In the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term as president, his administration has encountered significant legal resistance. Federal judges have issued more than 70 rulings that have obstructed or paused major elements of Trump’s policy agenda. These decisions have spanned across key areas, including immigration enforcement, birthright citizenship, federal spending, military policy on transgender service members, diversity programs, and retaliatory actions against legal firms.
Legal Challenges to Immigration Measures
Immigration has been a focal point of Trump’s second-term strategy, prompting a surge of litigation. One major ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on April 19 temporarily halted the deportation of Venezuelan detainees who the administration claimed had ties to a criminal syndicate. Their legal representatives disputed these claims, and the Court agreed to delay deportations while judicial review was pending.
Federal judges across several districts have criticized the administration’s reliance on the Alien Enemies Act—a rarely used 18th-century wartime statute—to justify deportations without traditional due process. In at least one case, involving a Salvadoran man who had been mistakenly deported, a judge accused the administration of misleading the court and ignoring an earlier stay on deportations.
In total, courts have issued at least 19 orders blocking or restricting deportation practices, as well as efforts to cut refugee resettlement funding and deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents. However, Trump has scored a handful of legal victories, with judges allowing actions like church-based immigration raids and transfers of migrants to Guantanamo Bay to proceed.
Battle Over Birthright Citizenship
A central point of legal controversy is Trump’s directive that seeks to deny automatic citizenship to U.S.-born children unless one parent is a citizen or permanent resident. This move challenges the 14th Amendment’s clear language guaranteeing birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on the matter in mid-May. Although lower courts issued sweeping nationwide injunctions against the order, the justices have so far refrained from narrowing those rulings.
Federal Spending and Agency Overhaul
Trump’s financial and administrative restructuring efforts have been met with mixed outcomes. Courts have blocked attempts to freeze or claw back large sums of money, such as $20 billion in clean energy grants, $11 billion in public health funds, and research dollars for higher education institutions. Some parts of these judicial blocks remain in effect, despite the administration’s attempts to revise or soften their policies.
At the same time, Trump has advanced his vision of a leaner federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), overseen by prominent business allies. Despite legal setbacks—including court orders reinstating thousands of fired workers and rulings restricting DOGE’s access to sensitive federal databases—the department has proceeded with its cost-cutting mission in several agencies, with some judges supporting the initiative.
Transgender Military and Civil Rights Policies
Trump’s efforts to roll back protections for transgender individuals have also drawn judicial scrutiny. His administration asked the Supreme Court in April to reinstate a ban on transgender service in the military. Federal judges, however, have issued at least 14 orders preventing the enforcement of these and related policies, such as placing transgender inmates in prisons aligned with their birth sex and banning gender-affirming care for minors.
Attacks on DEI and Legal Firms Stalled
Federal courts have temporarily blocked Trump’s executive orders that dismantled diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in government institutions. These orders also sought to disqualify federal grant applicants who implement DEI policies deemed discriminatory. Judges have raised constitutional concerns about these mandates, though litigation is ongoing.
In a separate but related legal front, Trump’s directives targeting law firms, particularly those that have represented clients critical of his policies or been involved in investigations of his conduct, have also been frozen by courts. Judges determined that these orders may amount to unconstitutional retaliation against protected political speech and legal advocacy.
Trade Policy Sparks Legal and Economic Turmoil
Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy has triggered at least seven federal lawsuits. Plaintiffs argue that the president exceeded his constitutional powers by unilaterally imposing tariffs without congressional approval. While one court denied an immediate restraining order against the tariffs, broader decisions remain pending. The administration has already revised some aspects of the tariffs, raising duties on Chinese goods to 145% while temporarily reducing rates for other countries.
Unprecedented Executive Action in First 100 Days
Trump has used executive power at an extraordinary pace. He has signed over 140 executive orders during the early stretch of his second term, significantly outpacing the output of any modern president during the same period. These actions have included sweeping changes to border policy, federal agency structure, and international trade.
Among his notable initiatives is the planned dismantling of the Department of Education. The order, signed on March 20, directs the department to shut down and transfer its essential functions, like Pell Grant and student loan administration, to other agencies. The administration claims this shift will return control over education to states and families while preserving necessary services.
Foreign Policy and Wartime Negotiations
On the international front, Trump has focused heavily on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. He hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February and has repeatedly claimed that he can end the conflict swiftly. He recently stated that a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin could be signed within weeks.
Trump has also taken a hard line on unrest in Gaza, at one point proposing U.S. control over the territory and relocation of its Palestinian residents—an idea that generated international backlash. Domestically, his administration has targeted foreign students and activists involved in political protests, prompting legal action and court interventions.
Restructuring the Bureaucracy Through DOGE
The creation of DOGE has enabled Trump to push ahead with his plan to shrink the federal workforce. The administration has laid off thousands of government employees, especially those involved in oversight and DEI efforts. Although courts have temporarily halted some of these actions, others, such as the elimination of oversight offices and inspector generals, have proceeded.
DOGE’s high-profile director, Elon Musk, has attracted legal scrutiny for demanding public justifications of job performance from federal workers. Judges have split on whether these practices violate labor and constitutional protections.
A Hyperactive 100 Days
The sheer volume of executive action, legal blowback, and public reaction during Trump’s first 100 days has set a new standard for controversy and activity in early presidential terms. Courts have emerged as one of the strongest counterbalances to Trump’s policies, pausing or overturning many initiatives while litigation continues to evolve.
At the same time, Trump has demonstrated that even in the face of legal resistance and political pushback, his administration is determined to reshape American governance, expand presidential authority, and fulfill promises made to his base. The outcome of these battles—many of which are destined for the Supreme Court—will shape the trajectory of his second term.
