President Donald Trump has signed over 80 executive orders since being back in the White House in January, resulting in numerous lawsuits against his administration. Democratic lawmakers have accused Trump of causing a “constitutional crisis” with his orders, while the White House has characterized the judges issuing injunctions against Trump’s agenda as “low-level” and “judicial activists” trying to block the president’s authority. Some judges appointed under the Obama and Biden administrations have pushed back against Trump, including James Boasberg, a chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, who blocked several states from implementing work requirement waivers for Medicaid recipients.
Leo Sorokin, an Obama appointee, blocked Trump’s attempt to ban birthright citizenship. Amir Ali, appointed by Biden, has accused the Trump administration of exceeding its constitutional authority by halting payments to contractors that Congress had approved. Beryl Howell, another Obama appointee, ruled against the administration for firing members of the National Labor Relations Board, stating that Trump was misinterpreting his role under the U.S. Constitution. Ana Reyes, also a Biden appointee, is overseeing a case challenging Trump’s executive order barring transgender individuals from serving in the military. Lastly, Loren AliKhan, appointed by Biden, blocked the administration from freezing federal grants and loans, calling the freeze “ill-conceived” and causing a nationwide crisis.
Boasberg, who previously served on the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, recently halted the Trump administration from deporting migrants under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Sorokin initiated a delayed-sentencing program in Massachusetts called the RISE program, motivated by a conversation with a convicted bank robber. Ali, who helped launch the MacArthur Justice Center, won two cases before the Supreme Court and recently ruled against the Trump administration’s attempt to withhold $2 billion in payments to contractors. Howell, who previously worked at the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York, sided with a member of the National Labor Relations Board who was fired by Trump. Reyes, a litigator with experience in international litigation, is overseeing a case challenging Trump’s transgender military ban. AliKhan, a former D.C. Court of Appeals judge, blocked the administration from freezing federal grants and loans.
As the battles between Trump and the judiciary continue, judges appointed during the Obama and Biden administrations are increasingly playing a role in checking the president’s authority. Their decisions have had significant impacts on key policy issues such as healthcare, immigration, and labor rights. The ongoing legal challenges highlight the importance of an independent judiciary in upholding the rule of law and ensuring that presidential actions are in accordance with the Constitution. The clash between the executive branch and the judiciary underscores the broader debate surrounding the limits of presidential power and the role of the courts in maintaining a system of checks and balances within the U.S. government.
