President Donald Trump’s administration faced four legal setbacks in just a few hours. Federal judges blocked or at least allowed challenges to important White House actions on immigration and use of executive power, according to Newsweek. In addition, Supreme Court justices hinted at difficulties for his attempt to limit birthright citizenship.
One major setback occurred in Boston. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that the administration unlawfully removed legal status from migrants who entered the United States using the Biden-era CBP One app.
This policy change affected over 900,000 parolees after the Department of Homeland Security instructed them to leave the country in April 2025. Burroughs stated that the government had not followed the legal steps needed to revoke that status.
After Trump came to power, he pulled down the historic East Wing of the White House to erect a $400M ballroom. The National Trust for historic preservation, consequently went to court accusing him of exceeding his authority by interfering with the White House.
Yesterday the… pic.twitter.com/y1VYjAoVhS
— ONJOLO KENYA🇰🇪 (@onjolo_kenya) April 1, 2026
Earlier that day, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington halted Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project. He ruled that the President could not move forward without congressional approval.
This case arose from a lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation after the administration pushed ahead with plans to replace the East Wing site with a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Leon noted that the president is the “steward” of the White House, not its owner, and found no federal law granting Trump the authority to carry out the project on his own.
The administration also lost an attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the American Bar Association concerning Trump’s executive orders targeting major law firms. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ruled that the ABA had enough evidence to support claims of unlawful retaliation related to law firms’ legal work, diversity policies, and political ties.
The lawsuit challenges measures such as limiting lawyers’ access to federal buildings, revoking security clearances, and threatening government contracts involving firm clients. Four other judges had already blocked similar orders in cases brought by individual firms.
At the Supreme Court, Trump did not receive an official ruling on Wednesday, but the justices expressed skepticism about his executive order that seeks to limit birthright citizenship. During the arguments, several justices, including some conservatives, questioned the administration’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment and the real-world implications of denying citizenship to some children born in the United States.
GORSUCH: Do you think Native Americans are birthright citizens under your test?
SAUER: Ah, I think … so. I have to think that through. pic.twitter.com/9OxV0ZBlRi
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 1, 2026
The order, which Trump signed on his first day back in office, had already faced blocks from lower courts, and the justices are expected to issue a decision by June.
Overall, these developments added to a growing list of legal challenges that have hindered or complicated significant parts of Trump’s second-term agenda. The cases relate to many of the administration’s main priorities, such as immigration enforcement, presidential power, the restructuring of federal institutions, and pressure on lawyers and firms that oppose government action.
The White House and Justice Department have already taken steps to counter some of these cases. The Justice Department filed an appeal regarding the ballroom dispute, and DHS criticized the Boston immigration ruling as an instance of judicial interference in border policy. In the law firm case, the administration claimed that the ABA lacked standing, a point the judge rejected for now.
This series of unfavorable decisions came as Trump personally attended Supreme Court arguments in the birthright citizenship case. This notable move highlighted how vital the courts have become to the future of his policy agenda.
