WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is sharply criticizing a judge who halted enforcement of a White House executive order meant to punish a prominent law firm, continuing a pattern of Trump administration attacks on the judiciary over decisions that officials don't like.
Attorney General Pam Bondi also told federal agencies that they retain the “authority to decide with whom to work" in spite of a court ruling last month that temporarily blocked the administration's efforts to bar Jenner & Block employees from having access to federal buildings and that directed that federal contracts held by the firm or its clients be reviewed and terminated.
The law firm is among several prominent ones subject in recent weeks to similarly worded executive orders by the Republican president; some, like Jenner & Block, have sued over the orders, and others have reached settlements to avert being sanctioned by the White House. U.S. District Judge John Bates, an appointee of President George W. Bush, stopped key provisions of the executive order from taking effect last month and is considering a request by the firm to block its enforcement permanently.
In a letter made public late Tuesday, Bondi and White House budget director Russell Vought notified agency heads about the judge's ruling but also lambasted him for it.
“On March 28, 2025, an unelected district court yet again invaded the policy-making and free speech prerogatives of the executive branch, including by requiring the Attorney General and the OMB Director to pen a letter to the head of every executive department and agency," the two officials wrote. “Local district judges lack this authority, and the Supreme Court should swiftly constrain these judges’ blatant overstepping of the judicial power.”
The letter was filed in federal court in Washington as part of a report on the status of the lawsuit brought by Jenner & Block.
“Of course, as noted in the court order, agencies are permitted to carry on their ordinary course of business which carries with it the authority to decide with whom to work,” it adds.
It later adds: “As it remains the Executive Branch’s position that Executive Order 14246 was necessary policy the government reserves the right to take all necessary and legal actions regarding ‘lawfare,’ national security concerns, and discriminatory practices involving Jenner & Block.”
That assertion could place the administration in conflict with the order from Bates, which directed the Trump administration to inform federal agencies to disregard broad swaths of its executive order. A separate provision of the order, mandating the suspension of active security clearances of employees at the firm, remains unaffected by the judge's ruling.
Jenner & Block lawsuit, as well as WilmerHale, another firm targeted by an executive order, asked federal judges on Tuesday to permanently block enforcement of the orders against them.
The executive order against Jenner & Block stemmed at least in par from the fact the firm once employed Andrew Weissmann, a lawyer who served on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team that investigated Trump during his first term in office over potential connections between his 2016 campaign and Russia. Weissmann, a frequent public target of Trump’s ire, left the firm several years ago.
Mueller has retired from WilmerHale, but a White House executive order targeting that firm mentioned him as well as another retired partner and a current partner who all served on Mueller’s team.
Besides Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, other firms targeted by executive order include Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling.
Last month, after being confronted with a similar order, Paul Weiss struck a deal with the White House that resulted in the order being rescinded. Three other firms — Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, as well as Millbank and Willkie, Farr & Gallagher — have reached settlements with the Trump administration before they could be subject to an order.
FILE - Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Justice Department, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.
Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.
Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”
Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”
He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”
Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.
In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.
Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”
Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.
“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.
The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.
The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.
Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.
In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)
