US Congress approves bill restricting federal courts’ use of nationwide injunctions – JURIST
The US House of Representatives approved a bill on Wednesday that would restrict district court judges from issuing nationwide injunctive relief orders to block President Donald Trump’s executive orders from taking effect.
Section 1370(a) of the “No Rogue Rulings Act of 2025” (NORRA of 2025) states that “no United States district court shall issue any order providing for injunctive relief, except in the case of such an order that is applicable only to limit the actions of a party to the case before such district court.” Instead, NORRA of 2025 would offer an alternative approach when two or more states in different court circuits challenge the Trump administration’s executive authority:
[The] case shall be referred to a three-judge panel … The three-judge panel may issue an injunction that would otherwise be prohibited under subsection (a), and shall consider the interest of justice, the risk of irreparable harm to non-parties, and the preservation of the constitutional separation of powers in determining whether to issue such an order.
The bill’s sponsor Republican Congressman Darrell Issa wrote on his official X account, “We took on the activist judges and their rogue rulings. Now it’s on to the Senate to send this to the desk of [Donald Trump].” Issa and other Republican senators have accused federal judges of abusing the court system by legislating from the bench and attempting to de-fund courts by issuing nationwide orders blocking many of Trump’s directives. Democratic senators have taken the opposite stance and have expressed concerns that the Trump administration is weaponizing executive orders in a broader attempt to erode the nation’s fundamental rights and democratic values.
Many district courts in different circuits have issued injunction orders to stop the Trump administration from ending birthright citizenship and to prevent money laundering. However, the US Supreme Court blocked an injunction earlier this week that sought to reinstate 16,000 federal agency jobs after the Trump administration abruptly terminated federal employees to reduce the workforce.
While NORRA of 2025 passed through the US House of Representatives with a 219-213 vote, AP News reported that the Senate will likely vote down the bill without Democrat support.
