April 10

Mullin recalls entire DHS workforce using emergency funds during 76-day shutdown

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin ordered the entire DHS workforce recalled from shutdown furlough on April 10, directing the agency to use available emergency funding to pay staff during what had become the longest government shutdown in US history at 76 days. The shutdown had begun February 14 when Congress failed to pass a DHS appropriations bill. Mullin warned the emergency funds would be exhausted by early May with one payroll remaining. The Senate had passed a bipartisan DHS funding bill excluding ICE and CBP, which the House refused to take up.

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Vance meets Hungarian Prime Minister Orban in Budapest

Vice President JD Vance met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on April 10, 2026, ahead of a regional diplomatic meeting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement. Vance and Orban share publicly stated political philosophies on immigration restriction and national sovereignty; the meeting was one of several between senior Trump administration officials and European populist leaders, drawing criticism from EU governments and NATO allies over the United States' alignment with Orban's government.

Warren and Whitehouse ask CFTC to investigate oil trades before Trump Iran announcements

On April 10, 2026, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Sheldon Whitehouse asked CFTC Chair Michael Selig to investigate unusual oil futures trading before two Trump administration Iran-war announcements. Their letter cited a March 23 oil futures surge and the April 7 roughly $950 million bet before the ceasefire announcement.

Trump fires immigration judges who dismissed student deportation cases

The Trump administration fired immigration judges Roopal Patel and Nina Froes on April 10, 2026, days after each dismissed deportation cases against pro-Palestinian student activists Rümeysa Öztürk and Mohsen Mahdawi on First Amendment grounds. The firings brought total immigration judge terminations to 113 since January 2025 — roughly one-seventh of the approximately 750-judge corps. Unlike federal judges with lifetime tenure, immigration judges are DOJ employees subject to removal by the attorney general.

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Trump fires immigration judges who dismissed student deportation cases 12 EOIR judges removed

The Trump administration fires approximately 12 immigration judges from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) who had previously dismissed deportation cases involving foreign students, including several Palestinian activists and visa holders, after finding procedural defects or constitutional violations in the underlying cases. The firings represent a direct challenge to judicial independence within the executive branch. The American Immigration Lawyers Association warns that removing judges for unpopular rulings undermines the rule of law and the Article I functions of immigration courts.

US-Iran nuclear talks resume in Islamabad

The Trump administration and Iran begin high-level nuclear negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, mediated by Pakistani officials. US envoy Steve Witkoff represents Washington. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leads the Iranian delegation. The talks aim to resolve the decade-long nuclear standoff, but deep disagreements emerge immediately over enrichment timelines and verification mechanisms.

Fourth Circuit en bloc vacates injunction blocking DOGE personnel access to SSA data

The full Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals vacates the preliminary injunction blocking DOGE personnel from accessing sensitive Social Security Administration data in an en banc ruling on April 10, 2026. Judge Toby Heytens writes the majority opinion, finding plaintiffs had not adequately shown irreparable harm. The case is remanded to the district court for further proceedings. Multiple concurring and dissenting opinions reflect deep division over whether the Supreme Court's prior stay order constitutes binding precedent — Judge Richardson in concurrence says yes; Judge Wynn in dissent says no. DOGE's access to SSA data involves personal information of tens of millions of Americans. The Appointments Clause question — whether DOGE personnel without Senate confirmation can access agency data — remains unresolved.

Court of International Trade hears oral arguments in 24-state Section 122 tariff challenge

The U.S. Court of International Trade heard oral arguments in the 24-state coalition lawsuit challenging Trump's Section 122 tariffs, led by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield. The states argued the administration failed to meet the statute's balance-of-payments requirement, the legal standard Section 122 requires before tariffs can be imposed. The hearing came weeks after the Supreme Court's February 20 ruling struck down Trump's IEEPA tariffs, making Section 122 the administration's primary remaining tariff authority.

DOGE closes NASA chief scientist office for first time in history

Dr. Katherine Calvin worked her final day as NASA's chief scientist, marking the end of a position that had existed at the agency since 1982. The Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) targeted NASA's Office of the Chief Scientist along with the Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy in March 2026. The closures eliminated 23 positions total. This is the first time in NASA's 68-year history that the agency won't have a chief scientist on staff. The chief scientist role provides independent scientific guidance to NASA leadership on mission decisions and strategic planning. Without this position, NASA loses an internal check on whether the agency's priorities align with sound science. The closures also eliminated NASA's DEIA branch, which managed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts. These office closures are part of a broader federal science budget crisis. Trump's FY2027 budget proposal proposes cutting NASA's overall budget by 23% to $18.8 billion.

IBM pays $17.1M in first DEI False Claims Act settlement under civil rights fraud initiative

The Department of Justice announced on April 10, 2026, that IBM agreed to pay $17,077,043 to resolve the first-ever False Claims Act settlement under the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, resolving allegations that IBM maintained diversity hiring targets in federal contracts after EO 14173. The DOJ alleged IBM used a "diversity modifier" tying manager bonuses to demographic hiring targets and applied race- and sex-based criteria to interview slates and candidate sourcing. IBM received cooperation credit for early disclosure and voluntarily remediated its practices, but neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing.

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Columbia University President submits statement to House Education Committee on campus free speech

Columbia University submitted written testimony to the House Education Committee addressing campus speech controversies and the university's commitment to First Amendment principles. The statement outlined Columbia's policies on student protests, faculty academic freedom, and external speakers ahead of the April 29 subcommittee hearing. (Columbia University, Apr. 10, 2026)

Iran war costs near $30B as House Republicans face funding fight

Republicans in Congress confronted a funding crisis in early April 2026 as the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated the Iran war had cost nearly $30 billion, with the Pentagon expected to seek an $80-100 billion supplemental appropriation. The administration floated a total supplemental request exceeding $200 billion. Fiscal conservatives including Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Thomas Massie announced opposition to supplemental war funding, while Democrats introduced legislation to prohibit appropriating funds for the Iran conflict without congressional authorization.

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NASA eliminates chief scientist role and closes three offices under DOGE

NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro announced the agency would close its Office of the Chief Scientist, Office of Technology Policy and Strategy, and DEIA Branch, laying off 23 employees under the White House Workforce Optimization Initiative directed by DOGE. The chief scientist position had advised NASA administrators on scientific priorities for decades. Former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson publicly criticized the elimination. Congress later included a provision in the NASA Authorization Act of 2026 reinstating the role.

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