Judge blocks DOJ from replacing lawyers in census case

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Department of Justice's request to to replace the legal team handling the Trump administration's attempt to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

On Sunday, the Justice Department said it would swap out the entire legal team, replacing them with attorneys from the DOJ's Civil Division and Consumer Protection Branch, but did not explain why. Last week, the Department of Justice said it was giving up its fight to get the question on the census, but they reversed course after Trump pushed back, even saying he is considering an executive order to ensure it is included.

U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman rejected their bid to change the legal team, ruling that the "defendants provide no reasons, let alone 'satisfactory reasons,' for the substitution of counsel." Furman did say that two attorneys who are no longer at the DOJ could be removed, and the department could refile the request, as long as they provided "satisfactory reasons" for their appeal.

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