On June 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against all sitting judges of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, challenging their use of automatic, court-wide injunctions that block the removal or status change of detained immigrants who file habeas corpus petitions. The lawsuit argues that these standing orders are unlawful because they grant automatic relief without judicial review, bypass legal standards for issuing injunctions, and exceed the court’s jurisdiction under federal immigration law.
The government asserts that the orders interfere with the executive branch’s authority over immigration enforcement and violate procedural rules by acting as de facto local rules without proper notice or approval. The complaint seeks to have these orders declared unlawful and permanently barred from enforcement.