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 clients’ political positions.

U.S. law firm Perkins Coie has hired outside lawyers from Williams & Connolly in response to President Donald Trump's executive order last week punishing the firm over its prior work for Hillary Clinton and its internal policies promoting diversity and inclusion.