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At the Virginia Christian Alliance (VCA), we believe God is the ultimate source of justice and authority. As defenders of biblical truth and constitutional order, we are compelled to sound the alarm on a growing constitutional showdown between the Executive Branch and an increasingly activist judiciary. Nowhere is this conflict more dangerous than in today’s battles over immigration enforcement, judicial obstruction, and the erosion of lawful governance.
Judicial Resistance vs. Constitutional Authority
President Trump has issued a grave warning: Radical federal judges are blocking deportations of violent offenders, undermining federal law, and threatening America’s sovereignty. In his words, ‘our country is being ripped apart.’ The rule of law has been inverted. Courts now block the lawful deportation of criminal aliens while shielding those who violate our laws.
Victor Davis Hanson puts it succinctly:
“It is lawful to be unlawful if you’re Joe Biden—according to the courts—but it is unlawful to be lawful if you’re Donald Trump.”
The Legal Inversion and National Consequences
Under the Biden administration, over 120,000 people a month were pouring into the country illegally in 2024. That number has dropped to under 10,000 in April 2025, largely due to restored executive enforcement. Yet, the judiciary resists. Instead of upholding law and order, some courts now block ICE actions, halt deportations, and tie the hands of federal agents.
This inversion is not about legal nuance—it’s about power. When courts elevate political ideology over constitutional structure, they erode both our laws and our liberty.
A Symbol of Strength: Rebuilding Alcatraz
In a bold move, Trump has directed federal agencies to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz Island as a symbol of federal justice. This act reasserts the Executive Branch’s commitment to protecting the American people—despite resistance from activist judges and sanctuary policies.
This is more than symbolism. It’s a direct rebuke of lawlessness, a reaffirmation of constitutional order, and a bold gesture in the face of elite resistance.
The judiciary’s resistance is not isolated—it reflects a pattern of legal obstruction. Federal judges have repeatedly issued nationwide injunctions that halted key Trump-era immigration policies, both in his first term and now again in 2025.
From 2017–2020, judges blocked the travel ban (Judge Derrick Watson, HI), asylum restrictions (Judge Jon Tigar, CA), the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy (Judge Dana Sabraw, CA), and health insurance entry requirements (Judge Michael Simon, OR).
In Trump’s current term, this obstruction has continued:
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Judge Fernando Rodriguez (TX)
On May 1, 2025, Judge Rodriguez issued a permanent injunction against the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, ruling the application of the law in this context as “unlawful.” Reuters -
Judge Deborah Boardman (MD)
On February 5, 2025, Judge Boardman issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking President Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens, citing constitutional concerns. Reuters
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Judge John Coughenour (WA)
On January 23, 2025, Judge Coughenour granted a temporary restraining order enjoining President Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship. Lawfare -
Judge Brian Murphy (MA)
On April 18, 2025, Judge Murphy issued a preliminary injunction halting the administration’s plan to expedite deportations to third countries without allowing migrants to claim fear of persecution, emphasizing the necessity of due process. Reuters -
Judge Theodore Chuang (MD)
On February 24, 2025, Judge Chuang issued a preliminary injunction against the administration’s policy permitting immigration enforcement actions within certain houses of worship, highlighting potential violations of religious freedoms. Courthouse News -
Judge William Orrick (CA)
On April 24, 2025, Judge Orrick issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from withholding federal funds from cities and counties that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, commonly referred to as “sanctuary” jurisdictions. The Washington Post -
Judge Jennifer Thurston (CA)
On April 29, 2025, Judge Thurston barred Border Patrol agents from conducting warrantless arrests of individuals suspected of living in the U.S. illegally unless they have reasonable suspicion and probable cause. CalMatters
These judicial interventions—under the banners of ‘rights’ and ‘balance of powers’—often obstruct the Executive’s constitutional duty to enforce federal law. This legal warfare now defines the landscape of American immigration policy and constitutional authority.
Judges Blocking Immigration Law: A Pattern of Injunctions
The Road Ahead: God First, Constitution Always
Scripture reminds us: “When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” (Proverbs 21:15). We must not yield to the slow erosion of order. The courts must serve the Constitution, not oppose it. The Executive must be free to enforce the laws passed by Congress without sabotage from the bench.
Follow our ongoing Constitutional Showdown series as we expose the battle between order and rebellion, law and activism, and above all, between man’s agenda and God’s justice.
Building on Our Constitutional Showdown Series
This article builds on earlier Constitutional Showdown entries, including “Birthright Citizenship EO Blocked” and “Who Controls the Border—The President or the Judges?” In those pieces, we examined how judicial overreach and sanctuary jurisdictions are weakening the very foundations of our Republic. Now, the battle has escalated as activist courts are not just interpreting laws—they are undermining executive orders, deportation efforts, and even the basic function of border enforcement.
Our earlier piece on birthright citizenship highlighted how the judiciary blocked executive actions rooted in longstanding constitutional debate over the 14th Amendment. Our border authority article emphasized that Article II of the Constitution gives the President the duty to faithfully execute immigration laws, not negotiate with activist judges who rewrite them from the bench.
This post extends those warnings. As Trump reasserts constitutional enforcement through executive orders, symbolic actions like the Alcatraz rebuild, and public declarations, the judiciary is doubling down, using injunctions, detainer rejections, and local defiance to thwart lawful governance. It is no longer a legal debate. It is a systemic rebellion.
Constitutional Authority Must Be Defended
We urge readers and fellow believers to stay alert, rooted in truth, and willing to speak out. The Constitution was not designed for activist reinterpretation. Its clarity depends on moral resolve and civic courage. As Psalm 94:20 asks, ‘Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?’
The answer is no.
We must resist legal subversion cloaked in robes and rulings. We must restore the biblical and constitutional boundaries God ordained. The battle is spiritual—and very real. Put on the full armor of God.
