#SistersInLaw 281: Order In The Court
Feb 25, 2026
Legal tactics against unlawful government actions and how everyday people can push back. Rules around detention of asylum seekers and employers who hire undocumented workers. Why some ballots remain stored after elections and how ballot-retention laws work. Limits on pardon power, decorum rules in congressional hearings, and what could reopen presidential immunity in court.
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Court Likely To Block DHS Detentions Under Operation Paris
- Operation Paris targets legally resettled refugees for revalidation but the law's use of "custody" likely does not authorize long-term detention.
- Jill Wine-Banks highlights a Minnesota TRO extended to Feb 25 and predicts a preliminary injunction against DHS detaining refugees who haven't adjusted status.
Federal Ballot Retention Is 22 Months Not Forever
- Federal law requires keeping ballots 22 months; Georgia law requires 24 months, but many jurisdictions still retain 2020 ballots beyond that.
- Jill Wine-Banks notes storage costs and lack of legal need after litigation ends as reasons ballots should have been destroyed.
Don't Hire Illegally Without Knowing It
- Hiring someone unlawfully is illegal only if you knowingly employ an undocumented worker; lack of knowledge is a defense.
- Kimberly Atkins Stohr explains E-Verify duties and that enforcement hasn't focused equally on employers compared to immigrant targets.
