A U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that Alina Habba—of Chaldean Iraqi descent and attorney for President Donald Trump—is “ineligible” to serve as attorney general in the state of New Jersey.
A federal appeals court in Philadelphia upheld a lower court’s decision after hearing oral arguments during a session held on October 20, which Habba attended.
The ruling comes as the Trump administration seeks to retain Habba in the role of Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey—a powerful position responsible for enforcing federal criminal and civil laws.
Following the decision, Habba posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she is fighting on behalf of other federal attorney nominees who were not given the opportunity to appear before the Senate for a hearing.
Requests for comment were sent to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey, one of Habba’s personal aides, and the Department of Justice.
According to the Associated Press, Habba appears to be the only Trump administration attorney whose appointment has been challenged by defense lawyers.
Last week, a federal judge dismissed criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The judge ruled that the prosecutor hastily appointed to bring the charges—Lindsey Halligan—had been unlawfully appointed as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. However, the Department of Justice stated it intends to appeal those rulings.