Raquel Dominguez , Sarah Mahmood  //  7/20/17  //  Daily Update

In litigation over the revised travel ban, the Supreme Court stayed portions of Judge Watson’s order granting relief to refugees, but declined to block relief to relatives.  President Trump regrets appointing Attorney General Jeff Sessions given Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.  Jared Kushner will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on ties to Russia.  President Trump is working to transform the judiciary.

IMMIGRATION

In litigation over the revised travel ban, the Supreme Court stayed portions of Judge Watson’s order granting relief to refugees, but declined to block relief to relatives (WaPo, NYT, WSJ). 

• The Government’s motion is here.
• Hawaii’s opposition is here.
• The Government’s reply is here.
• The Supreme Court’s order is here.
• The Supreme Court has become a co-author and co-owner of the travel ban, warns Joshua Matz at Take Care.
• Marty Lederman examines the Government’s reply brief at Take Care.
• Amy Howe summarizes the issues at SCOTUSblog.
• Peter Margulies analyzes the Supreme Court’s order at Lawfare.
• Lyle Denniston outlines the decision’s implications at Law News.
• Ilya Somin explores the refugee issue in the Washington Post.

Political exigencies historically have shaped definitions of families in immigration law, observes Mae Ngai at the New York Times.

DEMOCRACY

President Trump’s Commission on Election Integrity held its first public meeting (NYT, LA Times, Politico, The Hill).

SAFETY AND JUSTICE

Congresswoman Maxine Waters called for the recusal of Attorney General Jeff Sessions from the DOJ investigation into Deutsche Bank (The Hill).

Attorney General Sessions released new guidance expanding federal asset forfeiture programs (AP, The Hill).

• The new guidance is here.
• The Attorney General’s order is here.
• The DOJ press release is here.
• Kanya Bennett (ACLU) objects to the new policy as unjust.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly plans to eliminate the Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues (The Hill).

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Former Office of Government Ethics chief Walter Shaub believes President Trump is creating the appearance of profiting from the presidency (The Hill).

President Trump warned that investigating the Trump family finances is off-limits to Special Counsel Robert Mueller (The Hill).

REGULATION

President Trump urged Senate Republicans to continue working on health care reform (NYT).

President Trump is undoing President Obama’s legacy in seven key areas (WaPo).

CHECKS & BALANCES

President Trump is successfully transforming the judiciary, writes Ronald Klain (WaPo).

Congress must investigate possible Russian interference in the 2016 Election even as Special Counsel Robert Mueller conducts his own investigation, argues Tim Farnsworth (POGO).

REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

Liberal House Democrats introduced a resolution of no confidence in President Trump (The Hill).

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE

President Trump regrets appointing Attorney General Sessions in light of Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation (NYT).

Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign manager, was heavily in debt to pro-Russia interests before joining the Trump campaign (NYT).

Jared Kushner will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on ties to Russia (WaPo).

Andy Wright discusses the possibility that President Trump could grant pardons in connection with the Russia investigation (Just Security).

Beth Van Schaack at Just Security suggests that the Magnitsky Act, which garnered new publicity following the disclosure of Donald Trump, Jr.’s meeting, is underutilized.

And that's our update today!  Thanks for reading.  We cover a lot of ground, so our updates are inevitably a partial selection of relevant legal commentary.  

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