Trump again asks the Supreme Court to limit judges’ rulings against the federal administration

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to ensure that courts striking down federal regulations no longer has consequences nationwide. In an appeal filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, the Department of Justice aims to limit the protections afforded by such rulings to the parties who filed the lawsuit.

The request marks another step by Trump to narrow the judiciary’s authority over the decisions and regulations of the federal administration. The administration argues that courts should not be able to strike down federal agencies’ regulations in their entirety, even when they find them unlawful, extending the ruling to citizens or entities that are not parties to the case.

At the center of the case before the Supreme Court are rules on surprise medical bills. They are intended to protect patients from high charges by hospitals and healthcare providers that are outside their insurance network.

As Reuters reports, the regulation was challenged by a group of medical providers in Texas. They argued that it violated the law and artificially reduced payments from insurance companies. In August, some of its provisions were struck down by a federal appeals court, with nationwide effect.

The Trump administration’s appeal does not challenge the assessment of whether the regulation was lawful. It focuses on the reach of the ruling, asking that its effects apply only to the plaintiffs.

The mechanism the president is now seeking to limit is based on the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). This 1946 law governs the operation of federal agencies and allows courts to strike down their regulations.

The Supreme Court had imposed another restriction earlier, in June 2025. It limited judges’ authority to issue nationwide injunctions barring the government from enforcing a policy against all citizens, rather than only against those who had filed a lawsuit.

The new initiative comes as the Trump administration has faced hundreds of lawsuits since his return to the White House in January 2025. They have challenged immigration policies, mass deportations, diversity programs and policies concerning the rights of transgender people.

Legal experts have warned that if the Supreme Court grants the request, it could allow the government to continue enforcing nationwide regulations that courts have declared unlawful. Only the parties that prevailed in court would be exempt from their enforcement.

Several U.S. states, including Texas and Florida, have also opposed narrowing these powers. They consider the Administrative Procedure Act an essential tool for protecting states from excessive federal government intervention.