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IRS, DHS Reach Game-Changing Agreement For Trump Immigration Agenda

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Illegal Immigration in the United State via Wikimedia Commons

History in the making…

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have reportedly come to an agreement to allow ICE to access taxpayer information to locateย illegal immigrantsย subject to deportation.

According to Fox News, the Trump administration filed a memorandum of understanding late Monday with a court to create guardrails and a process for ICE requests to the IRS to further investigations of criminal illegal immigrants who have failed or refuse to leave the United States 90 days after a judge has issued a final order of removal.ย 

“The Internal Revenue Service and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement have entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish a clear and secure process to support law enforcementโ€™s efforts to combat illegal immigration,” a Treasury Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“The bases for this MOU are founded in longstanding authorities granted by Congress, which serve to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans while streamlining the ability to pursue criminals,” the statement said. “After four years of Joe Biden flooding the nation with illegal aliens, President Trumpโ€™s highest priority is to ensure the safety of the American people.”

A senior Treasury Department official said the illegal immigrants have been given due process but have overstayed 90 days post a judge’s removal order. 

The MOU outlines a process to ensure that sensitive taxpayer data information is protected while allowing law enforcement to pursue criminal violations, the official said.ย 

A draft agreement reported last month by the Washington Post said it would limit ICE to confirm the addresses of illegal immigrants who have final removal orders.

The deal would allow ICE to submit the names and addresses of illegal immigrants to the IRS, who could then cross-check thoseย immigrants’ tax recordsย and provide the immigration agency with current address information.

The significant step forward comes amid the Trump Administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

On Monday, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Robertsย temporarily paused a lower courtโ€™s orderย requiring theย Trump administrationย to returnย Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported toย El Salvador. This pause delays the midnight deadline previously set for Abrego Garciaโ€™s return.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis had earlier mandated the administration to โ€œfacilitate and effectuateโ€ Abrego Garciaโ€™s return by midnight, emphasizing that his deportation was an โ€œadministrative error.โ€ The Department of Justice (DOJ) acknowledged the mistake but argued that the courtโ€™s injunction was โ€œpatently unlawful,โ€ asserting that the government lacks the authority to retrieve him from El Salvador.

GOP Senators Stand Firm Behind Stephen Miller Amid Party Tensions

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Republican senators are rallying behind senior White House aide Stephen Miller as some GOP lawmakers privately grumble that his blunt style and hardline immigration messaging could complicate the partyโ€™s midterm prospects.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) dismissed the idea that Miller is in trouble inside Trumpโ€™s inner circle, calling him a key architect of the administrationโ€™s aggressive border agenda.

โ€œPeople can disagree with Stephen on rhetoric or policy,โ€ Graham told The Hill, โ€œbut the question is, is he in jeopardy in Trump World? Absolutely not.โ€

Graham argued Republicans should stop hand-wringing over internal personality clashes and instead focus on going on offense against what he called the failures of the Biden years. He pointed to an upcoming Senate vote targeting sanctuary city policies, saying Miller played a central role in shaping the effort.

Millerโ€™s defenders say he has been instrumental in delivering on the promises Trump made to voters โ€” from tougher immigration enforcement to cracking down on fentanyl trafficking. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), who represents a major battleground state, credited Miller with helping advance priorities that matter to working families.

Other prominent Republicans, including Senate GOP Conference Chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), also praised Millerโ€™s long-standing role in border security and law enforcement policy.

Still, the controversy highlights growing tension inside the Republican conference as lawmakers head into an election cycle. Some senators, including Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), have criticized Millerโ€™s demeanor and influence, arguing the White House should broaden its circle of advisers.

The debate comes as Washington faces a looming Homeland Security funding deadline, with Democrats threatening to block extensions unless the administration agrees to restrictions on ICE operations. Democrats have also escalated calls for investigations, impeachments, and removals of Trump officials tied to immigration enforcement โ€” part of a broader effort to portray the administration as extreme.

Miller has also drawn attention for his unapologetic stance on Greenland and U.S. strategic power in the Arctic, which critics say risks alienating allies. Supporters counter that Trumpโ€™s tougher posture has strengthened Americaโ€™s defensive position and forced long-overdue conversations about national security.

For many Trump allies, the bottom line is simple: Miller remains one of the presidentโ€™s most trusted advisers โ€” and Republicans who want to win should focus less on palace intrigue and more on policy fights Democrats are increasingly out of step on.

As Graham put it, Miller is โ€œKarl Rove to MAGA,โ€ and anyone betting on his downfall, he suggested, doesnโ€™t understand how Trumpโ€™s White House works.

Report: Impeachment Articles Officially Hit Federal Judge

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By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54325633746/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159707159

On Tuesday, A house Republican filed articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who recently ordered the Trump administration to stop deportation flights being conducted under the Alien Enemies Act.

“For the past several weeks, we’ve seen several rogue activist judges try to impede the president from exercising, not only the mandate voters gave him, but his democratic and constitutional authority to keep the American people safe,” Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. “This is another example of a rogue judge overstepping hisโ€ฆauthority.”

Gill’s resolution, first obtained by Fox News Digital, accused U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg of abusing his power in levying an emergency pause on the Trump administration’s plans to deport illegal immigrants under a wartime authority first issued in 1798, which President Donald Trump recently invoked to get members of the criminal Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua out of the U.S.

“Chief Judge Boasberg required President Trump to turn around planes midair that had aliens associated with Tren De Aragua, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” the resolution said. “This conduct jeopardizes the safety of the nation, represents an abuse of judicial power, and is detrimental to the orderly functioning of the judiciary. Using the powers of his office, Chief Judge Boasberg has attempted to seize power from the Executive Branch and interfere with the will of the American people.”

In a brief interview with Fox News Digital shortly before filing his resolution, Gill suggested he wanted the matter to go through the House in traditional form โ€“ which would first put the resolution in front of the House Judiciary Committee, where Gill is a member.

“I’ll be talking to [Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio] about it,” Gill said. “I think the best way to do thisโ€ฆis to go through the judiciary committee, which is where impeachment of judges runs through. I think the more we can stick with that plan, the better.”

Read:

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Mother Of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavittโ€™s Nephew Nabbed By ICE

Federal immigration authorities have detained the mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavittโ€™s nephew, a woman who officials say overstayed a decades-old tourist visa. Bruna Caroline Ferreira was taken into custody in Revere, Massachusetts, after allegedly remaining in the United States illegally since her B2 visa expired in June 1999, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson quoted by NBC News.

Ferreira, originally from Brazil, shares an 11-year-old son with Leavittโ€™s older brother, Michael Leavitt. In a statement to New Hampshire outlet WMUR, Michael emphasized his sonโ€™s welfare amid the situation. โ€œThe only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of my son,โ€ he said.

Karoline Leavitt, 28, the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history, declined to comment on the arrest. However, a source told WMUR that Ferreira and Leavitt have not been in contact โ€œfor many years,โ€ adding that the child โ€œhas lived full-time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born. He has never resided with his mother.โ€

According to DHS, Ferreira entered the United States legally in 1998 but failed to depart when required. โ€œShe entered the US on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the US by June 6, 1999,โ€ the agency said. โ€œShe is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings. Under President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.โ€

NBC News reported that Ferreira had previously been arrested on suspicion of battery, though the outcome of that case is unclear. No charges appear in Massachusettsโ€™ online court records.

Ferreiraโ€™s attorney, Todd Pomerleau, strongly disputes DHSโ€™s characterization of his client, arguing she should not be facing deportation. He said she has โ€œmaintained her legal statusโ€ through the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and was actively working toward obtaining a green card before her arrest.

โ€œSheโ€™s in the process of actually getting her green card and she was abruptly arrested and taken from her young child right before Thanksgiving,โ€ Pomerleau told WCVB. โ€œBruna has no criminal record whatsoever. I donโ€™t know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. Thereโ€™s no charges out there. Sheโ€™s not a criminal illegal alien.โ€

Pomerleau said the family has been struggling with the distance, noting that Ferreiraโ€™s son has not spoken to her since she was taken into custody. โ€œIโ€™m just trying to fight to get her out of jail,โ€ he said. โ€œShe should not be sitting in a jail hours away from her family and from her childโ€™s life. Sheโ€™s a great mom, and from what I heard, I think heโ€™s been a pretty good dad.โ€

He added, โ€œHis mother is locked up in Louisiana, where she should have never been in the first place.โ€

The case comes as the Trump administration carries out what it describes as a broad โ€œmass deportation campaign,โ€ emphasizing stricter enforcement of existing immigration laws. The initiative includes encouraging voluntary return for those in the country illegally and increasing operations by ICE, the Border Patrol, and state National Guard units.

A relative of Ferreira has launched a GoFundMe campaign, stating she was brought to the U.S. as a child and โ€œfollowed all protocols.โ€ The fundraiser says, โ€œSince then, she has done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here. She has maintained her legal status through DACA, followed every requirement, and has always strived to do the right thing.โ€

Ferreira remains in federal custody as her removal proceedings continue.

Florida Attorney General Held In Contempt After Defending Trump Immigration Agenda

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A federal judge has found thatย Florida Attorney Generalย James Uthmeier was in civil contempt of court over her ruling to pause a new state law making it a crime for people living in the U.S. illegally to enter the state.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered on April 29 that Uthmeier show cause on “why he should not be held in contempt or sanctioned” for violating a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the court, though Williams ultimately decided he was unable to convince her otherwise.

“If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration, so be it,” Uthmeier said Tuesday in a post on X.

Florida Gov.ย Ron DeSantisย signed legislation into law in February that made it a misdemeanor for illegal immigrants to enter the state as part of President Donald Trumpโ€™s push to crack down on illegal immigration.

But on April 4, Williams issued a 14-day TRO in response to the law, following a lawsuit filed by the Florida Immigrant Coalition and other groups. She then extended the TRO another 11 days after learning the Florida Highway Patrol had arrested over a dozen people, including a U.S. citizen.

The court said on April 18 that Floridaย law enforcement officersย were bound by the TRO, preventing them from enforcing the criminal immigration law.

The court also ordered the attorney general to provide notice to all law enforcement officers, which Uthmeier initially complied with.

On April 23, he sent a follow-up letter telling the law enforcement community that “no judicial orderโ€ฆproperly restrains you from” enforcing the immigration law, adding that “no lawful, legitimate order currently impedes your agencies from continuing to enforce” the statute.

As a result, the court required Uthmeier to show cause as to why he should not be held in contempt for violating the TRO.

Following his response, the court opined that litigants cannot change the meaning of words as it suits them, ruling that Uthmeier was in contempt of the courtโ€™s April 18 order to provide the TRO to law enforcement officers regarding the enforcement of the immigration law.

As such, the court ordered Uthmeier to file bi-weekly reports detailing arrests, detentions or law enforcement actions when it comes to the immigration law prohibiting undocumented immigrants from entering the state of Florida, with the first being filed by July 1.

Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to Continue Third-Country Deportations

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Trump administration may continue swiftly deporting migrants while a legal challenge to the policy proceeds.

In a 2โ€“1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit allowed the deportations to continue and moved to speed up the timeline for the next stage of the case. The panel issued its order without an accompanying explanation.

The Trump administration has expanded the use of โ€œthird-country removalsโ€ as part of its broader immigration crackdown, deporting migrants to nations other than their countries of origin. The administration has reached agreements with several countries โ€” including Cameroon, South Sudan and Eswatini โ€” to accept deportees.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defended the policy as a way to remove individuals it describes as particularly dangerous.

In court filings, the administration has also argued that federal judges lack the authority to intervene in how immigration enforcement policies are carried out.

The majority on the three-judge panel included Judge Jeffrey Howard, nominated by former President George W. Bush, and Judge Seth Aframe, a nominee of former President Joe Biden. Judge Lara Montecalvo, also nominated by Biden, dissented.

The ruling lifts limits imposed by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, another Biden nominee, who is overseeing a class-action lawsuit filed last year by four noncitizens challenging the deportation policy.

Murphy ruled last month that the administration could not deport migrants to third countries without first attempting to send them to their country of citizenship or another country with which they have ties.

โ€œIt is not fine, nor is it legal,โ€ Murphy wrote in his decision.

His order required immigration authorities to first attempt deportation to a migrantโ€™s country of citizenship or the country normally designated for removal. If that effort failed, Murphy said migrants must be given a โ€œmeaningful opportunityโ€ to challenge their deportation once a third country is selected.

Murphy delayed the implementation of his ruling to allow the appeals court time to weigh in. The 1st Circuitโ€™s order keeps his decision on hold while the appeal moves forward.

Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which represents the migrants, said the group welcomed the expedited timeline.

โ€œWhile the order unfortunately delays implementation of the decision, we appreciate that the First Circuit ordered a swift resolution of the merits of the governmentโ€™s appeal,โ€ Realmuto said.

The dispute has already reached the Supreme Court once. Last year, the Trump administration successfully appealed to the high court after Murphy imposed earlier limits on the policy.

In a statement following Mondayโ€™s ruling, a DHS spokesperson said the courtโ€™s decision supports the administrationโ€™s position.

โ€œThe Biden Administration allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood our country, and the Trump Administration has the authority to remove these criminal illegal aliens and clean up this national security nightmare,โ€ the spokesperson said. โ€œIf these activist judges had their way, aliens who are so uniquely barbaric that their own countries wonโ€™t take them back, including convicted murderers, child rapists and drug traffickers, would walk free on American streets.โ€

Trump Administration Delivers Historic Border Security Win โ€” Lowest Apprehensions Since 1970

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Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

The Trump administration has closed fiscal year 2025 with a historic milestone on border security โ€” the lowest U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions in more than five decades, according to preliminary enforcement data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Border agents recorded 237,565 apprehensions in fiscal year 2025 โ€” slightly above the 201,780 apprehensions in 1970 but dramatically below recent levels. The numbers represent an 87% drop compared to the average of the past four fiscal years (1.86 million apprehensions) and showcase what can happen when the federal government finally enforces immigration laws.

This achievement came even though 72% of this yearโ€™s total apprehensions happened during the final 111 days of the Biden administration โ€” before President Trump returned to office and immediately began reversing his predecessorโ€™s โ€œopen-borderโ€ policies.

โ€œFiscal year 2025 shows what happens when we enforce the law without compromise,โ€ said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. โ€œFor too long, agents and officers were handcuffed by failed policies. Today they are empowered to do their jobs โ€” and the result is the most secure border in modern history.โ€


Reversing Bidenโ€™s Border Chaos

When President Trump took office in January 2025, he inherited what many described as a border crisis fueled by Bidenโ€™s mass-release policies. In just the first 111 days of the fiscal year, under Bidenโ€™s watch, 172,026 apprehensions occurred โ€” nearly three-quarters of the yearโ€™s total.

But once Trumpโ€™s immigration directives took effect, the situation changed dramatically. Over the next 254 days, apprehensions plummeted to 65,539 โ€” just 27% of the fiscal yearโ€™s total.

September 2025 alone saw only about 279 apprehensions per day along the Southwest border โ€” a staggering 95% decline compared to the Biden-era daily average of 5,110. It also marked the fifth consecutive month of zero illegal immigrant releases by Border Patrol โ€” a stark contrast to 9,144 releases in September 2024.

Across all entry points, CBP recorded roughly 26,000 total encounters in September, down 89% from Bidenโ€™s monthly averages.


Strong Action From Day One

President Trump wasted no time taking decisive action to reestablish border control:

  • Deployed additional personnel to the southern border.
  • Ended โ€œcatch-and-releaseโ€, ensuring illegal migrants are no longer released while awaiting hearings.
  • Shut down Bidenโ€™s CBP One app parole loophole, later repurposing the app to help migrants self-deport.
  • Paused parole programs and authorized ICE to cancel parole statuses.
  • Ordered strict enforcement of existing immigration laws, restoring morale and authority to frontline border agents.

These policies stand in sharp contrast to Bidenโ€™s approach, which relied on controversial โ€œparoleโ€ programs and insisted on new legislation instead of acting on existing laws.

White House Delivers Ultimatum To ICE: Triple The Arrests Or Face The Consequences

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Illegal Immigration in the United State via Wikimedia Commons

According to new reports, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller delivered a blunt ultimatum to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership in mid-May: ramp up arrests to 3,000 per day or face personnel changes.

During a tense meeting at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., Miller reportedly warned that regional offices failing to meet the target would see their leadership replaced. Sources familiar with the meeting said Miller left no room for interpretation โ€” improved numbers werenโ€™t encouraged, they were mandatory. (RELATED: Legal Battle May Reveal Big Payouts Tied To Bidenโ€™s Border Policies)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, also in attendance, struck a more measured tone. Still, the message was clear, according to NBC News: immigration enforcement efforts must intensify and take precedence:

Misdemeanor cases for border crossings are regularly appearing in federal court, a rarity in recent years. Justice Department teams focused on other issues are being disbanded, with members being dispersed to teams focused on immigration and other administration priorities.

And prosecutors say cases without immigration components have stalled or are moving more slowly, according to documents seen by NBC News and conversations with six current and former prosecutors and a senior FBI official, who described how immigration is now a central part of discussions around whether to pursue cases.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

โ€œImmigration status is now question No. 1 in terms of charging decisions,โ€ an assistant U.S. attorney said. โ€œIs this person a documented immigrant? Is this person an undocumented immigrant? Is this person a citizen? Are they somehow deportable? What is their immigration status? And the answer to that question is now largely driving our charging decisions.โ€

At least one U.S. attorneyโ€™s office abandoned a potential federal prosecution of someone who prosecutors felt was dangerous because the case against the person lacked an immigration component, an email obtained by NBC News showed. The office instead left the case to state prosecutors.

Mobilizing National Resources

Following the confrontation, ICE launched โ€œOperation At Large,โ€ a coast-to-coast initiative designed to supercharge apprehensions. The scale is unprecedented. Over 21,000 National Guard troops and 250 IRS agents have been folded into the effort, alongside thousands of ICE and federal law enforcement personnel. (RELATED: Police Case That Fueled 2020 Protests Returns To Supreme Court)

The operationโ€™s reach has required coordination across agencies, pulling FBI and DOJ resources away from their usual focus areas and toward immigration-related priorities.

The Daily Mail has more on Miller’s dramatic call to action:

According to the Washington Examiner, Miller allegedly told them: ‘You guys aren’t doing a good job. You’re horrible leaders.’

He then reportedly gave them an open challenge and asked: ‘Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?’

Miller further pushed, getting into what an official called a ‘p***ing contest,’ saying: ‘What do you mean youโ€™re going after criminals?โ€™

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

In a statement to the Examiner, ICE deputy assistant director of media affairs Laszlo Baksay said the descriptions were ‘inaccurate.’

However, the conservative-leaning outlet cited sources within ICE and DHS who claimed Millerโ€™s remarks further eroded morale among rank-and-file agents, which was already low.

โ€œHe had nothing positive to say about anybody,โ€ one official told the paper, describing the mood following Millerโ€™s visit.

Another source painted a darker picture of the internal climate confronting ICE agents:

โ€œTheyโ€™ve been threatened, told theyโ€™re watching their emails and texts and Signals. Thatโ€™s what is horrible about things right now. Itโ€™s a fearful environment. Everybody in leadership is afraid. Thereโ€™s no morale. Everybody is demoralized.โ€

Despite the backlash, Miller defended the administrationโ€™s approach during an appearance with Sean Hannity, insisting the 3,000-arrest-per-day quota is only a temporary benchmark โ€” and warning that agents should be prepared for that figure to rise.

Florida Sweep Sets Records, Nashville Backlash Sparks Tensions

Localized operations have revealed just how expansive the crackdown has become since Miller and Noem appeared at Potomac Center Plaza in Southwest D.C. Across the nation, agents have ramped up early-morning sweeps and workplace raids, often coordinated with minimal local notification. In Florida, a weeklong action labeled โ€œOperation Tidal Waveโ€ resulted in 1,120 arrests โ€” the largest ICE enforcement action ever recorded in a single state.

Tennessee saw similar efforts, with 196 arrests in the Nashville area. The local response was sharply critical. Nashvilleโ€™s mayor denounced the operation as out of step with the cityโ€™s values and implemented policies limiting cooperation with ICE. Republicans in Congress are now investigating whether the mayorโ€™s office leaked information about ICE agents โ€” a serious charge with national implications.

Focus on Career Criminals โ€” But Collateral Arrests Are Rising

Officially, the crackdown targets individuals with criminal records or prior deportation orders. But internal ICE guidance reportedly encourages officers to make โ€œcollateral arrestsโ€ โ€” detaining illegal immigrants encountered in the field, even if they werenโ€™t the original target and have no criminal history.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/us_icegov/54295293536/in/photostream/, Creative Commons Attribution-Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal (CC BY-NC-SA 1.0)

The broader approach has raised legal and logistical concerns, as well as fears of potential overreach, according to immigrant advocacy groups.

Leadership Purge Signals Internal Pressure

It also hasnโ€™t come without fallout inside ICE. Two senior officials โ€” Kenneth Genalo and Robert Hammer โ€” have been removed from their posts in recent weeks. Sources say the firings reflect internal friction over how aggressively to pursue the administrationโ€™s ambitious targets. They also serve as a warning to others who might be perceived as resistant to the push.

White House: Fulfilling the Mandate, Critics Question the Cost

The administration stands by the operation. Officials say it delivers on President Trumpโ€™s second-term promise: to secure the border and remove criminal illegal aliens.

Still, questions remain. Legal scholars are raising red flags over the breadth of federal involvement, and local-federal cooperation is growing more strained. As the operation continues, so does the debate โ€” over strategy, law, and the real-world impact on communities nationwide.

Report: Trump Admin Sends Over 100 Iranians Back To Tehran In Rare Deal

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By United States Government - https://x.com/PressSec/status/1882759560613527770, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159931598

The Trump administration has reportedly deported a planeload of more than 100 Iranians under a deal struck with the Iranian government.

Iranian officials confirmed to The New York Times that the planeload of migrants took off from Louisiana on Monday night and was expected to arrive in Iran via Qatar on Tuesday. A U.S. official also reportedly confirmed the plan to the outlet.

Monday’s round of deportations is the first step in a larger plan to deport approximately 400 Iranian nationals.

“The Trump Administration is committed to fulfilling President Trumpโ€™s promise to carry out the largest mass deportation operation of illegal aliens in history, using all the tools at our disposal,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News on Tuesday.

The deal marks a rare instance of cooperation between Tehran and the US, which saw heightened tensions in the wake of this summer’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Iranian officials told The Times that the deportation deal came about after months of discussions between the two nations.

The identities of the Iranian deportees are unknown, but The Times reported that the group included men and women, some of whom were couples. The outlet also noted, citing Iranian officials, that some of the deportees volunteered to leave the U.S. after spending time in detention centers, while others were not going voluntarily.

Iranian officials also told The Times that in almost every case, the deportees either had asylum requests denied or had yet to appear before a judge for a hearing on their requests.

“We have urged the American government to respect the rights of Iranian migrants and their citizenship rights under international law. They must not be denied consular services, fair judicial process, or the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Noushabadi told Tasnim news agency.

Another official told the news agency that the individuals being deported had left Iran legally, but how they entered the U.S. was “another matter.” For decades, the U.S. had granted refuge to Iranians fleeing political repression due to the regime’s reputation for brutal human rights abuses.

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Judge Rebuked Twice By Supreme Court Deals New Blow To Trump Immigration Agenda

A federal judge already twice rebuked by the Supreme Court is back at itโ€”this time blocking the Trump administration from ending legal protections for thousands of Ethiopian migrants.

Judge Brian Murphy, a Biden appointee in Massachusetts, temporarily halted the administrationโ€™s plan to strip temporary protected status (TPS) from more than 5,000 Ethiopiansโ€”a move that would have made them deportable within 60 days.

Murphy said the Department of Homeland Security didnโ€™t follow the law when it pulled the plug on the program.

That ruling lands right in the middle of the administrationโ€™s broader push to shrink TPS and tighten immigration enforcement.

But it also lands on a judge with a track record.

Murphy has repeatedly tried to block Trump-era deportation policiesโ€”especially efforts to send migrants to third countries. The Supreme Court has stepped in twice to reverse him, even issuing a rare 7โ€“2 clarification saying he ignored its orders. An appeals court also shut down one of his more recent rulings just last month.

Critics say this is more of the same.

โ€œThis rogue judge lacks the subject matter jurisdiction to issue this order,โ€ Sen. Eric Schmitt said. โ€œThe assault on the rule of law continues.โ€

Legal analyst Jonathan Turley piled on, warning that โ€œthis system cannot function with such rogue operators at the trial level.โ€

Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan pointed to what he sees as a fundamental problem: the law itself.

โ€œOne big problem for Murphy is the statute: It explains TPS determinations arenโ€™t reviewable. Another is the Supreme Court, which has stopped similar orders twice,โ€ Wessan said. โ€œHe finds neither statute nor SCOTUS stops him. Iโ€™m unconvinced.โ€

Murphy, for his part, insists heโ€™s not defying the high court. He noted that the Supreme Court hasnโ€™t fully explained its recent TPS-related rulingsโ€”and hasnโ€™t stepped in on every similar case.

โ€œThere is no reason to assumeโ€ the justices have settled the issue, he wrote.

The lawsuit behind the ruling claims the administrationโ€™s TPS rollback isnโ€™t just proceduralโ€”itโ€™s discriminatory. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argue the policy is aimed at reducing non-white immigration, writing that the effort targets โ€œthe nationals of majority Black countriesโ€ in particular.

The Justice Department is expected to appeal, setting up yet another round in a growing legal fight between the Trump administration and a judge who keeps standing in its way.