Please consider taking a few minutes to complete a brief survey about the Executive Functions Roundup. Your feedback will help us improve the Roundup and better serve our readers.
Judge Zahid N. Quraishi (D.N.J.) on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department seeking voter registration data from the state of New Jersey. (Opinion.)
Court filings unsealed Wednesday detail the first-ever case before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court. The Justice Department is seeking the deportation of Nazira Haji Zada, a lawful U.S. permanent resident accused of supporting the Islamic State and helping radicalize family members who plotted a thwarted terrorist attack. (ATRC.) (Politico.) Jess Dawgert argued that despite its limited rights and secretive proceedings, “the ATRC still holds more promise to protect due process than current immigration proceedings.” (Just Security.)
The Senate passed a resolution on Wednesday stating that Ghislaine Maxwell “should not be granted a presidential pardon or any form of clemency for her crimes with Jeffrey Epstein relating to the sexual exploitation and abuse of minors.” (Resolution.) (WaPo.)
The government appears to have missed the deadline to ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its birthright citizenship opinion. The 25-day deadline lapsed on Monday without the government filing a petition for a rehearing, despite President Trump representing in a post on social media earlier this month that he would ask the Supreme Court for a rehearing in the case “IMMEDIATELY.” (Politico.)
The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday postponed a vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general after two Senate Republicans voiced skepticism of his candidacy due to a deal Blanche negotiated to settle President Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. (NYT.) President Trump this morning said that he has “no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name . . . and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.” (Truth Social.) (WSJ.)
Federal district court judges on Wednesday approved President Trump’s choice of James M. McDonald to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. McDonald previously represented Trump in his appeal of his 2024 criminal conviction. (NYT.)
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.