September 1, 2025
Courts
September 2025
August 2025
U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick on Friday widened a court order that bars the Trump administration from withholding federal funds from cities with sanctuary policies, including Seattle. The new ruling extends protections to 34 additional jurisdictions such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Denv...
August 25, 2025
Democratic AGs sue DOJ over crime victim funds — Twenty-one attorneys general, including Washington’s, filed suit to block the federal government from tying $1.4 billion in Victims of Crime Act grants to immigration enforcement.
August 18, 2025
Washington sues Trump administration over $9M in climate funding cuts — State AG says loss of NOAA funds jeopardizes programs preparing communities for wildfire, flooding, and other climate impacts.
August 18, 2025
Judge rules Medicaid data can’t be used in immigration crackdowns — The injunction protects records in 19 states, including Washington, where leaders argued the practice violated privacy and federal law.
August 4, 2025
Washington joins 21‑state lawsuit challenging USDA over SNAP data rule — The coalition argues the new directive requiring five years of personal data on recipients violates privacy laws and exceeds federal authority.
August 4, 2025
Court dismisses lawsuit targeting Washington’s trans youth protections — A 9th Circuit panel upheld a lower court ruling, finding parents and groups challenging the 2023 law lacked standing to sue.
Seattle is suing the Trump administration to block two executive orders that city officials say threaten local diversity, equity, and LGBTQ+ protections. The lawsuit, announced Thursday by Mayor Bruce Harrell and City Attorney Ann Davison, was filed in federal court in the Western District of Washin...
July 2025
July 28, 2025
Judge halts WA law on priest confessions — A federal judge blocked a new mandate requiring Catholic priests to report child abuse learned in confession, ruling it violates First Amendment religious freedoms.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has formally asked a federal judge to end the Seattle Police Department’s consent decree, the oversight agreement that has shaped local policing since 2012. City leaders say years of reforms have met all federal requirements, including improved use-of-force policies and...