The Numbers
As of May 2025, federal courts had entered more than 200 orders stopping Trump administration actions across 128 cases. Judges allowed contested policies to proceed in just 43 cases. That is a loss rate north of 75% — across judges appointed by presidents of both parties.
The administration lost 72% of rulings issued by Republican-appointed judges and 80% from Democratic appointees. About 24% of the judges who blocked administration policies were appointed by Trump himself or other Republican presidents. This is not a partisan bench. It is a pattern of lawlessness meeting a system designed to stop it.
“Agencies may not conduct large-scale reorganizations and reductions in force in blatant disregard of Congress’s mandates, and a President may not initiate large-scale executive branch reorganization without partnering with Congress.”
— Judge Susan Illston, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
The Tracker
Sorted by policy area. Status reflects most recent court action as of May 2026.
| Policy Area | What Was Blocked | Court | Judge | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immigration | Birthright citizenship executive order | D. Mass. / D.N.H. | Sorokin / Laplante | Blocked; SCOTUS limited scope of injunctions but kept core block; cert granted Dec 2025 |
| Immigration | Mandatory detention (700+ rulings) | Multiple districts | 225+ judges | Blocked in most cases |
| Federal Workforce | Mass firing of probationary employees | N.D. Cal. | Judge Alsup | Blocked; ordered rehiring at six agencies; SCOTUS paused order |
| Federal Workforce | DOGE-driven reorganization and RIFs | N.D. Cal. | Judge Illston | Blocked; SCOTUS stayed injunction July 2025 |
| Federal Workforce | DOGE access to OPM personnel data | S.D.N.Y. | Judge Cote | Blocked; appeals court lifted injunction Aug 2025 |
| DEI | Anti-DEI executive orders (3 provisions) | D. Md. | District court | Initially blocked Feb 2025; Fourth Circuit vacated injunction Feb 2026 |
| Education | Dismantling Department of Education | Multiple | Multiple | Initially blocked; SCOTUS paused injunction July 2025 |
| Education | Dear Colleague letter on racial discrimination | D.N.H. | District court | Blocked April 2025 (two separate courts) |
| Healthcare/Research | NIH indirect cost cap (15%) | D. Mass. / 1st Cir. | Judge Kelley | Blocked; upheld on appeal Jan 2026; Congress restored funding |
| Voting | Citizenship proof for voter registration | D.D.C. | Judge Kollar-Kotelly | Permanently blocked (multiple provisions) |
| Military | Transgender military service ban | W.D. Wash. / D.D.C. | Settle / Reyes | Blocked by 3 judges; SCOTUS lifted injunctions May 2025 |
| Foreign Aid | $4B foreign aid funding freeze | D.D.C. | Judge Ali | Blocked; D.C. Circuit reversed; SCOTUS allowed withholding |
| Energy | Wind and solar permitting restrictions | D. Mass. | Judge Casper | Blocked April 2026 |
Where the Supreme Court Steps In
Lower courts block. The administration appeals. The Supreme Court intervenes on the emergency docket — the busiest in modern history.
The Court limited universal injunctions in June 2025, saying single judges cannot block policy nationwide. Plaintiffs adapted by filing class actions, and judges like Laplante certified nationwide classes to restore the same practical effect.
On the transgender military ban and DOGE reorganization, the Court sided with the administration. On NIH funding and birthright citizenship, the blocks held.
Which Policy Areas Face the Most Resistance
Immigration and federal workforce cases account for the largest share of injunctions. Courts block most often where the administration bypassed congressional authority — freezing appropriated funds, firing employees outside civil service law, or rewriting constitutional provisions by executive order.
The administration wins more at the Supreme Court level and in standing challenges (the D.C. Circuit tossed the foreign aid case on standing). The Fourth Circuit’s DEI reversal shows appellate courts are not uniformly hostile. But no modern president has faced this many judicial blocks this early in a term. The courts are enforcing basic structure: Congress appropriates money, the Constitution defines citizenship, and civil service law protects workers from political purges.
What You Can Do
- Track the cases. Just Security and Lawfare maintain live litigation trackers.
- Support your AG. State attorneys general are leading the largest share of these cases. Check the AG Lawsuit Scoreboard to see if your state is fighting.
- Watch the Supreme Court docket. Birthright citizenship oral arguments are expected before July 2026. That ruling will define executive power for a generation.
- Contact your senators through the Rule of Law hub to demand congressional oversight of executive orders that courts keep blocking.