A federal judge has expanded a legal block (injunction) on one of former President Donald Trump’s executive orders. The order targeted the law firm WilmerHale, accusing it of being harmful to U.S. interests and trying to ban its employees from federal government work.
What Happened?
Back in March, Trump signed an executive order called “Addressing Risks from WilmerHale.” The law firm quickly responded by filing a lawsuit to fight back.
In May, Judge Richard J. Leon ruled in favor of WilmerHale, calling the executive order unconstitutional. He said the government could not punish the firm this way. His ruling was firm and strongly worded, even using 27 exclamation points to show his disagreement with the order.
Why the New Ruling?
Even though the judge had already ruled the order was invalid, the government still wasn’t informing all its agencies to stop enforcing it. The court’s original ruling only applied to 51 federal agencies named in the lawsuit. So, WilmerHale asked the court to make it even clearer that the ruling applies to all U.S. agencies.
This week, the judge agreed and updated his ruling. He said that every federal agency and officer must follow the decision and treat the order as completely void.
What the Judge Said
The judge explained that if agencies don’t know about the ruling, they might still try to act on Trump’s order. So, to avoid confusion or “injustice,” he made the ruling apply to the whole federal government.
He also criticized the government for refusing to tell all agencies about the court’s decision, even after being asked by the law firm.
In short, the judge told the Trump administration that it had no reason to complain. The ruling was clear: the executive order is unconstitutional and no agency should try to enforce it anymore.
What’s Next?
This updated order ensures that no federal agency can punish WilmerHale or its employees based on Trump’s original executive order. It strengthens the law firm’s victory and gives a clear message to the entire government.
