WASHINGTON — Federal judges have issued at least 75 rulings finding that actions by President Donald Trump’s administration infringed rights protected by the First Amendment, according to a Reuters review of court decisions during his second term.
The rulings involved freedom of speech, religion and the press. They included decisions involving foreign students who supported Palestinians, research grants withdrawn from institutions that resisted the administration’s ideological demands, executive actions targeting law firms for their advocacy, restrictions on reporters and government responses to protests.
Judges appointed by presidents of both parties issued findings against the administration. In one case involving foreign students, U.S. District Judge William Young, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, wrote that government retaliation for disfavored speech threatened constitutional protections.
The administration has disputed many of the decisions and appealed. Reuters found that in appeals involving 15 of the 75 rulings, higher courts either paused the First Amendment finding or overturned it. Other cases remain under review, meaning the legal record can change as appeals proceed.
Trump campaigned on ending what he called government censorship, particularly contacts between federal agencies and social media companies. His administration has argued in individual cases that its actions serve national security, immigration enforcement, funding priorities or government management. Courts have generally focused on whether those powers were used to punish protected viewpoints or expression.
Source: Reuters analysis, with additional court reporting from The Associated Press. Published Aug. 4, 2026.
