International

Supreme Court leans toward blocking Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Restrictions

On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined to uphold a block on former President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship, while simultaneously exploring ways to narrow the scope of nationwide injunctions.

The Court did not indicate exactly how it might rule, but a majority of the justices expressed concern over the consequences of allowing even a temporary implementation of Trump’s order to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants.

The justices heard arguments regarding the Trump administration’s emergency appeals challenging lower court rulings that had blocked the citizenship restrictions across the country. These nationwide — or universal — injunctions emerged as a key check on Trump’s attempts to reshape immigration policy and have increasingly frustrated the Republican president and his allies.

Since the beginning of Trump’s second term in January, the Court has issued 40 nationwide injunctions, said Solicitor General D. John Sauer during his opening statement, in a session that lasted over two hours.

Birthright citizenship is one of several urgent immigration-related issues that the Trump administration has asked the Court to review.

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The justices are also considering the administration’s requests to end humanitarian residency for more than 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, and to rescind temporary legal protections for another 350,000 Venezuelans.

Meanwhile, the administration continues to face legal challenges over its controversial efforts to quickly deport alleged gang members to El Salvador, under the rarely invoked Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from the 18th century.

On his first day of his second term, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at denying birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to individuals who are in the country illegally or temporarily.

International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.