Several of Donald Trump executive orders – including those cracking down on immigration, reversing protections for transgender people, and undoing federal bureaucracy -- have sparked lawsuits seeking to block his plans. Here is a summary of the cases and where they stand, Reuters reports:
Federal spending: A federal judge in Washington D.C on Tuesday issued an emergency pause to a sweeping Trump administration directive freezing federal grants, loans and other financial assistance pending a review to ensure they align with the president's priorities, at the request of nonprofits who said it would be devastating to their operations. Ending birthright citizenship: Democratic state attorneys general and civil rights groups have filed at least five lawsuits challenging Trump’s executive order curtailing the right to automatic birthright citizenship in the U.S., which was paused by a judge on Jan. 23. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour found the order "blatantly" violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and granted a request by Democrat-led Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon to block it while their legal challenge proceeds. Four similar lawsuits have been combined with that case in Washington federal court, and a hearing is scheduled for Feb. 6.
Immigration crackdowns: Civil rights and religious groups have sued to block Trump administration policies aimed at ramping up deportations and curtailing the number of people entering the country seeking asylum protections. In one high-profile case, a New York-based immigrant rights group has sued to block Trump’s move to expand fast-track deportations where defendants do not have access to an attorney and cannot present evidence. Another pro-immigrant group has sued the government in Illinois federal court to block Trump’s expected crackdown on so-called sanctuary city policies, which limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. And a coalition of Quaker groups, meanwhile, has sued to block a new U.S. Department of Homeland Security policy authorizing immigration agents to conduct raids in houses of worship.
Remaking the federal workforce: Public interest groups have filed at least three lawsuits against Trump’s U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which the president says will advise him on how to shrink the federal workforce and slash spending. The lawsuits allege DOGE, which is headed by billionaire Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab CEO and Trump ally Elon Musk, does not comply with legal requirements for so-called advisory committees, or groups that give advice and recommendations to the president. Unions representing employees of the U.S. Treasury and other federal workers have also filed lawsuits seeking to block Trump from implementing a plan to weaken job protections for civil servants, which would allow him to replace long-serving government employees with loyalists. Transgender rights: A transgender woman serving time in a federal prison has sued over Trump’s executive order directing the federal government to recognize only two sexes and requiring trans women to be housed in men’s prisons, arguing it violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
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