Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Appeals court judges stay closure order for Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention facility — Two Trump-appointed judges on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of Miami District Judge Kathleen Williams's preliminary injunction ordering closure of "Alligator Alcatraz," a 3,000-capacity immigration detention camp in the Florida Everglades. Williams had ruled the facility's hasty construction breached federal environmental laws. The appeals panel found 2-1 that because Florida initially funded construction with state money, no environmental impact study was required. The stay allowed the facility to resume operations and rapidly refill with detainees after a brief shutdown period in late August.
• Appeals court judge stays closure of "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention facility — Barbara Lagoa, a judge on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, authored a 2-1 majority ruling in September 2025 that stayed (paused) a Miami district judge's order to close "Alligator Alcatraz," a state-run detention camp for undocumented migrants in the Florida Everglades. The ruling reversed the lower court's finding that the DeSantis administration must comply with federal environmental regulations. The facility, criticized for harsh conditions, remains operational. Lagoa's husband, Paul Huck, is a senior attorney at a law firm that has received over $10 million in state contracts from the DeSantis administration, raising conflict-of-interest concerns.
• Eleventh Circuit stays federal judge's order to close "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention facility — A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit voted 2–1 on September 4, 2025, to stay (suspend) a federal district judge's order requiring closure of the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in Florida's Everglades within 60 days. The stay allows construction and operation to continue while Florida's appeal proceeds. The facility, built by Florida at a cost of approximately $250 million and operated on behalf of ICE, has faced criticism for harsh conditions, abuse allegations, denial of due process, and environmental damage.

Supporting reports

• Federal appeals court rules Trump exceeded presidential authority in imposing sweeping tariffs — A federal appeals court in Washington DC issued a 7-4 ruling on August 30, 2025, striking down Trump's tariffs imposed on April 2 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The court found the tariffs "unbounded in scope, amount and duration" and beyond the president's legal authority, ruling that Congress did not intend IEEPA to grant unlimited tariff power. The decision upheld a May trade court ruling but delayed implementation until October 14 to allow Trump to appeal to the Supreme Court.
• Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Trump's Tariffs — A federal appeals court upheld a lower court's ruling that struck down President Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs, stating that Congress did not grant the president such broad authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The decision will take effect on October 14, allowing the administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court.
• Federal court rules Trump lacked legal authority for most tariffs — A federal court ruled that Trump did not have legal authority to issue most of his tariffs. Attorney General Pam Bondi responded by stating that Trump found a national emergency and took action under the law, and that the judges were interfering with the president's role in foreign policy. The DOJ announced it will appeal the decision.

Supporting reports

• Federal judge allows 9/11 case against Saudi Arabia to proceed to trial — Federal Judge George B Daniels in New York rejected Saudi Arabia's motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by families of 9/11 victims alleging Saudi government support for the hijackers. Daniels ruled the plaintiffs' claims legally sufficient to proceed to trial, finding reasonable evidence that Saudi officials Omar al-Bayoumi and Fahad al-Thumairy, along with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, provided support to al-Qaeda members who participated in the attacks. The case will now advance toward full trial proceedings.