Judge dismisses bid to sue Maryland judges over standing order

A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration’s unprecedented bid to sue Maryland’s entire federal bench over a standing order that temporarily blocked the immediate deportation of migrants challenging their detention. The decision, by U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen, found that suing all 15 Maryland judges and the court itself went beyond established legal pathways and ran counter to long-standing constitutional norms, delivering a setback to the administration’s effort to challenge judicial rulings it contends hinder immigration enforcement.

The standing order in question was issued by Chief Judge George L. Russell III in May and directed a temporary pause on removals for about two days after a migrant filed a petition for habeas corpus challenging detention. The purpose, according to the order, was to preserve due process, protect the court’s jurisdiction, ensure petitioners could participate in proceedings and access counsel, and give the government an opportunity to brief its position. The Justice Department argued the pause violated Supreme Court guidance and undercut the president’s authority to enforce immigration laws.

In a lengthy, 37-page ruling, Cullen...