DHS report disputes threat from banned nations

Analysts at the Homeland Security Department's intelligence arm found insufficient evidence that citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries included in President Donald Trump's travel ban pose a terror threat to the United States. A draft document obtained by The Associated Press concludes that citizenship is an "unlikely indicator" of terrorism threats to the United States and that few people from the countries Trump listed in his travel ban have carried out attacks or been involved in terrorism-related activities in the U.S. since Syria's civil war started in 2011.

Engaging the world through the rule of law

University of Pittsburgh law student Ashley Hogan and I were ready to board our flight to Kuwait when we saw the news. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had refused to stay the injunction imposed by a Seattle federal judge against President Donald Trump's executive order banning the entry of people from seven predominantly Muslim countries into the United States.

Electronic media searches at border crossings raise worry

Watchdog groups that keep tabs on digital privacy rights are concerned that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents are searching the phones and other digital devices of international travelers at border checkpoints in U.S. airports. The issue gained attention recently after at least three travelers, including a Canadian journalist, spoke out publicly about their experiences.

Courts must act with intellectual honesty, political indifference

Over the past weekend, Trump administration officials offered harsh criticisms of the judicial interference with the enforcement of the president's immigration order. The Jan. 27 order suspended the immigration privileges of all refugees from Syria indefinitely and all immigrants from seven designated countries for 90 days.

Trump’s baptism of fire, travel ban shot down

In more than three turbulent weeks at the White House, President Donald Trump has moved quickly to take a string of controversial initiatives. However, he has suffered some stinging setbacks, from a court block of his bar on entry of people from seven Muslim-majority countries to the resignation of his national security adviser.

Washington’s top lawyer uses strategic streak to fight Trump

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, center, speaks with Solicitor General Noah Purcell, left, and Civil Rights Unit Chief Colleen Melody in a hallway before a news conference about a federal appeals court's refusal to ... . Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson speaks at a news conference about a federal appeals court's refusal to reinstate President Donald Trump's ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2... .

Donald Trump has his day in ‘The People’s Court’ on ‘SNL’

On Saturday Night Live , Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump made good on his - and his press secretary's - promise to see the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judges in court. Melissa McCarthy as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer assured the gathered press corps in SNL' s cold open that the president would be taking the fight over his seven-nation travel ban to the most reputable televised court in the land, and the show did not disappoint.

Trump’s Travel Ban Will Need More Than Tweaks to Survive, Experts Say

With the Trump administration reeling after a defeat in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, it is reportedly mulling redrafting the controversial travel ban, whose haphazard implementation sowed chaos across airports and inside the U.S. government, as well as for thousands of U.S. visa holders around the world. But rewriting the order to make it viable against a court challenge will be harder than simply tweaking the language and coordinating with White House counsel.

Trump attacks on judiciary raise safety concerns for judges

This March 12, 2013 file still image taken from United States Courts shows Judge James Robart listening to a case at Seattle Courthouse in Seattle. Online abuse of Robart, who temporarily derailed President Donald Trump's travel ban, has raised safety concerns, according to experts who are worried that the president's attacks on the judiciary could make judges a more inviting target.

Colleagues say judge in Dakota pipeline case is even-handed

The federal judge who will decide whether oil flows through the disputed Dakota Access pipeline has shown sympathy for the historical plight of American Indians, but has also made clear that he doesn't think that should play a role in judicial decisions. U.S. District Judge James "Jeb" Boasberg is overseeing a lawsuit filed by the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux that could be their last hope of stopping the $3.8 billion pipeline to carry North Dakota oil to Illinois.