<p><strong>Docket Alerts:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard led a raid on the Fulton County Election Hub and Operating Center in Atlanta. ProPublica got <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26513986-1-28-26-fulton-warrant/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the warrant</a>. Mo Ivory, a Democratic commissioner for Fulton County, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DUEZYDNEdUS/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">breaks it down</a> on Instagram.</p><p><br></p><p>In Chicago, Marimar Martinez has <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487595/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487595.100.0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">moved</a> to unseal evidence from DOJ’s failed effort to prosecute her for <em>getting shot by ICE</em>.</p><p><br></p><p>Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/ice-officers-minnesota-directed-not-interact-with-agitators-new-orders-2026-01-29/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reports</a> that Marcos Charles, the top official in ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division, issued new guidance instructing ICE to target only immigrants who have been arrested or convicted of crimes. This would be a huge improvement, but DHS won’t comment.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Main Show:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Once again, this is all the Supreme Court’s fault. Specifically, its rulings in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a931_2c83.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>J.G.G. v. Trump</em></a> and <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a884_8n59.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Trump v. CASA</em></a> led directly to the mayhem in Minnesota. First the Court forced immigrants challenging their detention to file thousands of individual habeas cases. And then they drastically limited the power of federal judges to issue relief when it “discovered” that nationwide injunctions are illegal. </p><p><br></p><p>The Trump administration took this as an invitation to break the law, irrespective of how many courts tell them not to, on the theory that <em>CASA</em> means precedent doesn’t count any more. DHS dummied up a <a href="https://www.aila.org/library/ice-memo-interim-guidance-regarding-detention-authority-for-applications-for-admission" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">memo</a> saying that <em>actually</em> everyone without a green card must be held indefinitely. This is a gross misstatement of the law, as literally <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/05/trump-administration-immigrants-mandatory-detention-00709494" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hundreds of courts</a> have already ruled. But the Trump administration says because of <em>CASA</em>, they can continue to lock up people who’ve lived here for decades, checking in with DHS, working, paying taxes, and taking care of their families.</p><p><br></p><p>Judges are deluged with habeas petitions, which differ from each other only in the particulars of the cruelty being visited upon the individual immigrant. After ICE failed to obey a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.230171/gov.uscourts.mnd.230171.4.0_4.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">court order</a> to release a habeas petitioner, Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz in the District Court of Minnesota <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.230171/gov.uscourts.mnd.230171.7.0_1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ordered</a> Todd Lyons, the Acting Director of ICE, to either release the guy or show up and explain why he shouldn’t be held in contempt of court. </p><p><br></p><p>ICE released the petitioner, but Judge Schiltz was still furious. He published a list of <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.230171/gov.uscourts.mnd.230171.10.1_2.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">96 violations</a> of court orders in January alone — and that’s only in Minnesota! Thanks, Chief Justice Roberts!</p><p><br></p><p>On the plus side, Judge Schiltz’s colleague Judge John Tunheim issued a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.230526/gov.uscourts.mnd.230526.41.0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TRO</a> ordering ICE to release every refugee detained under the erroneous memo and quit kidnapping them and spiriting them away to Texas.</p><p><br></p><p>And for subscribers, we’ll discuss the Ninth Circuit’s <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.444868/gov.uscourts.cand.444868.369.0_14.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ruling</a> that bars Kristi Noem from unilaterally canceling temporary protected status for a million Venezuelans and Haitians.</p><p><br></p><p>Hundreds of judges reject Trump’s mandatory detention policy, with no end in sight</p><p><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/05/trump-administration-immigrants-mandatory-detention-00709494" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/05/trump-administration-immigrants-mandatory-detention-00709494</a></p><p><br></p><p>Fulton County Election Hub Warrant</p><p><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26513986-1-28-26-fulton-warrant/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26513986-1-28-26-fulton-warrant/</a></p><p><br></p><p>Marimar Martinez Motion to Unseal</p><p><a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487595/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487595.100.0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487595/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487595.100.0.pdf</a></p><p><br></p><p>Exclusive: ICE officers in Minnesota directed not to interact with 'agitators' in new orders</p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/ice-officers-minnesota-directed-not-interact-with-agitators-new-orders-2026-01-29/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.reuters.com/world/ice-officers-minnesota-directed-not-interact-with-agitators-new-orders-2026-01-29/</a></p><p><br></p><p><em>J.G.G. v. Trump</em></p><p><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a931_2c83.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a931_2c83.pdf</a></p><p><br></p><p><em>Trump v. CASA</em></p><p><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a884_8n59.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a884_8n59.pdf</a></p><p><br></p><p>Tobay Robles v. Noem</p><p>https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72120823/tobay-robles-v-noem</p><p><br></p><p>Judge Tunheim TRO</p><p><a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.230526/gov.uscourts.mnd.230526.41.0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.230526/gov.uscourts.mnd.230526.41.0.pdf</a></p><p><br></p><p>Show Links:</p><p><a href="https://www.lawandchaospod.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lawandchaospod.com/</a></p><p>BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod</p><p>Threads: @LawAndChaosPod</p><p>Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>