A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's administration Wednesday from enforcing portions of an executive order designed to punish a prominent law firm linked to Democratic-funded opposition research during the 2016 presidential campaign into ties between the Republican candidate and Russia.

WASHINGTON—A federal judge blocked most of a White House executive order punishing Perkins Coie, saying the administration had put itself at odds with the First Amendment by targeting the law firm based on President Trump’s dislike of its work for his political opponents.

A U.S. judge blocked provisions of President Donald Trump's order targeting attorneys at Perkins Coie on Wednesday, saying the legal profession was "watching in horror" at what the law firm was experiencing.