Araceli Martínez-Olguín

Rule Changes

Issued order restricting DHS election-related field operations in nine states through Election Day; the order was stayed until 5 p.m. Oct. 23 for a possible appeal.

A federal judge in Miami dismissed a criminal case against a noncitizen accused of illegally voting in 2020 and ruled that 18 U.S.C. § 611, the 1996 law making noncitizen voting a federal misdemeanor, is unconstitutional as applied to her. The Justice Department has appealed to the Eleventh Circuit.

Updated Yesterday

Rule Changes

Issued the preliminary injunction on October 28, 2026

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

Money Moves

As of October 2026: Approved the states' settlement September 30, 2026, ending the antitrust case and clearing the final legal obstacle to the merger. She issued the July 20 TRO that paused the deal.

On October 6, Paramount Skydance completed its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a combined company named Skydance and ending a 13-month bidding war that survived federal and state antitrust challenges. The deal closed after a federal judge approved a settlement with 12 states on September 30, and shares of Skydance began trading on the NYSE under the ticker SKYD.

Updated Oct 9