Grassley Moves to End Rogue District Judges Blocking Trump’s Orders Nationwide [WATCH]

Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa is continuing his push to end the use of nationwide injunctions by federal district judges, a practice he says is a clear overreach of judicial authority.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Grassley, who serves as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reaffirmed his support for the Judicial Relief Clarification Act (JRCA), legislation designed to curb the ability of federal judges to issue universal injunctions—rulings that block federal actions nationwide, not just within the judge’s jurisdiction.

“Universal injunctions are an unconstitutional abuse of judicial power,” Grassley said.

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The senator pointed to a recent example as evidence of the issue’s urgency.

“Just this past week, a D.C. district judge issued a universal injunction blocking the president’s executive order requiring voter ID or proof-of-citizenship prior to voting in national elections,” he told Fox News Digital.

Grassley argued such decisions undermine the separation of powers, saying, “Judges are not policymakers. Allowing them to assume this role is very dangerous.”

His remarks come as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments on May 15 in a case involving the Trump administration’s attempt to reinterpret birthright citizenship—a case that could have broad implications for the future use of nationwide injunctions.

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The lawsuit challenges the longstanding precedent set by the 1898 Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which determined that a child born on U.S. soil to foreign parents is a U.S. citizen under the 14th Amendment.

The Trump administration has argued that this provision was originally intended to apply specifically to the children of freed slaves—not to all children born to non-citizen parents.

Federal judges in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington state blocked President Trump’s executive order on the matter through universal injunctions.

The president defended the move at the time, saying the language of the 14th Amendment had been misapplied for decades.

Grassley’s JRCA legislation would clarify that federal district court rulings are binding only within their geographic jurisdiction, eliminating the ability to impose nationwide decisions.

While some allies have discussed using the budget reconciliation process to pass the measure, that strategy would likely be blocked by the Byrd Rule, which prohibits non-budgetary legislation from advancing through reconciliation.

“In the meantime, I’m continuing to work with my colleagues to advance my critical Judicial Relief Clarification Act and put an end to universal injunctions,” Grassley said.

The Iowa senator has been vocal about judicial overreach in recent months.

“These national injunctions have been used to fight Pres. Trump’s agenda.”@ChuckGrassley explains his bill—the Judicial Relief Clarification Act—to stop district judges from dictating national policies. pic.twitter.com/cRBC9DVkpt

— Tony Perkins (@tperkins) April 1, 2025

In March, he criticized a resolution from Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., which called on President Trump to comply with all federal court rulings.

“The President of the United States shouldn’t have to ask permission from more than 600 different district judges to manage the executive branch he was elected to lead,” Grassley said in response.

He also noted that Democrats have historically raised similar concerns.

“I happen to agree with some Democrats that in previous years have said some judges have gone way beyond what a judge should do on national injunctions,” he added.

“I hope to find a solution for that, and I hope that you and I could work on that together.”

The Supreme Court’s forthcoming ruling could determine whether nationwide injunctions remain a tool for district courts or whether their authority will be more narrowly defined moving forward.

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