ICE Crackdowns, Legal Battles, and Rising Global Tensions Define Trump’s 22nd Week
Trump’s 22nd week sees mass deportations, court pushback, and rising tensions with Iran.
Trump’s 22nd week in office brought sweeping developments in immigration enforcement, political arrests, court rulings on health care and LGBTQ+ rights, economic updates, and rising tensions with Iran. New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after allegedly assaulting officers during the arrest of an undocumented immigrant—an incident that drew national backlash as Trump ordered increased ICE raids in Democratic-led cities including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. In San Diego, a former Afghan translator for the U.S. military was also detained, underscoring the administration’s escalation in immigration enforcement.
Following an earlier report by The Introspective detailing proposed cuts to the 988 hotline, the Trump administration announced the termination of services specifically dedicated to LGBTQ+ suicide prevention—prompting condemnation from mental health advocates. A federal judge blocked the administration’s attempt to restrict passport gender markers for transgender and nonbinary Americans, while the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
As the Federal Reserve continues to monitor the economic impact of the ongoing trade war, it chose to hold interest rates steady, despite pressure from Trump to lower them. Meanwhile, as tensions mount between Israel and Iran, Trump approved U.S. war plans targeting Iran—but has yet to authorize their execution.
Immigration
As anti-immigrant sentiment continues under Trump’s second term, backlash erupted after New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by ICE for allegedly assaulting officers during the arrest of an undocumented immigrant.
“You don’t have a judicial warrant,” Lander said during the arrest, in a video obtained by The Introspective.
“You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens. I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant.”
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused Lander of “undermining” law enforcement.
“It is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment,” wrote DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
“No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called Lander’s arrest “bullshit.”
“We’re a far better country than what we’re experiencing,” Hochul said.
“This is New York. This is New York, land of immigrants. We’re proud of them.”
Lander denied assaulting officers, stating that people were normalizing the “destruction of constitutional democracy.”
“I will not characterize the events, but I certainly did not assault an officer,” he said.
“We are not going to allow Donald Trump to wreck the rule of law, to deny people due process, and to turn our country into something that doesn’t meet its obligations under international law.”
At the same time, Sayed Naser, a former Afghan translator for the U.S. military, was arrested by ICE in San Diego after attending a mandatory immigration hearing.
“For more than three years, I worked for the U.S. military back in my home country,” Naser said in video obtained by The Introspective.
“I came here to make a better life. I didn’t know this was going to happen like this for me.”
In a report by CBS News, Shawn VanDiver, executive director of #AfghanEvac—a nonprofit advocating for U.S. wartime allies—said it remains unknown how many Afghan allies have been detained by ICE.
“This man served with our troops. He came through the front door. He followed every rule. And we locked him up anyway,” he said.
The increase in arrests comes as the president directed ICE to ramp up raids in Democratic-led cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The directive followed recent unrest in Los Angeles, despite protests since remaining peaceful.
“ICE officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport illegal aliens in America’s largest cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where millions upon millions of illegal aliens reside.”
Trump’s remarks come as ICE officials were reportedly ordered to meet a quota of 3,000 arrests per day.
Court Rulings and LGBTQ+ Rights
Following previous Introspective reports highlighting proposed cuts to the 988 hotline, the Trump administration shut down the portion of the service aimed at LGBTQ+ youth.
“On July 17, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the ‘Press 3’ option, to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,” the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said in a press release.
Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project—a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ people—called the change “devastating.”
“This means that, in 30 short days, this program that has provided life-saving services to more than 1.3 million LGBTQ+ young people will no longer be available for those who need it,” Black said.
“Suicide prevention is about people, not politics. The administration's decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible.”
Black also criticized the administration’s decision to remove the "T" from “LGBTQ+.”
“Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased,” he added.
The Supreme Court later upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors in a 6-3 ruling.
“This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, arguing that the state law did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment.
“The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best. Our role is not ‘to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic’ of the law before us ... but only to ensure that it does not violate the equal protection guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, stating the decision “invites legislatures to engage in discrimination.”
“By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the Court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent,” she wrote.
At the same time, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from restricting passport gender markers for transgender and nonbinary Americans, expanding a prior injunction issued last month.
“Even assuming a preliminary injunction inflicts some constitutional harm on the Executive Branch, such harm is the consequence of the State Department’s adoption of a passport policy that likely violates the constitutional rights of thousands of Americans,” wrote Judge Julia Kobick.
In a statement to the Associated Press, White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly dismissed the ruling, using transphobic language.
“This is yet another attempt by a rogue judge to thwart President Trump’s agenda and push radical gender ideology that defies biological truth,” Kelly said.
“There are only two genders, there is no such thing as gender ‘X,’ and the president was given a mandate by the American people to restore common sense to the federal government.”
Meanwhile, a federal judge in Boston ruled that federal cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were illegal, accusing the Trump administration of discrimination against minorities and LGBTQ+ communities.
“This represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community,” said District Judge William Young.
“Any discrimination by our government is so wrong that it requires the court to enjoin it—and at an appropriate time, I’m going to do it.”
In a statement obtained by NBC News, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the agency “stands by its decision” and would appeal the ruling.
“Under the leadership of Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration, HHS is committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars support programs rooted in evidence-based practices and gold-standard science—not driven by divisive DEI mandates or gender ideology,” he said.
Economy and Iran
Amid the ongoing trade war, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, despite criticism from President Trump directed at Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
“‘Too Late’ Jerome Powell is costing our country hundreds of billions of dollars,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“We should be 2.5 points lower, and save $BILLIONS on all of Biden’s short-term debt.”
In a report by CNBC, financial analyst Greg McBride pointed to lingering uncertainty surrounding the tariffs.
“With the uncertainty around tariffs and how that could impact inflation readings in the month ahead, there’s an ongoing sense of another shoe about to drop,” McBride said.
“Borrowing rates are high, with mortgage rates near 7%, many home equity lines of credit in double-digit interest rate territory, and the average credit card rate still above 20%.”
Meanwhile, as tensions between Israel and Iran escalate, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has approved attack plans for Iran but has yet to authorize military action.
“I have ideas on what to do, but I haven’t made a final—I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due,” Trump said.
However, Trump denied the report on Thursday in a separate post on Truth Social.
“The Wall Street Journal has no idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!” he wrote.
The conflict in the Middle East entered its seventh day following airstrikes from both countries amid growing concerns over Iran’s alleged nuclear activities.