by Ariana Figueroa, Arkansas Advocate
June 25, 2025

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice in an unusual move has filed a lawsuit against all the judges in the federal court in Maryland, in an attempt to block the court’s two-day pause on deporting immigrants who challenge their detention in the state.

The action by the Trump administration represents the DOJ’s latest clash with the judicial branch, and one that may be repeated in other states. Holds on deportations have slowed the administration’s aggressive plans for mass deportation of people without permanent legal status, on the grounds of due process.

“Every unlawful order entered by the district courts robs the Executive Branch of its most scarce resource: time to put its policies into effect,” according to the complaint. “In the process, such orders diminish the votes of the citizens who elected the head of the Executive Branch.”

The complaint by DOJ argued that a standing order from Chief Judge George Russell of the District Court of Maryland is “nothing more than a particularly egregious example of judicial overreach interfering with Executive Branch prerogatives—and thus undermining the democratic process.”

In late May, Russell signed a standing order to halt deportations for two days in an effort to accommodate the sudden high volume of habeas corpus claims filed outside of normal court business hours. A habeas corpus claim allows immigrants to challenge their detention.

The Trump administration argues that the order stymies federal immigration enforcement and acts as a preliminary injunction or temporary retraining order without meeting the threshold and is therefore unlawful.

“Inconvenience to the Court is not a basis to enter an injunction, and filings outside normal business hours, scheduling difficulties, and the possibility of hurried and frustrating hearings are not irreparable harms,” according to the complaint.

The Department of Justice has also asked that the judges recuse themselves from the case, and that either the 4th Circuit hear the case or a judge randomly selected from another district.

Abrego Garcia case

The Maryland court in Greenbelt has halted several immigration-related moves by the Trump administration, with the most high-profile case handled by Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the return of the wrongfully deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia who was sent to a prison in El Salvador.

The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled the Trump administration must facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia. The Maryland man was brought back earlier this month, but to face federal charges on human smuggling that were filed after he was wrongfully deported and courts ordered his return.

The Maryland case is still ongoing, as Xinis is allowing discovery to determine if the Trump administration refused to comply with her order to return Abrego Garcia.

Another judge, Theodore David Chuang, in February partly granted a request from Quakers and other religious groups to limit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s authority to conduct immigration enforcement in houses of worship.

Last updated 4:22 p.m., Jun. 25, 2025

Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.

The post Trump administration sues entire court bench in Maryland over pause in deportations appeared first on arkansasadvocate.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This article reports on legal conflicts between the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts and federal courts, highlighting judicial actions that have challenged aggressive deportation policies. The tone reflects a critical view of the administration’s approach by emphasizing court rulings protecting due process and immigrant rights. While it presents the administration’s legal arguments, the focus on judicial pushback and cases like Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s underscores concerns about executive overreach and humanitarian issues, which aligns with a Center-Left perspective favoring checks on immigration enforcement and protection of immigrant rights within the legal system.

SUMMARY: The Chickamauga Nation released an archaeological study highlighting concerns over a proposed state prison site in Franklin County. The study identified historic farmsteads, potential burial sites, ceremonial markings, and indigenous settlements, indicating the land’s cultural and religious significance. Using LiDAR, satellite imagery, and site visits, the tribe found evidence suggesting sacred Native American landmarks. Tribal leader Justin Flanagan emphasized that the tribe, with treaty rights, must be involved in any archaeological review, though the state has not officially recognized them. The tribe urges halting construction until comprehensive archaeological and environmental studies are completed, while the Department of Corrections awaits contract approvals to advance further surveys.

The Chickamauga Nation  says a proposed new state prison in Franklin County could threaten culturally and historically significant land.

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by Ainsley Platt, Arkansas Advocate
June 24, 2025

Arkansas’ political leaders have described feelings of concern and a heightened attention to safety following the murder of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband earlier this month. 

Former Minnesota House Speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said appeared to be “a politically motivated assassination.” Law enforcement officers arrested Vance Boelter on June 15. He faces charges for their murders and for shooting Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife who are expected to recover, according to the Minnesota Reformer.

Arkansas House Speaker Rep. Brian Evans, R-Cabot, said he knew Hortman and attended a number of events with her last year.

“It was just a very surreal moment … Just knowing that one of my colleagues, how quickly life could change for one of us,” he said. 

The Advocate spoke to elected officials of both parties, and most said they weren’t afraid for their safety. However, Evans said the act of violence would not and could not be ignored.

“In today’s climate, ensuring safety is not just a precaution, it’s a responsibility,” he said. 

Since the shooting, the addresses for many Arkansas legislators have been removed from the general assembly’s website, as first reported by the Arkansas Times. 

Efforts have been made in recent years to improve security at the Arkansas State Capitol by increasing Capitol Police presence around the grounds and within the complex’s buildings, he said.

Little Rock Republican Sen. Mark Johnson said state lawmakers have security at the Capitol, but once they walk outside, they’re exposed.

“Crazies know no boundaries,” Johnson said. “I have never had any fear for my own safety or that of my family because I’m in the Legislature, but it’s a wake up call that maybe I should just be a little more careful.”

Benton Republican Sen. Kim Hammer said he and other lawmakers have felt safer since the Legislature decided during last year’s fiscal session to have Capitol Police handle security at the Multi-Agency Complex building, Big MAC for short, instead of paid contractors.

Hammer said everyone should condemn violent acts, and that he wouldn’t live in fear of potential threats.

“It’s not the first time in history that elected officials have been targeted,” he said. “You go back to when they [Republican Congressmen] were playing ball on a ballfield. They were targeted. You go back to the head of the Democratic Party here in Arkansas. He was murdered.”

A gunman opened fire on Congressional Republicans practicing for a charity baseball game in Virginia in 2017. Democratic Party of Arkansas Chair Bill Gwatney was murdered by a gunman at the state party’s headquarters in 2008.

Everyone the Advocate spoke with condemned the shootings, including Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. When contacted for comment, her office pointed to a social media post where Sanders said she was “heartbroken” to hear of what happened. 

“Violence has no place in our democracy,” she wrote. “Bryan and I are praying for the victims and their families.”

Secretary of State Cole Jester’s spokesperson Samantha Boyd said in an email that security was a top priority, and that events such as what happened in Minnesota “certainly intensify concerns and our push for urgency.” At the same time, Boyd said law enforcement was striking a balance between security and public access.

Meanwhile, Jester himself condemned the shootings while touting security funding approved by legislators during the session.

“​​Since the first day I took office, we have been taking action to harden the physical infrastructure of the State Capitol against the kind of despicable actions we saw in Minnesota,” Jester wrote in an emailed statement. “We are thankful to the legislature for giving us funding to do so this spring. Further, we have expanded the State Capitol Police and strengthened their training regimen. Evil is real, and we stand ready to fight back.”

Even with increasing polarization nationally, Evans and other Arkansas legislators highlighted the cordial relationships between lawmakers, regardless of their party affiliation. Those relationships and the example it sets are part of the reason why political polarization has not taken greater root within the state’s legislative body the way it had in other states, they said.

“I do think that more people buy into the lack of civility; they believe that’s just how it is,” Evans said. “You see it a lot with freshman members when they come in now. They’re used to seeing what’s happening on the national news and the national scene, and they think everything’s about a soundbite or whatever.”

A week after political assassination, democracy group tries to chart a way forward

Evans said that most legislators, however, quickly adapt to the body’s dynamics by the end of their first session.

House Minority Leader Rep. Andrew Collins of Little Rock and Senate Minority Leader Sen. Greg Leding of Fayetteville agreed that Arkansas’ Legislature was less polarized than in other states. But the Democrats also expressed greater concern about threats of physical violence against elected officials.

Leding said charged rhetoric from legislators when pushing their bills — especially those framed as “protecting vulnerable kids” — contributes to the problem.

“It could easily plant the idea in someone’s head that there are left-leaning people out there who are targeting children,” he said.

When people interact online, Collins said it seems more extreme than if that same interaction happened in-person. He and other lawmakers from both parties agreed that the conversations surrounding politics were more heated now than before.

“You never know what sends someone into that mindset or into that form of rage that triggers them to take this type of action, as has happened in Minnesota,” Evans said.

Immediately following the assassination, Evans said the House’s security director began a risk assessment. Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, said on Friday that those conversations had not yet happened for the Senate. 

Hester said that “crazy people are going to do crazy things” and that once people set their mind to committing violence and are willing to give up their lives to do so, there wasn’t much that could be done.

Leding took issue with this characterization. 

When lawmakers repeatedly demonize vague enemies like “the radical left,” Leding said, it emboldens people to take actions that would otherwise be unthinkable.

“It is deeply irresponsible to just blanket all violence or lay all violence at the feet of people suffering with mental health issues. That is just shrugging off the responsibility of the language we use,” Leding said. 

Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.

The post Arkansas legislators reflect on polarization, safety after murder of Minnesota lawmaker appeared first on arkansasadvocate.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This content provides a balanced account of a recent politically motivated shooting, including perspectives from Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Arkansas. It highlights concerns about political violence without emphasizing partisan blame, instead focusing on calls for civility, increased security, and mutual condemnation of violence across the political spectrum. The article presents viewpoints from both parties on the causes and responses to political threats, maintaining a neutral tone throughout the piece.