President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing government lawyers to request that plaintiffs post bonds when suing to block his policies, potentially imposing steep financial barriers for challengers, Reuters reported.
The order mandates that US Justice Department attorneys ask judges to require plaintiffs to cover the government’s costs and damages if a policy they seek to halt is later upheld as lawful. The money would need to be posted in advance as a bond.
Judges are not obligated to grant these requests, but if they do, plaintiffs could be forced to provide significant sums before proceeding with their lawsuits.
“Federal courts should hold litigants accountable for their misrepresentations and ill-granted injunctions,” Trump stated in the order, accusing “activist organizations” of securing improper and excessive legal blocks against his administration’s policies.
The directive comes in response to more than 100 lawsuits filed against Trump’s efforts to downsize the federal bureaucracy, cut government spending, and reshape immigration and social policies. While the administration has faced legal setbacks, it has also secured some victories in recent weeks.
Government lawyers have already sought bonds in multiple cases, including one challenging Trump’s freeze on $3 trillion in federal loans, grants, and financial aid. However, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan rejected the request, stating it would “defy logic” to “hold plaintiffs hostage” with a bond. She has temporarily blocked the freeze while reviewing the case.
Additional bond requests have been made in lawsuits over cuts to medical research grants and the funding freeze, though judges have yet to rule on them.