April 19, 2025

How Love Wins This Week (Apr 19, 2025)

Hard Wins: Cases won, orders issued, legislation passed, etc.

• Supreme Court blocks, for now, new deportations under 18th- century wartime law [AP]
• A three-judge panel from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously refused to stay the orders of the district court judge in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, in what the AP referred to as a "blistering order" by a conservative judge. Trump officials’ defiance over Abrego Garcia’s deportation is ‘shocking,’ appeals court says [AP].
  • Jay Kuo gives excellent breakdown of the ruling: An Opinion for the Ages [The Status Kuo]
• A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s passport policy targeting transgender Americans by requiring that passport gender markers reflect a person’s assigned sex. Judge Blocks Passport Ban For Plaintiffs, Citing Government Animus And Equal Protection [Erin in the Morning]
• Judge blocks mass layoffs at CFPB in the latest twist over the fate of the agency [NPR]; Judge Blocks DOGE From Laying Off 90 Percent of CFPB [Wired]
• Judge orders new limits on DOGE data access at Social Security Administration [NPR]
• The EPA can’t end grants from $20 billion Biden-era fund for climate-friendly projects, a judge says [AP]
• Also, Judge orders federal agencies to release billions of dollars from two Biden-era initiatives [AP]
• Judge Rules Trump Cannot Take School Lunch Money From Hungry Kids In Maine Over Trans Students [Erin in the Morning]; Federal judge orders USDA to unfreeze funds to Maine [NPR]
• Wisconsin's governor has long held an unusual power of partial veto, and this has got to be the best use ever made of it: Wisconsin governor can lock in 400-year school funding increase using a veto, court says [AP].

Soft Wins: Cases filed, legislation introduced, etc.

• With pending and contemplated contempt proceedings, "[t]wo federal judges begin the difficult process of holding Trump administration officials accountable for disregarding direct court orders." Feet to the Fire [The Status Kuo].
  • See also: What happens next after judge warns of possible contempt prosecution over deportation flights order [AP]
• US congressional watchdog to probe changes at the SEC, letter says [Reuters]. Also, Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Getting Audited [Wired].
• ACLU sues Defense Department school system over banning race- and gender-related books [AP]
• California sues to stop Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs [AP]
• Trump administration sued over tariffs in US Court of International Trade [Reuters]

Fighting the Good Fight: Protests, unofficial actions, and inspiration

• Anti-Trump protesters rally in New York, Washington and elsewhere across the country [AP]; Protesters unite against Trump in hundreds of rallies across the U.S. [NPR]; Protesters fill the streets in cities across the US to denounce Trump agenda [The Guardian]
• And a good read: 250 years after America went to war for independence, a divided nation battles over its legacy [AP]
• From two weeks ago: Al Green says he’ll present articles of impeachment against Trump in next 30 days [The Hill]. And from this week, House Democrat calls to impeach Trump for defying Supreme Court [ABC News]
• If you're wondering what else you can do to make change, why not run for local office? Run For Something is an amazing collection of resources to help you do exactly that.
  • Interview: journalist V Spehar sat down with founder Amanda Litman to talk about what Run For Something is all about.

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If you noticed that we missed last Saturday's edition, sorry about that! Contributing factors included a week of travel, a very full inbox, and a last-minute opportunity to sit in the stands for a young musician's jazz showcase performance. I regret nothing, but I'll try to plan a little better in the future.

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