ICYMI: Watch @nkorpett.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, @rparloff.bsky.social, and @mollyroberts.bsky.social discuss a congressional hearing into ICE’s use of force in Minneapolis and Chicago, oral argument over DHS’s mandatory detention policy, and more.

The Washington Post—for which I wrote editorials for nearly a decade—has closed its Kyiv bureau. @lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not. We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post. Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving

Oral argument in the law firm executive order cases will be heard the same day & before the same DC Circuit panel as Zaid v USEOP. Date not set; briefing done 4/10. Trump vindictively stripped Zaid of his security clearance; §2 of the EOs vindictively stripped law firm employees of sec clearances.

Remarkable statistic in a govt filing a week ago: 75% of all new civil cases filed in the Western District of Texas in Jan. 2026 were immigration habeas cases (requests for release from custody). In all of 2024, they composed < 3% of civil filings. 1/3 www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Judge Reyes: Plaintiffs “are not, it emerges, ‘killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies.’ They are ... a neuroscientist researching Alzheimer's disease ... a software engineer at a national bank ... a lab assistant in a toxicology department ... a college economics major ... & a registered nurse."

Glitch in WMM (née AARP), the recently argued en banc 5th Circuit hearing of the Alien Enemies Act case headed for SCOTUS. All 3 plaintiffs have now been removed from country. Both sides ask court to decide the case anyway, offering theories for why it's not moot.

The transcript of the MN hearing where an AUSA said “This job sucks” is remarkable for more reasons than that. It’s a searing portrait of a crisis perpetrated by depraved & oblivious high-level officials. Read it all. ... 1/7 www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

The transcript of the MN hearing where an AUSA said “This job sucks” is remarkable for more reasons than that. It’s a searing portrait of a crisis perpetrated by depraved & oblivious high-level officials. Read it all. ... 1/7 www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Attys for class of refugees have asked Judge Tunheim in MN to hold govt in civil contempt for alleged failure to comply with his 1/28 order to unconditionally release refugees detained under a new DHS policy that, they say, departs from 45 yrs of practice. /1 www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

In closing remarks today, Sen. Mark Kelly's lawyer, Ben Miser, said "the tell" in Hegseth's letter censuring Kelly was that one of Kelly's statements being called out for punishment was his vow to "ALWAYS defend the Constitution." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Hearing before Judge Leon in case of Sen. Mark Kelly v Secy Hegseth just concluded. Though Leon wants to avoid Speech or Debate Clause issues at this stage, troubled by infringement of 1st Am rights of sitting member of Congress. Will try to rule by 2/11 ... /1

Govt—citing "national security implications"—asks Judge Leon to stay any preliminary injunction he might be contemplating that would stall his Ballroom project. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Puzzling ruling yesterday denying MN access to the Alex Pretti evidence. Judge Tostrud acknowledged “troubling” statements by Miller, Noem, DHS, showing no “genuine interest in learning the truth,” but finds those officials “too remote” from the probe they oversee. ... 1/3

Notably this includes Ana Voss, head of the civil division, whom Chief Judge Schiltz thanked by name for handling a deluge of habeas petitions in response to ICE’s barrage of unconstitutional arrests

another perfect call, i assume.

i'm afraid i'm going to exhaust my allotment of gift articles pretty soon. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...

In secret deal, 4 days before inauguration, Abu Dhabi sheik’s entity invested $500M to get 49% of Trump family’s crypto company. $187M went to Trump family; $31M to Witkoff’s. In May Trump Adm gave 500K ultra-advanced AI chips to Abu Dhabi. (Gift article). www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

highly classified whistleblower complaint against Tulsi, filed with IG in May, that's not yet even reached Congress. www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

Courts need to stop him from further vandalizing Congress's "living memorial" to a slain president. 1/2 www.cnn.com/2026/02/01/p...

@annabower.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, L.T. Edwards, @michael-feinberg.bsky.social, @mollyroberts.bsky.social, and @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org discuss their questions, some of which have answers, about the FBI searching the election center in Fulton County.

Though my gut welcomes Judge Biery’s release of Liam Ramos & his father, a sober rendition of the facts & law is always required, and here it would have been particularly helpful to the public’s understanding (including mine).

This is so Pam Bondi.

A bunch of us wondered back in the day why the complaint posted online didn’t include the attachment referenced in the footnote. Turns out they never submitted it! Maybe it never existed?

We finally know what happened to DOJ's (frivolous) misconduct complaint against Chief Judge Boasberg: It was transferred by Chief Justice Roberts from the D.C. Circuit to Sixth Circuit Chief Judge Jeff Sutton, and Sutton dismissed it in a ... direct ... memorandum and order just two weeks later:

if it walks like a duck, and swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck ...

NYT: Bovino “used the term ‘chosen people’ in a mocking way . . . . He also asked, sarcastically, whether [Shabbat-observing Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel] Rosen understood that Orthodox Jewish criminals don’t take weekends off.” GIFT LINK: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/u...

ICYMI: Watch @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, @annabower.bsky.social, @rparloff.bsky.social, and @mollyroberts.bsky.social to discuss the arrest of Don Lemon in connection to a Minnesota church protest, Minnesota’s suit challenging federal immigration enforcement, and more.

Judge Menendez denies TRO in MN v Noem. MN had asked for extraordinary relief under 10th Am--the pausing of Operation Metro Surge and reduction of DHS agents to levels that stood on 11/30. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

JUST IN: Immigrant rights advocates file lawsuit in federal court in Boston to invalidate DHS legal memo claiming immigration agents can enter private homes without a judicial warrant. Assigned to Judge Julia Kobick (Biden). Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Last night the court largely unsealed the search warrant affidavit for @washingtonpost.com reporter Hannah Natanson's residence. It asserts that 5 WaPo stories she co-wrote contained classified info sent her by govt contractor. Up to Top Secret. ... 1/2 storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

On Wed. Ninth Circuit found that Secy Noem lacked power to cut off protected status of >600K Venezuelans & Haitians. (SCOTUS has twice blocked lower court orders in this case, so it may stay this order too.) ... 1/2 www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

The Trump Adm is arresting Don Lemon and overcharging disruptive protesters at Cities Church to posture as if it’s protecting Christians. It’s not. DHS is staging disruptive ops at other churches, at least one of which has had to go online. ... 1/4

Govt arrests Don Lemon for 1/18 Cities Church events while he covers the Grammies in L.A. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/u...

For @lawfaremedia.org, I interviewed @kyledcheney.bsky.social of @politico.com about the 2,600+ cases challenging the Trump Adm's mandatory detention policy for almost all undocumented migrants—and the fact patterns he's uncovered while slogging through them. 1/2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxPS...

By the way, at the MN v Noem hearing Monday, MN atty Brian Carter said that, now that MN knows about it, MN will be challenging ICE's policy of entering homes without judicial warrants. (Not part of what Judge Menendez is about to rule on, though.) www.lawfaremedia.org/article/minn...

Trump is on a posting bender right now and has is sharing deranged tinfoil hat stuff about the 2020 election

Although Judge Schilitz has now cancelled the contempt hearing for ICE director Lyons, he notes that ICE has violated 96 orders in 74 cases in the District of MN *this month*—likely more “than some agencies have violated in their entire existence.” ... 1/3

Read SCHILTZ’s full order: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

JUST IN: Judge Schiltz cancels Friday’s contempt hearing but lights into ICE, saying the agency may have violated more court orders this month than many others have in their entire existence. “ICE is not a law unto itself.”

Here is letter from petitioner TR's atty asking Schilitz to go forward with contempt proceeding against ICE director Lyons. He'd give Lyons an extra week to perpare.

Tho petitioner T.R. has been released, his atty tells me he will ask Judge Schilitz to go forward with Friday's hearing and make ICE director Lyons show cause why he shouldn't be held in contempt for not releasing TR earlier. (Info per TR atty Graham Ojala Barbour.)

FBI searching Fulton County elections office, per Reuters www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi...

This woman's assertions are like artificial intelligence hallucinations: false, but uttered with an aura of complete authority.

9 city prosecutors band together to bring charges against federal officers. Called Fight Against Federal Overreach, or FAFO, which NYT says is a "slang term for negative consequences." www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...

Judge Schilitz isn't alone. Just a week ago, another US district judge in the District of Minnesota—Judge Jerry Blackwell of St Paul—also had to threaten contempt before DHS released a habeas petitioner he had ordered released. (Segundo v Noem, 26-cv-231)

BREAKING: The petitioner ("T.R." or Juan Tobay Robles) whose non-release prompted Chief Judge Schilitz to threaten ICE director Todd Lyons with contempt has now been RELEASED, according to what the civil chief of the US Atty's office has told his atty and his atty has relayed to me.

Explosive WaPo article Since July, DHS has fired shots at 16 people; has hit 10 , including 4 US citizens. 10 victims charged, but 4 cases later dismissed. No agents charged. www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

Chief Judge Schilitz of MN (Scalia clerk) orders ICE director Todd Lyons to appear before him Friday. Says his "patience is at an end." Says his order to release or hold bail hearing for a detainee was defied as have dozens of other such orders. 1/2

Three updates on MN cases ICYMI. 1st, in Tincher v Noem, brought by 6 observers, 8th Circuit extended a stay blocking Judge Menendez’s order trying to ban illegal stops, arrests, & violence vs peaceful protesters. ... 1/5 storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...