Free Republic

A controversial bill awaiting California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature would slap steep new penalties on social media platforms that fail to censor content deemed in violation of the state’s civil rights laws. SB 771, which passed both chambers of the state legislature and was sent to Newsom’s desk on Monday, imposes fines of up to $1,000,000 on social media platforms that fail to remove content that violates the state’s civil rights laws. Critics warn the measure will lead to sweeping censorship of lawful speech. Lawmakers defended SB 771 by citing “rising incidents of hate-motivated harm,” including “hate crimes involving...

SACRAMENTO, California — California lawmakers on Thursday sent Gov. Gavin Newsom legislation that would ban federal immigration agents from wearing masks while conducting raids throughout the state. The legislation, passed by Democrats over Republican objections in this deep blue state, would prohibit ski masks, balaclavas and other face coverings for local and federal law enforcement, as well as officials from other states operating in California. Another bill that would require law enforcement to wear badges or name tags identifying themselves was also on track to advance from the Capitol on Thursday. Newsom now has about a month to decide whether...

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled against a school district in Virginia for reinstating a Confederate school name, saying the move violated the constitutional rights of black students. U.S. District Judge Michael F. Urbanski ruled that Stonewall Jackson High School students in Shenandoah County, Virginia, cannot be forced to bear Jackson's name and its pro-slavery associations.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary legal protections that have granted more than 1 million people from Haiti and Venezuela the right to live and work in the United States. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco for the plaintiffs means 600,000 Venezuelans whose temporary protections expired in April or whose protections were about to expire Sept. 10 have status to stay and work in the United States. It also keeps protections for about 500,000 Haitians. Chen scolded Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for revoking protections...

A federal appeals court on Thursday declined to allow U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to refuse to issue passports to transgender and nonbinary Americans that reflect their gender identities. A three-judge panel of the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to put on hold an injunction issued by a trial judge barring the U.S. Department of State from enforcing a policy it adopted at Trump's direction.

US District Judge Amir Ali, a Biden appointee, blocked President Trump from cutting billions of dollars in USAID and foreign aid that Congress authorized. Trump will immediately appeal Judge Ali’s ruling. “President Trump has the executive authority to ensure that all foreign aid is accountable to taxpayers and aligns with the America First priorities people voted for,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to Reuters. Reuters reported:

NBC News reported shocking interviews with a dozen federal court judges who hid behind anonymity to attack the Supreme Court for overturning their anti-Trump decisions, accusing the conservative dominated Supreme Court of undermining the judiciary. This is the latest in an ongoing battle this year between anti-Trump Resistance judges on the federal bench using their rulings to enact their preferred policies and the Supreme Court trying to rein them in under constitutional order. With Republicans holding the White House and both houses of Congress, Democrat activists are using their allies on the federal bench to obstruct and delay actions by...

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Wednesday to restore about $2.2 billion in federal funding for Harvard University, despite finding the Ivy League school was “plagued by antisemitism.” Regardless of antisemitism concerns, Boston-based District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled the federal grants awarded to Harvard were unlawfully terminated by President Trump. Burroughs, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, determined there was “more than sufficient” evidence indicating the Trump administration “impermissibly retaliated against Harvard for refusing to capitulate to the government’s demands.” The Trump administration “specifically and repeatedly linked the coordinated funding cuts to Harvard’s decision to ‘fight,’” Burroughs...

Full statement from Pam Bondi: President Trump found there was a national emergency and took action under the law by imposing tariffs. The judges of the Federal Circuit are interfering with the President’s vital and constitutionally central role in foreign policy. This decision is wrong and undermines the United States on the world stage. The Justice Department will appeal this decision and continue to fight to restore the president’s lawful authority.

Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson 🚨BREAKING: The 9th Circuit has blocked the Trump administration from ending legal status for 600,000 Venezuelans. The judicial coup goes on. From Nick Sortor 1:30 PM · Aug 29, 2025

Trump’s Global Tariffs Found Illegal by US Appeals Court

Abrego Garcia immediately put up a legal fight to stop his deportation. “I fear persecution in Uganda on account of my race, nationality, political opinion, and membership in a particular social group. I also fear torture by or at the acquiescence of a public official in that country,” Abrego Garcia said on Saturday. On Monday, Judge Xinis temporarily blocked the Trump Admin from deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia

A federal judge out of San Francisco on Friday blocked President Trump from pulling federal funds from ‘sanctuary cities.’ US District Judge William Orrick, and Obama appointee, blocked Trump from withholding funds from Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and more than 30 other sanctuary cities. The Associated Press reported: A judge ruled late Friday the Trump administration cannot deny funding to Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and 30 other cities and counties because of policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration efforts. U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from cutting off or...

… U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams entered a preliminary injunction to prevent the installation of any additional industrial-style lighting and any site expansion. Her ruling further prevents “bringing any additional persons ... who were not already being detained at the site at the time of this order.”…. The ruling was filed late Thursday, allowing the injunction that was requested over National Environmental Policy Act violations. Within 60 days, the facility must also remove “all generators, gas, sewage, and other waste and waste receptacles that were installed to support this project,” the 82-page ruling said. It must also remove additional...

On Thursday evening, US District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, barred the Trump Administration from bringing new illegal alien detainees to Alligator Alcatraz. She also ordered the facility to be dismantled within 60 days. Alligator Alcatraz is a detention center for illegal aliens, many of whom are rapists, murderers, and designated foreign terrorists. ..... Snip..... On Thursday, Judge Williams issued a preliminary injunction barring the Trump Administration from bringing new illegal aliens to Alligator Alcatraz and ordered the facility to be dismantled. “The Court ENTERS a Preliminary Injunction prohibiting the State and Federal Defendants and their officers, agents, employees,...

A federal judge rejected President Donald Trump’s use of a loophole to keep Alina Habba in place as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor. In a 77-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann said Thursday that Habba “is not lawfully holding the office of United States Attorney” and has been in the position without legal authority since July 1. As a result, Habba, who had previously worked as Trump’s personal attorney, cannot participate in prosecutions by the office “as the ‘acting U.S. Attorney’” and seemingly cannot run the office the president maneuvered to keep her in charge of after her interim...

A federal judge on Friday shut down the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) investigation into far-left Media Matters. US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, a Biden appointee, issued an injunction against the FTC and blocked its investigation into Media Matters. The judge said the Trump Administration illegally retaliated against Media Matters.

The preliminary injunction affects 20 states that sued to stop the sharing of Medicaid enrollees' personal information with immigration officials A federal judge ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to stop providing access to Medicaid enrollees' personal data, including their home addresses, to immigration officials. District Judge Vince Chhabria, an Obama appointee, granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Department of Homeland Security from using Medicaid data obtained from 20 states that filed a lawsuit to stop the data sharing. The order, handed down Tuesday, blocks HHS from sharing data on Medicaid enrollees in these states with Immigration and...

A Maryland-based federal judge on Thursday permanently blocked two of President Trump’s memos aimed at eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at universities. Earlier this year, the Department of Education issued an ultimatum to all federally funded educational institutions: eliminate DEI program within 14 days, or face the complete withdrawal of federal funding. ..... Snip..... The Associated Press reported: A federal judge on Thursday struck down two Trump administration actions aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the nation’s schools and universities. In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland stated that the Education Department violated...

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore a portion of the 800 federal science research grants that it suspended at UCLA last month, delivering a major setback to efforts to force the university into a $1 billion settlement. California district court judge Rita F. Lin ruled Tuesday that the suspensions violated her June preliminary injunction in which she ordered the National Science Foundation to restore 114 grants it had terminated at the University of California and blocked the agency from cancelling other grants at the UC system. ”NSF’s actions violate the Preliminary Injunction,” Lin wrote. Her June order...