By Charles Switzer
1:49am PDT, Apr 26, 2025
Trump's Legal Setback: Triple Blow from the Courts
On Thursday, April 24, President
Donald Trump faced a series of legal setbacks when three different federal judges ruled against him on significant issues,
The Daily Beast reported.
This came just one day after Trump accused judges of engaging in "judicial insurrection" for blocking his deportation plans.
The rulings highlighted the ongoing legal challenges to several of his executive actions.
Here's what happened.
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Halt on Voter Citizenship Proof Executive Order
The first blow came from Washington, D.C., where a federal judge temporarily blocked a key part of Donald Trump's controversial executive order regarding voting and election registration.
The executive order requires individuals to prove their citizenship before voting, a move opponents argue exceeds the president's authority.
In her 120-page opinion, U.S. District Judge
Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that "our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States — not the President — with the authority to regulate federal elections."
Kollar-Kotelly, who was appointed by former President
Bill Clinton, reprimanded Trump for attempting to "short-circuit" Congress's role in regulating federal elections.
Sanctuary Cities Funding Blocked
The second setback came in San Francisco, where U.S. District Judge
William Orrick ruled against Donald Trump's plan to deny federal funds to
sanctuary cities.
Sanctuary cities are communities that have laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Orrick's decision blocked the administration from taking any action to withhold or freeze federal funds for these cities, citing violations of the Fifth Amendment particularly due to the vagueness of the executive order.
The lawsuit included 16 cities and counties including Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, New Haven and Santa Fe, with the judge noting the "unconstitutionally vague" nature of the Trump administration's directive.
Restrictions on DEI Funding Blocked
The third ruling came in Concord, New Hampshire, where U.S. District Judge
Landya McCafferty ruled against Donald Trump's move to cut funding for schools with
diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
This decision followed a lawsuit filed by the National Education Association and the ACLU, which claimed that the administration's actions violated teachers' First Amendment rights and due process.
McCafferty pointed out that the Education Department had not clearly defined what constituted a DEI program, adding that it would be a violation of due process to target professors for expressing certain viewpoints, such as discussing the existence of structural racism.
Trump's Reaction to Judicial Challenges
These rulings came shortly after Donald Trump discussed his frustrations with the legal system.
In an interview with conservative commentator Glenn Beck, Trump agreed with a claim made by Senator Mike Lee, who suggested that judges blocking deportations are akin to insurrectionists.
"When you have to get out and do court cases for individual people, and you would have in theory millions of court cases… They're really saying you're not allowed to do what I was elected to do," Trump said.
Trump's Response to the Rulings
Despite these legal defeats, Donald Trump remained defiant.
His administration has faced numerous challenges to its policies, with these three court rulings representing just the latest in a string of setbacks.
As Trump continues to push forward with his agenda, these court decisions may further complicate his efforts to implement key components of his administration's policies.
