Reuters Tracks Record 19 SCOTUS Emergency Petitions Bypassing Circuit Review in 2025

A Reuters analysis found the Supreme Court had received 19 emergency petitions in early 2025 — a historic high — as the Trump administration sought to bypass normal appellate review of lower court rulings blocking executive actions. The shadow docket, used for emergency orders without full briefing or oral argument, was deployed to override injunctions on immigration, deportation, and executive power cases at an unprecedented rate.