ICE raids cause new fears
Hi there! It’s Rebecca Morin, senior national news reporter at Paste BN. It’s going to be in the 60s today in D.C. I need this warmer weather to stay.
How Trump's expanded ICE raids are causing problems for schools
There’s a spike of students staying home from school in fear that they or their parents could be deported following President Donald Trump’s highly publicized mass deportation efforts. From New York to Los Angeles, Chicago and Denver, school districts are reporting attendance dropping in the wake of ICE raids – with some classrooms seeing as many as two-thirds of students temporarily absent. Federal immigration agents for decades avoided conducting enforcement sweeps or detentions at or near schools and churches. But Trump rescinded that long standing policy after retaking office. Read more.
Schools aren’t the only communities seeing increased anxiety over ICE raids. Native Americans say there is growing fear within their community that they could be wrongly stopped and questioned by agents amid Trump’s push to deport millions of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. While advocates said they don’t know how widespread incidents of ICE stopping Native Americans are, the anxiety is real. Read more.
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On the Hill
The House is working to pass its budget blueprint this week – and as soon as today – which includes up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, increasing the debt ceiling and cuts Medicaid and other social programs.
A politics pit stop
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- Los Angeles official says mayor's ousting of fire chief is 'political'
- Judge blocks Trump-ordered transfer of transgender women inmates to male prisons
- Huge election gains for far-right German party backed by Musk, Vance
How agencies told workers to respond to Musk's directive
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and special advisor to President Donald Trump, sent an email calling for federal workers to list their weekly accomplishments by the end of Monday. The directive prompted swift pushback from some department heads, with some agencies – like the Department of Defense – telling employees not to respond. However, several federal agencies, such as the Department of Transportation, told workers to comply with Musk’s email. See how agencies approached Musk’s request.
- Federal watchdog says firing of probationary employees was illegal
- DeSantis starts Florida DOGE, aims for job cuts, university audits
Trump pick of rightwing podcaster for FBI post worries agency veterans
President Donald Trump picked Dan Bongino, a rightwing media figure, to be the new second-in-command of the FBI. But some bureau veterans are worried that Bongino lacks the experience to serve as deputy director to help lead a key agency responsible for keeping Americans safe. Read more.
Got a burning question, or comment, for On Politics? You can submit them here or send me an email at rdmorin@usatoday.com.