Lawfare

Federal Judge Denise Casper Blocks Deportation of Tufts University Student Taken Into Custody by Federal Authorities– conservativeroof.com

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

Federal Judge Denise Casper Blocks Deportation of Tufts University Student Taken Into Custody by Federal Authorities– conservativeroof.com
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A federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday blocked the deportation of a Tufts University graduate student who was recently taken into custody by federal authorities.

U.S. District Judge Denise Casper ruled that Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student from Turkey, cannot be deported while Casper determines whether the court has jurisdiction over the case.

The Trump administration has been given until April 1 to respond to an amended petition and complaint filed by Ozturk’s lawyers, according to the two-page ruling.

“To allow the Court’s resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the Petition, Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further Order of this Court,” the judge stated.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has accused Ozturk of “engaging in activities in support of Hamas,” a U.S.-designated Palestinian terrorist group that launched the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

In her ruling, Casper cited the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate at Columbia University who was arrested and had his green card revoked earlier this month for allegedly leading activities aligned with Hamas. Khalil served as a lead negotiator for students during talks with university administrators over last spring’s pro-Palestinian protests on campus against Israel’s military response to the terrorist attack.

NO REAL CONSEQUENCES: Pennsylvania Man Charged With Misdemeanors After Carving Swastika Into Tesla– conservativeroof.com

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

NO REAL CONSEQUENCES: Pennsylvania Man Charged With Misdemeanors After Carving Swastika Into Tesla– conservativeroof.com
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Excerpt:

Radical leftists across the nation have been vandalizing Teslas and torching dealerships, all fueled by their irrational hatred of Elon Musk. However, in a surprising turn, one of these unhinged individuals actually made it easier for law enforcement this week.

As NBC 10 Philadelphia reported, an unidentified male was caught on tape vandalizing a Tesla in the parking lot of a Planet Fitness in Doylestown Borough on Monday.

The Bucks County Courier Times reported the man responsible for the vandalism is 55-year-old Chadd Ritenbaug of Doylestown Township.

The Central Bucks Regional Police Department reported that the suspect was captured on the car’s cameras parking next to the Tesla and exiting his silver Lexus. The video then shows him squatting behind the vehicle and carving a swastika into the Tesla just before 9:30 a.m.

But instead of fleeing, Ritenbaugh made another incredibly foolish move—one that would come back to haunt him.

After vandalizing the Tesla, Ritenbaugh walked into Planet Fitness, scanned his membership card at the front desk, and proceeded to work out as if nothing had happened.

Ritenbaugh’s decision allowed police to identify him through his gym membership card and Pennsylvania driver’s license photo.

Judge Blocks Deportation of Foreign Student Arrested by ICE– slaynews.com

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

Judge Blocks Deportation of Foreign Student Arrested by ICE– slaynews.com
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President Donald Trump has made no secret of his intention to deport foreign nationals who support or promote terrorist organizations or otherwise engage in illegal activity.

Not surprisingly, however, the Trump administration has encountered obstacles erected by Democrat-aligned activist federal district court judges who are increasingly asserting a controversial degree of authority over the executive branch.

This was evidenced by a ruling preventing the deportation of a Tufts University graduate student, as Fox News reports.

At issue late last week was the case of Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, an international student from Turkey living in Somerville, Massachusetts, who was detained by federal authorities near her off-campus apartment.

A representative from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asserted that Ozturk has been “engaged in activities in support of Hamas.”

According to Fox News, she co-authored an op-ed piece last year in the Tufts Daily blasting the school’s stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Ozturk and her co-authors demanded that Tufts “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide” and adjust its financial affairs based on other entities’ ties to the Jewish state.

After her arrest, Ozturk was taken to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, presumably in preparation for eventual deportation, a move her attorneys said was improper due to her status as an F-1 visa holder with no pending criminal charges.

U.S. District Judge Denise Casper halted any deportation plans, saying:

“To allow the Court’s resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the petition, Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further order of this court.”

Federal Judge Blocks Trump From Dismantling Voice of America– conservativeroof.com

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

Federal Judge Blocks Trump From Dismantling Voice of America– conservativeroof.com
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A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America (VOA), the government-funded international news service whose 1,200 reporters and employees were placed on paid leave earlier this month.

The judge, J. Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York, on Friday issued a temporary restraining order in favor of VOA employees and their unions. The order prevents the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, from shutting down the broadcasting network and its associated radio programs.

VOA employees filed the lawsuit against USAGM, its acting Director Victor Morales, and special adviser Kari Lake on March 21. The complaint accused the agency of failing to fulfill its legally mandated missions and violating both press freedom and the separation-of-powers doctrine when it took a “chainsaw” to the outlet, ordering the entire staff not to report to work, turning off the service, and locking the agency’s doors.

In his ruling, Oetken stated that VOA was likely to succeed on its claims, noting that USAGM’s actions appeared unconstitutional. He said that Lake lacked legal authority to withhold congressionally appropriated funds or terminate USAGM staff, programming, or contracts.

“By withholding the funds statutorily appropriated to fully administer USAGM, VOA, and its affiliates … the executive is usurping Congress’s power of the purse and its legislative supremacy,” he wrote.

Second ‘Big Law’ Firm Hoists the White Flag and Makes Peace With Trump – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

Second ‘Big Law’ Firm Hoists the White Flag and Makes Peace With Trump – RedState– redstate.com
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Excerpt:

 

 

The mega law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP has made peace with President Trump before it was targeted by an executive order.

“Over the past few days, we learned that the Trump Administration intended to issue an executive order directed at Skadden,” London wrote. “We believed it would focus on DEI initiatives and our pro bono activities.”

“With that in mind, we chose to engage proactively and constructively with the Administration to align on a productive path forward without the issuance of an executive order,” he wrote. “We entered into the agreement the President announced today because, when faced with the alternatives, it became clear that it was the best path to protect our clients, our people and our Firm.”

“Not everyone will agree with the decision we made today, and I have great respect for the different views that make us stronger as a Firm,” he wrote. “But I firmly believe that an agreement centered around our pro bono work and complying with the law was an acceptable outcome to ensure Skadden will continue to thrive long into the future. This agreement does not change who we are.”

 

In a post on Truth Social, President Trump revealed the terms of the agreement.

Today, President Donald J. Trump and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP announce the following agreement regarding a series of actions to be taken by Skadden:

1. Skadden will provide a total of at least $100 Million Dollars in pro bono Legal Services, during the Trump Administration and beyond, to causes that the President and Skadden both support, in relation to the following areas: Assisting Veterans and other Public Servants, including members of the Military, Law Enforcement, First Responders, and Federal, State, and Local Government Officials; ensuring fairness in our Justice System; and combatting Antisemitism. Skadden will change its pro bono policy so that all pro bono moving forward will be done in the Firm name. A pro bono Committee will be constituted to ensure that pro bono matters are consistent with the objectives of the program, and that pro bono activities represent the full political spectrum.

2. The Skadden Foundation will commit to the mission of providing pro bono Legal Services to a wide variety of deserving organizations and individuals. Skadden is committed to funding no fewer than five Skadden Fellows each year dedicated to the following projects: Assisting Veterans; ensuring fairness in our Justice System; combatting Antisemitism, and other similar types of projects. Law Graduates that receive Skadden Fellowships will represent a wide range of political views, including conservative ideals.

3. Skadden affirms its commitment to merit-based hiring, promotion, and retention. Accordingly, the Firm will not engage in illegal DEI discrimination and preferences. Skadden will engage independent outside counsel to advise the Firm to ensure employment practices are fully compliant with Law, including, but not limited to, anti-discrimination Laws.

4. Skadden will not deny representation to clients, such as members of politically disenfranchised groups, who have not historically received legal representation from major National Law Firms, including in pro bono matters, and in support of non-profits, because of the personal political views of individual lawyers.

Statement From the White House: “Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP approached President Trump and his Administration, and declared the Firm’s strong commitment to ending the Weaponization of the Justice System and the Legal Profession. The President will never stop fighting to deliver on his promises of eradicating partisan Lawfare in America, and restoring Liberty & Justice for ALL.”

Statement From Skadden Executive Partner, Jeremy London: “Skadden is pleased to have achieved a successful agreement with President Trump and his Administration. We engaged proactively with the President and his team in working together constructively to reach this agreement. The Firm looks forward to continuing our productive relationship with President Trump and his Admin. We firmly believe that this outcome is in the best interests of our clients, our people, and our Firm.”

‘National Disgrace’ Democratic-Tied Judges Blocking Trump’s Agenda– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

‘National Disgrace’ Democratic-Tied Judges Blocking Trump’s Agenda– www.breitbart.com
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Excerpt:

Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow said on this week’s broadcast of FNC’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that it was a “national disgrace” that Democratic-tied judges are attempting to block President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Discussing Federal Judge James Boasberg, host Maria Bartiromo said, “So this judge has gotten four cases against the White House., coincidence?

Marlow said, “Of course not. It’s not a coincidence, Maria, what’s going on is judge shopping. This is a practice that’s been in play since 1988 when Congress changed laws so that you don’t have to have any connection to the jurisdiction where you’re filing cases. The Democrats have figured this out, their lawfare machine which is very well funded, very well organized, and they’re targeting specific judges to try to have a judicial coup against the President of the United States.”

He added, “It is now the point now where Donald Trump, if he wants an executive action, he needs unanimous consent from 700 odd judges essentially. This is tyranny, but unfortunately there’s no quick way to stop it. We need to change these rules right away. They’re targeting these judges and it’s blocking just about every element of the agenda from what DOGE is doing to DEI to rolling back some of the trans stuff to deregulation to trying to deport illegally child molesters. They can’t do any of it unless all these judges sign on to it which they’re not. They’re Democratic-tied. You all know what’s going on. This is truly a national disgrace.”

Judicial Coup Threatens To Kneecap Trump’s America First Agenda– thefederalist.com

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Judicial Coup Threatens To Kneecap Trump’s America First Agenda– thefederalist.com
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Since Jan. 20, several federal judges have issued orders blocking President Donald Trump from pursuing his America First policy agenda.

As Vice President JD Vance said in a post on X in February: “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” Yet, that’s exactly what is happening. The United States is facing what El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele described as a “judicial coup.”

Democrats Turn to Legally Dubious Ruling Coauthored by DEI Activist To Protect California’s EV Mandate– freebeacon.com

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Democrats Turn to Legally Dubious Ruling Coauthored by DEI Activist To Protect California’s EV Mandate– freebeacon.com
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Democrats are relying on a recent memo from the Government Accountability Office to argue that President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans can’t pass a bill repealing a Biden-era waiver allowing California to mandate electric vehicles in the state. But legal experts say the memo—whose authors include a prominent DEI activist—isn’t legally binding and relies on dubious reasoning.

The Government Accountability Office—which conducts audits and analyses for Congress but has minimal legislative authority—published the memo earlier this month just two weeks after Democratic senators Adam Schiff (Calif.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) asked it to investigate the issue. Media outlets then reported that the memo determined a bill to reverse the Biden-era action is “illegal” and that the office, therefore, “blocks” such a bill.

The office’s memo presents a potential roadblock to Trump’s energy agenda, a key tenet of which involves revoking electric vehicle mandates. Democrats, who cheered the opinion immediately after it was published, may request that the Senate parliamentarian weigh in on the issue and consult the Government Accountability Office’s opinion.

 

Rep Brandon Gill introduces articles of impeachment against judge who ordered deportation flights of gang members stopped | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Rep Brandon Gill introduces articles of impeachment against judge who ordered deportation flights of gang members stopped | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
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“We will not stand by as radical activist Judge James Boasberg tramples on the Constitution out of political spite for the President.”

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) has filed articles of impeachment against US District Court Judge James Boasberg after the judge ordered that the Trump administration return planes full of deported gang members to the US after they were deported to El Salvador where they are being held in prison.

Gill filed the articles of impeachment on Tuesday, as first reported by the Daily Wire, saying, “We will not stand by as radical activist Judge James Boasberg tramples on the Constitution out of political spite for the President. The American people gave us a mandate to get criminal illegal aliens out of our country, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.”

Boasberg ruled on Saturday that he would have to return the gang members so that he could review if Trump could deport the gang members using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which Trump invoked on Saturday.

“Judge Boasberg has gravely overstepped his authority, usurping the Constitutional power of the Commander in Chief. President Trump is securing America’s neighborhoods, restoring safety for men, women, and children who call this nation home. We will not tolerate radical, politically motivated judges illegally and unconstitutionally stopping the President from carrying out his mandate,” the lawmaker added.

Trump Admin Defends Not Turning Around Plane Full Of Venezuelan Gang Members– dailycaller.com

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Trump Admin Defends Not Turning Around Plane Full Of Venezuelan Gang Members– dailycaller.com
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Members of the Trump administration said Monday that they could not comply with a federal judge’s order to return a plane full of illegal alien gang members back to the United States because the plane was already over international waters when the order was issued. 

“It wasn’t until this flight was in international waters heading down to El Salvador that the judge made some comment about returning the flights. We are already in international waters. We’re outside the borders of the United States. I’m the border czar. Once you are outside the border, you know, it is what it is,” Homan stated during a Fox News interview.

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to round up and swiftly deport members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang.

On Sunday night, Chief Judge of the Washington, DC Circuit Court of Appeals James Boasberg nearly halted Trump’s deportation flight of roughly 300 gang members to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador after he claimed that five of the passengers had not yet been cleared for deportation. 

The Obama-appointed judge then issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to prohibit the Trump administration from conducting deportations within the next two weeks, and ordered the administration to appear in Federal Court on March 21st.

Judge Blocks Trump From Stripping Law Firm That Peddled Russian Collusion Hoax of Its Security Clearances– townhall.com

pgnewser March 13, 2025 0

Judge Blocks Trump From Stripping Law Firm That Peddled Russian Collusion Hoax of Its Security Clearances– townhall.com
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Katie wrote about this: the security clearances for a slew of bad actors from the deep state got revoked, including those from law firm Perkins Coie, who were one of the prime drivers of the Russian collusion hoax.

“This is an absolute honor to sign. What they’ve done is just terrible. It’s a weaponization, you could say weaponization against a political opponent, and it should never be allowed to happen again,” said President Trump last week when he signed the executive order stripping the firm of its clearance.

Court Rejects AFL-CIO Demand For Temporary Restraining Order Against DOGE Access at DOL, HHS, CFPB– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser February 17, 2025 0

Court Rejects AFL-CIO Demand For Temporary Restraining Order Against DOGE Access at DOL, HHS, CFPB– legalinsurrection.com
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Excerpt:

There are dozens of cases filed against Trump administration policies and procedures, particularly those centered around DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). These cases sometimes are couched in terms of privacy and sometimes around whether DOGE has authority to act. At their core, these are political cases by a vast Democrat apparatus established last fall to swamp the administration with lawsuits.

We are in the early stages, but there have been some troubling Temporary Restraining Orders issued by some court. TROs by nature are short term, but tying the hands of the executive branch from being able to run the executive branch is still serious, even if for only a week or two.

It’s hard to keep track of them all, so we will post about particularly signigicant decisions as they come down.

On February 14, 2025, Judge John H. Bates of the U.S. District Court in DC, rejected a request for a TRO that would have barred DOGE from access at the Department of Labor (“DOL”), the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”). It’s a very technical analysis, here’s some key parts of the Memorandum Opinion and Order (full embed below):

Labor unions, a think tank, and two nonprofits move to temporarily restrain [DOL, HHS, CFPB,] the United States Digital Service (now known as the United States DOGE Service), and the United States DOGE Service Temporary Organization, from providing any person outside the three agencies—namely, DOGE personnel—with access to records systems containing personal information or data. As it said previously, the Court has serious concerns about the privacy concerns raised by this case, and those concerns are all the graver now that the data includes information on all Americans who rely on Medicare and Medicaid, as well as countless consumers. However, on the record before it, the Court does not conclude that plaintiffs are entitled to the extraordinary relief of a temporary restraining order.

Bankruptcy Judge Blocks Settlement Between Sandy Hook Families Who Sued Alex Jones | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com

pgnewser February 7, 2025 0

Bankruptcy Judge Blocks Settlement Between Sandy Hook Families Who Sued Alex Jones | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
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Excerpt:

Alex Jones

A bankruptcy judge blocked Sandy Hook families from a settlement with Alex Jones on Wednesday.

The New York Post reported:

A US bankruptcy judge on Wednesday blocked a settlement between families who have sued Alex Jones over his false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, saying their attempt to divide the bankrupt conspiracy theorist’s assets exceeded his court’s authority.

The decision complicates a proposed sale of Jones’ Infowars platform, and could spur divisions between families who sued Jones and won nearly $1.3 billion in Connecticut court cases and those who won $50 million in Texas courts.

The two groups of families had proposed a settlement that would guarantee the Texas families a 25% share of Jones’ future payments made to the Sandy Hook families, with the Connecticut families taking 75%.

US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez rejected the settlement at a hearing in Houston, saying the families were asking him to also divide up the assets of Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, despite the fact that the company had been dismissed from bankruptcy last year.

“I can’t do that,” Lopez said. “That case is closed.”

Trump Grants Sweeping Clemency For Jan. 6 Political Prisoners– thefederalist.com

pgnewser January 27, 2025 0

Trump Grants Sweeping Clemency For Jan. 6 Political Prisoners– thefederalist.com
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President Donald Trump pardoned nearly every defendant charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021 after his predecessor issued pre-emptive pardons for the rest of the Biden family moments before leaving office.

The freshly inaugurated president delivered the pardons in one of his first acts upon his triumphant return to the Oval Office. The executive order granted “full, complete, and unconditional pardons” to roughly 1,500 people and commuted the sentences of another 14. The total number of defendants charged is 1,583, according to The Hill.

“What they’ve done to these people is outrageous,” Trump said at the White House as he signed a pile of orders across the Resolute Desk.

While the pardon eliminates convictions for those who already served jail time, Trump ordered any remaining prisoners still incarcerated to be released immediately just hours after he characterized his inauguration at the Capitol as “liberation day.”

A Crime Without a Criminal Act. A Sentence Without a Punishment. – PJ Media– pjmedia.com

pgnewser January 10, 2025 0

A Crime Without a Criminal Act. A Sentence Without a Punishment. – PJ Media– pjmedia.com
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Excerpt:

 

 

Donald Trump will not go to jail or be put on probation for being convicted of 34 charges that never should have been brought against him by a prosecutor who could never articulate the criminal conduct that led to those charges and sentenced by a judge who claimed that Trump’s election put him above the law.

 

Partisan hatred and revenge drove this prosecution. Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, brought charges against Trump for falsifying his business records to hide payments made to pornstar Stormy Daniels.

Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor. But in order to bump the charges up to a felony, Bragg claimed that the records were altered for political purposes and that Trump tried to hide the payments because they would have damaged him so severely that he would have lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Trump Receives No Penalties in New York Hush Money Case– freebeacon.com

pgnewser January 10, 2025 0

Trump Receives No Penalties in New York Hush Money Case– freebeacon.com
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President-elect Donald Trump will face no jail time or financial penalties in his New York hush money case, as the judge presiding over the trial issued an unconditional discharge on Friday.

“The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt,” Trump posted on Truth Social after attending the 40-minute, virtual sentencing. “Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice.”

Judge Juan Merchan’s ruling of an unconditional discharge, a move that carries no punishment, follows months-long speculation over the implications of convicting a former or incoming president. The judge pushed back the sentencing date for months as he weighed whether a conviction would withstand the Supreme Court’s ruling last summer on broad presidential immunity.