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Judge David O. Carter (C.D. Cal.) on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department seeking California’s unredacted voting rolls, calling the government’s request “unprecedented and illegal.” (Order.) (NYT.)
A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday rejected a request by the Justice Department and California’s Republican Party to set aside California’s newly-drawn congressional maps intended to benefit Democrats. (Order.) (NYT.)
A three-judge panel of the Third Circuit ruled Thursday in a 2-1 decision that New Jersey’s U.S. District Court lacked jurisdiction over Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil’s removal proceedings and vacated the district court’s order releasing Khalil from detention. (Opinion.) (WSJ.) For background on Khalil’s case, see previous Roundups.
After ruling that the Trump administration’s deportation policies violated the First Amendment rights of student protestors, Judge William G. Young (D. Mass.) called President Trump an “authoritarian” ruler during a hearing Thursday and said he would issue an order restricting the administration’s ability to deport noncitizen members of two academic organizations. (NYT.) For background on the proceedings, see a previous Roundup.
The U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday that it had seized an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea that had disobeyed the Trump administration’s blockade of all ships under U.S. sanctions from transporting oil from Venezuela. (NYT.)
The Department of Homeland Security said an ICE agent shot and injured a Venezuelan man Wednesday in Minneapolis after he attempted to flee a traffic stop and “struck the officer.” (WSJ.)
President Trump’s decision to deploy immigration authorities to cities has thrust ICE agents who are not trained in crowd control into confrontations with protestors, according to the New York Times. (NYT.)
Jack Goldsmith reflected on the 51st anniversary of Edward Levi’s nomination to serve as U.S. attorney general, contrasting the post-Watergate era of institutional reform with today’s more politicized environment. (Executive Functions.)
Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith reiterated calls to reform the Insurrection Act after President Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the act to quell protests in Minnesota. (Executive Functions.)
Carolyn Shapiro identified the major legal issues Minnesota prosecutors must consider in deciding whether to bring criminal charges against the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good. (Lawfare.)
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. The Court set argument for January 21, 2026, and both sides filed supplemental briefs on November 19.