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The Ninth Circuit, sitting en banc, denied a motion to stay removal of a noncitizen and lifted a temporary stay previously entered in an immigration case. The court vacated a prior panel decision that had criticized the court’s practice of automatically granting stays of removal pending appeal, prompting separate opinions by Chief Judge Mary Murguia and Judge Eric Tung debating the legality of that practice. (Order.) Ed Whelan summarized the judges’ disagreement. (National Review.) Josh Blackman argued that the case illustrates what he described as the Ninth Circuit’s “shadow docket,” through which the court routinely grants administrative stays of removal without explanation. (Volokh Conspiracy.)
Judge Manish S. Shah (N.D. Ill.) partially granted a motion filed by Illinois, California, Colorado, and Minnesota for a preliminary injunction blocking the Office of Management and Budget from directing agencies to cut certain federal grant funding to the four states based on their status as “sanctuary” jurisdictions. (Order.)
A shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday left one person dead and two injured after a gunman—identified by authorities as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member previously convicted of attempting to support the Islamic State—opened fire in a classroom. Authorities are investigating the attack as a possible act of terrorism. (WSJ)
The Department of Homeland Security identified the man suspected of ramming a car into a synagogue in Michigan on Thursday as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon. The FBI said it is investigating the attack as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.” (WaPo.)
U.S. Central Command announced on Friday that all six American crew members of a KC-135 refueling plane that crashed in Iraq on Thursday “are now confirmed deceased.” (X.) (NBC.)
A Politico analysis found that petitions for habeas corpus have notably declined since the Trump administration pulled back from Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, dropping from about 300 to 400 petitions per day from Jan. 16 to Feb. 17 to around 200 per day by early March. (Politico.)
The New York Times reports that the head of the General Services Administration criticized a proposal from the judiciary to transfer management of courthouse buildings from the agency to the courts. (NYT.) For background, see a previous Roundup.
The Department of Justice filed a notice in a case brought by the New York Times over Pentagon press credentials clarifying statements made at a recent hearing. The notice asserted that Defense Department policy governing Pentagon press access relies on an “objective standard” focused on security or safety risks, rather than a “more subjective” one. (Notice of Clarification.)
Newly released footage of a 2025 shooting in South Padre Island, Texas, shows the moments before an ICE agent fatally shot Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen. Federal officials have claimed that Martinez intentionally ran over an officer; according to the New York Times, the “footage leaves the truth murky.” (NYT.)
The New York Times reports that the Trump administration has increasingly used lawsuits and rapid settlements with politically aligned states to implement policy changes without waiting for legislative action. (NYT.)
Sarah Fitzpatrick and Missy Ryan wrote about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s review of the military’s legal corps, which could reorganize and potentially reduce the ranks of judge advocates general. (The Atlantic.)
Chris Geidner argued that a Justice Department news release referring to “President Trump’s Justice Department” reflects the Trump administration’s view that the department operates as an instrument of the president. (Law Dork.)
Pending Interim Order Applications Involving the U.S. Government in the Supreme Court
Blanche v. Perlmutter: The government filed an emergency application on October 27 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a district court interlocutory injunction that temporarily reinstated Shira Perlmutter to her role as Register of Copyrights while litigation over her removal continues. Chief Justice Roberts formally set a deadline of November 10 for a response to the application. Perlmutter submitted a response on November 10. Blanche submitted a reply on November 12. The Court deferred the application for stay on November 28 pending the Court’s decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook.
Trump v. Cook: The government filed an emergency application on September 18 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a preliminary injunction issued by a district court that blocked President Trump from removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Cook filed an opposition to the request on the same day. The Chief Justice formally set a deadline of September 25 for a response to the application. Cook filed a response on September 25. On October 1, the Court deferred action on the stay application pending oral argument in January 2026 and established a supplemental briefing schedule. Additional amicus briefs were filed on October 29. Both sides filed supplemental briefs on November 19 and the Court heard oral argument on Jan. 21, 2026.
Noem v. Doe: The government filed an application on February 26 requesting the Supreme Court stay pending appeal of a preliminary injunction issued by a district court preliminarily enjoining Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem from terminating temporary protected status designation for Syria. The government asked the Court to construe the application as a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment and grant the petition.
Trump v. Miot: The government filed an application on March 11 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a lower court order postponing then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s decision to terminate temporary protected status designation for Haiti. The government also asked the Court to treat the application as a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment and grant the petition.