BIG: U.S. Supreme Court orders Trump regime not to remove any Venezuelans detained in Northern District of Texas’s geographical area as legal proceedings unfold over the next few days. https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25902119/24a1007-order-41925.pdf #LawFedi 1/
I just finished reading this effort by Trump regime attempting to quash the criminal contempt proceedings ordered by Judge Boasberg. Bottom line: Bondi and the DOJ attorneys on the filing sound mighty scared that one or more of them might be found in criminal contempt. The substantive arguments they advance are what you’d expect. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.41957/gov.uscourts.cadc.41957.01208731409.1.pdf 1/
The Fourth Circuit refuses to get further involved in Judge Xinis’ handling of Abrego Garcia’s case. A good development.
The judge in Abrego Garcia’s case, Judge Xinis, is documenting the Trump executive’s noncompliance with her orders. This is ordinarily the way a judge forces compliance. In this case it will probably serve as proof in support of a contempt judgement.
A striking development in the situation of Venezuelans Trump regime is trying to send to prison in El Salvador. A federal district court judge in Texas has issued a temporary restraining order against this. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txsd.2000771/gov.uscourts.txsd.2000771.12.0.pdf This is a big deal. I’ll explain. 1/
Now: A Fourth Circuit panel unanimously denies the Trump executive motion to stay Judge Xinis’ order requiring the government to do everything possible to effectuate Abrego Garcia’s return from prison in El Salvador. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca4.178258/gov.uscourts.ca4.178258.13.0_1.pdf 1/
Go American Bar Association! “We will not stay silent in the face of efforts to remake the legal profession into something that rewards those who agree with the government and punishes those who do not.”
A federal judge has just found that Musk and DOGE likely acted unconstitutionally in shutting down USAID. He has granted a preliminary injunction which means that for the remainder of proceedings USAID personnel must be reinstated, no buildings may be closed, etc. Text of injunction at https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69636722/75/does-1-26-v-musk/. Opinion in support at https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69636722/73/does-1-26-v-musk/.
What’s going on with the case about Venezuelan immigrants deported to El Salvador by Trump over the weekend is wild, as wild as any of the very wild litigation against the Trump regime so far. 1/
Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil have filed a motion to have ICE return him to New York, asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to protect Khalil from disruption of the underlying habeas corpus proceedings begun before ICE transferred him to Louisiana. https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25556767/mahmoud-khalil-motion-to-compel-return.pdf This motion shows how Trump’s treatment of Khalil is also a challenge to judicial authority. 1/
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, 5-4, on the Government’s request that it vacate the trial court order requiring it to resume USAID payments of amounts owing. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a831_3135.pdf The SC has upheld the trial court. The opinion - majority and dissent - is notable. 1/
New regulations set out circumstances in which the Secretary of State can intervene in the running of internet domain registries for UK-related domains
This somewhat lengthy blogpost about The Internet Domain Registry (Prescribed Practices and Prescribed Requirements) Regulations 2024 is probably of most interest to people running domain registries, and domain registrars, for .uk, .scot, .wales., .cymru, and .london.
To be honest, until yesterday, I had no idea that the Secretary of State had these kind of powers...
Anyone on #lawfedi an antitrust person? At a quick glance, the whole thing here really seems to hinge on whether a trade-group defining “volunteer” as an ethical principle of the organization is price-fixing. Which is pretty plausible?
Biden getting ready to announce support for Supreme Court reform, according to WaPo. #giftlink https://wapo.st/4bGC9gI
In this thread, some more information about the reforms reported. #LawFedi #SupremeCourtReform 1/
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has done the nation a service by writing a dissent that explains today’s #Trump #Immunity decision in extremely accessible terms. I’ve posted her dissent by itself, here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ryZF_jO-DKeeCSnxxpXANt8PJVmpgVmV/view?usp=drivesdk. Please read and share widely, online and off.