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美国最高法院驳回邮寄选票新规 特朗普遭遇司法重挫

2026年9月15日 11:06 / 联合早报

美国司法部紧急申请撤销波士顿联邦地区法院法官塔尔瓦尼针对邮寄选票的一项裁决，这项申请9月14日被最高法院驳回。 （路透社）

美国最高法院拒绝允许美国邮政总局执行邮寄选票新规，这对美国总统特朗普试图在11月中期选举前限制邮寄投票的努力造成打击。

路透社报道，美国司法部紧急申请撤销波士顿联邦地区法院法官塔尔瓦尼（Indira Talwani）针对邮寄选票的一项裁决，这项申请星期一（9月14日）被最高法院驳回。

塔尔瓦尼法官的裁决阻止美国邮政总局在各州及投票权团体提起法律诉讼期间执行邮寄选票新规。特朗普3月签署一项旨在收紧邮寄选票规则的行政命令。上个月，美国邮政总局在特朗普的授意下采纳了这些新规。

最高法院星期一发布简短的命令说：“政府对地区法院临时禁令提出的上诉，基于实质理由不太可能获得支持。”

在星期一的裁决中，仅有阿利托（Samuel Alito）和托马斯（Clarence Thomas）两位保守派大法官表示异议，其余大法官均未公开提出异议。美国最高法院现由六位保守派和三位自由派大法官组成，保守派占绝对多数。

目前在国会参众两院仅握有微弱多数的共和党在中期选举面临苦战。多项民调显示，限制邮寄选票将对共和党有利，因为民主党选民选择邮寄选票的比例显著高于共和党选民。

根据邮寄选票新规，各州必须向邮政总局提供邮寄选票接收人名单，并统一采用邮政总局批准、带有专属条形码的寄出与回寄信封。对于不符合新规或选民未出现在名单上的选票，邮政总局有权拒绝寄送。

批评者指出，随着11月3日投票日临近，邮寄选票新规可能会扰乱数以千计的合法选票投递。此外，鉴于许多州已计划在近期向合格选民寄出选票，新规势必会引发混乱。

特朗普政府则辩称，新规旨在防止选民欺诈，尽管此类欺诈行为的证据少之又少。

塔尔瓦尼法官9月4日颁布禁令暂缓执行邮寄选票新规。她认定，根据美国宪法，选举事务应由各州自行管理，因此邮寄选票新规很可能违宪。她还说，鉴于中期选举已迫在眉睫，各州在时间上根本无法落实邮寄选票新规。

Blanche defends mail ballot changes, says election practices in multiple states are being probed

September 14, 2026 / 9:25 PM EDT / CBS News

By Nicole Sganga

Nicole Sganga Homeland Security and Justice Correspondent

Nicole Sganga is CBS News’ homeland security and justice correspondent. She is based in Washington, D.C., and reports for all shows and platforms.

Attorney General Todd Blanche fiercely defended the Trump administration’s push to impose tighter mail voting rules just before the midterm elections, telling CBS News in an exclusive interview that the Justice Department is examining election practices in multiple states.

When asked for evidence that the administration’s new mail voting rules — which are on hold due to a series of court orders — would prevent fraud, the attorney general initially said that “there’s a lot of evidence,” arguing that it was inherently the case that “if you’re using mail-in voting, the potential for fraud is greater than in-person voting with ID.”

Pressed further on what evidence he had that mail voting presents a greater risk of fraud than in-person voting with identification, Blanche maintained there is “a lot of evidence.” Asked what the evidence was, he responded, “Well, it’s common sense.”

The attorney general went on to say the government is looking at “multiple states,” adding that the review extends far beyond the Justice Department.

The comments come as the administration faces several overlapping court fights over its election policies. A federal judge in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction earlier this month blocking the Postal Service from enforcing new rules for mail ballots, and a second federal judge blocked the policy on Sunday.

On Monday evening, the Supreme Court declined the administration’s request to lift Massachusetts-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani’s injunction, leaving the new restrictions blocked for the upcoming midterm elections. The court’s order still falls short of resolving the legality of the rule, and the litigation will continue.

The rule, adopted Aug. 21, requires that states provide the Postal Service with lists of mail ballot recipients and issue USPS-approved ballot envelopes carrying unique barcodes. According to the new regulation, USPS could refuse to transmit ballots that fail to meet those requirements.

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Documented election fraud, including mail-ballot fraud, does occur, but researchers have found it to be rare. For instance, a 2024 Stanford study of roughly 4.5 million voters in Washington state found only 14 ballots that might have been suspiciously cast after a voter’s death — about 0.0003% — and determined that even those cases could include matching or clerical errors. A broader 2025 analysis of the 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 elections found roughly four identified cases of mail-ballot fraud for every 10 million mail ballots cast, resulting in an average rate of 0.000043%.

Over the past several months, the Justice Department has also told 29 states and D.C. to preserve 2024 election records, and is now suing for voter-registration data containing sensitive identifiers. The department has also acknowledged in litigation that unredacted voter data could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security for citizenship checks.

Pressed on those efforts to obtain voter-registration data, Blanche said, “We have hundreds of open investigations into people who are here illegally and who potentially and, in many cases, they’ve been charged with voting.”

“So, we have hundreds of ongoing investigations where we have identified people who are here illegally or are otherwise not eligible to vote, that have voted,” he added. “We have some of them [who] have been charged. Some of those investigations are ongoing.”

Asked whether information collected from states would be placed into a database, Blanche said he was “not aware of a database,” but acknowledged that information being collected would have to be stored and used by agencies within the federal government.

“So, yeah, I mean, … we’re not going to just do it and leave it in an office and say, you know, so be it,” Blanche said. “So, we would use it to help us understand whether there’s people here voting who shouldn’t be voting.”

美国最高法院驳回邮寄选票新规 特朗普遭遇司法重挫

2026年9月15日 11:06 / 联合早报

美国司法部紧急申请撤销波士顿联邦地区法院法官塔尔瓦尼针对邮寄选票的一项裁决，这项申请9月14日被最高法院驳回。 （路透社）

美国最高法院拒绝允许美国邮政总局执行邮寄选票新规，这对美国总统特朗普试图在11月中期选举前限制邮寄投票的努力造成打击。

路透社报道，美国司法部紧急申请撤销波士顿联邦地区法院法官塔尔瓦尼（Indira Talwani）针对邮寄选票的一项裁决，这项申请星期一（9月14日）被最高法院驳回。

塔尔瓦尼法官的裁决阻止美国邮政总局在各州及投票权团体提起法律诉讼期间执行邮寄选票新规。特朗普3月签署一项旨在收紧邮寄选票规则的行政命令。上个月，美国邮政总局在特朗普的授意下采纳了这些新规。

最高法院星期一发布简短的命令说：“政府对地区法院临时禁令提出的上诉，基于实质理由不太可能获得支持。”

在星期一的裁决中，仅有阿利托（Samuel Alito）和托马斯（Clarence Thomas）两位保守派大法官表示异议，其余大法官均未公开提出异议。美国最高法院现由六位保守派和三位自由派大法官组成，保守派占绝对多数。

目前在国会参众两院仅握有微弱多数的共和党在中期选举面临苦战。多项民调显示，限制邮寄选票将对共和党有利，因为民主党选民选择邮寄选票的比例显著高于共和党选民。

根据邮寄选票新规，各州必须向邮政总局提供邮寄选票接收人名单，并统一采用邮政总局批准、带有专属条形码的寄出与回寄信封。对于不符合新规或选民未出现在名单上的选票，邮政总局有权拒绝寄送。

批评者指出，随着11月3日投票日临近，邮寄选票新规可能会扰乱数以千计的合法选票投递。此外，鉴于许多州已计划在近期向合格选民寄出选票，新规势必会引发混乱。

特朗普政府则辩称，新规旨在防止选民欺诈，尽管此类欺诈行为的证据少之又少。

塔尔瓦尼法官9月4日颁布禁令暂缓执行邮寄选票新规。她认定，根据美国宪法，选举事务应由各州自行管理，因此邮寄选票新规很可能违宪。她还说，鉴于中期选举已迫在眉睫，各州在时间上根本无法落实邮寄选票新规。

US NTSB says one-third of FAA answers to safety recommendations are ‘unacceptable’

2026-09-14T22:14:39.986Z / Reuters

By David Shepardson

September 14, 2026 10:14 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

An American Airlines airplane takes off near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River,outside Washington, U.S., January 31, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said responses by the Federal Aviation Administration to 11 of 33 recommendations made by the board after ​a 2025 mid-air collision killed 67 people near Washington were “unacceptable” and failed to address safety ‌concerns.

The January 2025 collision of an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in more than two decades.

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The NTSB said the FAA had not agreed to mandate a key safety ​system known as ADS-B In, which was one of the board’s recommendations.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the ​system could have given the passenger plane pilot an alert 59 seconds before the ⁠collision and the helicopter crew 48 seconds before the collision.

“How many more decades have to go by before ​we again and again and again have to recommend it after terrible tragedy?” Homendy told Reuters.

Homendy and families from ​some of those killed in the collision will again urge Congress on Tuesday to pass legislation to address the causes of the accident.

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FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told Reuters in July the FAA could move forward on ADS-B without action from Congress but would ​prefer direction from lawmakers.

In a letter seen by Reuters detailing its responses to the safety board on Tuesday, ​the FAA said it is reviewing helicopter routes in six major cities, has completed reviews of routes in four cities, and ‌has issued ⁠a directive to keep planes and helicopters separate.

The NTSB said Monday the FAA did not indicate if it intends to write rules to require ADS-B In.

The safety board makes recommendations and then issues status updates on its push to convince regulators to make changes. It labels them unacceptable if the agency disagrees with the recommendation, offers ​an alternative the NTSB finds ​would not address the ⁠concern, or fails to take action in a timely fashion.

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In January, the NTSB found systemic failures by the FAA led to the 2025 collision, the worst U.S. aviation disaster since ​2001. It said the accident was caused by the FAA’s decision to allow helicopters to ​travel close ⁠to the airport with no safeguards to separate them from airplanes and its failure to review data and act on recommendations to move helicopter traffic away from the airport.

The U.S. House of Representatives in April voted 396-10 to pass a ⁠sweeping ​aviation safety reform bill to address dozens of recommendations, while a rival ​bill known as the ROTOR Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously in December but needed a two-thirds majority in the House to pass ​under fast-track rules and it fell one vote short.

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Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Nick Zieminski and Stephen Coates

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

A frail-looking McConnell returns to the US Senate after three-month absence

2026-09-14 23:22:06 UTC / Reuters

By Reuters

September 14, 2026 11:22 PM UTC Updated 19 mins ago

[1/5]U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to reporters outside the Senate Chamber after he returned to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 14, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Republican Senator Mitch McConnell returned to the U.S. Capitol on Monday after a three-month absence spent recuperating from a fall in his Washington home that had ​raised questions about his fitness to serve in Congress.

“I must admit. After ‌two years of – decades, actually – dodging your questions, I wasn’t sure how many of you would be here today. But I’m glad to see you. Time to get back to work, finish the ​job for this Congress,” the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican told reporters from a wheelchair ​outside the Senate chamber.

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Looking frail and speaking in a voice that sometimes ⁠faltered, McConnell said he was determined to work to pass new farm legislation, aid ​U.S. relations with NATO and counter Russian aggression in Ukraine. He ignored a reporter who ​asked if he intended to serve out the remainder of his Senate term, which ends in January. He then entered the chamber to vote for a Republican judicial nominee.

A longtime Republican Party leader who in ​2025 announced his plan to retire from the Senate after the 2026 midterms, McConnell had ​been out of public view since mid-June, when he was taken from his home to a hospital ‌in ⁠the Washington area for reasons that went undisclosed for weeks.

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McConnell later said he suffered a fall that left him briefly unconscious. While hospitalized, he developed pneumonia and was treated with antibiotics, according to a separate statement that McConnell’s office attributed to the attending physician. He ​was released from a ​rehabilitation center in ⁠early August.

The episode marked the latest in a series of health problems that have raised concerns about McConnell’s capacity to serve in ​the Senate, an institution long known for the advanced age of ​its members. ⁠The median age is just under 65 for the current Senate and just under 58 for the House of Representatives, according to Pew Research Center.

Earlier on Monday, McConnell issued a ⁠statement acknowledging ​that he was “not quite back to 100%” but adding ​that he had assured Senate Majority Leader John Thune that he would “do my best to be present for ​tough votes.”

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Reporting by David Morgan and Christian Martinez; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Lincoln Feast.

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Texas moves to penalize data centers for water violations

2026-09-14T21:26:55.917Z / Reuters

By Laila Kearney

September 14, 2026 9:26 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

The steel frame of data centers under construction during a tour of the OpenAI data center in Abilene, Texas, U.S., September 23, 2025. REUTERS/Shelby Tauber/Pool/File Photo

NEW YORK, Sept 14 (Reuters) – The governor of Texas, one of the world’s fastest-growing ​regions for artificial intelligence infrastructure, directed state ‌regulators on Monday to penalize data centers that fail to disclose details about their water consumption.

Texas, ​which halted the connection of new data ​centers to the state electrical grid pending ⁠a review of the facilities’ power and ​water use, among other issues, is undergoing an ​overhaul of the way it regulates the server warehouses.

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Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Water Development Board ​to “impose legal consequences” on data centers and ​other large water-consuming entities to comply with water use ‌reporting ⁠requirements.

“Major water users, including data centers, appear to have committed civil and criminal violations through failure to provide TWDB with required information ​about water ​usage,” Abbott’s ⁠office said in a statement.

The Texas water regulator is attempting to ​survey data centers about their water ​use ⁠and expected consumption. If the data center fails to return the survey by the deadline, ⁠it ​will be denied new ​or renewed environmental permitting needed for the facilities.

Reporting by Laila ​Kearney in New York, Editing by Franklin Paul

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

In loss for Trump, US Supreme Court won’t let Postal Service restrict mail ballots

2026-09-14T23:39:49.656Z / Reuters

A mail-in ballot, during the Pennsylvania primary election, is displayed in this illustration picture taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Hannah Beier/Illustration/File Photo

• Summary

• Postal service rule would implement Trump’s mail-in ballot order
• Two lower-court judges have blocked USPS mail-ballot rule
• Trump administration says rule would prevent voter fraud
• Evidence of US voting fraud is rare

Sept 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to let the U.S. Postal Service enforce a rule targeting mail-in ballots, dealing a setback to President Donald ​Trump’s effort to restrict voting by mail ahead of November’s midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

The justices denied the Justice Department’s request to lift ‌a ruling by Boston-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani that blocked the Postal Service from enforcing the measure while legal challenges by states and voting-rights groups proceed. The agency adopted the measure after Trump issued a March executive order aimed at tightening rules governing mail voting.

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“The government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge to the District Court’s preliminary injunction,” the court said in its brief, one-paragraph order.

Justice Samuel Alito, ​joined by fellow conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, dissented from Monday’s decision, comparing some of the challengers’ claims to a “Hail Mary pass” that is “unlikely to be successfully completed,” using ​a football analogy.

“The Postal Service has broad authority to regulate the mail,” Alito added.

No other justice dissented publicly. The court has a 6-3 ⁠conservative majority.

Trump’s fellow Republicans are locked in a tight battle to retain control of Congress in the midterms. Restricting mail-in ballots would stand to benefit Republicans given that Democratic voters disproportionately ​use mail-in ballots, according to various surveys.

Another federal judge, Washington, D.C.-based U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, also ruled against the new rule on Sunday.

Under the new rule, states would have to provide lists ​of mail ballot recipients to the Postal Service and use agency-approved outbound and return ballot mail envelopes outfitted with unique barcodes. The Postal Service could then refuse to send out ballots that do not comply with the new standards or are associated with voters who do not appear on the lists.

Critics have said the plan could disrupt the delivery of thousands of legitimate ballots as the November 3 vote approaches and cause chaos ​given imminent plans by many states to send out mail ballots to eligible voters. The administration has said the new rule will prevent voter fraud, though evidence of such fraud is ​rare.

Trump signed his executive order targeting mail-in ballots after years of casting doubt on their security, though he often votes by mail himself. Trump has made false claims of widespread fraud in U.S. elections ‌including his 2020 ⁠loss to former Democratic President Joe Biden.

The administration in a September 6 emergency request urged the Supreme Court to allow it to implement an “important federal policy to protect the mails from being used to commit voter fraud.”

STATES CHALLENGED THE RULE

A coalition of states, most of them Democratic-governed, and Washington, D.C., as well as a number of voting-rights groups, challenged the new USPS rule.

Talwani imposed an injunction on September 4 blocking the rule, finding that it likely violated the U.S. Constitution, under which states administer elections. Talwani also said it would be impossible for the states to comply ​given the rapidly approaching midterms.

The Boston-based 1st ​U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused last Thursday ⁠to put Talwani’s order on hold. The 1st Circuit said that the rule “will likely result in the disenfranchisement of millions of voters across the country while providing minimal — if any — gains in combating voter fraud.”

Nichols granted a request from the Democratic Party and groups including the NAACP ​for a preliminary injunction blocking the rule. Nichols wrote that the rule could make it harder for some people to vote by mail ​and that it exceeded ⁠the Postal Service’s authority.

“No statute grants the Postal Service the power to issue key parts of the rule,” Nichols wrote.

All 50 states allow for some form of mail-in voting. Of those, 29 states allow voters to ask to cast ballots by mail without providing a reason, and eight conduct their elections entirely by mail.

The battle over mail ballots is one in a series of efforts by the ⁠administration to boost ​federal involvement in voting ahead of the midterms. On August 24, the Supreme Court lifted an earlier injunction imposed ​by Talwani in June blocking Trump’s executive order, including the USPS rule before it had been finalized.

Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Additional reporting by John Kruzel in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham

Trump approval up from record low, but outlook sours for Republicans, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

2026-09-14T20:35:42.947Z / Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump waves at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, U.S., September 9, 2026. REUTERS/Callaghan O’Hare Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Democrats lead Republicans 44% to 37% in congressional vote preference
• Trump’s approval rating rises to 35% from 33%
• Some 63% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s proposed $5,000 dividend, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows

WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) – President Donald ​Trump’s public approval rating rose from a record low, while Americans voiced growing support for Democrats gaining ‌power in the U.S. Congress in a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken in the days after the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention last week.

The four-day poll showed 63% of Americans – including four in 10 Republicans and nine in 10 Democrats – disapproved of Trump’s offer made in his ​convention speech that he would ensure all Americans get a $5,000 dividend if Republicans retain control of the ​U.S. Congress in November’s midterm elections.

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The survey gathered responses from 1,143 Americans nationwide and had ⁠a margin of error of 3 percentage points in either direction.

Some 35% of Americans give Trump a thumbs ​up for his performance in the White House, up from 33% in an August 28 to 31 Reuters/Ipsos poll, the ​lowest of his political career.

Trump’s popularity has declined since he launched a war on Iran in February that has disrupted oil shipments from the Middle East and pushed fuel prices near record highs, hitting U.S. household finances. Since the war started, Trump’s Republicans have ​also lost some support, and in recent weeks have lost their longtime edge as the better party for ​economic policy.

DEMOCRATS’ ELECTORAL EDGE

Asked which party they would vote for if the congressional elections were held today in what is known as ‌a generic ⁠ballot poll, 44% picked Democrats and 37% picked Republicans. The 7-point gap was the widest since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. For Republicans, losing control of either chamber could complicate Trump’s agenda in the last two years of his term.

Generic ballot polls are national polls that provide an overall view of which party ​poll respondents want to see ​in charge in Congress. ⁠While these polls provide a view of national public sentiment, they do not capture all the nuances of the state-by-state and district-by-district contests that determine control of the U.S. ​Senate and House of Representatives, contests in which Republicans hold some structural advantages.

Voters ​picked Democrats over ⁠Republicans as the better stewards of the economy – 38% to 37% – with Democrats gaining that edge over the summer for the first time in about a decade.

Trump’s construction projects throughout the U.S. capital – including a ballroom for the White House – ⁠were largely ​polarizing and viewed through a partisan lens, with 91% of Democrats ​in the survey saying they opposed the plans, compared to one in four Republicans who were against them.

Some two-thirds of Americans – including half of ​Republicans – considered the construction projects to be a low priority.

Reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell

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Jason Lange is a Washington correspondent focused on political data. Send tips to jason.lange@thomsonreuters.com

US aims to issue deep-sea mining permits within months, Interior Secretary Burgum says

2026-09-14 22:30:58 / Reuters

HOUSTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) – The Trump administration on Monday signaled it is nearing approval for permits to mine the deep sea, part of a broader push to boost U.S. access to the critical minerals used across much of the country’s economy.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during a gathering of G20 energy ministers in Houston that permits could come within months as the administration pursues a strategy of “energy addition” to expand supply chains for the country and allies.

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Since returning to office last year, President Donald Trump has taken steps to bolster the nascent deep-sea mining industry, although he has yet to issue operational permits for it to proceed.

The specter of seabed mining being allowed to commence has alarmed many environmentalists due to concern it could cause irreversible biodiversity loss.

Parts of the Pacific Ocean and elsewhere are estimated to contain large amounts of potato-shaped rocks known as polymetallic nodules that contain the building blocks for electric vehicles, weapons and electronics.

“Those nodules that we just have to go out and vacuum up off the (sea) floor are filled with these critical minerals that we need,” Burgum said. “And of course, part of that is assuring that we’ve got diverse, secure, affordable supply of critical minerals.”

U.S. access to critical minerals — especially those processed by Chinese companies — has dwindled in the past 18 months as Beijing has limited exports. That, in turn, has ratcheted up pressure on Washington to support efforts to boost domestic mining.

When asked when the federal government could issue deep-sea permits, Burgum said: “Those discussions are going on right now,” adding that, “You’ll be hearing more in the weeks and months ahead because there’s some exciting developments that are coming on that front.”

Burgum’s Interior Department oversees the Marine Minerals Administration, which must approve any permits to mine U.S. territorial waters.

The MMA review process would start with a lease sale to give private companies exclusive access to mine part of the seabed. That would be followed by a process to consider an operational permit, which would take into account a range of scientific data.

Separately, Trump aims to have the Commerce Department issue international permits, a step that could set up a clash with the United Nations-backed International Seabed Authority, which has been trying to set standards for more than 25 years.

Companies that have formally asked for seabed mining permits include The Metals Company

(TMC.O)
and privately held Impossible Metals. Several others have applied for exploration permits.

Obama, Biden judges draw fresh fire as Trump’s immigration court clashes heat up: ‘Almost impossible’

September 14, 2026 6:00pm EDT / Fox News

Mullin criticized federal judges blocking Trump immigration policies on birthright citizenship and visa processing

By Ashley J. DiMella Fox News

Mullin weighs in on Obama, Biden judges amid Trump’s immigration court fights

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News Digital that Biden-appointed judges are “almost impossible” to work with as immigration enforcement battles intensify.

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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is drawing a distinction between the federal judges he says the Trump administration can work with and those he says are “almost impossible” to deal with, singling out judges appointed by President Joe Biden as the administration continues to fight immigration battles in federal court.

“We find judges, for the most part, honestly, that we can work with in almost every area. But you’ve got some of the judges that were appointed underneath Obama and definitely, if they’re appointed by Biden, they are almost impossible to work with,” said Mullin on the sidelines of the RNC Midterm Convention on Thursday.

Mullin’s comments come as the Trump administration has repeatedly run into federal judges over its immigration policies, including recent rulings involving birthright citizenship and immigrant visa issuance. But while those court fights have received significant attention, Mullin offered a broader assessment of the judges he believes are most difficult for DHS to work with, specifically pointing to judges appointed by Biden — and, to a lesser extent, Obama.

WHITE HOUSE RIPS ‘ACTIVIST’ BIDEN JUDGE WHO UPENDED TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER

Former US presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden shake hands during the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois, on June 18, 2026.(Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

In April, Biden-appointed Judge Brian Murphy blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary protected status for more than 5,000 Ethiopians, while in September, Biden-appointed Judge Deborah Boardman blocked enforcement of Trump’s August executive order limiting birthright citizenship, finding the order likely unconstitutional.

Mullin said immigration cases should be “cut and dry,” arguing that they ultimately come down to whether an individual entered the country legally and has the proper paperwork.

He compared the issue to homeownership, asking whether someone has “the deed of the house you’re living in” and whether they legally own it.

Mullin also criticized state and local officials in blue states for limiting cooperation with ICE detainer requests, including in cases in which DHS alleges that detainees are violent criminals, drug dealers or known terrorists.

“It makes absolutely zero sense,” Mullin said.

Beyond the court system, DHS is also facing battles with elected leaders in blue cities and states.

SPANBERGER’S ICE RESTRICTIONS DEALT MAJOR SETBACK AS JUDGE WARNS OTHER BLUE STATES

Sec. Mullin speaks to Fox News Digital at the RNC midterm convention in Dallas, Texas.(Fox News Digital)

“Virginia is out of control right now. I mean, when you start looking at the great state of Virginia, who had a great governor in Governor Youngkin … and now what they have, they canceled their 287(g) programs, they’re not allowing any cooperation with ICE or any of DHS’s law enforcement push to make sure we get the criminals off our streets,” said Mullin.

Within weeks of taking office, Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger directed the state’s law-enforcement agencies to terminate their existing 287(g) agreements with ICE, which her administration said placed participating officers under federal supervision to conduct civil immigration enforcement.

Mullin claimed that 50% of recent deaths in Fairfax County were “at the hands of an illegal.”

“I’ve said this multiple times, every death that happens at the hands of an illegal is 100% preventable. So why the governor of Virginia, why they wouldn’t participate with us being DHS and forcing our nation’s laws and getting their criminals off the streets make no sense,” he said.

DHS BOSS REVEALS OVAL OFFICE PLAN TO ‘WITHHOLD FUNDING’ FROM SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER AGGRESSIVE NEW YORK BUST

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) New York field office on Sept. 1, 2026, in New York City, New York.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Still, Mullin said the Trump administration would not force blue cities to accept federal assistance, arguing that DHS would remain ready to help communities that request it.

“What we’re not gonna do is force our way in. You’re gonna have to decide that,” Mullin said, leaving the decision to individual communities.

In Danbury, Connecticut, the City Council amended its police hiring ordinance to allow lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply to become police officers.

“I don’t understand how you can be in law enforcement and yet you have no legal status. I just don’t know what, in some of these very liberal towns and liberal states, what are they thinking,” said Mullin.

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“They’re prioritizing criminals over law-abiding citizens. We are a nation of laws, and either we respect them or we don’t,” he added. “What separates us from a third world country is we don’t believe in lawlessness and when you came in this country illegally, you chose to skip the line because we have a legal process.”

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.