Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen spoke about his meeting with , a man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
He read from a U.S. Supreme Court opinion issued this week, ordering the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, and about protecting the constitutional rights of everyone in the U.S.
More than a thousand students have been stripped of their visas and many are now involved in a class action lawsuit filed Friday. In the case of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student detained in Louisiana, a judge ordered she be released immediately or brought to Vermont.
Here's the latest:
FACT FOCUS: Trump exaggerates revenue from tariffs
heralds tariffs as a way of bringing in revenue, striking back at countries he sees as taking advantage of the U.S. in trade and as a cudgel to push countries to do what he wants.
On April 2 he announced on nearly all trading partners, only to roll most of them back April 9 after the stock market tanked.
Still, he claims that tariffs, taxes on imported goods, are bringing in billions of dollars a day.
Here鈥檚 a look at the facts: ___
CLAIM: The U.S. is earning $2 billion per day from tariffs.
THE FACTS: That鈥檚 false. Trump began raising tariffs in February. That about $7.247 billion in customs duties were collected, or $258.82 million per day. , the most recent monthly figure available, a total of about $8.168 billion in customs duties was collected, or approximately $263.48 million per day. A customs duty is a .
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Some Head Start centers to reopen classrooms after funding resumes
Centers that closed this week in Washington state due to a lag in federal funding will reopen preschools serving low-income children Monday.
An unexplained delay in funding forced Head Start classrooms serving more than 400 children at Inspire Development Centers in Sunnyside to close Wednesday through Friday, Inspire CEO Jorge Castillo said. More than 70 workers were laid off because the centers could not make payroll.
Castillo said there was no explanation for the disruption, something that had never happened during 42 years of operation. An email arrived Friday from the Department of Health and Human Services saying that funding through the fiscal year ending in November was restored.
Planning for the future remains uncertain, according to Castillo.
The Trump administration has proposed eliminating Head Start, a federally funded early-education program serving more than half a million of the nation鈥檚 neediest children. Head Start centers nationwide have received nearly $1 billion less in federal money compared with this time last year.
Judge blocks Trump administration from passport changes affecting transgender Americans
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from enacting a policy that bans the use of 鈥淴鈥� markers by many nonbinary people on passports as well as the changing of gender markers.
In an executive order signed in January, the president used a narrow definition of the sexes and rejected the idea that someone can transition from the sex assigned at birth to another gender. The framing is in line with many conservatives鈥� views but at odds with major medical groups and policies under former President Joe Biden.
U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick sided with the American Civil Liberties Union鈥檚 motion for a preliminary injunction, which stays the action while the lawsuit plays out.
She wrote that the government failed to demonstrate that its actions are substantially related to an important governmental interest.
Judge orders case over Tufts University student in detention to be brought to Vermont
A federal judge on Friday ordered that a Turkish Tufts University student detained by immigration authorities in Louisiana be brought to Vermont by May 1 for a hearing over what her lawyers say was apparent retaliation for an op-ed piece she co-wrote in the student newspaper.
U.S. District Judge William Sessions said he would hear Rumeysa Ozturk鈥檚 request to be released from detention. Her lawyers had requested that she be released immediately, or at least brought back to Vermont.
The 30-year-old doctoral student was taken by immigration officials in the Boston suburb of Somerville on March 25. After being taken to New Hampshire and then Vermont, she was put on a plane the next day and moved to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana.
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Class action lawsuit challenges Trump鈥檚 crackdown on student visas
The suit asks a federal court to reinstate the legal status of international students who have been stripped of their visas in a that has left more than a thousand fearful of deportation.
The suit was filed in New Hampshire by several American Civil Liberties Union affiliates.
At schools around the country, students have seen their , typically with little notice.
At least 1,075 students at 170 colleges, universities and university systems have been affected since late March, according to an Associated Press review of university statements, correspondence with school officials and court records.
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Trump speaks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about Ukraine, Middle East and trade
鈥淭he Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to free and open trade and the importance of protecting the national interest,鈥� according to a Downing Street statement following the leaders鈥� Friday call. 鈥淭he leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine, Iran and recent action taken against the Houthis in Yemen.鈥�
Trump, according to the White House, told Starmer that he鈥檚 looking forward to his state visit to the United Kingdom later this year.
Starmer delivered the invitation from King Charles III during his White House visit in February.
Albrego Garcia says he is no longer being held at notorious Salvadoran prison
Van Hollen has recounted the chronology of Abrego Garcia鈥檚 deportation to El Salvador, saying he told him he was initially taken to Baltimore, then Texas, then put on a plane with 鈥渘o idea where he was going.鈥�
Upon arriving, Abrego Garcia said he was 鈥渢raumatized鈥� by being at the but said that 鈥渘ine days ago鈥� he was moved to a different facility.鈥�
Abrego Garcia鈥檚 wife Jennifer wiped away tears as Van Hollen spoke of the man鈥檚 comments about wanting to speak with his wife.
Sen. Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia鈥檚 family hold news conference at Dulles Airport
Emotion filled Van Hollen鈥檚 voice as he began by saying 鈥渋t鈥檚 good to be home,鈥� noting that Abrego Garcia鈥檚 wife, brother and mother were all standing with him.
鈥淣ow we need to end the illegal abduction of Abrego Garcia and bring him home, too,鈥� he said.
Van Hollen then gave remarks he said he had written on the plane ride home. Reading from a U.S. Supreme Court opinion issued this week, Van Hollen argued that the Trump administration 鈥渨ants to flat out lie about what this case is about.鈥�
鈥淭his case is not just about one man,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about protecting the constitutional rights of everyone who resides in the United States.鈥�
Van Hollen said that all Americans 鈥渕ust be prepared to take risks because of the current risk to the constitution itself.鈥�
He read from the court ruling ordering the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S., then paraphrasing the argument: 鈥淚n other words, put up in court, or shut up.鈥�
Van Hollen also called the El Salvadoran government 鈥渃omplicit鈥� in keeping Abrego Garcia from returning to his family.
Trump to make it easier to fire 50,000 federal workers
Trump is preparing to advance another part of the conservative : to reclassify 50,000 federal employees so they鈥檒l have less civil service protection.
The proposal under what鈥檚 known as Schedule F follows an executive order signed at the beginning of his term. It鈥檚 expected Friday afternoon, though Trump announced the move before the rule was made official.
鈥淚f these government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the President, or are engaging in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job,鈥� he wrote on his Truth Social platform. 鈥淭his is common sense, and will allow the federal government to finally be 鈥榬un like a business.鈥欌��
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Judges warn Congress more money is needed for security at a time of escalating threats
More than five dozen judges handling lawsuits against the are receiving 鈥渆nhanced online security screening鈥� that typically includes scrubbing their personal information from the internet, two federal judges appointed by Republican presidents wrote on behalf of the judiciary in a letter to congressional appropriators.
Trump, senior aide Stephen Miller and billionaire Elon Musk have who鈥檝e blocked parts of Trump鈥檚 agenda, threatening impeachment and launching personal attacks. Trump鈥檚 call to impeach the judge who temporarily halted deportations using an 18th century wartime law prompted a from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
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Appeals court keeps in place California judge鈥檚 order protecting Venezuelan immigrants
The federal appeals court in San Francisco on Friday left in place a from ending temporary legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Department of Homeland Security鈥檚 request for an emergency stay as they appeal the order.
The court wrote that the government has 鈥渘ot demonstrated that they will suffer irreparable harm absent a stay.鈥�
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in March found that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had unlawfully reversed protections granted by the Biden administration that allow an estimated 350,000 Venezuelans to live and work in the U.S. Their temporary protections were set to expire earlier this month.
DOJ attorneys for the government contend that Congress gave the secretary clear and broad authority over the TPS program and that the decisions aren鈥檛 subject to judicial review.
US relays warning on walking away from Russia-Ukraine talks to NATO chief
Secretary of State Marco Rubio relayed to NATO the Trump administration鈥檚 warning about walking away from peace efforts in Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine if there鈥檚 not a deal soon.
The State Department says Rubio spoke to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in a phone call Friday. The State Department quoted Rubio as saying 鈥渋f a clear path to peace does not emerge soon, the United States will step back from efforts to broker peace.鈥�
Federal COVID-19 website replaced with information supporting the lab leak origin theory
The website shows a photo of President Trump walking between the words 鈥渓ab鈥� and 鈥渓eak鈥� under a White House heading. It mentions that Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus first began spreading, is home to a research lab with a history of conducting virus research with 鈥渋nadequate biosafety levels.鈥�
The web page also accuses Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, of pushing a 鈥減referred narrative鈥� that COVID-19 originated in nature.
The have never been proven. Scientists are unsure whether the virus jumped from an animal, as many other viruses have, or came from a laboratory accident. A released in 2023 said there鈥檚 insufficient evidence to prove either theory.
Trump administration asks appellate court to pause judge鈥檚 contempt finding over deportation flights
The emergency request for a stay, filed by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign late Thursday, says U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg鈥檚 order finding probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt pits two and 鈥渆scalates the constitutional stakes鈥� by infringing on executive branch powers.
Boasberg issued the contempt finding Thursday, accusing administration officials of rushing deportees out of the country under last month before they could challenge their removal in court, and then willfully disregarding his order that planes already in the air should and traveling to El Salvador return to the United States.
The judge said he could potentially refer the matter for prosecution if the administration doesnt鈥� remedy the violation. If Justice Department leadership won鈥檛 prosecute the matter, Boasberg said, he鈥檒l appoint another attorney to do so.
Judge won鈥檛 take further steps to enforce his order in AP case against Trump administration
The federal judge has denied a request by The Associated Press that he take further steps to enforce his order last week that the White House stop blocking AP鈥檚 access to cover events because the outlet won鈥檛 rename the Gulf of Mexico in its reports.
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, who handed the AP a victory last week in its efforts to end the ban, said it鈥檚 too soon to say the Trump administration is violating his order 鈥� as the AP suggests.
鈥淲e are not at the point where we can make much of a determination one way or another,鈥� said McFadden, ruling from the bench.
For two months, the White House has essentially banned AP reporters and photographers from their traditional spot covering events in smaller spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One. The AP says it鈥檚 a violation of its free-speech rights to punish a news outlet for an editorial decision 鈥� an argument McFadden has endorsed.
Trump calls Kilmar Abrego Garcia's record 鈥榰nbelievably bad鈥�
After days of denying that he knew much about Abrego Garcia, Trump on Friday said he knew Abrego Garcia's record was 鈥渦nbelievably bad鈥� and called him an 鈥渋llegal alien鈥� and 鈥渇oreign terrorist.鈥�
Trump, while speaking to reporters, had an aide fetch a piece of paper he said had information about Abrego Garcia. He said it came from the State Department and 鈥渧ery legitimate sources.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 just giving you what they handed to me but this is supposed to be certified stuff,鈥� he said.
He said Abrego Garcia is a member of MS-13, though Abrego Garcia has never been criminally charged in the U.S. with gang involvement. He also highlighted how the man鈥檚 wife admitted she once filed a protective order against him despite now advocating for his return.
鈥淭his is the man that the Democrats are wanting us to fly back from El Salvador to be a happily ensconced member of the USA family,鈥� Trump said.
Trump says Ukraine-Russia talks 鈥榗oming to a head鈥� and 鈥榥o one is playing鈥� him in push to end war
President Trump on Friday said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are 鈥渃oming to a head鈥� and insisted that neither side is 鈥減laying鈥� him in his push to end the grinding war.
The comments from Trump came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned earlier Friday that the U.S. may 鈥渕ove on鈥� from trying to secure a if there鈥檚 no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to .
鈥淚f for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we鈥檙e going to say you鈥檙e fools, you鈥檙e foolish, and we鈥檙e just going to take a pass,鈥� Trump told reporters at the White House.
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Trump鈥檚 Q-and-A session with reporters ends abruptly after guest of Dr. Oz appears to faint
Trump was answering questions about Iran鈥檚 nuclear program when reporters were suddenly told it was time to leave.
A young girl and member of Oz鈥檚 family had collapsed and appeared to faint in the Oval Office. Oz rushed over. The girl was able to stand but appeared unsteady as she was helped out of the office.
A ceremony had been held in the Oval Office to swear in Oz as head of the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid, and Trump was answering reporters鈥� questions on various subjects when the girl fainted.
The White House did not identify her but later said she was doing OK.
Trump agrees with Rubio that a Ukraine-Russia peace deal must be done 鈥榪uickly鈥�
鈥淚 have no specific number of days but quickly. We want to get it done,鈥� Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.
He called the war a 鈥渧icious battle鈥� but said he thinks he has a 鈥済ood chance of solving the problem.鈥�
鈥淚f for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we鈥檙e just going to say, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e foolish. You鈥檙e fools. You鈥檙e horrible people and we鈥檙e going to just take a pass,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淏ut hopefully we won鈥檛 have to do that.鈥�
He did not offer specifics about what progress he would need to see to keep from dropping the effort to broker a peace deal.
The president was asked if he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin is stalling and said, 鈥淚 hope not.鈥�
TV鈥檚 鈥楧r. Oz鈥� is sworn in as head of the agency responsible for Medicare and Medicaid
As , the 64-year-old former heart surgeon and TV talk-show host will manage health insurance programs for roughly half the country, with oversight of Medicare, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage.
Dr. Mehmet Oz steps into the role as Congress debates cuts to Medicaid, which aids millions of poor and disabled people.
Trump looked on as Oz was sworn in Friday by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a ceremony in the Oval Office.
The president repeated his promise of 鈥渘o cuts鈥� to Medicare and Medicaid and thanked Oz for the 鈥渂ig commitment鈥� he鈥檚 making.
Melania Trump publicly thanks staff readying for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll
The first lady lauded her team鈥檚 鈥渢ireless effort鈥� in preparing for Monday鈥檚 event, which is attended by thousands of people.
The tradition dates to 1878 and 鈥渂rings joy, storytelling, and laughter to America鈥檚 children,鈥� she wrote in a Good Friday social media post.
鈥淚 look forward to watching all of the smiles light up this memorable day, on Monday. May this Good Friday inspire hope and faith for all Americans and our friends around the world,鈥� the first lady said.
21 people whose death sentences were commuted sue Trump over expected transfer to Supermax prison
Their by former President Joe Biden.
The group filed the lawsuit earlier this week. They say President Trump was angry about , and in retaliation issued an executive order directing the U.S. Attorney General to punish them by housing them 鈥渋n conditions consistent with the monstrosity of their crimes.鈥�
The plaintiffs say they were reassigned from housing in high-security prisons or federal medical centers to the Administrative Maximum prison in Florence, Colorado, which is generally reserved for the nation鈥檚 most violent offenders. They say prison is the most restrictive in the country and that the transfer plans violate their due process rights and pose mental and physical health risks.
But Christopher Edelman, the attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, says the men鈥檚 housing assignments haven鈥檛 yet been finalized. A preliminary injunction hearing is expected in May.
Federal judge pausing Trump administration鈥檚 plans for mass layoffs at the CFPB
A federal judge who blocked the Trump administration from dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ruled the agency can鈥檛 go forward immediately with plans to fire hundreds of employees.
During a hearing Friday, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson expressed concern that administration officials aren鈥檛 complying with her earlier order that maintains the agency鈥檚 existence until she rules on the merits of a lawsuit seeking to preserve the bureau.
Jackson said she鈥檒l bar officials from carrying out any mass firings or cutting off employees鈥� access to agency computer systems Friday. She scheduled a hearing on April 28 to hear testimony from officials.
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Congress members pay an unofficial visit to Damascus as US mulls sanctions relief
The pair of Republican Congress members were in the Syrian capital Friday on an unofficial visit organized by a Syrian-American nonprofit, the first by U.S. legislators since the fall of in December.
Also Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with in his first visit since Assad鈥檚 fall and the beginning of the Syrian uprising-turned-civil-war in 2011.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana and Rep. Cory Mills of Florida visited the Damascus suburb of Jobar, the site of a historic synagogue that was heavily damaged and looted in the civil war, and the Christian neighborhood of Bab Touma, where they met with Christian religious leader. They also were set to meet al-Sharaa and other government officials.
The Trump administration has yet to officially recognize the current Syrian government, led by who led a lightning offensive that toppled Assad. Washington hasn鈥檛 yet lifted harsh sanctions that were imposed during Assad鈥檚 rule.
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Vance having Vatican meetings after tangle with the pope
In Vatican City, Vance, a Catholic convert, attended Good Friday services with his wife and three children in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica on Friday afternoon and was scheduled to meet over the weekend with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
No meeting with Pope Francis was announced and the pontiff wasn鈥檛 on hand at the start of the solemn Good Friday service, which was presided over by a Vatican cardinal. The 88-year-old pope has schedule as he recovers from a near-fatal case of double pneumonia, and his participation in the weekend鈥檚 Easter services is uncertain.
Francis and Vance have and the Trump administration鈥檚 plans to deport migrants en masse. Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis blasted the administration鈥檚 deportation plans, warning they would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity.
AP and the Trump administration argue over presidential access before appeals judges
The Associated Press and the Trump administration returned to a courtroom Thursday 鈥� and will be in another on Friday 鈥� as part of the high-stakes battle over who can control which journalists are able to question the president.
Lawyers argued before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals about putting in place a lower court order last week that the administration stop excluding the AP from covering events in places like the Oval Office and Air Force One. It鈥檚 not clear when those judges will make their determination.
The two sides are going before the author of last week鈥檚 decision, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden. The AP has asked him to enforce his ruling.
AP reporters and photographers have been blocked since President Trump objected to the outlet鈥檚 decision not to rename the Gulf of Mexico. McFadden said last week the AP shouldn鈥檛 be excluded just because Trump disagrees with them. Since then, AP says the White House is ignoring the order and continuing to keep its journalists out; Trump鈥檚 team says it has put a new rotation system in place for these events, and it hasn鈥檛 been AP鈥檚 turn yet.
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Judge again declines to pause takeover of US Institute of Peace and firing of its employees
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell declined Thursday to issue an temporary restraining order in a case about the takeover of the , a nonprofit think tank established by Congress.
In this case, USIP employees, a donor and grantees or contractors asked the court to prevent , the cancellation of grants and contracts and the to the nonprofit鈥檚 possession. The newly installed USIP president, a DOGE staffer, transferred ownership of the building to the General Services Administration.
In her ruling, Howell said the fundamental nature of USIP, whether it鈥檚 an executive agency or an independent nonprofit, is still unclear. She also said there was a mismatch between the harm alleged by the employees and the relief they were requesting from the court.
In creating USIP, Congress mandated that it carry out certain functions but Howell said it wasn鈥檛 yet clear that USIP could not carry out its mission, even in its much reduced state.
Cat wanders onto the White House grounds
The gray cat was wearing a collar and a name tag that said 鈥淪ophie.鈥�
After the cat meandered through the North Lawn on Friday morning, news reporters scooped it up and brought it into the press area for safekeeping while the feline鈥檚 owner was called to come pick it up.
The Associated Press
