Jordan Fischer

Justices to Review Immigrant Rights to Seek Asylum at Border (1) The Supreme Court has agreed to review a Department of Homeland Security policy that allowed the government to turn back noncitizens at the border without hearing their asylum claims.

The Supreme Court will hear the Trump administration's defense of its former "metering" policy, which allowed immigration officers to turn away asylum seekers at the border. news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/j...

Oklahoma Governor Commutes Execution After Justices Decline Case Oklahoma’s Republican governor granted a reprieve to a death row inmate after the US Supreme Court declined to hear his case and just minutes before he was set to be executed.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt granted an 11th-hour reprieve today an hour after the Supreme Court declined to hear death row inmate Tremane Wood's appeal and minutes before his scheduled execution. news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and...

Justices Eye Scope of Compassionate Release ‘Safety Valve’ (1) The US Supreme Court appeared wary of expanding the limits of what judges can consider when deciding compassionate release petitions from federal inmates.

The Supreme Court seems wary of expanding the compassionate release "safety valve," with justices from both wings taking turns today pressing attorneys on what Congress really had in mind in the First Step Act. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Conservative Justices Cool to Religious Liberty Damages Suit (1) Supreme Court conservatives appeared reluctant to expand the right to sue state prison officials in federal court for violations of inmates’ religious liberties, in the case of a devout Rastafarian wh...

Supreme Court conservatives appeared reluctant today to expand the right to sue state prison officials in federal court for violations of inmates’ religious liberties.
news.bloomberglaw.com/white-collar...

Trump Administration Argues Against Itself in Rastafarian Case The Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to let a Rastafarian inmate sue Louisiana prison officials for shaving his head against his faith, breaking from its position in a similar religious li...

The Trump admin says the Supreme Court should let a Rastafarian sue the Louisiana prison officials responsible for him being pinned down and forcibly shaved.

That's 180-degrees from the position it took in another religious liberty case 5 years ago. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Cruz Urges Right to Condemn Antisemitism After Carlson Podcast Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called on conservatives to speak out against what he saw as a recent rise in antisemitism within the Republican party, days after a conservative leader drew outrage for defendi...

There's now "more antisemitism on the right than at any time in my life," Sen. Ted Cruz told the Federalist Society today — urging conservatives to "stand up" to bigotry after Tucker Carlson interviewed white nationalist Nick Fuentes on his podcast.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Agency Litigation Powers May Be in Trump’s Sights, Official Says The Trump administration may target the independent litigation authority of federal agencies if the Supreme Court grants the president the power he seeks to fire executive branch employees at will, a ...

Federal agencies' independent litigation powers may be next in President Trump's sights if SCOTUS agrees he has the right to fire executive branch employees at will, DOJ's Civil Division head said today. news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and...

Sandwich Thrower Acquitted of Assault Charge in Viral DC Case A federal jury found a former Justice Department employee not guilty of misdemeanor assault over a viral incident in which he threw a sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection officer.

The D.C. federal prosecutor's office is on a roll, with back-to-back losses in closely watched assault on a federal officer cases. More surge-era cases grand juries refused to indict are still pending in Superior Court. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The Supreme Court has asked for supplemental briefing in the Trump administration's request to lift the injunction currently blocking the deployment of the National Guard in Illinois amid an immigration enforcement surge in Chicago.

Kavanaugh’s Chambers Are a Big Pipeline for Trump Circuit Judges Justice Brett Kavanaugh has emerged as a major source of judicial nominees in the second Trump administration, with the president repeatedly looking to the justice’s former clerks to fill influential ...

Justice Brett Kavanaugh's chambers have emerged as a big talent pipeline for President Trump's second-term judicial nominations. Three of his four confirmed appellate court nominees clerked for Kavanaugh on the D.C. Circuit. news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and...

Ex-Federal Judges Call on Supreme Court to Reject Trump Tariffs Thirty-one former federal judges urged the US Supreme Court to reject President Donald Trump’s attempts to use emergency powers to impose sweeping, world-wide tariffs.

My first at @bloomberglaw.com: 31 former federal judges today signed on to an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject President Trump's sweeping tariffs. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Some (slightly belated) personal news: I began a new job this week at @bloomberglaw.com reporting on the U.S. Supreme Court. Add me to your SCOTUS-related media/mailing lists and keep an eye out for my byline soon!

An extraordinarily embarrassing case for the line prosecutors forced to pursue it, who spent two weeks getting yelled at from the bench over missing/incomplete evidence and evasive witnesses -- including at least one whose testimony was flatly contradicted by video evidence.

Woman found not guilty of assaulting FBI agent during ICE arrest outside DC Jail Sidney Lori Reid was acquitted after a three-day trial plagued with evidence issues.

NOW: Three grand juries declined to indict Sidney Reid, and today a petit jury came to the same conclusion in less than 2 hours -- finding her NOT GUILTY of assaulting an FBI agent during an ICE arrest. (via @sophrosenthal) www.wusa9.com/article/news...

UPDATE: Judge Ana Reyes has set an April 12, 2027, trial date for the first wrongful death lawsuit filed in connection with the Flight 5342 disaster.

NEW: James Comey's attorneys say they plan to file their motion to disqualify interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan as unlawfully appointed on Monday.

As in similar challenges in New Jersey and Nevada, an out-of-district judge will be tapped to decide that.

Judge Paula Xinis to DOJ's Drew Ensign: "While I'm writing, if I don't get a yes [that admin is willing to deport to Costa Rica] then I'll take it as a no. Because you're on notice now."

Rossman says govt. isn't acting in good faith. Points out previous witness said third-country designation would be made by ICE desk agent:

“We’re now hearing that that determination is being made by the Homeland Security Council with the input of the White House.”

Rossman says if the government won't explain why they won't send Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica, especially in the face of three African countries saying no: "I think the only logical inference to draw is that they are using detention as a means of punishment.”

Abrego Garcia attorney Andrew Rossman: “100%, is my understanding. Mr. Abrego Garcia is prepared to go to Costa Rica if that’s where the government decides to send him.”

MORE: Attorneys for Kilmar Abrego Garcia say affirmatively if DHS decided to remove him to Costa Rica tomorrow he would go.

That the Trump administration isn't trying to deport him there, they say, shows they're trying to punish him.

DOJ asserts presidential privilege over details about how Uganda was selected in Abrego Garcia deportation case A senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official said third-country designations are typically made by the State Department.

NEW: A senior ICE official testified today the WH Homeland Security Council — and not the State Department — informed him Uganda was the deportation target for Abrego Garcia.

DOJ then asserted presidential privilege over any other details about the call. www.wusa9.com/article/news...

Schultz says he believes the third-country destination was changed from Uganda to Eswatini because Uganda said no. He was told that Abrego Garcia's name was submitted to Eswatini on Wednesday. Eswatini has also said no.

The DOJ has just asserted presidential communications privilege over details of a phone call between a White House Homeland Security Council staff member and Schultz about the selection of Uganda. After a sidebar, Judge Paula Xinis agrees the privilege applies.

BREAKING: Following OMB Director Russ Vought's tweet today announcing RIFs, AFGE has filed an emergency motion seeking a TRO. They argue the RIFs violate the Antideficiency Act by requiring unlawful work during a government shutdown.

Link: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Schultz testifies that ICE does not pick the countries for third-country removal -- that's done by the State Dept. In Abrego Garcia's case, though, he says he was notified by the Homeland Security Council (which operates out of the White House) that Uganda had been selected.

Schultz says he's "not actively" involved in the Abrego Garcia case. Says the officer assigned the El Salvador docket would be in charge of the case, but isn't sure who that is.

Schultz also says ICE has considered Ghana as a third-country destination, although Ghana's foreign minister has already publicly announced the country won't take Abrego Garcia.

During an evidentiary hearing now for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, ICE Deputy Assistant Director for Removal Management John Schultz says Eswatini has not yet agreed to take him:

“We’ve had initial conversations with Eswatini and we haven’t gotten to a ‘yes,’ but discussions are continuing.”

Ben Schrader, who had been criminal division chief for the U.S Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, posted this on LinkedIn following his resignation in June.

As chief, Schrader would have had to sign off on any prosecution of Abrego Garcia the office filed.