The Latest: Judge rules Trump's use of National Guard in LA illegal

Here's the latest:

UN says 14,000 US-bound migrants have turned around

Almost all are Venezuelan, and they’ve reversed course since Trump’s immigration crackdown began, according to a report published by the governments of Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica, with support of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

This “reverse flow” migration is largely made up of migrants who fled Venezuela’s long-running economic, social and political crises only to encounter U.S. immigration policy no longer open to asylum-seekers. Migration through the treacherous Darien Gap on the border of Colombia and Panama peaked in 2023 when more than half a million migrants crossed. That flow slowed somewhat in 2024, but dried up almost completely early this year.

▶ Read more about what’s happening with Venezuelans who were trying to reach the U.S.

Newsom, channeling Trump, cheers ruling against military deployments

Judge Breyer noted in his ruling the Trump administration’s possible plans to call National Guard troops into other U.S. cities.

Newsom posted on X, in an all-caps reflection of the president’s own social media style, “DONALD TRUMP LOSES AGAIN. The courts agree -- his militarization of our streets and use of the military against US citizens is ILLEGAL.”

The White House and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Judge’s order finding National Guard deployment illegal is scathing

Trump deployed roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines in Southern California over the objections of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, citing a law that applies when the nation “is invaded,” when “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government,” or when the president is otherwise unable “to execute the laws of the United States.”

Breyer accused the Trump administration of “willfully” violating the law, saying it used troops for functions barred by their training, refused to “meaningfully coordinate with state and local officials” and “coached” federal law enforcement agencies as it used armed soldiers and military vehicles to block traffic, engage in crowd control and otherwise act beyond its authority.

▶ Read more about the ruling against National Guard deployments

Chicago mayor defies Trump’s immigration crackdown plan

The executive order signed by Mayor Brandon Johnson on Saturday pushes back against what he called the “out-of-control” Trump administration’s plan to surge federal officers into the nation’s third-largest city. It prohibits Chicago Police from helping federal authorities with civil immigration enforcement or any related patrols, traffic stops and checkpoints during the surge.

Brandon said all city departments must guard the constitutional rights of Chicago residents “amidst the possibility of imminent militarized immigration or National Guard deployment by the federal government.”

The federal surge into Chicago could start as early as Sept. 5 and last about 30 days, according to two U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not been made public.

State Department blocking nearly all Palestinian visa applicants

The Trump administration is piling new restrictions on Palestinian visa applicants, making it nearly impossible for anyone holding a Palestinian Authority passport to receive the travel documents needed to visit the U.S. for business, work, pleasure or educational purposes.

Palestinian applicants who hold non-Palestinian Authority passports also may face difficulties, should they need a U.S. visa.

The State Department has tightened what it says are temporary policies to intensify the vetting of Palestinians seeking to travel to the United States. Now, virtually all applications will either be denied or not accepted for processing.

The administration is changing how U.S. visas are issued as it cracks down on illegal migration from around the world, but these steps against Palestinians appear more far-reaching that those directed at other nationalities, many of which include exemptions for official travel to the U.S.

U.S. sanctions network allegedly smuggling Iranian oil

The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned the Iraqi-Kittitian businessman Waleed al-Samarra’i and firms associated with him, accusing him of smuggling Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi oil through a network of shipping companies and ships.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control alleges that al-Samarra’i covertly blends Iranian oil with Iraqi oil to avoid sanctions and has made hundreds of millions of dollars from the scheme.

“By targeting Iran’s oil revenue stream, Treasury will further degrade the regime’s ability to carry out attacks against the United States and its allies,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a news release. “We remain committed to an oil supply free from Iran and will continue our efforts to disrupt the ongoing attempts by Tehran to evade U.S. sanctions.”

Epstein survivors are meeting with lawmakers

Survivors of abuse from Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell are meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, putting pressure on Congress to take action to force more disclosure of the evidence in the case.

A group of both Republicans and Democrats on the House Oversight Committee will meet with the survivors on Tuesday afternoon. The committee has been conducting an inquiry into how the Justice Department handled Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he faced sex trafficking charges.

Several survivors are also expected to join a rally on Wednesday as well as a news conference with lawmakers who are pushing for legislation that would force the Trump administration to release the case files.

Trump to move Space Command from Colorado to Alabama, source says

The move will reverse a Biden-era decision to keep it at its temporary headquarters in Colorado, according to a person familiar with the announcement.

Trump is expected to speak Tuesday afternoon, and he will give the new location, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm the plans ahead of the official announcement. A Pentagon website set up to livestream the remarks described the event as a “U.S. Space Command HQ Announcement.”

Space Command’s functions include conducting operations like enabling satellite-based navigation and troop communication and providing warning of missile launches. Alabama and Colorado have long battled to claim Space Command because it has significant implications for the local economies. The Air Force in 2021 identified Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as the preferred location.

Defunded CPB to get one of TV’s biggest prizes

The Television Academy is honoring the Corporation for Public Broadcasting with its Governors Award as the organization winds down its work of nearly 60 years due to the Trump administration's withdrawal of its funding.

The organization has helped pay for PBS, NPR, 1,500 local radio and TV stations as well as programs like “Sesame Street” and “Finding Your Roots.”

Trump signed a bill in July canceling about $1.1 billion already approved for the public media system, calling it politically biased and an unnecessary expense. The corporation told employees that most staff positions will end with the fiscal year on Sept. 30. A small transition team will stay until January.

Previous Governors Award recipients include Jerry Lewis, John Walsh, Bob Hope, Ted Turner, Tyler Perry, “Star Trek,” “American Idol” and Debbie Allen.

Schumer urges Republicans to work with Democrats to avoid shutdown

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats “are willing to work in a bipartisan way” to avoid a government shutdown when the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.

Republicans will need votes from both parties to pass a short term funding measure while they finish the full package of spending bills, and Democrats will want some concessions to agree.

Schumer received blowback from his party in March when he voted with Republicans to keep the government open. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted against that short term spending measure, arguing that Republicans had cut Democrats out.

Schumer’s letter to colleagues Tuesday morning said he and Jeffries “are aligned,” and that “Senate Republicans must decide: Stand up for the legislative branch or enable Trump’s slide toward authoritarianism.”

Silver is also up as Trump tests faith in the US dollar

The price of silver was up 1.8% at $41.46 an ounce on Tuesday, surpassing $40 an ounce for the first time since 2011.

“That’s not just a price tick; it’s the market’s confession that faith in fiat is wobbling,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. He noted that the price of the precious metal has nearly doubled since early 2023.

Fiat currency is money with value rooted in the trust and authority of the issuing government, rather than a fixed value or an asset like gold or silver.

Investors have been shifting away from U.S. Treasuries for years but that shift has accelerated this year due to worries over U.S. government debt, trade tensions and geopolitical risks, said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.

US stocks tumble, gold hits record as Trump challenges the Fed

The S&P 500 sank 1.3% early Tuesday, on track for its worst loss in a month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 571 points, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.7%.

Nvidia and other companies that have benefited from the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology were some of the heaviest weights on the market. The overall stock market was feeling pressure from rising bond yields, which are climbing around the world. And the spot price of gold, traditionally a haven for investors in times of uncertainty, hit a new record of $3,578.40 per ounce early Tuesday.

Trump’ s challenges to the U.S. Federal Reserve and other institutions have shaken faith in the U.S. dollar, prompting a shift into other investment options such as gold and silver, analysts say.

Judge rules Trump’s use of National Guard in Los Angeles illegal

Judge Charles Breyer ruled that the Trump administration violated federal law by sending troops to accompany federal agents on immigration raids.

California sued, saying the troops sent to Los Angeles over the summer were violating a law that prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws.

Lawyers for the administration have argued the Posse Comitatus Act doesn’t apply because the troops were protecting federal officers, not enforcing laws. They say the troops were mobilized under an authority that allows the president to deploy them.

—-

CORRECTS earlier reference to judge's location; he's in San Francisco, not Washington, D.C.

Stiffer Russia sanctions are sought

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trump’s closest congressional allies, has pushed the president for months to support his sweeping bipartisan sanctions bill that would impose steep tariffs on countries fueling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by buying its oil, gas, uranium, and other exports.

The legislation has the backing of 85 senators, but Trump has yet to endorse it, and Republican leaders have so far said they won’t move without him.

Graham has stepped up his calls after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy last month in hopes of a peace deal. Since then, Russia has continued to step up attacks on Ukraine.

“If we don’t have this thing moving in the right direction by the time we get back, then I think that plan B needs to kick in,” Graham said of his bill in an interview with The Associated Press last month.

Senate nominations fight looms

Senators are returning to Washington right where they left off in early August — fighting over Trump’s nominees.

Exasperated Republicans fled for the month after making little headway as Senate Democrats forced delays in confirmations, angering Trump as many of his administration’s positions remain unfilled.

Republican leaders called it quits after a rare Saturday session that ended with a breakdown in bipartisan negotiations and Trump posting on social media that Chuck Schumer could “GO TO HELL!”

Republicans now say they’re ready to try and change Senate rules to get around the Democratic delays, and are expected to spend the next several weeks discussing how that might work.

GOP needs Democratic votes to keep government open

The most urgent task for Congress is to avoid a government shutdown on Sept. 30, when federal funding runs out. Just how Republicans and Democrats will be able to agree on this remains unclear.

Congress will have to pass a short-term spending measure to keep the government funded for a few weeks or months while they try to finish the full-year package. But Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass an extension, and Democrats will want significant concessions.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s vote with Republicans to avoid a shutdown in March prompted furious backlash within his party.

Complicating the negotiations, Republicans rescinded about $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funds and Trump notified Congress that he will block $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid. “Trump is rooting for a shutdown,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., posted on social media Friday.

Trial nears for man accused of trying to kill Trump in Florida

A man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump last year in South Florida is set to represent himself during a pretrial conference on Tuesday, as final preparations are made for trial.

Barring any delays, jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in Fort Pierce federal court for the case against Ryan Routh. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to represent himself in July but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel.

The trial will begin nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.

ICE is arresti

ng parents hoping to retrieve their children from custody

Trump’s administration has started requiring parents looking to reunite with their children who crossed into the U.S. alone to show up for interviews where immigration officers may question them, according to a policy memo obtained by The Associated Press.

Neha Desai, managing director of human rights at the National Center for Youth Law, said the change provides U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a “built-in opportunity” to arrest parents while the children remain in custody — something she said has already happened.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not confirm that or answer questions about the July 9 directive, instead referring in a statement to the Biden administration’s struggles to properly vet and monitor homes where children were placed.

Immigrants are disappearing from the U.S. labor force

Trump’s stepped-up immigration policies have resulted in a loss of 1.2 million immigrants from the nation’s labor force from January thru July, according to preliminary Census Bureau data analyzed by the Pew Research Center. That includes legal residents as well as people in the country illegally.

Immigrants make up almost 20% of the U.S. workforce — 45% of workers in farming, fishing and forestry; about 30% of all construction workers, and 24% of service workers, according to Pew senior researcher Stephanie Kramer.

The number of people in the U.S. illegally reached an all-time high of 14 million in 2023. Now it's declining. New illegal border crossings have plunged as Trump makes good on his campaign promises.Most people detained by ICE for deportation have no criminal convictions.

Read more about immigrants disappearing from the U.S. labor force