Trump-Appointed Judges Reject Administration Immigration Lawsuit, Threaten Contempt Over VOA

A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump dismissed the Justice Department's unprecedented lawsuit against all 15 federal district judges in Maryland, criticizing the administration for its confrontational approach and lack of proper standing. The lawsuit challenged the Maryland court's delay of deportations, which the administration argued hindered immigration enforcement, but the judge ruled that the dispute was a political matter best resolved through existing judicial oversight mechanisms rather than litigation against individual judges. In Wisconsin, a federal judge ruled that Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan cannot claim immunity from criminal charges for allegedly obstructing ICE agents during an immigration enforcement operation, emphasizing that her actions went beyond official judicial duties. Separately, a federal judge threatened to hold Kari Lake, a Trump loyalist and Senior Advisor for the US Agency for Global Media, in contempt for failing to comply with an order to reinstate Voice of America's programming, which President Trump had effectively shut down. The judge expressed frustration with evasive responses from government lawyers and noted that the administration's shutdown of the broadcaster likely violated constitutional and federal funding laws. These cases highlight ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the judiciary over immigration enforcement and media operations.