# Kelly issues preliminary injunction against White House press-pass revocations

Date: 2026

On 13 October 2026, U.S. District Judge [Timothy J. Kelly](/people/timothy-j-kelly) issued a preliminary injunction preventing the administration from enforcing its 18 September hard-pass revocations against CNN, Politico and MS NOW while their lawsuit proceeds. Kelly found the plaintiffs likely to succeed on First Amendment retaliation and viewpoint-discrimination claims and on due-process claims. The order replaced temporary protection with a longer interim remedy, but it did not decide the final merits. The legal significance is the court's provisional conclusion that continued enforcement would cause irreparable constitutional harm before the case could be fully decided.

## Sources

- https://san.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2026/10/gov.uscourts.dcd_.296754.50.0.pdf
- https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/13/politics/judge-gives-cnn-white-house-access-media-ban

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/kelly-preliminary-injunction-white-house-press-access-2026-10-13