Collected by Meredith Safran:

• Court Removes Restrictions on ICE’s Use of Pepper Spray, for Now The Eighth Circuit granted the Trp administration’s request to block, for the moment, a lower court’s injunction limiting how federal agents interact with protesters in Minnesota www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/us/minnesota-injunction-protest-appeal.html

• Minnesota Judge Blocks DOJ’s Attempt To Charge Don Lemon Trp’s Justice Department went after the independent journalist for covering an anti-ICE protest in St. Paul. www.huffpost.com/entry/don-lemon-minnesota-judge-doj_n_697261a3e4b08d1cc243fd67

• After Alina Habba's exit, more drama in New Jersey prosecutor's office It's the latest challenge to the administration’s attempts to circumvent the Senate confirmation process. www.politico.com/news/2026/01/22/after-habba-more-drama-in-new-jersey-prosecutors-office-00740923

• Jack Smith Warns Americans: The ‘Rule of Law’ Is Just Words Smith also said his team found “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” of Trp's guilt in the election interference cases. https://www.jezebel.com/jack-smith-congress-public-testimony-rule-of-law-trump-indictments-criminal-proof ‘

• Americans Should be Terrified’: Senate Dem Sounds the Alarm On ICE Breaking ‘Down Doors’ Without Warrants www.mediaite.com/media/tv/americans-should-be-terrified-senate-dem-sounds-the-alarm-on-ice-breaking-down-doors-without-warrants/

• Under Trp, workplace harassment can now go unpunished Led by Trp's hand-picked chair, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just made millions vulnerable at work www.salon.com/2026/01/23/under-trump-workplace-harassment-can-now-go-unpunished/

• Minnesota judges keep rejecting arrest warrants for ICE protesters In one case, a federal judge rejected a warrant against a protester who allegedly threw a single egg www.salon.com/2026/01/23/minnesota-judges-keep-rejecting-arrest-warrants-for-ice-protesters/

• Trp’s Week of Stinging Defeats Has an Important Lesson for the Supreme Court slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/01/trump-loser-greenland-halligan-supreme-court-john-roberts-fail.html

• 'Terrifying abuses of power': Judge hears arguments over leadership arrangement at New Jersey prosecutor's office After Trp loyalist Alina Habba stepped down in December, Attorney General Pam Bondi put three people in charge of running the federal office www.politico.com/news/2026/01/23/abuse-of-power-new-jersey-prosecutors-office-00745493

• Complaint accuses Trp’s criminal attorney of “blatant” crypto conflict in his role at DOJ Todd Blanche ordered changes to crypto prosecutions while owning more than $150,000 in digital assets www.salon.com/2026/01/24/complaint-accuses-trumps-criminal-attorney-of-blatant-crypto-conflict-in-his-role-at-doj-partner/

• Judge Denied Warrant For Trp ICE Shooting With Renee Good As ‘Suspect’ https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/ms-scoop-judge-denied-warrant-for-trump-ice-shooting-with-renee-good-as-suspect/

• US Judge Rules ICE Raids Require Judicial Warrants, Contradicting Secret ICE Memo The ruling in federal court in Minnesota lands as Immigration and Customs Enforcement faces scrutiny over an internal memo claiming judge-signed warrants aren’t needed to enter homes without consent. www.wired.com/story/us-judge-rules-ice-raids-require-judicial-warrants-contradicting-secret-ice-memo/

• Judge blocks feds from destroying evidence in Minnesota shooting www.axios.com/2026/01/25/minnesota-shooting-trump-evidence-lawsuit-pretti Court docs reveal new details of alleged assault on Maxwell Frost www.axios.com/2026/01/25/maxwell-frost-assault-punched-sundance-arrest

• How “Bitcoin Jesus” Avoided Prison, Thanks to One of the “Friends of Trp” www.propublica.org/article/bitcoin-jesus-roger-ver-tax-evasion-friends-of-trump

• The Supreme Court will decide whether to turn teachers into informants against their students Plaintiffs from the religious right are asking the Republican justices to seize control of public schools. www.vox.com/politics/476237/supreme-court-religious-right-public-schools-mirabelli-bonta-mahmoud

• How the Supreme Court Made Alex Pretti’s Killing More Likely slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/01/supreme-court-alex-pretti-killing-qualified-immunity.html

• Judges, inundated with immigration cases, don’t mince words on ICE tactics Federal judges in Minnesota are overwhelmed with cases stemming from Operation Metro Surge. www.politico.com/news/2026/01/26/minnesota-immigration-cases-ice-00746275 '

• The Court’s Patience Is At An End': Minnesota Judge Takes 'Extraordinary Step' As Trp Admin Ignores Court Rulings www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-killing-minnesota-monster-storm_n_697745f3e4b084f2a18ef92d/liveblog_6978b190e4b0a848d14f19f6

• Judge Delays Minnesota ICE Decision While Weighing Whether State Is Being Illegally Punished A federal judge ordered a new briefing due Wednesday on whether DHS is using armed raids to pressure Minnesota into abandoning its sanctuary policies, leaving ICE operations in place for now. www.wired.com/story/judge-delays-minnesota-ice-decision-while-weighing-whether-state-was-being-illegally-punished/

• Federal Judge Blocks Deportation Of 5-Year-Old Minneapolis Boy And Father For Now" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-killing-minnesota-monster-storm_n_697745f3e4b084f2a18ef92d/liveblog_69792d12e4b0d0472366c866?origin=home-latest-news-unit

• Minnesota’s chief judge, a veteran in conservative legal circles, takes on ICE The low-key George W. Bush appointee confronting Trump’s immigration tactics ordered the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to his courtroom." https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/27/patrick-schiltz-judge-minneapolis-ice-00750030

• Tazewell judge rules against Virginia Democrats' redistricting amendment" https://www.vpm.org/generalassembly/2026-01-27/ryan-mcdougle-paul-nardo-2026-midterm-elections-maps-lawsuit?utm_source=npr.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=national_highlight&utm_content=homepage

• Judge Revives Wind Farm That Trp Halted Off Martha’s Vineyard The project, known as Vineyard Wind, was already 95 percent complete when the Trp administration ordered construction to stop." https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/climate/judge-offshore-wind-vineyard-massachusetts.html

• Man is released from detention after his case led a judge to order ICE leader into court" https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/01/27/federal-judge-todd-lyons-court-summons-immigration-minneapolis?utm_source=npr.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=national_highlight&utm_content=homepage

• "How long can ICE keep ignoring federal courts? A federal judge just threatened to hold the agency’s leader in contempt." https://www.vox.com/politics/476667/ice-minneapolis-federal-court-charges-contempt-schlitz

• Your friends are still acting like everything is normal in America. What do you do? All Americans live in a “dual state.” Here’s what that means — and how to help others see it." https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/476702/minnesota-minneapolis-ice-ethics-how-to-help

• First Comes ICE, Then Come Lawsuits When a direct path to justice is blocked, states must look for a legal work-around." https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/minnesota-legal-response/685768/