[REVISION HISTORY]

US immigration policy court battles

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What changed

2026-07-26 02:06 UTC → 2026-07-30 03:04 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Federal courts have repeatedly blocked key components of the Trump administration’s hard‑line immigration agenda. In mid‑July 2026, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg issued a preliminary injunction halting a State Department policy that barred visas for scholars researching disinformation and hate speech, deeming it likely unconstitutional. Shortly thereafter, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani barred the administration from invoking the “Termination Clause” to cancel billions in congressionally appropriated grants, preserving funding for diverse programs. The Department of Homeland Security also resumed naturalization processing for Venezuelan and Cuban migrants after a court invalidated security‑related memoranda. On July 20, the Justice Department filed the first petition to reactivate the dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), a secret tribunal created in 1996 for deportation hearings of alleged terrorist non‑citizens. The filing sparked concerns over due‑process protections. The next week the ATRC held a hearing; Chief Judge Joan Ericksen asked the government for additional information linking the alleged conduct to the statutory provisions. A supplemental filing followed on July 22, and the court has not yet approved the application or set a removal hearing. Legal experts continue to debate the constitutionality and procedural implications of using the ATRC for immigration enforcement. Further developments emerged later in July. On July 15 the Justice Department formally submitted the first application to the ATRC, and on July 16 Chief Judge Ericksen conducted a hearing, questioning the connection between the classified allegations and the court’s statutory authority. A supplemental filing on July 22 reiterated the request for more detail, leaving the court’s next steps unresolved. On July 30 the department filed a petition to deport Afghan national Nazira Haji Zada through the ATRC, alleging her involvement in an ISIS‑inspired plot linked to family members convicted in a 2024 election‑day terrorist scheme.

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