Fourth Circuit Sends Immigration Judges’ Free Speech Suit Back to District Court Amid State Department Firings Injunction

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has directed a federal district court to reassess its jurisdiction over administrative claims filed by an immigration judge association. The appellate court sent a free speech lawsuit brought by immigration judges back to the district court, emphasizing that the lower court must first determine whether the relevant law is functioning as intended, particularly in relation to claims that might otherwise be addressed through administrative procedures. This decision provides immigration judges an opportunity to bypass the administrative process in challenging a comments policy. Separately, a judge overseeing a case that halted former President Donald Trump's mass firings at the State Department indicated that the firings likely violate an injunction, underscoring ongoing judicial scrutiny of the administration's personnel actions.