# U.S. Justice Department

Type: Company

Source: Legal & RegTech Intelligence Brief — https://getlegalbrief.com/entity/us-justice-department-fda796
Canonical HTML page: https://getlegalbrief.com/entity/us-justice-department-fda796

## Timeline

- **2026-09-08**: Plea agreement hearing — Malone Lam is scheduled for a plea agreement hearing in federal court.
- **2026-06-30**: Expected Ruling — The Supreme Court is expected to issue a final decision by the end of its current term.
- **2026-06-30**: Supreme Court Affirms Birthright Citizenship — In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court strikes down President Trump's executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, reaffirming the 14th Amendment's guarantee.
- **2026-06-30**: DOJ Issues Prosecutorial Directive — Hours after the ruling, Colin McDonald of the Justice Department sends a memo to all prosecutors, directing them to prioritize birth tourism investigations under fraud and money laundering statutes.
- **2026-04**: DHS Launches Birth Tourism Initiative — The Department of Homeland Security orders investigative agents to focus on a new 'Birth Tourism Initiative,' signaling early inter-agency planning.
- **2026-03-24**: SCOTUS Oral Arguments — The US Supreme Court hears arguments in the appeal of the lower court's ruling against metering.
- **2026-03-17**: DOJ Response — The Justice Department files a defense, arguing the blacklisting is lawful and justified.
- **2026-03-14**: Judicial Ruling — A federal judge blocks the subpoenas, halting the DOJ's immediate access to the requested materials.
- **2026-03-13**: Court Ruling — Judge Boasberg quashes the subpoenas, citing political pretext.
- **2026-03-10**: Lawsuit Filed — Anthropic sues the administration in California federal court, alleging First Amendment violations.
- **2026-03-03**: Blacklisting Issued — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designates Anthropic a national security supply chain risk.
- **2026-02**: Motion to Quash — Federal Reserve legal counsel files a motion to block the subpoenas, citing central bank independence.
- **2026-02**: Subpoenas Issued — DOJ issues subpoenas to Jerome Powell for testimony and documents.
- **2026-01**: Subpoenas Issued — The DOJ issues formal subpoenas for a wide range of documents and communications.
- **2026-01**: DOJ Investigation — The Justice Department opens a probe into Federal Reserve leadership.

## Recent coverage (6 stories)

### Malone Lam $240M Bitcoin heist plea: legal stakes for 18 charged
2026-09-08 00:10:38 · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 5

As Malone Lam's plea hearing opens, federal prosecutors seek a capstone conviction in a $240M social engineering crypto theft. The case tests DOJ enforcement capacity after last year's disbanding of its dedicated crypto-crime unit and frames restitution, forfeiture, and sentencing questions for 18 defendants.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/malone-lam-240m-bitcoin-heist-legal-plea

### After 6-3 SCOTUS Loss, DOJ Orders Prosecutors to Prioritize Birth Tourism Cases
2026-07-01 00:33:48 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 4

The U.S. Department of Justice, following a Supreme Court affirmation of birthright citizenship, has directed federal prosecutors to target birth tourism through existing fraud statutes. This enforcement pivot emphasizes criminal prosecution over constitutional reinterpretation, raising novel legal questions on intent and fraudulent entry.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/after-6-3-scotus-loss-doj-birth-tourism-prioritization

### SCOTUS Signals Support for Trump Administration's Asylum Metering Policy
2026-03-25 00:22:14 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 3

The US Supreme Court signaled a likely victory for the Trump administration in a case concerning the 'metering' of asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border. The justices' questioning focused on the legal definition of 'arriving' in the US, potentially granting the government broad authority to delay processing claims when border facilities are over capacity.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/scotus-trump-asylum-metering-case-analysis

### Trump Admin Defends Anthropic Blacklisting in High-Stakes AI Legal Battle
2026-03-18 02:05:41 · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 3

The U.S. Justice Department has formally defended the Pentagon's decision to blacklist AI lab Anthropic, arguing that the company's refusal to remove safety guardrails for military use constitutes a contractual dispute rather than a violation of free speech. The case represents a landmark confrontation between Silicon Valley's ethical AI frameworks and the federal government's national security mandates.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/trump-anthropic-blacklisting-legal-defense

### Federal Judge Blocks DOJ Subpoenas in Jerome Powell Interest Rate Probe
2026-03-15 01:00:13 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 2

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has quashed Justice Department subpoenas targeting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, citing evidence that the investigation was a pretext to influence monetary policy. The ruling represents a major legal victory for central bank independence amid escalating tensions between the White House and the Fed.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/judge-blocks-doj-subpoenas-jerome-powell-fed-independence

### Judge Blocks DOJ Subpoenas in High-Stakes Probe of Federal Reserve Chair
2026-03-14 14:17:18 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 6

A federal judge has issued a critical ruling blocking subpoenas from the U.S. Department of Justice targeting the Chair of the Federal Reserve. The decision marks a significant victory for central bank independence and sets a major legal precedent regarding executive branch oversight of independent agencies.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/judge-blocks-doj-subpoenas-fed-probe

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This page is a machine-readable summary. Sentiment measures the directional read of each development for this entity, not the tone of the reporting; impact weights consequence, not syndication reach. See https://getlegalbrief.com/guides/methodology for the full editorial methodology.