Trump’s Twelfth Week, Part 2: Tariff Fallout, Voting Restrictions, and a Collapsing Safety Net
From unprecedented deportations to NOAA’s gutting and a deepening trade war, the administration doubles down on its priorities.
As week twelve of Trump’s second term continued to unfold, a series of dramatic developments in immigration, civil rights, and federal oversight emerged. A federal judge ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia University and U.S. permanent resident, is eligible for deportation—despite holding a green card. As previously reported by The Introspective, Khalil was arrested for his activism in support of Palestine.
In another high-profile case, the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia—a Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador—back to the United States. However, administration officials claimed Abrego Garcia remains in Salvadoran custody, with no immediate plans to facilitate his return. A federal judge has since ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide regular updates on his whereabouts and status.
Controversy also grew on Capitol Hill after the House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE), which would require states to obtain documented proof of citizenship for federal elections and purge non-citizens from voter rolls. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Meanwhile, proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would eliminate funding for key climate and weather research programs, part of Trump’s broader push to reduce the size of the federal government.
In education, the Department of Education has threatened to revoke all federal funding from Maine’s public schools after Gov. Janet Mills refused to enforce an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports. Mills responded that the state’s anti-discrimination laws can only be changed through the Legislature—not by executive order.
On the international front, the ongoing trade war intensified as China raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%, up from 84%. In response, the Trump administration exempted electronics such as smartphones and computers from new tariffs. Despite the move, consumer sentiment has fallen to its second-lowest level on record, lower than during the 2008 financial crisis.
Judicial and Immigration Updates
As anti-immigrant sentiment intensifies nationwide, a judge in Louisiana ruled that Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil is eligible for deportation—despite being a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The ruling comes after Khalil’s participation in pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia’s campus.
In a statement obtained by NBC News, Khalil criticized the court's handling of his case, saying he was denied due process throughout the proceedings.
“I would like to quote what you said last time—that there's nothing more important to this court than due process rights and fundamental fairness,” Khalil said, referencing a previous comment from Judge Jamee Comans.
“Clearly, what we witnessed today—neither of these principles were present in this whole process. This is exactly why the Trump administration has sent me to this court, 1,000 miles away from my family. I just hope that the urgency you deemed fit for me is afforded to the hundreds of others who have been here without hearings for months.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the deportation, citing Khalil’s “beliefs, statements or associations” as a threat to national security. He invoked the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which authorizes the Secretary of State to deport noncitizens if their presence is deemed a national security risk—even in the absence of criminal charges.
“For cases in which the basis for this determination is the alien’s past, current, or expected beliefs, statements, or associations that are otherwise lawful, the Secretary of State must personally determine that the alien’s presence or activities would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest,” Rubio wrote in a memo. He added that the decision was “based on information provided by DHS, ICE, and HSI regarding the participation and roles of [redacted] and Khalil in antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which foster a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem echoed Rubio’s stance in a post to X, calling the ruling “welcome news” and accusing Khalil of antisemitism—despite the lack of evidence.
“It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America,” Noem wrote.
“When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country.”
One of Khalil’s attorneys, Marc Van Der Hout, responded to the ruling in an interview with NPR, warning of its broader implications.
“If Mahmoud can be targeted in this way—simply for speaking out for Palestinians and exercising his constitutionally protected right to free speech—this can happen to anyone over any issue the Trump administration dislikes,” Van Der Hout said.
Khalil has until April 23 to apply for relief. If he does not file by the deadline, he could be deported to either Syria, where he was born, or Algeria, where he holds citizenship.
Meanwhile, backlash continues over the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia to the United States. As previously reported by The Introspective, Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March despite holding legal status since 2019 and having no criminal record.
“The order properly requires the government to 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,” the court wrote, directing District Judge Paula Xinis to enforce the ruling “with due regard for the deference owed to the executive branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.”
In a court filing, the Trump administration claimed it had located Abrego Garcia, stating that he is being held at El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
“He is alive and secure in that facility. He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador,” wrote State Department official Michael G. Kozak.
Judge Xinis has since ordered the Department of Justice to provide regular updates on Abrego Garcia’s location and legal status, and directed the administration to “take all available steps to facilitate his return” to the United States.
Legislative Moves: Voting, Civil Rights, and Further Government Downsizing
The House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE), which would require states to obtain documented proof of citizenship for federal elections and purge noncitizens from voter rolls. If passed by the Senate, the bill would also allow American citizens to sue election officials who fail to enforce the citizenship requirements.
“Despite the ridiculous attacks and purposeful misinformation spread about the bill, I am pleased to see that the House of Representatives once again passed the SAVE Act on a bipartisan basis to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections,” Rep. Chip Roy, who introduced the legislation, said in a press release.
“In order to preserve this republic, we must uphold what it means to be able to vote in a U.S. election.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded in a post on X, calling the bill “dead on arrival” in the Senate.
“The Republicans’ SAVE Act reads more like a how-to guide for voter suppression. It goes against the very foundations of our democracy,” Schumer wrote.
“Mark my words: This will not pass the Senate.”
Research from the Brennan Center for Justice in 2023 found that more than 21 million American citizens do not have easy access to documents proving citizenship, with 3.8 million unable to obtain them at all — raising concerns about potential disenfranchisement if the bill becomes law.
As backlash against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies continues, the Department of Education has threatened to revoke federal funding from public schools across Maine after Gov. Janet Mills declined to comply with an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
“The Department has given Maine every opportunity to come into compliance with Title IX, but the state’s leaders have stubbornly refused to do so, choosing instead to prioritize an extremist ideological agenda over their students’ safety, privacy, and dignity,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor in a press release.
“The Maine Department of Education will now have to defend its discriminatory practices before a Department administrative law judge and in federal court against the Justice Department. Governor Mills would have done well to adhere to the wisdom embedded in the old idiom—be careful what you wish for. Now she will see the Trump administration in court.”
Mills has stated that the state law — which continues to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity — can only be changed by the Legislature, not through an executive order. In a statement obtained by The New York Times, Assistant Attorney General Sarah A. Forster affirmed Maine’s position.
“Nothing in Title IX or its implementing regulations prohibits schools from allowing transgender girls and women to participate on girls’ and women’s sports teams,” Forster wrote.
“Your letters to date do not cite a single case that so holds. To the contrary, various federal courts have held that Title IX and/or the Equal Protection Clause require schools to allow such participation.”
A federal judge later sided with Maine, ordering that funding be restored to the state’s schools and criticizing the Trump administration for bypassing proper legal procedures.
“The federal defendants are barred from freezing, terminating, or otherwise interfering with the state’s future federal funding for alleged violations of Title IX without complying with the legally required procedure,” wrote U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock Jr.
Despite the ruling, the Justice Department is expected to sue Maine to compel compliance with the executive order.
Meanwhile, in line with President Trump’s continued efforts to downsize the federal government, a proposed budget includes more than a 25% cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The reductions would impact research related to climate, weather, and oceanic programs — including several ocean laboratories.
“When you cut the research, you cut the ability to improve the forecasts and the predictions,” former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad told CBS News.
“It's not just hurricanes or tornadoes. The climate side of things includes seasonal outlooks — precipitation, for example — which are obviously used by the agricultural community, the insurance and reinsurance industry, and others.”
Funding for the National Weather Service (NWS) would not be affected; however, programs such as the Space Weather Prediction Center — which monitors phenomena like solar flares — would be moved from NOAA to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A previous Introspective report highlighted backlash after the NWS paused storm and disaster alerts for non-English speakers.
Separately, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged to push for a military budget exceeding $1 trillion — a record-setting request — even as the Department of Defense (DOD) prepares to lay off thousands of employees.
Economic Fallout: Trade and Consumer Confidence
As global outrage over President Trump’s ongoing trade war grows, China has raised retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods from 84% to 125%, effective Saturday. The move follows a previous Introspective report detailing the U.S. increasing tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%.
“Given that American goods are no longer marketable in China under the current tariff rates, if the U.S. further raises tariffs on Chinese exports, China will disregard such measures,” said China’s Ministry of Finance in a statement.
Chinese President Xi Jinping publicly acknowledged the trade war for the first time Friday, telling Bloomberg that China remains confident in the face of any “unjustified suppression.”
“One that goes against the world risks being isolated themselves,” said Xi.
“No matter how the external environment changes, China will stay confident, remain calm, and focus on managing its own affairs.”
On Friday, Trump announced a temporary exemption for electronics such as phones and computers. However, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told ABC News on Sunday that the exemption is only temporary, with new tariffs on semiconductors—materials essential to electronic devices—expected “in a month or two.”
“All those products are going to come under semiconductors, and they're going to have a special focus-type tariff to make sure that those products get reshored,” said Lutnick.
“We need to have semiconductors, we need to have chips, and we need to have flat panels—we need to have these things made in America. We can't be reliant on Southeast Asia for all of the things that operate for us.”
“So what [Trump] is doing is he's saying they’re exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, but they're included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming probably in a month or two. So these are coming soon.”
Despite the temporary exemption, consumer sentiment has sharply declined. A study from the University of Michigan found that sentiment dropped to its second-lowest level on record. The index fell to 50.8 in early April, down from 57.0 in March and below the Dow Jones estimate of 54.6—lower than levels recorded during the 2008 financial crisis—as economic uncertainty continues to loom.