Donald Trump Suffers Major Legal Blow Over Migrant Protections
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Donald Trump suffered a legal setback Thursday after a federal judge ruled against his administration's efforts to end Temporary Protected Status for tens of thousands of migrants.
The decision extends protections for more than 60,000 people from Central America and Asia, including Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua, halting plans to revoke their legal status.
Temporary Protected Status shields certain immigrants in the U.S. from deportation and allows them to work legally if their home countries are deemed unsafe due to disasters or political unrest. The protection can be extended by the Homeland Security secretary.
Kristi Noem moved to end TPS for tens of thousands of Hondurans and Nicaraguans, arguing their home countries were now safe and that they had made "significant progress" in recovering from 1998's Hurricane Mitch, one of the deadliest Atlantic storms in history.
But U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson said the administration ended the migrant status protections without an "objective review of the country conditions" such as political violence in Honduras and the impact of recent hurricanes and storms in Nicaragua.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US envoy meets Israeli hostage families in Tel Aviv
US envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday met the anguished families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, as fears for the captives' survival mounted almost 22 months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack. Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the families. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed the meeting was underway and videos shared online showed Witkoff arriving as families chanted "Bring them home!" and "We need your help." The visit came one day after Witkoff visited a US-backed aid station in Gaza, to inspect efforts to get food into the devastated Palestinian territory. Yotam Cohen, brother of 21-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, told AFP in the square: "The war needs to end. The Israeli government will not end it willingly. It has refused to do so. "The Israeli government must be stopped. For our sakes, for our soldiers' sakes, for our hostages' sakes, for our sons and for the future generations of everybody in the Middle East." After the meeting, the Forum released a statement saying that Witkoff had given them a personal commitment that he and US President Donald Trump would work to return the remaining hostages. The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, had been mediating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that would allow the hostages to be released and humanitarian aid to flow more freely. But talks broke down last month and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is under increasing domestic pressure to come up with another way to secure the missing hostages, alive and dead. He is also facing international calls to open Gaza's borders to more food aid, after UN and humanitarian agencies warned that more than two million Palestinian civilians are facing starvation. - 'Without rest' - But Israel's top general warned that there would be no respite in fighting in Gaza if the hostages were not released. "I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages," said army chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, according to a military statement. "If not, the combat will continue without rest," he said, during remarks to officers inside Gaza on Friday. Of the 251 people who were kidnapped from Israel during Hamas's attack in October 2023, 49 remain in Gaza, 27 of them dead, according to the military. Palestinian armed groups this week released two videos of hostages looking emaciated and weak. Zamir denied that there was widespread starvation in Gaza. "The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed, and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (Israeli military), a moral army, of war crimes," he said. "The ones responsible for the killing and suffering of the residents in the Gaza Strip is Hamas." Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. A total of 898 Israeli soldiers have also been killed, according to the military. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN. - Civilian deaths - Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed 21 people in the territory on Saturday. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said two people were killed and another 26 injured after an Israeli strike on a central Gaza area where Palestinians had gathered before a food distribution point run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). He added that Saturday's bombings mostly targeted the areas near the southern city of Khan Yunis and Gaza City in the north. Witkoff visited another GHF site for five hours on Friday, promising that Trump would come up with a plan to better feed civilians. Adnan Abu Hasna, of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, told AFP that the agency had "approximately 6,000 trucks ready for the Gaza Strip, but the crossings are closed by political decision. There are five land crossings into the Strip through which 1,000 trucks can enter daily." The UN human rights office in the Palestinian territories on Friday said at least 1,373 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza had been killed since May 27, most of them by the Israeli military. Israel's military insist that soldiers never deliberately target civilians and accuses Hamas fighters of looting UN and humanitarian aid trucks. fa-dc/jsa
Hamilton Spectator
41 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Limited options for Democrats to retaliate if Texas Republicans redraw congressional map
WASHINGTON (AP) — As Republicans move to redraw legislative maps in red states to pad their narrow House majority in Washington, some Democrats are rethinking their embrace of a nonpartisan approach to line-drawing that now complicates their party's ability to hit back before next year's midterm elections. In many Democratic-controlled states, independent commissions rather than the state legislature handle redistricting, the normally-once-a-decade task of adjusting congressional and legislative districts so their populations are equal. Parties in the majority can exploit that process to shape their lawmakers' districts so they are almost guaranteed reelection. The commission model limits parties' ability to game the system, leading to more competitive districts. Not all redistricting commissions were created at Democrats' insistence. And, like Republicans, the party has exploited line-drawing for its own gain in the handful of states where it controls the process. But unlike Republicans, many Democratic Party leaders have embraced the nonpartisan model. That means Democrats have fewer options to match Republicans, who are redrawing the U.S. House map in Texas at President Donald Trump's urging to carve out as many as five new winnable seats for the GOP. That could be enough to prevent Democrats from winning back the majority next year. Democrats have threatened payback. During a gathering Friday in Wisconsin of Democratic governors, several of them said they wanted to retaliate because the stakes are so high. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who has pushed for a nonpartisan redistricting commission in his state, said Democrats must 'do whatever we can' to counter the Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps. 'When you have a gun against your head, you've got to do something,' he said. Despite the ambitious talk, Democrats largely have their hands tied. Democratic states have limited ability to redistrict for political edge California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he and the Democratic-controlled Legislature will try to redraw his state's congressional map. But they would need to repeal or defy the 2008 ballot measure creating an independent redistricting commission. Voters extended its authority to congressional districts two years later. Newsom supported the constitutional amendment at the time, when he was mayor of San Francisco. The Texas redistricting, which is expected to pass the Legislature next week, led him to modify that position. 'We can act holier than thou, we can sit on the sidelines, talk about the way the world should be, or we can recognize the existential nature that is this moment,' Newsom said earlier this month. In New York, which also has a commission, the state constitution bars another map this decade. Democrats have moved for a change, but that could not happen until 2027 at the earliest, and then only with voter approval. In other states where Democrats control the governor's office and legislature, including Colorado and Washington, the party has backed independent commissions that cannot redraw, let alone rig, maps in the middle of the decade. Democrats say 'foundations of our democracy' at stake When the redistricting cycle kicked off in 2021, after the last census, independent commissions were in charge of drawing 95 House seats that otherwise would have been drawn by Democrats, but only 13 that would have been created by Republicans. In a marker of the shift among Democrats, former Attorney General Eric Holder, who heads the party's redistricting effort and has called repeatedly for a more nonpartisan approach, seemed to bless his party's long shot efforts to overrule their commissions. 'We do not oppose – on a temporary basis – responsible, responsive actions to ensure that the foundations of our democracy are not permanently eroded,' Holder said in a statement last week. In states where they weren't checked by commissions, Democrats have redistricted just as ruthlessly as Republicans. In Illinois, they drew a map that gave them a 14-3 advantage in the congressional delegation. In New Mexico, they tweaked the map so they control all three House seats. In Nevada, they held three of its four seats in November despite Trump winning the state. Even in states where they have a lopsided advantage, Democrats are exploring ways to maximize it. On Friday, Maryland's House Majority Leader, Democratic Del. David Moon, said he would introduce legislation to trigger redrawing of the congressional lines if Texas moves forward. Democrats hold seven of the state's eight congressional seats. 'We can't have one state, especially a very large state, constantly trying to one-up and alter the course of congressional control while the other states sit idly by,' he said. Commissions promote 'fair representation,' advocates say Advocates of a nonpartisan model are alarmed by the shift among Democrats. They say the party would redistrict just as aggressively as the GOP if not held in check, depriving voters of a voice in districts whose winners would essentially be selected in advance by political leaders. 'We're very desperate — we're looking for any port in a storm,' said Emily Eby French, Common Cause's Texas director. 'This Democratic tit for tat redistricting seems like a port but it's not a port. It's a jagged rock with a bunch of sirens on them.' The group's director of redistricting, Dan Vicuña, said using redistricting for partisan advantage — known as gerrymandering — is highly unpopular with the public: 'This is about fair representation for communities.' Politicians used to shy away from discussing it openly, but that has changed in today's polarized environment. Trump earlier this month told reporters about his hopes of netting five additional GOP seats in Texas and more out of other Republican-controlled states. He has urged new maps in GOP-controlled states such as Indiana and Missouri, while Ohio Republicans are poised to reshape political lines after neutralizing a push to create an independent redistricting commission. Democrats are divided over how to respond to Texas In a sign of the party's divide, Democrats have continued to push for a national redistricting panel that would remove partisanship from the process, even as some call for retaliation against Republicans in defiance of state limitations. 'No unilateral disarmament till both sides are following the law,' said Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, like Newsom a possible 2028 presidential contender, wrote on X. Gallego's post came a day before his Democratic colleagues gathered to announce they were reintroducing a bill to create the national commission. An identical bill died in 2022 when it couldn't overcome Republican objections despite Democrats controlling Congress and the presidency. It has no chance now that the GOP is in charge of both branches. Sen. Chris Murphy, another potential 2028 contender, didn't express regret over past reforms that have implemented independent redistricting boards in Democratic states, saying the party 'should never apologize for being for the right thing.' But he added that Republicans 'are operating outside of the box right now and we can't stay inside the box.' 'If they're changing districts in the middle of the 10-year cycle, we have to do the same thing,' he said. That approach, however, hasn't caught on across the party. 'We shouldn't stoop to their tactics,' Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said. 'It's an ideal that we have accurate and fair representation. We can't abandon it just because Republicans try to manipulate and distort it.' ___ Riccardi reported from Denver. Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles, Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Newsweek
41 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Disapproval Rating Hits New 2025 High
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Donald Trump's disapproval rating has climbed to its highest level of the year, according to newly released polling data. The latest ActiVote poll, conducted between July 1 and 31 among 454 respondents, put Trump's disapproval rating at 52.1 percent, up from 51.5 percent last month. Meanwhile, his approval rating has remained at 44.5 percent. Why It Matters Voters have in particular raised concerns about the administration's handling of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's case, as well as Trump's tariffs policies and his impact on the economy more broadly. File photo: Donald Trump gestures as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House., Friday, August 1, 2025 in Washington, D.C. File photo: Donald Trump gestures as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House., Friday, August 1, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Jacquelyn Martin/AP What To Know The latest data marks a stark reversal from earlier in the year, when Trump held a net positive approval rating. In January, 52 percent of Americans approved of his performance, while 46 percent disapproved—a net approval of +6. But that lead evaporated by March, and his numbers have since trended steadily downward. By April, Trump's disapproval rating had begun to consistently outpace approval, with 45 percent approving and 51 percent disapproving. After a brief improvement in May, his net approval dropped to -7 in both June and July. Despite the decline, July's numbers remain higher than Trump's average approval rating during his first term (41 percent), and also above President Biden's full-term average (41 percent) and his final-year rating (40 percent). Trump also maintains a net positive rating among rural voters, men, older Americans (50-plus), Republicans, white voters, and those with lower incomes, all of whom were crucial to his victory in 2024. Meanwhile, the politically crucial centrist group shifted back into net positive territory for Trump in July, giving him a +4 approval rating, up from -6 last month. However, approval within his own base has slipped: support among the moderate right and right dropped to 82 percent, down 4 points from June. Epstein Scandal Rekindles Public Scrutiny The fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues to cast a shadow over Trump and his administration. Polls have shown that a bipartisan majority of voters, including MAGA supporters, now believe that the government should release all files related to Epstein, with many suspecting a cover-up. Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. There is no evidence that Trump was involved in Epstein's crimes. Trump has acknowledged knowing the man in the 1990s and early 2000s but maintains that he cut ties with him well before Epstein's 2006 arrest. A recent Wall Street Journal report uncovered a 2003 birthday card Trump allegedly sent to Epstein. The card included a drawing of a naked woman and the message: "We have certain things in common … may every day be another wonderful secret." The discontent intensified when a Justice Department memo last month confirmed Epstein died by suicide in 2019 and that the government does not possess a "client list"—directly contradicting conspiracy theories promoted by some Trump-aligned figures. Trump reportedly lashed out at his own supporters, calling them "weaklings" for being "duped" by what he called a "hoax" pushed by Democrats. He later walked back the comments and directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to begin the process of unsealing grand jury materials related to Epstein. Economic Worries Add To Pressure Economic concerns are also causing a headache for the Trump administration, with multiple recent polls showing a downward trend in the president's approval rating on his handling of the economy and inflation. Inflation rose to 2.7 percent in June, and job growth slowed sharply in July, with just 73,000 new jobs added—down from 147,000 the previous month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.2 percent, though it remains near historic lows. Amid those concerns, other polls have also shown Trump's approval rating sliding to lows. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that Trump's approval rating had dropped to 40 percent, with 56 percent disapproving, giving him a net approval rating of -16 points. The latest YouGov/Economist poll also showed Trump's approval rating at its lowest level yet, with 40 percent approving and 55 percent disapproving. And a new Zogby Strategies poll also showed Trump's overall approval rating had slipped to an all-time low, with just 43 percent of voters approving of his performance, while 54 percent disapproved, marking a net approval rating of -11 points. That is down from -8 net approval in June and -1 in May. Poll Date Approve Disapprove ActiVote July 1-31 45 52 RMG Research July 23-31 50 48 John Zogby Strategies July 28-29 43 54 YouGov/Economist July 25-28 40 55 Ipsos/Reuters July 25-27 40 56 Morning Consult July 25-27 47 50 McLaughlin and Associates July 21-24 47 54 Quantus Insights July 21-23 47 50 Emerson College July 21-22 46 47 Trafalgar Group/Insider Advantage July 22-23 50 48 But other polls show slight improvements: Morning Consult has Trump at 47 percent approval, with net approval rising to -3 from -7. Newsweek's poll tracker shows a similar uptick, with his net approval at -5 (46 percent approve; 51 percent disapprove), up from -7 yesterday and -10 last week. What Happens Next Trump's approval rating will continue to fluctuate throughout his term in office as he implements his policy agenda. Whether it falls enough to impact the Republican Party in the November 2026 midterms remains to be seen.
