Sep 18, 2026
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled 10-5 to dismiss a lawsuit against Jackson, Mississippi, affirming that residents do not have a constitutional right to safe or lead-free drinking water. The decision affects the city of approximately 150,000 residents that has faced ongoing water safety issues.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled 2-1 against the Trump administration's policy of detaining immigrants without bond hearings, marking the ninth consecutive federal appeals court to reject the policy. With all circuits now having ruled against ICE, the Supreme Court is expected to take up the case in its next term.
Texas Republican leaders are advancing efforts to restrict birth tourism, coinciding with legal challenges to a Trump administration executive order targeting birthright citizenship. The state-level push comes as the federal policy encounters obstacles in court.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton are targeting businesses they say encourage noncitizens to come to Texas to give birth for citizenship purposes, while Rep. James Comer raised similar concerns during a House hearing on birthright citizenship. The efforts come as Trump's executive order on the issue faces legal challenges.
The Trump administration lost two additional sanctuary city cases last week, continuing a pattern of legal setbacks in this policy area. However, the administration also secured an unusual victory in sanctuary city litigation.
The US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the federal constitution does not provide a right to clean drinking water, dismissing a lawsuit from Mississippi residents over lead-contaminated water. The divided court's decision also found no constitutional right to accurate information from public officials.
France's Constitutional Council ruled against legislation that would have banned social media for children under 15, citing infringement on freedom of expression. The law, backed by President Emmanuel Macron and approved by lawmakers in July, was France's first attempt at such a ban in Europe.
Four leading US human rights organizations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, challenging its sanctions regime and campaign against the International Criminal Court as unconstitutional. The groups accuse the administration of using 'crippling' sanctions to undermine global justice efforts.
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on August 6, 2026, attempting to limit birthright citizenship through a narrower approach targeting children of foreign lobbyists and tourists, weeks after the Supreme Court struck down his initial, broader attempt to curtail the constitutional guarantee.
A federal judge in Texas ruled that registration and approval requirements for firearm suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns under the National Firearms Act are unconstitutional, following a July 2025 tax reduction to $0 that undermined the law's original tax-based justification from 1934.
Missouri's Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a citizens' petition seeking a statewide vote on new GOP-drawn congressional districts backed by President Trump, calling the effort unconstitutional. Supporters have filed suit to force the referendum onto the ballot.
A coalition of 25 states, primarily Democratic-led, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday challenging new tariffs on dozens of countries, arguing they are an unlawful pretext to replace import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February 2026.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Montgomery County, Maryland on August 3, 2026, challenging Bill 23-26, which prohibits carrying firearms within 100 yards of places of worship, parks, libraries, and other locations. The DOJ alleges the law violates the Second Amendment and conflicts with the Supreme Court's decision in Wolford v. Lopez.
Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala was released from prison on Friday after the Constitutional Court overturned his 15-year sentence for money laundering related to the Odebrecht corruption scandal. The court ruled that campaign funding he received as a presidential candidate did not constitute a crime.
The British Columbia Supreme Court has ruled that provincial laws allowing forced psychiatric treatment of involuntary patients without assessing their capacity to consent are unconstitutional, giving the government six months to reform the legislation. The court found B.C. is an outlier among provinces for granting mental health facilities unilateral power to treat people against their will without independent oversight.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Maryland over a new immigration law, claiming it obstructs Trump administration enforcement authority. This adds to growing tensions between the federal government and blue states over immigration policy.
U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne issued a preliminary injunction blocking Virginia's measure that would have banned law enforcement officers from wearing masks, ruling it was an unconstitutional attempt to regulate the federal government. The injunction came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump's executive order that sought to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily, affirming the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
The Trump administration has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to permit the detention of immigrants arrested in its enforcement crackdown without the opportunity to seek bond, even for those who have resided in the country for years. The request comes amid a split among federal appeals courts, with five circuits ruling 3-2 against the administration's policy.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to strike down a Hawaii law that required gun owners to obtain permission from property owners before carrying firearms in stores, hotels, and other privately-owned public spaces. Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the conservative majority that the law 'severely hampers' Second Amendment rights.
Trump administration officials are refusing to follow specific congressional directives on foreign aid spending, likely in violation of the law according to legal experts, escalating tensions between the executive and legislative branches.
The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday petitioned the Supreme Court to hear a challenge to a Texas law mandating that all public school classrooms display the Ten Commandments. The civil liberties group, representing parents from various faiths, argues the requirement violates constitutional protections.
The Ark Encounter and Mike Johnson are commemorating the tenth anniversary of their successful legal battle against the State of Kentucky over alleged religious discrimination and First Amendment violations related to the Christian organization's operations.