A federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump unlawfully fired three Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton's decision on Wednesday blocks Trump's attempt to remove the members, affirming that their dismissal was without constitutional authority. The lawsuit, filed by the dismissed board members Travis LeBlanc and Edward Felten, argued that the president lacked the authority to fire them without cause. The board, established post-9/11 to oversee the government's counterterrorism policies and how they comply with civil rights laws, requires a quorum to function effectively, which was compromised by the firings. The board also provides oversight of the intelligence community's activities. This ruling could have broader implications for the Trump administration's control over independent federal agencies, as it challenges the president's ability to remove officials at will and impacts the board's ability to provide bipartisan congressional insight into counterterrorism actions.