U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Rule Changes

Issued three orders on the stay within about 12 hours, ending with the 6-5 en banc ruling

The Justice Department sent California and Los Angeles County a list of about 20,000 registered voters on October 13 and asked officials to set aside their ballots. Both refused. On November 4, an 11-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit ruled 6-5 that the department may keep asking, and may keep warning that counting a challenged ballot is a federal crime.

Updated 2 days ago

Rule Changes

Kept the injunction in place through Election Day; the appeal continues

The Ninth Circuit kept its block on Homeland Security's pre-election voter questioning in place through Election Day, and the legal fight is continuing. A majority of the full court declined to rehear a three-judge panel's refusal to pause the injunction; seven judges dissented. The blocked program, which the government calls the Unlawful Voter Initiative, had sent agents to homes in nine states.

Updated 5 days ago

Rule Changes

As of June 2026: En banc panels heard Baird v. Bonta (June 3, 2026) and Rhode v. Bonta (March 25, 2026); both decisions pending

The Supreme Court issued two Second Amendment rulings in June 2026, both expanding gun rights. On June 25, Wolford v. Lopez struck down Hawaii's rule barring licensed gun carriers from entering businesses without advance property-owner permission—a decision that also applies to similar laws in California, New York, Maryland, and New Jersey.

Updated Jun 26

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Ruled against DHS; case may proceed to Supreme Court

Venezuela received Temporary Protected Status in 2021, shielding hundreds of thousands from deportation. In January 2025, newly appointed Secretary Kristi Noem moved to terminate it—an action federal courts have blocked as exceeding her authority.

Updated May 26

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Affirmed contempt finding but narrowed and remanded key remedy elements

On December 11, 2025, the Ninth Circuit mostly backed the trial judge's contempt finding that Apple played games with the anti-steering injunction. But the court clipped parts of the punishment — the same pattern this case keeps producing: Apple complies in a way that protects the money, and Epic comes back yelling "that's not compliance."

Updated May 15