As the Senate has confirmed even more lifetime federal judges nominated by President Trump this fall, previously confirmed Trump judges and justices have helped produce more than a dozen more rulings that continue to harm our rights and liberties. Most of these cases have upheld action by Trump to undermine the ability of crucial agencies to serve the American people, often despite rulings blocking such action by federal district judges nominated by both parties, including Trump himself. Other subjects include civil rights, immigration, law enforcement abuse, and environmental and consumer issues.
This post highlights 14 of these decisions from September 1 through October 31, 2025. Each case is summarized below, along with a link to the full People For the American Way blog entry on the decision and to the ruling itself. Such rulings demonstrate the importance to all of us of nominating and confirming fair-minded federal judges and the dangers posed by Trump-nominated judges.
APPROVING TRUMP’s DEMOLITION OF CRITICAL AGENCIES’ ABILITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE (8)
- Trump Justices Cast Deciding Votes Again to Stop Billions in Foreign Aid Funding
- Trump Justices Again Cast Deciding Votes to Authorize Firing of Officials Protected by Congressional Statute
- Trump Judge Casts Deciding Vote to Uphold Trump Firing of 25,000 Probationary Federal Employees without Proper Notice to Affected States
- Trump Justices Subject 300,000 Venezuelans to Immediate Deportation
- Trump Judges Reverse Lower Court and Approve Maintenance and Construction at Alligator Alcatraz
- Trump Judges Allow Termination of $16 Billion in Climate Change Grants
- Trump Judge Would Allow Trump to Abuse Wartime Deportation Law
- Trump Judges Reverse Lower Court Trump Judge and Authorize Trump Deployment of National Guard in Portland (NOTE: Reconsideration pending in 9th Circuit)
DISCRIMINATION (2)
- Trump Justices Permit ICE to Resume Stopping and Detaining People Based on Race and Other Discriminatory Factors
- Trump Judges Cast Deciding Votes to Reverse Ruling that Exclusion of Transgender Surgery from Insurance Coverage Violates Federal Discrimination Law
PRISON OFFICIAL ABUSE (2)
- Trump Judges Reverse Lower Court and Direct Granting of Qualified Immunity to Prison Officials
- Trump Judge Casts Deciding Vote to Immunize Guard from Liability for Seriously Injuring Prisoner
