On March 5, 2026, a 2-1 panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a district court’s preliminary injunction that limited federal immigration agents’ use of force during Trump’s 2025 Operation Midway Blitz enforcement surge in Chicago, deeming it “overbroad” and “constitutionally suspect.”
Additionally, the ruling dismissed the government’s appeal as moot after the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the underlying suit in January, following the operation’s wind-down, but ordered vacatur to nullify the injunction entirely and to prevent refiling risks. AG Pam Bondi hailed it as a “huge legal win” advancing Trump’s agenda.
In any case, the three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to vacate the district court’s preliminary injunction and dismiss the appeal, saying the lower court had “granted an overbroad, constitutionally suspect injunction.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi described it as a”huge legal win” for the Trump administration. “Tonight the @thejusticedept delivered a huge legal win in the 7th Circuit for President Trump in support of Operation Midway Blitz — @POTUS’s crucial law enforcement surge into Chicago,” she posted on X.
Building on this point, she noted, “President Trump is trying to protect American citizens while local elected officials REFUSE to do so. @thejusticedept attorneys were proud to argue this case. We will continue fighting and WINNING for the President’s law-and-order agenda.”
Adding more context, the 7th Circuit majority opinion noted, “Because the district court dismissed this case without prejudice—against the plaintiffs’ unopposed request for a dismissal with prejudice—any class members or the lead plaintiffs could refile these claims tomorrow.”
The same document added, “They could ask the district court to reinstate a near-identical preliminary injunction, adopting the facts and legal reasoning from the district court’s order.” The court also explained,
“vacatur” is the “best way to wipe the slate clean” and is “proper to ensure the district court’s injunction order does not affect future litigation.”
"*" indicates required fields
Reacting to the decision, one user wrote, “Breaking: Major win for law & order! The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals just vacated a lower court’s overbroad injunction that restricted immigration agents’ use of force during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago.”
“Ruled 2-1: The district court’s order was “constitutionally suspect.” AG Pam Bondi: “Huge legal win” for the Trump admin! Time to enforce the law without activist judges interfering,” the same celebratory post pointed out.
For background on the case, the Judge’s decision explained, “In early October 2025, a group of protesters and journalists sued a host of federal defendants. They believed officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violated their First and Fourth Amendment rights by using tear gas and other chemical agents to break up protests without justification.”
“The district court agreed with the plaintiffs and entered a sweeping preliminary injunction regulating all federal immigration enforcement efforts districtwide. The government promptly appealed that order,” the same document stated.
“The plaintiffs then abruptly changed course. They asked the district court to voluntarily dismiss the case because “it appears that Operation Midway Blitz has ended.” They also told this court that the government would move to dismiss the appeal and vacate the preliminary injunction under United States v. Munsingwear, Inc., 340 U.S. 36 (1950), once the district court wrapped up its proceedings,” the judges noted.