Already, President Trump’s administration has been sued over his executive orders in court 41 separate times, a record for any president.

In addition to the lawsuits, several restraining orders have already been issued against Trump’s actions by federal judges, including a judge appointed by Trump himself.

These include restraining orders against: Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze, cutting off funding for Head Start, school meal programs, access to SNAP and WIC program benefits, and halting critical medical research.

There is Trump’s DOGE access to the Treasury Payment System. Some experts are calling this DOGE action the largest digital data breach in U.S. history, with millions of Americans’ social security numbers, Medicare health histories, bank account numbers, and financial records having potentially been exposed. There are doubts now about the system’s vulnerability to future hacking attempts.

Also contested is Trump’s order ending Birthright Citizenship, in contravention of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, nominated to the bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, said in blocking Trump’s order that “it has become ever more apparent that, to our president, the rule of law is but an impediment to his policy goals. The rule of law is, according to him, something to navigate around or simply ignore, whether that be for his political or personal gain. Nevertheless, in this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow.

“I said this two weeks ago, and I’ll say it again today: There are moments in the world’s history when people look back and ask, ‘Where were the lawyers, where were the judges?’ In these moments, the rule of law becomes especially vulnerable,” Judge Coughenour said, “I refuse to let that beacon go dark today.”

Pat Gotschalk

Waikapū