Trump, Biden Shape Federal Judiciary with Divergent Legacies

President Donald Trump has threatened to ban mail-in ballots nationwide, a move criticized as desperate and unlikely to be legally feasible since election laws are controlled by states and can only be changed at the federal level by Congress. California, which heavily relies on mail-in voting, would be particularly affected if such a ban were possible. Meanwhile, Trump's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected gang members has faced legal challenges, with courts questioning the president's authority to unilaterally define conditions justifying the act, a case headed to the Supreme Court that raises concerns about executive overreach. On the judiciary front, President Joe Biden set records for diversifying federal judicial appointments, while the incoming Trump administration is expected to continue appointing ideologically conservative judges, often vetted by the Federalist Society, potentially impacting the federal bench's composition. These developments highlight ongoing tensions between executive actions, legal constraints, and the shaping of the judiciary under successive administrations.