Jennifer Rochon
US district judge on the Southern District of New York since 2022.
Last refreshed: 17 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can a federal judge keep government-funded political ads off the air?
Timeline for Jennifer Rochon
Issued a two-week restraining order on the DHS ads
US Midterms 2026: Judge Rochon bars five DHS-funded TV adsBackground
Jennifer Rochon is a US district judge on the Southern District of New York. On 11 October 2026 she issued a two-week temporary restraining order barring Department of Homeland Security funds from airing five television ads carrying the line "paid for by the U.S. Government". The suit was brought by a Coalition including Common Cause, represented by Democracy Forward.
Rochon was nominated by President Joe Biden and has served on the federal bench since 2022. From 2013 to 2022 she was general counsel of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Ad tracker AdImpact put the five ads at $21.7m. CNN reported that two aired nearly 400 times after her order took effect, and Democracy Docket reports she extended the order after an emergency conference on 14 October. The plaintiffs rely on the appropriations bar on spending federal money on "publicity or propaganda".
Who is Judge Jennifer Rochon?
Why did a judge block the DHS television ads?
How much did the DHS ads Judge Rochon blocked cost?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 17 October 2026. Editorial standards.