Reports indicate Trump demanded renaming Washington Dulles airport and Penn Station after himself in exchange for unfreezing funds.
• Trump administration appealed court order requiring release of Hudson Tunnel funding — The Trump administration appealed a court order requiring it to release federal funding for the Hudson Tunnel project. Prior reporting indicated Trump had offered to unfreeze funds if Democrats agreed to rename major transit hubs after him. The dispute centers on whether infrastructure funds are administered through law and oversight or through personal glorification demands, raising questions about the distinction between state administration and personal brand leverage.
• Motion granted — New Jersey v. Department of Transportation (S.D.N.Y.) 1:26-cv-00939 — Judge Vargas denied Defendants' motion for a stay of the court's TRO pending appeal but granted sua sponte a short administrative stay to allow Defendants to seek a stay from the Second Circuit.
• Trump administration appealed court order on Hudson Tunnel funding conditions — The Trump administration appealed a court order requiring the release of Hudson Tunnel funding after reports surfaced that the funds were offered conditionally contingent on renaming transit hubs after Trump. The appeal contests judicial oversight of the administration's use of federal infrastructure funds.

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• Supreme Court unanimously ordered government to facilitate Ábrego García's return — The Supreme Court unanimously ordered the federal government to "facilitate" the return of Kilmar Ábrego García to the United States after his wrongful deportation to El Salvador. The administration interpreted "facilitate" narrowly, claiming it only required allowing him entry if he arrived on his own, not requiring the government to seek his release from the torture prison.
• U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered government to return Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador — U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the federal government to bring Kilmar Ábrego García back to the United States after the administration had wrongfully deported him to El Salvador's CECOT terrorist prison in March 2025, where he was beaten and tortured. Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national who fled gang threats in 2011 at age 16, had been granted protection from removal by a judge in 2019 despite being denied asylum. The government appealed; the Supreme Court unanimously ordered it to "facilitate" Ábrego García's return.

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• Motion granted — Neguse v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (D.D.C.) 1:25-cv-02463 — Judge Cobb granted Plaintiffs' motion for a stay of agency action, issuing an opinion temporarily blocking the administration's Oversight Visit Policy , which requires at least seven days' advance notice before members of Congress may conduct oversight visits to DHS immigration detention facilities.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge issues temporary restraining order blocking ICE from detaining Kilmar Ábrego García — On Friday morning, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials from detaining Kilmar Ábrego García, hours before he was scheduled to appear at an ICE field office in Baltimore. The judge ruled that Ábrego cannot be re-detained until the court conducts a hearing on the motion for the temporary restraining order, citing the merits of his case and the need for orderly administration of justice. Ábrego, who had been released from a Pennsylvania immigration detention facility on Thursday, spoke to supporters after the ruling.
• Judge Xinis barred government from arresting Ábrego García pending hearing — On Friday, December 13, Judge Paula Xinis granted the request of Kilmar Ábrego García's lawyers to bar the government from arresting him again until she hears from both parties.

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• Federal panel blocks Texas from using gerrymandered congressional map in 2026 election — A three-judge federal panel blocked Texas from using a newly gerrymandered congressional map in the 2026 election, finding it likely constituted an illegal racial gerrymander. Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee, authored a scathing opinion rejecting the map. The ruling was significant because Texas's redistricting decision had triggered a nationwide gerrymandering arms race, with other states responding by redrawing their own maps.

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• Federal judge blocks Texas 2025 congressional maps as racially gerrymandered — A three-judge federal panel in Texas ruled that the state's 2025 congressional redistricting maps, which added five Republican districts, violate the Voting Rights Act by constituting racial gerrymandering. The court issued a preliminary injunction requiring Texas to use the previously approved 2021 maps for the 2026 midterm elections. Judge Jeffrey Brown found that while politics played a role, substantial evidence showed the maps were drawn to eliminate "coalition districts" and create majority-Hispanic districts in response to pressure from the Trump administration's Department of Justice.
• Federal judges block Texas mid-decade congressional redistricting map — A panel of three federal judges ruled that Texas could not use a new mid-decade congressional district map that would shift five Democratic-dominated districts to Republican domination. Two judges found that Texas had engaged in racial gerrymandering in violation of the Voting Rights Act. Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee, wrote that substantial evidence showed Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 map. Texas House Minority Leader Gene Wu stated the decision stopped "one of the most brazen attempts to steal our democracy that Texas has ever seen." Texas immediately appealed to the Supreme Court.
• Federal panel blocked Texas congressional map as racially gerrymandered — A panel of federal judges blocked Texas from implementing its new congressional map, which could net Republicans as many as five additional House seats in the 2026 midterm elections, ruling that the map was "racially gerrymandered" and ordering that the state use the congressional map introduced in 2021.

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• Tennessee state judge finds National Guard deployment to Memphis likely violated state law — On November 18, a Tennessee state judge found that local officials challenging Governor Bill Lee's decision to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis at Trump's urging would likely succeed in arguing the deployment violated state law. The ruling suggested the court would grant relief to the challengers, undermining the legality of the military deployment for domestic policing purposes.
• Federal judge temporarily blocked Tennessee National Guard deployment to Memphis — A federal judge temporarily blocked Tennessee Governor Bill Lee from deploying National Guard troops to Memphis, a move he directed as part of the Trump administration's operations to combat crime. In her ruling, the judge wrote that the governor's power "is not unfettered" and that the case "raises important questions concerning the use of the state's military forces for domestic law enforcement purposes."

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• Federal judge blocks Trump from deploying national guard to Portland — U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued a final order on Friday barring Donald Trump's administration from deploying national guard troops to Portland, Oregon. Immergut found that protests near the ICE facility were "predominately peaceful, with only isolated and sporadic instances of relatively low-level violence" and concluded there was no credible evidence justifying federal intervention. The injunction specifically bars Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from deploying national guard members to Oregon. The Trump administration is expected to appeal.

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• Federal judge issues injunction against federal agents' use of crowd control force — On November 6, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis in Chicago issued a broad injunction prohibiting federal agents from using tear gas, pepper balls, and other "less-lethal" crowd control measures in violation of constitutional rights. Ellis found that federal agents had violated protesters' First Amendment rights to free speech and free assembly, and had prevented the free exercise of religion by using force against clergy members. The judge repeatedly noted that federal agents had made false statements.

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• Sean Charles Dunn acquitted of assault for throwing sandwich at federal agent — Sean Charles Dunn, a former Department of Justice paralegal, was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on November 6, 2025, after throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent during a protest on August 10, 2025, in Washington DC. Dunn's attorneys argued the sandwich throw was a harmless protest gesture, while prosecutors contended it was an assault. The acquittal represents another legal setback for federal law enforcement efforts during Trump's federal intervention in the capital.
• Jury acquits former DOJ paralegal of assault charge — On November 6, 2025, a jury acquitted Sean Dunn, a former DOJ paralegal, of a misdemeanor charge for allegedly throwing a salami submarine sandwich at a federal agent. The federal agent, wearing a bulletproof vest, had claimed the sandwich "exploded" against his chest, though the sandwich remained intact in its wrapper. The acquittal occurred after jury selection began on November 4.
• Sean Dunn acquitted of assault for throwing sandwich at Border Patrol agent — Sean Dunn, charged with assaulting Border Patrol agent Greg Lairmore by throwing a Subway sandwich, was found not guilty by jury. Lairmore testified the sandwich "exploded all over" his chest, but photographic evidence showed the sandwich remained in its wrapper on the ground after contact with Lairmore's bulletproof vest. The acquittal contradicted the agent's account of the incident's severity.

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• Federal courts blocked Trump's National Guard deployments in five cities — Federal courts have blocked or ruled against Trump's National Guard deployments in Washington, D.C., Portland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Memphis. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that Trump's deployment of thousands of Guard troops to patrol the capital "violates federal law" and is illegal. In Portland, Trump appointee Judge Karin Immergut found Trump "did not have a lawful basis" to federalize the Guard under the rebellion statute and rejected his portrayal of the city as "war ravaged." In Los Angeles, a federal court concluded the Guard's activities crossed into unlawful domestic law enforcement, violating the Posse Comitatus Act. In Chicago and Memphis, judges issued injunctions blocking Trump-aligned Guard deployments as unconstitutional or likely unlawful under federal and state law.

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• Federal judge invalidates Comey indictment — U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled to invalidate the criminal indictments against James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The judge found that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsay Halligan lacked lawful authority to indict. Following the dismissal, the statute of limitations on charges related to Comey's congressional testimony expired.

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• Federal judge ordered administration to fund SNAP using emergency reserves — Federal Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to use emergency reserve funds to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits after the administration refused to fund the program as leverage in negotiations over a government shutdown and healthcare subsidies. The judge quoted Trump's own social media post claiming "it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding" and ordered at least a partial payment within the week.
• Federal judges rule against Trump administration's SNAP benefit suspension — Two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration's suspension of SNAP benefits during the government shutdown is likely illegal. The judges ordered the administration to consider using emergency funds established by Congress to continue providing benefits to the 42 million Americans reliant on SNAP. One judge emphasized the necessity of these funds for the program's operation.
• Federal judges rule on SNAP benefits during government shutdown — Two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration's suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the ongoing government shutdown is likely illegal. The administration claims it cannot use a reserve fund established by Congress for emergencies to distribute benefits scheduled to be cut off on November 1. The judges ordered the administration to decide by Monday whether to pay SNAP benefits from that fund, as lawsuits are underway to ensure food assistance for the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP.
• Judge orders USDA to use emergency funds for SNAP benefits — U.S. District Judge John McConnell ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to utilize emergency funds to provide SNAP benefits, requiring an update from the administration by November 3. The judge stated that the funds are necessary for the program's operation, despite the ongoing government shutdown.
• Case update — Rhode Island State Council of Churches v. Rollins (D.R.I.) 1:25-cv-00569 — Judge McConnell, Jr. followed up on his oral ruling with a written order requiring the administration to make full SNAP payments no later than Monday, or alternatively, partial payments by the end of Wednesday. The order further enjoins the administration from terminating any waivers for able-bodied adults without dependents before the waivers expire.

Supporting reports

• Case update — Rhode Island State Council of Churches v. Rollins (D.R.I.) 1:25-cv-00569 — Judge McConnell, Jr. followed up on his oral ruling with a written order requiring the administration to make full SNAP payments no later than Monday, or alternatively, partial payments by the end of Wednesday. The order further enjoins the administration from terminating any waivers for able-bodied adults without dependents before the waivers expire.

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• 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.

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• 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."

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• 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."

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• 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.

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• Federal judge lifts travel restrictions on Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil — A federal magistrate judge ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and legal US permanent resident detained by ICE in March 2025 following pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, may travel freely within the United States. The Trump administration had opposed the motion, arguing Khalil could attend events telephonically. Judge Michael Hammer found Khalil posed no flight risk and had complied with release conditions, though he must notify ICE of travel plans. Khalil is fighting a deportation order issued by the Trump administration, which claims national security concerns and alleged omissions on his green card application.

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• Judge Susan Illston grants temporary restraining order blocking Trump's mass layoffs during government shutdown — On Wednesday (October 15, 2025), Judge Susan Illston of the US District Court's Northern District of California granted a temporary restraining order blocking Trump's latest mass layoffs from the government shutdown. The order represents a significant legal victory for unions battling the administration's workforce reduction efforts.
• Federal court rules Trump's federal worker layoffs during shutdown illegal — A federal court in San Francisco ruled that Trump's layoffs of federal workers during the government shutdown were illegal. The ruling represented a judicial check on executive action during the shutdown.
• Federal judge temporarily blocked firing of federal employees during shutdown — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying the move appeared to be politically motivated and adding, "It's a human cost that cannot be tolerated."
• Federal judge issues temporary injunction blocking federal worker layoffs — A federal judge on October 16, 2025, issued a temporary injunction blocking the Trump administration's layoffs of more than 4,000 federal workers. The injunction halted the firings, though the administration signaled that additional cuts were planned and that the current layoffs represented only a partial reduction in the workforce.
• Judge Illston grants temporary injunction blocking Trump administration federal employee firings during shutdown — Federal Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration's mass firings of federal employees during the government shutdown. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by labor unions (AFGE and AFSCME) alleging that the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management violated law by threatening and executing reductions in force during the shutdown. Judge Illston found evidence that OMB and OPM "took advantage of the lapse in government spending" and acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" in excess of authority.
• Trump administration lays off 4,000 federal workers; federal judge issues temporary injunction — The Trump administration laid off more than 4,000 federal government workers during the shutdown. On October 16, 2025, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the firings. The Office of Management and Budget director, Russ Vought, stated that the 4,000 layoffs were merely a "snapshot" and that the total number could exceed 10,000. The administration indicated further cuts were expected.

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• US Supreme Court rejects Alex Jones defamation appeal, upholds $1.4bn penalty — The US Supreme Court refused to hear Alex Jones's appeal and left in place a $1.4 billion defamation judgment awarded to Sandy Hook families. Jones, founder of Infowars, had been ordered to pay after making false claims that the 2012 Newtown shooting was a hoax staged by crisis actors. The Court provided no reasoning for its decision. Jones argued the judgment was an unpayable "financial death penalty" imposed without trial, but the Court declined to intervene, allowing enforcement to proceed.

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• U.S. District Judge April Perry enjoins Trump's Illinois National Guard deployment for 14 days — Following a Thursday hearing on Illinois and Chicago's lawsuit challenging Trump's federalization of the Illinois National Guard, U.S. District Judge April Perry issued a preliminary injunction enjoining the Trump administration from ordering the federalization and deployment of the National Guard within Illinois for 14 days. Perry found that Trump and DHS's claims about conditions in Chicago were not credible and that protests had not impeded the enforcement of federal law. The Trump administration subsequently appealed the temporary order to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

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• Judge Breyer finds Trump's military use violated Posse Comitatus Act; enjoins immigration raid operations — Following the three-day trial on Trump's use of troops in Los Angeles, Judge Breyer issued a separate order finding that Trump's use of the military violated the Posse Comitatus Act. Breyer enjoined the federal government from using military troops in immigration raids or other law enforcement operations in California. The Trump administration appealed Breyer's ruling on PCA violations, and a Ninth Circuit panel granted the request. The Ninth Circuit will hear oral arguments on the administration's appeal later in October.
• Three-day trial in Los Angeles reveals military-law enforcement coordination in immigration operations — A three-day non-jury trial in Los Angeles this summer examined Trump's use of federalized National Guard troops in the city. Evidence presented at trial revealed close coordination between military troops and federal agents carrying out immigration raids, executing arrest warrants, and conducting drug operations. Troops authorized only to protect federal personnel and property performed security functions during law enforcement operations, set up perimeters and road blockades, and on at least two occasions detained civilians.
• Trump administration appeals Judge Breyer's Posse Comitatus ruling to Ninth Circuit — The Trump administration appealed Judge Breyer's order finding that Trump's use of the military in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act. A Ninth Circuit panel granted the request for appeal. The Ninth Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments on the administration's appeal later in October.
• U.S. District Judge Breyer blocks California Guard and Marine deployment to Los Angeles — U.S. District Judge Breyer issued an order blocking Trump's deployment of approximately 4,000 federalized California National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in response to California's lawsuit challenging the deployment.
• Trump federalizes California National Guard and deploys Marines to Los Angeles — Trump federalized approximately 4,000 California National Guard soldiers under Title 10 in response to ICE-related unrest in Los Angeles, marking his first domestic deployment since returning to the White House. Trump also deployed approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles, citing the "protective power" theory—an executive authority claim that the president may use troops to protect federal personnel and property. This was Trump's first deployment of active-duty military (rather than Guard) domestically.