❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge will review a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against all 15 Maryland-based federal judges over a standing order related to deportation cases.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump administration, Chief Judge George Russell, U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Paul Clement, a legal counsel to the judges.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at the Baltimore federal courthouse.
🎯IMPACT: The case could set a precedent regarding judicial authority over immigration-related executive actions.
A federal judge in Baltimore will review a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against all 15 Maryland-based federal judges over a standing order related to deportation cases. This lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the administration’s disputes with the judiciary over immigration matters.
The standing order, issued by Chief Judge George Russell on May 21 and later updated, temporarily halts deportations when illegal immigrants file habeas corpus petitions in Maryland federal courts. This halt lasts roughly two days, allowing the court to review the claims. The Trump administration argues that this order exceeds Russell’s authority and infringes on the federal government’s sovereignty.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, contends that the order “harms the federal government’s sovereign interests on a repeated and ongoing basis.” According to the DOJ, the court lacks jurisdiction to enact such a measure.
In response, the judges have retained a legal team that includes Paul Clement, a former solicitor general under President George W. Bush. Clement’s team argues that the lawsuit undermines the separation of powers and that the standing order is an administrative tool to ensure the judiciary can fulfill its constitutional obligations.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen, appointed by President Trump in 2020, will preside over the hearing.
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