Deportation Dilemmas: Legal and Political Complexities

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents wrongfully deported Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador last month. Abrego Garcia currently sits in a maximum security prison there, despite holding legal immigration status and no criminal record. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that the Trump administration should facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, but the White House says it’s Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s responsibility instead. Neither Trump nor Bukele expressed interest in returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S. What does this Trump-court showdown mean for the balance of power in our government?

Outside of immigration, the White House’s administrative crackdowns continue on college campuses. Federal officials sent Harvard University a letter demanding it end its DEI programs and enforce stricter rules on campus antisemitism. The school refused. Lawyers for the university claimed the government’s demands violate Harvard’s First Amendment rights. In retaliation, the Trump administration threatened to cut $2 billion in federal funding. Can the White House continue to threaten private universities if they don’t do their bidding? Are there ulterior motives behind the administration’s focus on antisemitism?