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Topic: Federal Courts

Federal Courts

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Alternative Data 6 Analyses 43 Facts

Over the past week federal‑court coverage centered on several high‑profile items: a federal judge dismissed the indictments of James Comey and New York AG Letitia James without prejudice after finding the interim EDVA U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan was unlawfully appointed (with prosecutors saying they will appeal and could refile); Judge James Boasberg ordered sworn declarations as part of a contempt probe into March deportation flights to El Salvador while DOJ argued the court’s oral “turn‑around” directive was nonbinding; the Supreme Court temporarily stayed a district court order that had found Texas’s 2026 congressional map a racial gerrymander; and prosecutors charged Rahmanullah Lakanwal in the Farragut Square ambush and announced they will seek the death penalty.

Mainstream accounts emphasized courtroom holdings and immediate legal stakes but under‑reported longer legal and structural context and some countervailing perspectives: coverage rarely traced the 120‑day interim U.S. attorney rule to Congress’s 2007 fix after the 2006 U.S. attorneys controversy (28 U.S.C. §546), or noted similar appointment‑based challenges in other high‑profile prosecutions; deeper factual context — such as sentencing and racial disparities, low representation of Black lawyers, mortgage denial gaps, and data showing many Venezuelans deported in March had no U.S. criminal record — appeared mainly in alternative factual briefs rather than headlines. Opinion and analysis pieces supplied contrarian frames that mainstream outlets did not foreground: strong attacks on Comey’s credibility and claims the Russia probe was a “hoax,” critiques that DOJ actions were partisan or legally rushed, and counterarguments that quieter administrative accountability (whistleblower vindication) matters even when prosecutions fail; readers relying only on mainstream pieces might miss these legal‑historical details, empirical statistics, and minority viewpoints that shape how the rulings fit broader debates about prosecutorial politicization and immigration enforcement.

Summary generated: November 29, 2025 at 08:59 PM

Judge cites lack of removal order, frees Abrego Garcia; blocks ICE re‑detention

A federal judge, Paula Xinis, found there was no final removal order authorizing Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation and ordered his release from ICE custody at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center while issuing a temporary restraining order preventing ICE from re‑detaining him without a hearing, saying the government had “affirmatively misled the tribunal.” The ruling — which noted officials had proposed deporting him to various African countries despite his willingness to depart to Costa Rica and follows his earlier mistaken deportation to El Salvador and return after Supreme Court involvement — leaves him free under conditions tied to separate Tennessee human‑smuggling charges while the Justice Department plans to appeal.

Courts and Immigration Enforcement Immigration & Demographic Change Courts/Legal

Appeals court upholds Trump Planned Parenthood funding cutoff

2d Developing 1

A federal appeals court on Friday unanimously allowed the Trump administration to continue withholding Medicaid reimbursements from certain large abortion providers under a July law, rejecting a district court’s ruling that the measure unlawfully targeted Planned Parenthood. Writing for a three‑judge panel, Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí said Congress can set conditions on federal funds and that the law does not constitute illegal punishment; the case returns to the lower court for further proceedings.

Planned Parenthood Medicaid and Reproductive Health Federal Courts

7th Circuit blocks mass release of Chicago ICE detainees

2d Developing 2

A 7th Circuit panel narrowly blocked a district judge’s order to release hundreds of immigrants arrested in the Chicago-area enforcement action dubbed "Operation Midway Blitz," saying in a 2–1 decision that Judge Cummings overstepped even as it faulted the administration for treating all arrestees as subject to mandatory detention. The crackdown has produced more than 4,000 arrests, touches a six‑state consent decree (Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Wisconsin), and immigrant advocates like NIJC pledge to keep working to reunite detainees with their families as related federal rulings elsewhere limit warrantless arrests.

Immigration & Demographic Change Courts and Immigration Enforcement Federal Courts

D.C. Circuit reinstates Pentagon transgender ban

A divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday stayed a district court’s preliminary injunction, allowing the Pentagon to enforce its 2025 policy generally barring individuals with gender dysphoria from serving while the case is appealed. Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao said the district court failed to defer to military judgment on readiness, cohesion and costs, while Judge Pillard dissented, questioning the administration’s justification; the White House called the ruling a win for military readiness.

Transgender Military Policy Federal Courts

Federal judge voids Trump's anti-wind memo

5d Developing 1

U.S. District Judge Patti Saris (D. Mass.) on Monday struck down President Trump’s Jan. 20 directive that agencies used to stall federal permitting and leasing for wind projects, ruling it “arbitrary and capricious.” The case, brought by New York and other states alongside the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, found agencies failed to provide a reasoned explanation; however, the practical impact may hinge on other overlapping administration policies that agencies could still cite.

Federal Courts Renewable Energy Policy

Terry Rozier pleads not guilty; judge sets March 3 hearing, prosecutors to produce 55GB of discovery

6d Developing 2

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty at his Dec. 8, 2025 arraignment before U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall in Brooklyn, and the judge set the next court date for March 3. Prosecutors said they will produce an initial set of about 1,000 documents and more than 55 GB of data, while Rozier’s defense plans to file a motion to dismiss on constitutional grounds and the judge said NBA arbitration is irrelevant to the federal case.

Sports Betting Investigation Federal Courts NBA Gambling Probe

After 3rd Circuit ruling, DOJ taps trio to oversee New Jersey office; Habba named Bondi senior adviser

6d Developing 9

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that Alina Habba was unlawfully serving and disqualified her as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, criticizing the administration’s appointment maneuver as undermining stability and clarity in the office. Habba resigned and will serve as Attorney General Pam Bondi’s senior adviser for U.S. attorneys while DOJ delegates day‑to‑day New Jersey responsibilities to Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox and Ari Fontecchio; Bondi said she will seek further review and criticized the ruling as politicized amid stalled cases.

Department of Justice Justice Department Appointments Federal Courts