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How did Trump v. CASA limit nationwide injunctions issued by federal district courts?

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A person ascends the steps of the west facade of the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., with its tall columns and a round fountain in the foreground. — Major Supreme Court Cases from the 2025–26 Term The west facade of the U.S. Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.

In the 2025 case Trump v. CASA, the Supreme Court limited the use of nationwide injunctions by federal district courts, ruling that such "universal injunctions" likely exceed the equitable authority granted to those courts by Congress.12

The Court established that injunctions must be limited in scope, stating that they should be no broader than necessary to provide complete relief to the specific plaintiffs who have standing to sue. Consequently, in this case, the Court partially stayed the nationwide injunctions against the enforcement of the president's executive order, allowing the order to remain in effect for all parties except those actively challenging it in court. This decision reflects the Court's broader concern that nationwide injunctions are excessively broad, a position it has emphasized in response to emergency applications during the second Trump administration.23