Trump Administration Sues Maryland Federal Judges Over Immigration Injunctions
The Trump administration has initiated legal action against Maryland federal judges regarding injunctions that halt deportations and alter immigrant legal statuses.
Overview
- The Trump administration is suing federal judges in Maryland due to injunctions that prevent deportations for two business days.
- The lawsuit involves the entire Maryland federal judiciary, including judges and a court clerk.
- The Justice Department is seeking the recusal of all judges in a related district court case.
- The case centers on immigration policy and the legal status of immigrants.
- Kilmar Abrego Garcia's case is particularly highlighted, with the overseeing judge now a defendant in the lawsuit.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the situation as a significant legal conflict, emphasizing the unusual step of the DOJ's request for recusal. They highlight the implications for judicial integrity and the high-profile nature of the case, suggesting a critical stance towards the judiciary's role in immigration policy enforcement.
The suit names the U.S. and U.S. Department of Homeland Security as plaintiffs.
The Maryland district court had no comment, Chief Deputy Clerk David Ciambruschini said in an email.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said court injunctions 'designed to halt' the president’s agenda have undermined his authority since the first hours of his administration.
Articles (4)
Center (2)
"…The unusual move to sue every member of the federal judiciary in Maryland means that technically, no judge in the district can oversee the lawsuit."
ABC News·6d·"…The unusual suit filed Tuesday in Baltimore against the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Maryland and the court’s other judges underscores the administration’s focus on immigration enforcement and ratchets up its fight with the judiciary."
Associated Press·6d·FAQ
The Maryland federal judges issued an order, signed by Chief Judge George L. Russell III, blocking the immediate removal of any detained immigrant who files paperwork seeking a court hearing, effectively pausing deportations until 4 p.m. on the second business day after the habeas corpus petition is filed.
The Trump administration contends that the automatic pause on removals violates a Supreme Court ruling and infringes upon the president’s authority to enforce immigration laws, arguing that the injunctions issue automatically regardless of the merits of the immigrant's claims, thus intruding on core executive powers.
The Justice Department is seeking the recusal of all Maryland federal judges from a related district court case, arguing that judges named as defendants in the lawsuit cannot be impartial, and is requesting the case be transferred or assigned to a randomly selected judge in another district.
The Trump administration describes the judiciary’s frequent use of nationwide injunctions in recent years as unprecedented overreach that undermines the president’s executive authority and interferes with the prerogatives of the Executive Branch.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is an immigrant whose case is highlighted in the lawsuit; the judge overseeing his case, who is part of the Maryland federal judiciary, has been named as a defendant in the Trump administration’s lawsuit.
History
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