4/11/17  //  Daily Update

The Fourth Circuit decides that the appeal in the travel ban case will initially be heard by the full, en banc court. A new lawsuit is filed that seeks to force the Trump Administration to disclose visitor logs to the White House and Trump’s homes in New York and Florida. A federal judge in Texas finds that Texas’s Voter ID Law was passed with discriminatory purpose. And the debate continues over the legality of the strikes in Syria.

4/11/17  //  Daily Update

The Fourth Circuit decides that the appeal in the travel ban case will initially be heard by the full, en banc court. A new lawsuit is filed that seeks to force the Trump Administration to disclose visitor logs to the White House and Trump’s homes in New York and Florida. A federal judge in Texas finds that Texas’s Voter ID Law was passed with discriminatory purpose. And the debate continues over the legality of the strikes in Syria.

4/10/17  //  Daily Update

Legal experts from around the world continue to debate the legality of President Trump’s military strike against Syria. The Department of Homeland Security resurrected programs deputizing state and local police to enforce immigration laws. Attorney General Jeff Sessions continued to make changes at the Department of Justice with significant ramifications for civil rights enforcement. New York became the first state to provide lawyers for all indigent immigrants detained and facing deportation.

4/7/17  //  Daily Update

Senate Republicans went nuclear and abolished the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, clearing the path to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch today by a majority vote. Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Devin Nunes will step aside from the committee’s Russia investigation. President Trump has removed Stephen Bannon from the National Security Council principals committee. The battle continues over Obama-era climate change regulations, police reform efforts, and labor protection rules. And in response to Tuesday’s deadly chemical weapon attack widely attributed to Bashar al-Assad’s government, President Trump ordered a military strike on a Syrian air base

4/6/17  //  Daily Update

Improper communications have been sent to Fourth Circuit judges regarding the revised entry ban. The Seventh Circuit's holding that Title VII forbids sexual orientation discrimination raises questions about the Trump Administration's position. A judge has denied DOJ's request to delay a hearing on the proposed consent degree regarding police practices in Baltimore. Trump's nominee to run FDA faced tough questions in his Senate hearing. President Trump has accused former National Security Advisor Susan Rice of committing a crime by seeking to unmask the identifies of Trump associates whose communications were intercepted incidentally by U.S. intelligence agencies.

4/6/17  //  Daily Update

Improper communications have been sent to Fourth Circuit judges regarding the revised entry ban. The Seventh Circuit's holding that Title VII forbids sexual orientation discrimination raises questions about the Trump Administration's position. A judge has denied DOJ's request to delay a hearing on the proposed consent degree regarding police practices in Baltimore. Trump's nominee to run FDA faced tough questions in his Senate hearing. President Trump has accused former National Security Advisor Susan Rice of committing a crime by seeking to unmask the identifies of Trump associates whose communications were intercepted incidentally by U.S. intelligence agencies.

4/5/17  //  Daily Update

Department of Homeland Security agents plan to make unannounced visits to companies that rely heavily on H-1B visas. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered a nationwide review of consent decrees implemented to address civil rights violations. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has confirmed that President Trump can withdraw money from his businesses at any time. Government officials have expressed concern about allegations that former National Security Advisor Susan Rice sought to identify surveilled Trump associates.

4/4/17  //  Daily Update

DOJ's brief defending the revised entry ban is flawed. VP Pence's policy of refusing to dine alone with women raises legal and ethical concerns. Notwithstanding a trust arrangement, President Trump can still access his assets, including his businesses, at will. Trump's deregulatory agenda has raised a host of legal challenges and may have grave national security implications. Trump has continued to deflect attention from the Russia inquiry by tweeting about President Obama and Hillary Clinton.

4/3/17  //  Daily Update

The Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security have criticized the California Chief Justice for objecting to federal immigration enforcement near state courthouses. President Trump's advisors have submitted financial disclosures that raise extensive conflict of interest concerns. Trump has signed two executive orders relating to international trade. Environmental groups have challenged Trump's approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. A federal judge has ruled that a suit against President Trump for inciting violence at a campaign rally may proceed. And there have been new developments in the investigation surrounding Russia, Trump, and Michael Flynn.

3/31/17  //  Daily Update

In litigation over the revised travel ban, a federal judge in Hawaii converted his temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction, and all parties endorsed an offer from the Fourth Circuit for initial en banc review. Seattle filed suit to challenge President Trump's executive order threatening to strip federal funds from sanctuary cities. Vice President Pence broke a tie in the Senate to send a bill to President Trump giving states permission to withhold federal family planning funds from Planned Parenthood. Former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has offered to provide testimony to the congressional investigations into Russia, in exchange for immunity.

3/30/17  //  Daily Update

Trump's climate change order has sparked strong reactions. The fate of healthcare reform and the operative healthcare system remain uncertain. Congress has passed a bill gutting significant online privacy protections. Trump has removed questions about sexual orientation and gender identity from the 2020 census. The House Intelligence Committee's investigation into potential collusion between the Trump Campaign and Russia is mired in controversy. And battles over immigration policy persist.

3/29/17  //  Daily Update

President Trump signed an executive order reversing key Obama-era climate change policies. Federal threats to sanctuary cities have provoked backlash. The leaked draft of a "religious freedom" order on LGBT and reproductive rights is constitutionally infirm. President Trump may now seek to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. And fights over the investigation into Russia and the Trump Campaign continue.

3/28/17  //  Daily Update

The Fourth Circuit may grant initial en banc hearing of the revised entry ban challenge. DHS and ICE have been sued for their cellphone and laptop searches at the borders. Attorney General Sessions has threatened to pull funds from sanctuary cities. The White House has announced a new "Office of Innovation" led by Jared Kushner. And President Trump is expected to announce a major climate change order today.

3/27/17  //  Daily Update

Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act have failed, for now. President Trump's immigration agents are targeting sanctuary cities. A district judge has upheld the revised travel ban. Proposed budget cuts to the State Department have drawn heavy criticism. And President Trump has approved the Keystone XL pipeline.

3/24/17  //  Daily Update

Secretary of State Tillerson has instructed U.S. embassies to increase scrutiny of visa applicants. President Trump's proposed healthcare bill raises the same constitutional concerns that conservatives so vehemently invoked while attacking the Affordable Care Act. Calls continue for a select committee or independent commission to investigate collusion between the Trump Campaign and Russia.