Trump Week 26: Deportation Push Accelerates as Education and Justice Systems Upended
More immigration judges fired, bond hearings denied, and over a thousand federal education workers laid off as the Trump administration tightens control.
Trump’s 26th week in office brought sweeping developments across the Senate, Supreme Court, immigration policy, and continued efforts to downsize the federal government. The Senate voted to cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasters NPR and PBS, following a previous report from The Introspective highlighting the House of Representatives’ earlier move to cut previously approved funding for the networks.
At the same time, the Supreme Court lifted an injunction that had blocked the Trump administration from firing more than 1,400 employees at the Department of Education, a move that furthers the administration’s broader federal downsizing agenda. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also dismissed two senior officials from HHS, raising questions about internal divisions and the future direction of federal health strategy.
On immigration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to withdraw from Los Angeles following protests over recent immigration raids. The deployment had initially drawn backlash after President Trump sent troops without California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval. Meanwhile, a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo bars undocumented immigrants from receiving bond hearings, intensifying legal and humanitarian concerns as immigration judges have been fired throughout ongoing anti-immigrant sentiment.
Further controversy erupted as the U.S. deported undocumented immigrants from countries including Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen, and Laos to the African country of Eswatini. The move follows a previous Introspective report detailing a Supreme Court decision that permits the Trump administration to deport immigrants to countries they did not originate from.
Senate, Supreme Court, and RFK Jr.
Following a previous Introspective report detailing the House’s decision to cancel funding for foreign aid and public broadcasters NPR and PBS, the Senate voted to cut more than $9 billion in funding, sending the legislation back to the House for further consideration.
In a statement, Kate Riley, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS), said she was “devastated” by the vote.
“Federal funding is essential to ensuring that all Americans have universal access to the exceptional public services that local stations provide, regardless of ZIP code or income level. This includes the over 160 locally operated and controlled public television stations that serve communities small and large throughout this country. All of this is now in jeopardy,” Riley said.
“This elimination of federal funding will decimate public media and put local stations at risk of going dark, cutting off service to communities that rely on them — many of which have no other access to locally controlled media.”
In a separate statement, NPR CEO Katherine Maher emphasized that 3 in 4 Americans rely on public radio stations for critical information, including public safety.
“We call on the House of Representatives to reject this elimination of public media funding, which directly harms their communities and constituents, and could very well place lives at risk,” Maher said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune celebrated the legislation, which included provisions ensuring that aid related to food insecurity, maternal health, malaria, and tuberculosis would remain unaffected.
“What we are talking about is one-tenth of one percent of all federal spending … but it’s a step in the right direction, and it’s the first time we have done anything like this in 35 years,” Thune said.
The House later approved the $9 billion funding package that would cut funding for NPR, PBS, and foreign aid. The bill now awaits President Trump’s signature.
At the same time, the Supreme Court lifted an injunction, allowing the Trump administration to proceed with downsizing the Department of Education by laying off more than 1,400 employees.
“When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary's duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissenting opinion.
“Two lower courts rose to the occasion, preliminarily enjoining the mass firings while the litigation remains ongoing. Rather than maintain the status quo, however, this Court now intervenes, lifting the injunction and permitting the Government to proceed with dismantling the Department. That decision is indefensible.”
In a Truth Social post, Trump celebrated the ruling as a “major victory” for parents and students.
“The federal government has been running our education system into the ground, but we are going to turn it all around by giving the power back to the PEOPLE,” he wrote.
In a press release, Education Secretary Linda McMahon echoed Trump’s sentiments, calling the ruling a “significant win” for students and families.
“Today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the president of the United States, as the head of the executive branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies,” McMahon said.
“It is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution.”
However, National Education Association President Becky Pringle condemned the move, calling the administration’s actions “illegal.”
“Everyone who cares about America’s students and public schools should be appalled by the Supreme Court’s premature intervention in this case today, which stays preliminary relief ordered by the lower courts,” Pringle said in a press release.
“Today’s decision does not resolve the underlying merits of Trump’s unlawful plan to eliminate the Department of Education.”
Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired two top officials within the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy’s chief of staff, Heather Flick Melanson, and deputy chief of staff for policy, Hannah Anderson, both departed the agency.
“Secretary Kennedy has made a leadership change within the Immediate Office of the Secretary,” read a statement obtained by ABC News.
“Effective immediately, Matt Buckham will serve as acting chief of staff.”
“Mr. Buckham currently serves as Kennedy’s White House liaison at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he oversees the recruitment and onboarding of political appointees across the agency. He brings valuable experience in personnel strategy and organizational management to this new role,” the statement added.
Immigration
Following a previous Introspective report highlighting President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 troops — half of the 4,000 that had been deployed.
“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
“As such, the secretary has ordered the release of 2,000 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission.”
In a press release, California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged Trump administration officials to remove the remaining troops.
“For more than a month, the National Guard has been pulled away from their families, communities, and civilian work to serve as political pawns for the president in Los Angeles. While nearly 2,000 of them are starting to demobilize, the remaining Guardsmen continue without a mission, without direction, and without any hopes of returning to help their communities,” said Newsom.
At the same time, U.S. officials deported immigrants from Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen, and Laos to the southern African country of Eswatini — continuing a policy previously reported by The Introspective involving the deportation of undocumented immigrants to countries they are not originally from.
In a post on X, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed the deported individuals — all men — had criminal backgrounds, including charges of murder and sexual assault.
“This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,” she wrote, adding that they are now “off of American soil.”
Trina Realmuto, an attorney with the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, told The Associated Press that the Eswatini deportations appear to be a tactic meant to intimidate.
“It’s disturbing that we don’t know what the exchange was to get Eswatini to accept these individuals. We don’t know if there were diplomatic assurances and, if so, what they said. We don’t know if these individuals were given notice,” Realmuto said.
“It’s all done in secrecy.”
Thabile Mdluli, a spokesperson for the Eswatini government, acknowledged the backlash and said the country would work with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist in the transit of deportees to their countries of origin.
However, the IOM told The New York Times it was not involved in the deportation and was never asked to help facilitate the detainees’ return.
“This is another clear example of how the United States is flagrantly violating the law restricting it from deporting people to countries where they will likely be persecuted or tortured,” said Matt Adams, an attorney representing immigrants previously deported to South Sudan — not to be confused with neighboring Sudan — in the report.
Meanwhile, a memo obtained by The Washington Post revealed plans by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to prohibit undocumented immigrants from receiving bond hearings. The change raises serious legal concerns as immigration judges have been fired throughout Trump’s second term.
“This is their way of putting in place, nationwide, a method of detaining even more people,” said Greg Chen, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
“It’s requiring the detention of far more people without any real review of their individual circumstances.”
In a report by ABC Chicago, former immigration judge Jennifer Peyton said she was fired over the Fourth of July weekend — while on vacation.
“There’s three complete sentences,” Peyton said.
“No reason, no cause. And I’m not trying to flex, but I have a pretty spotless record.”
Peyton also expressed concern for public safety in light of the political climate.
“I’m worried about myself, and my future, but I’m really mostly worried about our country,” she said.