ICE in the Hot Seat

“'Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, you know?' Trump shrugged. 'And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more.'” – Trump, downplaying the impact of a possible recession caused by his policies

IMMIGRATION

ICE deported three children — all U.S. citizens between the ages of 2 and 7 — along with their mothers, who the government claims were in the country illegally, last Friday to Honduras. One of the children has Stage 4 cancer. U.S. border czar Tom Homan claimed the mothers chose to take their children — but when pressed by reporters on Monday, he deflected and blamed the parents for being in the country illegally to begin with.

Lawyers for the deported families say they were arrested during routine immigration check-ins in Louisiana. One family says they were encouraged to bring their children with them, along with their passports. One father has filed an emergency petition to bring his daughter back. In that case, a Trump-appointed federal judge said there is “no evidence” the mother asked to take her child and expressed a “strong suspicion that the government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process.” A court date is set for May 16. AP

It’s unclear whether either mother had a criminal record or posed any threat — despite Homan insisting the country is “safer” now that they’re gone.

Homan said the administration has deported 139,000 people since January, claimed there are 20 million more in the country illegally, and said 700,000 have criminal records and will be prioritized for removal. But the government has released few details about who it’s deporting and why. A 60 Minutes investigation found that of the 238 people deported under the Alien Enemies Act to a prison in El Salvador, three-fourths had no criminal record — including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom the government admits it imprisoned by mistake.

No Guardrails? In response, Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee introduced an amendment to a budget bill that would bar the government from using federal funds to deport or detain U.S. citizens — even though doing so is already unconstitutional and ICE has no jurisdiction over citizens. Not a single Republican voted for the amendment. Newsweek

Delusional or Dumb? A widely shared clip of Trump’s interview with ABC’s Terry Moran is being read as a quiet admission: Trump says he could bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back from El Salvador — but he won’t. He claims, without evidence, that Garcia is a violent gang member, and that’s why he refuses to intervene. What’s more revealing: Trump also says he’s “following the law,” even though the Supreme Court ordered his administration to help bring Garcia back. ABC News

In the same interview, Trump was wildly adamant that Garcia has “M-S-1-3” tattooed on his knuckles — proof, he claimed, that he’s a bad guy. But the letters appear digitally added. Photos taken recently of Garcia meeting with Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen show no such markings.

THE ECONOMY

The stock market rallied for the ninth straight day Friday — the longest streak since 2004.

China, for the first time, signaled it’s open to resolving the trade war with the U.S., possibly because the tariffs are damaging its economy, according to the Wall Street Journal. The news helped boost markets Friday, erasing losses since Trump launched the trade war on April 2. Also fueling the rally: the Labor Department reported more jobs added than expected in April. WSJ | CNN

But earlier in the week, the economic news was bleak. New data from the Commerce Department showed the U.S. economy shrank by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025 under Trump — compared to 2.4% growth in Q4 of 2024 under Biden. Personal and government spending dropped, imports jumped 41% (the fastest rate since early pandemic levels), and hiring slowed. Despite running on reducing inflation, tariffs are now the top concern for voters. AP | NPR

The dollar has fallen 10% — “the steepest drop for a new administration this century.” Axios

When asked about the economic dip, Trump blamed Biden — calling it the “Biden overhang.” This, after taking credit for a market bump back in January 2024 — a year before he was even president again. Experts say the real cause is Trump’s chaotic first 100 days, the global trade war he started, and the uncertainty scaring off both consumers and companies. AP

THIS WEEK, TRUMP:

• Signed an executive order cutting federal funding for NPR and PBS, citing “bias” despite later denying that bias was the reason. Public stations — especially rural ones — rely heavily on this funding. NPR gets 1% of its funding directly from the federal government, but member stations receive 8–10%. PBS gets about 15%. Trump has previously called both outlets “radical left monsters.” NPR
• Fired National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, weeks after he accidentally added a reporter to a Signal group chat discussing a planned military strike on Houthis in Yemen. Trump then nominated him to serve as U.S. ambassador to the UN and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as interim NSA. Vice President JD Vance claimed the move had nothing to do with the Signal leak, but Washington Post sources say Waltz was ousted for being too pro-war and coordinating with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on possible operations in Iran. Trump post | NPR
• Asked the Supreme Court to end Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Venezuelans — aiming to overturn a judge’s decision to keep their work permits in place. If the Court agrees, they could lose legal status, face deportation, and many are expected to sue. AP
• Petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that blocked DOGE from accessing the personal data of millions of Americans in the Social Security database. The Trump administration claims it needs the data to reduce “fraud, waste, and abuse,” but judges have ruled the information should remain protected. New York Times
• Declared he would revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status, saying the school deserved it after resisting Trump’s efforts to oversee university activities in response to protests against the war in Gaza. The president does not have legal authority to revoke tax-exempt status. Harvard says it hasn’t been formally notified by the IRS and has done nothing to justify the move, which would “severely” harm its research and teaching mission. WSJ
• Personally called Amazon’s Jeff Bezos to complain about a reported plan to label price increases tied to Trump’s tariffs. Punchbowl News first reported the idea, but Amazon denied it was ever under consideration. After the call, Trump praised Bezos as “terrific” and said, “He solved the problem very quickly.” Punchbowl News | Yahoo
• Announced Columbus Day will no longer be recognized as Indigenous Peoples Day, a designation first added under President Biden. Trump claimed he was bringing it “back from the ashes,” though it had never been removed. AP
• Declared May 8 as Victory Day for World War I and said Veterans Day will be renamed to Victory Day for World War II, arguing that “we never celebrate anything.” Victory Day is recognized in Europe, but Trump claimed the U.S. did more than anyone to win the war — a statement that’s not historically accurate. Veterans Day honors all service members regardless of when or where they served. Truth Social | Politico
• Did Trump push a flurry of holiday-themed announcements and declared “we never celebrate anything” just to justify a $45 million military parade — even as his administration tries to slash funding for cancer research and children’s school lunches? The U.S. Army plans to hold a parade on June 14 to mark its 250th anniversary — which also happens to be Trump’s 79th birthday. Ever since he saw a Bastille Day parade in France, Trump has pushed for one in the U.S. During his first term, he tried to make it happen but scrapped the idea after public backlash over its $90+ million price tag. NBC News

Other executive orders Trump issued this week:

• Gave automakers a break on tariffs if they assemble vehicles in the U.S., even if the parts are imported. The policy shift is seen as a concession to manufacturers facing rising costs under Trump’s new trade war. EO | CNBC
• Authorized military support to local and state law enforcement, including equipment, training, and personnel. The order also threatens legal action against local officials who reduce policing or use DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) policies. Critics say the move raises the risk of martial law. The Brennan Center notes that while there’s no clear federal precedent for martial law, states have invoked it dozens of times — but not the federal government since WWII. EO | Newsweek | Brennan Center
• Ordered the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to compile a list of sanctuary cities and states within 30 days. Sanctuary jurisdictions limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, which local officials say improves public safety and trust. Trump’s order threatens to cut federal funding or pursue civil and criminal action. EO | WSJ
• Created a new Religious Liberty Commission, composed of 14 members appointed by the president to two-year terms. The commission’s mission is to study threats to religious freedom and recommend policies — including support for religious education, voluntary prayer in schools, and vaccine exemptions for parents. EO
  • RELATED: Recently, Trump also announced a White House Faith Office and a new task force to combat “anti-Christian bias.” But Christian leaders denounced the move, calling it a “gross misuse” of taxpayer funds for a “nonexistent threat.” In a joint letter, they warned the task force could be used to elevate one Christian tradition over others and enable white supremacy. Axios

GOOD NEWS

Columbia University student and legal U.S. resident Mohsen Mahdawi was released from detention Tuesday after two weeks in a Vermont prison. A federal judge found he posed no threat and said his continued detention “demonstrates great harm to a person who has been charged with no crime.” His immigration case is still pending. The judge ordered Mahdawi to remain in Vermont, except for travel to New York for classes and legal meetings. NYT

“They arrested me. What’s the reason? Because I raised my voice and said no to war, yes to peace. Because I said, ‘Enough is enough. Killing more than 50,000 Palestinians is more than enough,'" Madhawi said after his release.

Mahdawi is not alone. Students Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk remain detained without charges. Their cases were moved to Louisiana — where federal judges are more likely to side with the government.

RELATED: The government quietly reinstated the student visas of dozens of international students after being hit with lawsuits for revoking them without notice. Court documents revealed that officials had run student names through a criminal database and terminated their status without reviewing the reasons. Most of the students either had no criminal record or only minor traffic violations. AP

HEADLINES

• A new Senate Democrats report reveals that as of January 20, Elon Musk had open investigations with 11 federal agencies involving 65 matters — totaling $2.3 billion in potential fees — from the same agencies he now appears to influence.In related DOGE news:
  • Officials gave two people with zero relevant experience access to U.S. nuclear secrets.
  • A college student with no government background was tasked with using AI to rewrite housing regulations for HUD.
• Elon Musk’s role at Tesla may be at risk. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company’s board began searching for a new CEO last month but backed down after Musk promised to spend more time at Tesla, whose Q1 profits dropped 71%. Tesla denies any executive search took place. WSJ
• The CDC reported 935 confirmed measles cases across 30 states, up from 884 cases in 29 states last week. Ninety-three percent of infections are linked to the Texas outbreak. Nearly all cases involve unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status. Three people — including two children — have died. CDC
• Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters introduced a curriculum requiring students be taught false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election. Walters claims — without evidence — that there were “discrepancies” and “legitimate concerns” the election was stolen from Trump. The curriculum change will cost the state $33 million and was approved by the state board of education. Some board members said they were unaware of the provision, which was buried in 400 pages of new standards they received just hours before the vote. Popular Info

AROUND THE WORLD

ISRAEL – GAZA: A ship delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza was bombed by drones twice in international waters near Malta just after midnight Friday, according to the group operating it, who blamed Israel. The allegations have not been confirmed, and Israel has not publicly responded. The boat lost power and nearly sank, but all ~20 crew members were rescued.

• The incident echoes a 2010 raid when Israeli forces stormed a flotilla delivering aid and killed nine Turkish nationals. Israel later paid compensation to their families. Israel has now blocked all aid from entering Gaza for more than two months. Doctors report they’ve run out of supplies, food and water are gone, and nearly two million people are suffering. The Guardian

Israeli media reported this week that the Biden administration never actually asked Israel for a ceasefire — despite White House claims to the contrary. If true, the administration misled the public. The Times of Israel

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS: The International Criminal Court began hearings Monday on whether Israel is violating international law by blocking all humanitarian aid to Gaza since March 2 — during a so-called “ceasefire” that Israel then broke.

• Israel doesn’t provide aid to Gaza itself, but it controls the borders and has prevented other countries and aid groups from delivering supplies. After the 1948 Nakba, Israel helped create the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has long provided food, education, and services to displaced Palestinians. Israel now claims — without evidence — that UNRWA is a Hamas front, using that claim to block aid.
• Irish human rights lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh told the court that Israel’s actions are part of a deliberate strategy to annihilate Palestinians by denying access to food, water, and medicine. Supplies are sitting just outside Gaza’s border. Israel called the charges “systematic prosecution” and is expected to submit a written defense. The court’s ruling could take weeks. The ICJ has previously found evidence supporting claims that Israel is committing genocide.

CANADA: Mark Carney defeated a “Trump-lite” candidate backed by Elon Musk in Tuesday’s elections. Just weeks ago, Carney’s party was down 20 points — but Trump’s tariffs appear to have flipped the race. A former central banker, Carney is viewed as a capable leader and a serious counterweight to Trump — who is deeply unpopular in Canada.

Just 25% of Canadians now view the U.S. as an ally. Sixty-one percent say they’re boycotting American products — an 8-point jump since February. Vox | YouGov

PAKISTAN–INDIA: Pakistan tested a ballistic missile Saturday, days after India accused it of being behind an April 22 attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed 26 people — mostly Indian nationals. Pakistan denies involvement. AP

RUSSIA: Russia announced a ceasefire from May 8–10 to mark the 80th anniversary of its World War II victory over Nazi Germany. The Kremlin called on Ukraine to observe the truce as well, saying, “In the event of violations… the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will give an adequate and effective response.”

UKRAINE: The U.S. and Ukraine finally signed a deal giving the U.S. access to key minerals like lithium, titanium, and uranium. In return, Ukraine gets long-term investment to help rebuild after the war. With Ukraine under invasion and dependent on U.S. aid, critics say Trump is using their vulnerability to lock in access to critical resources — on America’s terms. AP

THE VATICAN: The conclave to elect the next pope will begin May 7.

"As we consider our own actions, it’s worth remembering that Dr. King made the choice to get arrested on April 12, 1963, in Birmingham, intentionally violating a local court order that banned marches and protests. Yes, he was breaking the law, but with his action, he sought to demonstrate that American law itself was broken and in need of repair.

"For everyone who believes Dr. King’s words, sitting on the sidelines is not an option." - For Those Who Wish to Fight Back but Don’t Know How, The New York Times (gift link)