Publication Date
7-2026
School
Helms School of Government
Major
Government: Pre-Law
Keywords
Universal Injunctions, District Courts, Supreme Court, Donald Trump
Disciplines
Law | Political Science
Recommended Citation
Kang, Jeremy, "Universal Injunctions and the Executive-Judicial Relationship in America" (2026). Senior Honors Theses. 1628.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1628
Abstract
This thesis examines a specific type of legal controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s dealings with the judicial branch. Central to the matter is the concept of universal injunctions: how a federal court can enjoin even non-parties to a case from behaving in certain ways.
The history of universal injunctions, from pre-Enlightenment England to modern America, is initially discussed. Then special attention is given to their use against President Donald Trump in particular, culminating in the Supreme Court curtailing them, and district court judges ignoring the high court’s ruling. Finally, previous examples of conflict between the American executive and judicial branches are scrutinized to determine how past problem that are relevant to the current controversy were solved.
