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Judge Theodore D. Chuang (D. Md.) on Wednesday denied the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for dismantling USAID. Chaung granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss claims as to President Trump. (Opinion.) (Bloomberg Law.)
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan (S.D.N.Y.) on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requiring the federal agency to improve conditions at a detention facility in Lower Manhattan where detainees were sleeping on the floor. (Order.) (WAPO.)
President Trump’s personal lawyer reportedly connected two law firms that cut deals with the White House earlier this year to the Commerce Department to work on international trade deals. (NYT.)
Anne Applebaum argued that the State Department’s 2024 report on human rights abroad—which neglects issues such as corruption, free elections, and discrimination against sexual minorities—reflects the U.S. abandoning objectivity and internationally accepted definitions of rights. (The Atlantic.)
Pending Interim Order Applications Involving the U.S. Government in the Supreme Court
Noem v. Perdomo: The government filed an application on August 7 to stay a federal district court order preventing federal immigration officials in Los Angeles and six other California counties from conducting detentive stops based on the following factors, according to the application: “[1] apparent race or ethnicity; [2] speaking in Spanish or accented English; [3] presence at a location where illegal aliens are known to gather; and [4] working or appearing to work in a particular type of job.”
National Institutes of Health, et al. v. American Public Health Association, et al.: The government filed an application on July 24 to stay a federal district court order that prevented the National Institutes of Health from canceling grants that, according to the administration, are related to DEI and “gender ideology.” The American Public Health Association filed a response in opposition to the government's application for a stay on August 1. The government filed a reply in support of the application for a stay on August 4.