Daily Beast: Chad Wolf appears to be unlawfully serving as the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, a Maryland judge has ruled. The opinion came as part of a challenge to the Trump administration’s new asylum restrictions, which have been temporarily blocked because Wolf may lack the authority needed to introduce them.

A Maryland judge has ruled that Chad Wolf is likely unlawfully serving as acting DHS secretary and temporarily barred the Trump admin from enforcing new asylum restrictions on members of two immigration advocacy groups. https://t.co/oqXGYW4ImY

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 15, 2020

Judge Paula Xinis’ ruling said: “The Court concludes that Plaintiffs are likely to demonstrate (former Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin) McAleenan’s appointment was invalid under the agency’s applicable order of succession, and so he lacked the authority to amend the order of succession to ensure Wolf’s installation as acting secretary.”

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told a former aide to stop providing intelligence assessments on Russia’s interference in the U.S. and to begin reporting on Chinese and Iranian interference, a whistleblower complaint says https://t.co/lDpcRTXKyx pic.twitter.com/CKW0iIQPCB

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 9, 2020

She added: “Because Wolf filled the role of acting secretary without authority, he promulgated the challenged rules also ‘in excess of… authority,’ and not ‘in accordance with the law.’” New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of the plaintiffs, welcomed the ruling and called Wolf a man with “no authority and no business sitting in the chair of the acting secretary of Homeland Security.”

In a major victory, the courts have blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to limit access for asylum seekers to obtain authorization to work, and have found that Chad Wolf has had no authority as the acting secretary of @DHSgov. https://t.co/EQK88AmDEn

— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) September 15, 2020

When Chad Wolf participated in a naturalization ceremony in his official capacity at the White House apparently designed to support President Trump’s re-election campaign during the RNC, he didn’t just raise eyebrows. He broke the law. https://t.co/iJt9xlfC2L

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) September 7, 2020

wasted last line