Judge: DOJ may be punishing Abrego Garcia for challenging deportation

• A federal judge in Nashville ruled the Department of Justice’s criminal case against Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia may be a form of punishment against him for legally challenging his abrupt removal to an El Salvador megaprison earlier this year.
  
  
• The judge said Abrego Garcia was entitled to discovery against the Trump administration and a hearing in which he can present evidence on why his case should be tossed for vindictive and selective prosecution.

Federal judge sharply questions DOJ over Trump’s Portland deployment

• A Trump-appointed judge appeared skeptical of the DOJ’s defense of Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Portland, questioning whether the administration’s use of an archaic law meant for foreign invasion or rebellion was justified in the city.

Texas lawmaker testifies GOP used minority communities as ‘pawns’ in new map

• A Texas Democrat testified in federal court that Republican leadership used minority communities as “pawns” when they redrew the state’s congressional map at the request of Trump.

A loss for Wisconsin voters

• A Wisconsin court granted an anti-voting plaintiff's request for a court order compelling the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) to verify the citizenship of applicants registering to vote.
  
  
• The court concluded that the WEC has a duty to verify U.S. citizenship for all voter registration applicants and to review existing voter rolls for non-citizens. WEC and local officials are prohibited from registering anyone without citizenship verification.
  
  
• The parties must develop a plan — using DOT records or other lawful means — to identify ineligible registrants, with the review substantially completed before the next statewide election.

Praising Republicans? You've got to be kidding!

• Stop grading Republicans on a curve. There are no Republican heroes in the fight for democracy. Staying grounded in the truth is essential — our democracy depends on it.

Coming up Monday

• It’s an order day at the U.S. Supreme Court and we’re watching for a case where Republicans are asking SCOTUS to weigh in on whether individual legislators can sue state and federal executive officials who alter federal elections rules in conflict with state election laws passed by the legislature.
  
  
• Trial begins in a lawsuit challenging voter roll maintenance practices in Harris County, Texas.
  
  
• The 9th Circuit will hear anti-voting group Public Interest Legal Foundation’s request to revive its lawsuit seeking access to Hawaii’s voter rolls. 

AND NOW FOR THIS WEEK’S GOOD NEWS

Voters push back against DOJ lawsuits for data

• The DOJ has filed lawsuits in numerous states demanding access to voter data. Voters in Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and New York have intervened in these lawsuits to fight back against the breach of privacy. 

SCOTUS lets Gov. Lisa Cook stay on Fed board for now

• SCOTUS allowed Federal Governor Lisa Cook to remain in her post until it hears her dismissal attempt case in January. Trump tried to fire Cook over unproven, disputed allegations, but lower courts — and now SCOTUS — have blocked him, citing the Fed’s unique independence from executive control.

Federal judge removes Trump loyalist from top prosecutor role in Nevada

• A federal judge ruled that Trump loyalist Sigal Chattah has been unlawfully serving as Acting U.S. Attorney in Nevada since July, finding that her extended tenure violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. This is the second time courts have disqualified Trump’s hand-picked loyalists from top prosecutorial posts.

Federal judge finds Trump illegally targeted noncitizens for their speech

• U.S. District Judge William Young slammed the Trump administration for unconstitutionally targeting noncitizens who expressed politically protected speech. In a scathing opinion, Young condemned DHS, ICE and State Department officials for weaponizing immigration law to suppress dissent.

Federal judge blocks Trump cuts to counterterrorism funding to blue states

• A federal judge stopped the Trump administration from slashing millions in counterterrorism grants to Democratic-led states, calling the cuts “slapdash” and unlawful. The ruling protects critical resources from being used as partisan leverage and ensures funding continues to flow based on security needs, not Trump’s agenda.

Federal judge rebukes mass firings at VOA, USAGM

• A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate 532 full-time Voice of America and United States Agency for Global Media employees, condemning the agency’s leadership — especially acting CEO Kari Lake — for showing “concerning disrespect” toward court mandates. The ruling preserves VOA’s workforce and forces the government to explain how it will comply with prior injunctions

Court affirms makers of far-right propaganda film defamed Georgia voter

• A federal judge ruled against the creators of the election-denying film 2000 Mules, finding that they defamed Georgia voter Mark Andrews by falsely accusing him of committing voter fraud in their film and book. The court noted the defendants never had evidence Andrews was paid, visited drop boxes multiple times or retrieved ballots from nonprofits. The case will now go to trial on the remaining claims.

Judge taps special master to redraw Alabama map, enforce fair district

• A federal judge appointed a special master to draw a new state Senate map for Alabama’s 2026 elections after ruling the existing map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The remedy must include a majority-Black district in the Montgomery area. The court ordered the special master to submit a remedial plan by October 24.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirms voter rights in mail-ballot error case

• Pennsylvania’s highest court found that Washington County election officials violated voters’ due process by rejecting mail-in ballots over technical defects, like missing signatures or dates, without notifying the voters. Counties in the state must now alert affected voters of any errors so they can challenge the rejection or cast a provisional ballot.