U.S.
Supreme Court Rules Border Officers Need Only 'Reason to Believe' to Reclassify Returning Green Card Holders at the Border
The 6-3 ruling in Blanche v. Lau holds that border officers need only 'reason to believe' a crime was committed — not clear and convincing proof — before shifting the burden of admissibility onto a returning permanent resident.
D.C. Circuit Reinstates Nationwide Expedited Removal Program in 2-1 Decision, Overturning Lower Court Block
A divided federal appeals court ruled that DHS may fast-track the deportation of undocumented migrants caught anywhere in the United States who cannot prove two years of continuous presence — no immigration court hearing required.
Federal Judge Orders DOJ and DHS Not to Threaten or Coerce Election Workers Over Noncitizen-Voting Claims Through Nov. 16
Judge Trina Thompson granted a temporary restraining order to unions and civil rights groups, finding they are likely to win their Voting Rights Act intimidation claim; the Justice Department says warning people about criminal exposure is not a threat.
Hegseth Fires Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, Joint Staff's Top Planner; Pentagon Says He Leaked Classified Iran and Ukraine Information and Refers Case to Justice Department
A Pentagon statement says Sylvia failed three polygraph tests. Outside attorneys say publicizing those results may itself break the Privacy Act. Colleagues say Sylvia has denied leaking, and he has not commented publicly.
Federal Judge Bars Immigration Stops Based Solely on Apparent Ethnicity or Class Across Seven Southern California Counties; Administration Appeals
Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued a preliminary injunction on Oct. 23, 2026, and partially certified a class. The order requires individualized reasonable suspicion and exempts ports of entry and border checkpoints. DHS says its agents follow the law, and the government filed a notice of appeal on Oct. 28.
Leak Site Posts Records on More Than 41,000 DHS Personnel, Including Some Undercover ICE Investigators
A hacker group calling itself the "Department of Peace" says it took the data through DHS's single sign-on login system; DHS says it is working to address a "potential breach," and Okta says its own systems were not compromised.
Supreme Court Declines to Block Texas–Justice Department Deal That Bars Immigration Judges From Pausing Deportation Cases
In a one-sentence order on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with no explanation and no public dissent, the justices turned down three cities and an immigrant legal aid group, leaving in place a June settlement that bars "administrative closure" while an appeal continues.
San Juan River Tops Its 1909 Record at Farmington; About 1,500 Homes Damaged as Trump Signs Emergency Declaration for Northern New Mexico
The river crested Friday and Bluff, Utah, lifted its evacuation order Monday, while officials across the Four Corners now face sewage-tainted mud, closed roads and a recovery bill New Mexico's governor puts as high as $300 million.
Judge Rules Justice Department Unlawfully Fired Prosecutor Maurene Comey, Orders Back Pay for July to December 2025
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman held that the July 2025 firing broke the Civil Service Reform Act and the separation of powers, and he rejected the administration's Article II argument; the Justice Department says it will appeal.
Ninth Circuit Rules 2-1 That Trump Likely Exceeded His Authority in Federalizing California Guard for 2025 Los Angeles Deployment
A divided appeals panel upheld an order returning the Guard to Gov. Gavin Newsom and applied the Supreme Court's December 2025 interim ruling in the Chicago Guard case, after refusing the Justice Department's request to drop the appeal.
Supreme Court Lets New Hampshire Reject Student IDs at the Polls for Nov. 3 Election; Jackson Dissents
The court's emergency order cited the Purcell principle against late changes to election rules and paused a lower-court order. It did not decide whether New Hampshire's policy is constitutional.
Obama Rallies for Acton in Cleveland, Criticizes Ramaswamy Ad Featuring Her Estranged Mother
The Republican campaign's $4 million ad has Donna Arthur calling her daughter a liar about her childhood; 1978 court records show Acton's stepfather was indicted for sexual conduct with her as a child, and Ramaswamy says the ad is about lying, not abuse.