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Judge Jia M. Cobb (D.D.C) ruled Wednesday that ICE cannot enforce newly adopted policies that bar legislators from visiting field offices used to detain immigrants and require legislators to provide seven days notice before visiting detention facilities. (Memorandum Opinion.) (Politico.)
A Wisconsin state judge was convicted Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin of obstructing federal agents, a felony, but acquitted of the lesser charge of concealing a person from arrest. The judge, Hannah C. Dugan, was indicted in May on allegations she helped an undocumented immigrant inside her courtroom evade arrest by ICE agents. (NYT.) (Indictment.)
President Trump announced Thursday that he would direct the Justice Department to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous substance as part of a government effort to loosen restrictions on the drug. (WaPo.)
President Trump on Thursday signed into law the annual National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation includes provisions that authorize the president to use sanctions to curtail U.S. investment in Chinese companies that develop “dual-use” technologies that have both commercial and military uses. (WSJ.)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday that his agency has proposed new rules that would bar hospitals from performing gender-related care for minors as a condition of participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs. (NYT.)
Federal prosecutors last week added a third felony charge to a failed indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James. (Politico.)
The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees voted on Thursday to rename the performing arts center the Trump-Kennedy Center. Former Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III posted on social media that the Center is “named for President Kennedy by federal law.” (X.) (NYT.)
The New York Times reported Thursday that TikTok announced internally it has signed agreements with three new investors to create an American version of the app as part of a deal to keep TikTok operating in the United States. (NYT.)
President Trump’s social media company announced Thursday it has agreed to a merger with a fusion power company known as TAE Technologies that the companies valued at more than $6 billion. The president is the largest shareholder in Trump Media & Technology Group, with a stake in the company worth more than $1 billion. (NYT.)
On the one-year anniversary of Executive Functions, Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith took stock of Trump’s efforts to redefine executive power. (Executive Functions.)
Michael Schmitt and Rob McLaughlin argued that President Trump’s threatened maritime blockade of Venezuela violates international law. (Just Security.)
Pending Interim Order Applications Involving the U.S. Government in the Supreme Court
Margolin v. National Association of Immigration Judges: The government filed an application on December 5 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a decision from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that would send a dispute over a policy governing the speaking engagements of immigration judges back to a district court, directing it to “conduct a factual inquiry [into] whether the [Civil Service Reform Act] continues to provide a functional adjudicatory scheme.” Chief Justice Roberts granted an administrative stay on December 5 and formally set a deadline of December 10 for a response. The National Association of Immigration Judges filed a response on December 10. Daren Margolin, Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, filed a reply on December 11.
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.
Trump v. Illinois: The government filed an emergency application on October 17 requesting the Supreme Court stay a district court order barring the deployment of the National Guard to Illinois. Justice Barrett formally set a deadline of October 20 for a response to the application. Illinois and the City of Chicago submitted a response on October 20. President Trump filed a reply on October 21. On October 29, Justice Barrett requested supplemental briefs to be filed by November 10. President Trump, as well as Illinois and the City of Chicago, both filed supplemental letter briefs on November 10 and supplemental letter replies on November 17.