April 24

BIA issues precedent decision in Matter of Santiago-Santiago removing DACA deportation shield

The Board of Immigration Appeals issued a precedent decision in Matter of Santiago-Santiago on April 24, 2026, ruling that immigration judges cannot terminate removal proceedings solely because a respondent holds DACA status. The BIA held that judges must weigh DHS prosecutorial interests before dismissing cases. The decision affects all 525,000 active DACA recipients and is binding on all immigration courts nationwide.

DOJ drops criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell

The Department of Justice closes a criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, according to multiple sources. The probe had examined the circumstances of federally funded renovations to Federal Reserve buildings, following allegations that Powell had misused government funds or improperly approved construction spending. Powell had cited the investigation as the reason he intends to stay on the Fed''s Board of Governors even after his chairmanship ends. The DOJ does not publicly announce the closure of the investigation. Details emerge through reporting shortly after the announcement. The probe had been a source of intense speculation about whether the Trump administration was using the Justice Department to pressure Powell into cutting interest rates — a policy outcome Trump has publicly demanded. At his April 29 press conference, Powell says he is "waiting for the investigation to be well and truly over with finality and transparency" before deciding how long to remain as a governor. He cites "unprecedented legal attacks on the Fed" by the Trump administration, saying they "are ongoing." The closing of the criminal probe does not resolve other executive branch actions challenging the Fed''s independence.

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Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick becomes second House Republican to introduce Iran War Powers Resolution

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduces a War Powers Resolution on April 24, 2026, calling on Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran absent congressional authorization. Fitzpatrick becomes the second House Republican — after Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — to introduce a WPR, defying the House Republican leadership that blocked a Democratic attempt to introduce a similar resolution via unanimous consent on April 9. The War Powers Resolution 60-day clock expires approximately April 28. If the president fails to comply, troops are legally required to begin withdrawing — though no prior president has complied with this provision. Fitzpatrick represents a competitive suburban Pennsylvania district and is one of the few House Republicans who has previously broken with leadership on war authorization.

Trump fires all 22 members of National Science Board without explanation

On April 24, the White House emails all 22 seated members of the National Science Board a terse notice: "on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately." No explanation is given. Members learn of the firings individually; the White House makes no public announcement. The NSB, established by Congress in the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, advises Congress and the President on policy for the National Science Foundation — the roughly $9 billion agency that funds basic scientific research at more than 1,900 institutions. Members are appointed by the president to staggered six-year terms and required by statute to be "eminent" in scientific fields. Some fired members had been appointed by Trump in his first term. The White House later offers a justification citing the 2021 Supreme Court decision United States v. Arthrex, claiming it raised questions about whether non-Senate-confirmed appointees can exercise the authorities Congress gave the board. Board members had been preparing a report on the United States ceding scientific ground to China, set for release at the May 5 meeting. The administration had already proposed cutting the NSF budget by more than half and cancelled over 1,600 NSF grants under DOGE.

Pirro drops DOJ criminal investigation of Powell, refers renovation scrutiny to Fed inspector general

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announces she is closing the Department of Justice's criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Pirro says investigators found no evidence of a crime in Powell's congressional testimony about the Fed's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation. She refers further scrutiny of the renovation's cost overruns to the Fed's own inspector general. The probe's closure immediately unblocks Kevin Warsh's nomination to succeed Powell as Fed chair. (DOJ, Apr. 24, 2026)

Schumer says Trump reassigned 9/11 health staff to ICE

Chuck Schumer sounded the alarm that Trump had stripped staff from the 9/11 health program and reassigned them to ICE. The statement connected immigration enforcement priorities to public-health services for survivors and first responders.

Federal judge questions whether Trump can constitutionally sue the agencies he controls

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in the Southern District of Florida issued an order on April 24, 2026, questioning whether Trump $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury could constitutionally proceed. Judge Williams noted that Trump is the sitting president and his named adversaries are entities whose decisions are subject to his direction, and that the Attorney General — required by statute to defend the IRS — was also ostensibly required by executive mandate to adhere to the President opinion on a matter of law. Williams set a May 20 deadline for both parties to explain why the case met the constitutional requirement for adversarial parties.

Full Fifth Circuit vacates SB 4 injunction, ruling challengers lacked standing

The full Fifth Circuit en banc reversed a July 2025 three-judge panel decision on April 24, 2026, vacating the injunction against Texas SB 4 without ruling on whether the law is constitutional. The court held that the organizational plaintiffs, immigrant advocacy groups, lacked standing to sue. Texas SB 4, signed in December 2023, makes illegal border crossing a state crime and empowers Texas officers to issue removal orders, a power historically reserved for the federal government alone.

The full Fifth Circuit reverses the SB 4 block on a procedural argument, allowing Texas to resume enforcement

The full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals voted 10-7 to vacate the preliminary injunction blocking Texas SB4, ruling in Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center v. McCraw that the original plaintiffs -- El Paso County, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, and American Gateways -- lacked legal standing under the stricter organizational standing standard the Supreme Court established in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (2024). The en banc majority explicitly declined to rule on whether SB4 is constitutional, dismissing the case on procedural grounds only. The ruling allowed Texas to begin enforcing SB4 arrest provisions immediately. Attorney General Ken Paxton called the decision a major victory, while the ACLU warned the ruling left the constitutional questions unresolved.

Chairman Comer announces full committee markup of nine anti-fraud bills

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announces a full committee markup scheduled for Apr. 29 to consider comprehensive anti-fraud legislation. The GAO estimates federal fraud costs between $233 billion and $521 billion annually. (House Committee on Oversight, Apr. 24, 2026)

House passes Free Speech on Campus Act protection bill

The House of Representatives passed the Free Speech on Campus Act on April 24, 2026, requiring colleges receiving federal funding to protect student and faculty free speech rights. The bill establishes protected speech definitions, prohibits colleges from disciplining students for core political expression, and creates reporting requirements for speech restrictions. (Congress.gov, Apr. 24, 2026)

Trump urges Congress to reverse hemp ban he signed five months earlier

President Trump posted on Truth Social on April 24, 2026, calling on Congress to reverse a hemp-derived THC prohibition he had signed into law in November 2025 as part of legislation ending a government shutdown. The provision capped hemp-derived THC at 0.4 milligrams per container — effective November 2026 — which the hemp industry said would eliminate 95% of CBD and hemp products on the market. Trump called the ban a mistake and urged Congress to preserve access to "full-spectrum CBD" while maintaining restrictions on health-risk products.

DOJ closes criminal probe of Fed Chair Powell without charges

The Department of Justice closed its criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on April 24, 2026, with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announcing no charges would be filed over the Fed's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation. The closure came after Judge James Boasberg ruled prosecutors had produced "essentially zero evidence" of a crime and quashed the grand jury subpoenas. The timing coincided with tariff-driven market turmoil that required Fed cooperation and cleared the path for Senate confirmation of Trump nominee Kevin Warsh as Powell's replacement.

DC Circuit blocks Trump border asylum ban as violation of immigration law

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in RAICES v. Mullin that President Trump's January 2025 presidential proclamation suspending asylum applications at the southern border violated Section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which guarantees any person the right to apply for asylum regardless of how they entered the United States. The court found that INA Section 212(f), which grants the president power to suspend entry of classes of aliens, does not override the separate statutory right to apply for asylum. The ruling set up a likely Supreme Court appeal and was the third federal circuit court to block the administration's asylum ban.

Treasury sanctions 40 Iran shadow fleet vessels and China's Hengli refinery

The Treasury Department''s Office of Foreign Assets Control designates 40 vessels involved in Iran''s shadow oil export network and sanctions China''s Hengli Petrochemical Group and its associated refinery in Dalian — one of Iran''s largest single customers for sanctioned oil. The action is part of the Trump administration''s campaign to cut off Iranian oil revenue during the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict. The 40-vessel network is accused of using ship-to-ship transfers, falsified documentation, and flag-switching to obscure the origin of Iranian crude and deliver it to buyers, primarily in China. The Hengli refinery in Dalian is estimated to have processed hundreds of millions of dollars'' worth of Iranian oil, providing a major source of revenue for Iran''s government and Revolutionary Guard Corps. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the sanctions are part of a "maximum pressure" strategy to economically isolate Iran during the conflict. China''s government does not recognize U.S. secondary sanctions and has not indicated it will comply with the designations. The action raises the risk of diplomatic friction with Beijing at a time of ongoing trade tensions. It is among the largest single shadow fleet designations the U.S. has announced.

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Treasury sanctions 40 Iran shadow-fleet vessels and China Hengli refinery

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co., Ltd. — China's second-largest independent refinery — along with approximately 40 shipping firms and vessels operating as Iran's shadow fleet on April 24, 2026. Hengli had purchased billions of dollars in Iranian crude oil overseen by Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company, the oil sales arm of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the action as part of the administration's "Economic Fury" strategy against Iran.

Fitzpatrick becomes second House Republican to introduce Iran War Powers resolution

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick introduced a War Powers Resolution calling on Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran absent congressional authorization. His move showed limited Republican dissent against party leadership on the Iran war.

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DOJ authorizes firing squads, electrocution, and nitrogen gas for federal executions

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memo authorizing the Bureau of Prisons to add firing squads, electrocution, and nitrogen gas asphyxiation as alternative federal execution methods, alongside existing lethal injection protocols. The memo cited the need to ensure executions could proceed even if specific drugs became unavailable. Blanche also authorized DOJ prosecutors to seek the death penalty in nine new cases after President Trump rescinded the Biden moratorium. The Death Penalty Information Center said DOJ misrepresented American history and law in arguing for the new methods.