President Donald Trump has been busy this week, signing a series of executive orders nearly every day. However, federal courts have pushed back, blocking or pausing significant parts of his agenda.
One of Trump's initial executive orders aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born to immigrants on U.S. soil has been halted twice this week by judges in Maryland and Seattle.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour, appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, asserted, "Citizenship by birth is an unequivocal constitutional right. The president cannot change, limit, or qualify this constitutional right via executive order."
The Department of Justice has already appealed the ruling, while President Trump criticized the judge's decision.
"They put it before a certain judge in Seattle, I guess, right? And there are no surprises with that judge," Trump stated this week.
Additionally, a freeze on federal funding ordered by Trump was put on hold by two federal judges. The Trump administration ultimately rescinded the freeze after lawsuits were filed, although some groups contend they have yet to receive promised funds.
Buyouts for federal workers have also been placed on hold, as a federal judge blocked the buyouts pending another hearing scheduled for Monday. More than 2 million government employees faced a Thursday night deadline, communicated via an email from Elon Musk, to accept deferred resignations. The email from the head of the Department of Government Efficiency instructed workers to respond with the word "resign" in order to receive payment through September. A White House official told Scripps News that more than 65,000 federal employees had already accepted.
In another legal setback, an executive order targeting transgender inmates encountered issues this week. A federal judge blocked the Bureau of Prisons from transferring transgender women to men's prisons.
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