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The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday affirmed the district court’s denial of a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the president’s election integrity executive order. The panel concluded that “while Plaintiffs have identified a number of serious questions concerning the lawfulness of proposed actions if implemented on the threshold of the upcoming federal election, this case likely is unripe for review in its present posture.” (Judgment.) For background, see previous Roundups and Jack and Bob’s chat on Trump and the midterms.
Judge Jamal N. Whitehead (W.D. Wash.) on Tuesday denied the Department of Homeland Security’s motion to dismiss the American Federation of Government Employees’ challenge to the department’s 2025decision to terminate the collective bargaining agreement between AFGE and the Transportation Security Administration. The order also denied DHS’s motion to dissolve the preliminary injunction barring it from moving forward with the termination. (Order.)
Judge Kymberly K. Evanson (W.D. Wash.) on Monday granted a coalition of states’ motion for a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Education from terminating mental-health-services grants for students in public schools. The order bars the department from terminating the grants without the procedural protections federal law requires and from evaluating them against priorities that did not exist when the grants were awarded. (Order.)
President Trump petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse an $83.3 million judgment against him for defaming E. Jean Carroll, who has accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s. (NYT.) The Washington Post reports that the Justice Department has separately petitioned the Court to substitute the United States as defendant. (WaPo.) For background, see previous Roundups.
Former FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday filed a motion to dismiss the indictment accusing him of threatening the president on the grounds that the prosecution was vindictive and selective. (Motion.) (Memorandum in Support.) In separate filings, Comey also requested the court hold a Franks hearing and order the disclosure of the records from the grand jury proceedings in his case. (Franks Motion.) (Disclosure Motion.) (CBS.)
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Jay Clayton to be director of national intelligence. (Roll Call Vote.) (NYT.)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reportedly expanded enforcement operations in U.S. airports and started arresting foreign citizens with expired visas, including the spouses of U.S. citizens and individuals with pending asylum applications. (NYT.)
Bob Bauer argued that a new Senate bill that would regulate the president’s “issuance” and “sponsorship” of certain digital assets is “the wrong path to conflict-of-interest regulation in response to this president’s amassing of billions of dollars of wealth in the course of this second term.” (Executive Functions.)
Pending Interim Order Applications Involving the U.S. Government in the Supreme Court
Trump v. California: The government filed an emergency application on July 27 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a district court injunction that blocked federal agencies from implementing certain portions of the president’s March 31 executive order entitled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” Justice Jackson formally set a deadline of August 3 for a response to the application.