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Trump admin live updates: White House asks court to stay deportation flights TRO

Video shows deportees in El Salvador after a judge ordered flights to stop.

Last Updated: March 16, 2025, 5:36 PM EDT

The White House has asked a federal circuit court to stay a district court's temporary restraining orderthat blocked President Donald Trump from using the Alien Enemies act to deport noncitizens, including alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Meanwhile, the fallout over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats voting with Republicans to avert a government shutdown continued, with some in Schumer's party calling for new leadership while others defended him, but said the party needed to use new tactics and new messaging.

And Trump signed an executive order on Saturday that rescinded 19 executive actions issued by former President Joe Biden's administration on gender, labor policies and industry regulations, bringing the number of Biden's actions reversed by Trump to nearly 100.

Mar 11, 2025, 5:31 PM EDT

Judge greenlights canceling refugee resettlement contracts

The Trump administration can cancel millions of dollars in contracts for refugee resettlement, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday afternoon.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee, denied a request to block the administration from canceling $65 million in contracts between the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the State Department's U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, determining the court lacked jurisdiction to intervene.

"The Conference's motion is, at its core, seeking a purely contractual remedy," McFadden wrote, adding the issue should be resolved in the Court of Federal Claims.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is one of 10 organizations that participates in the public-private partnership administered by the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to help settle refugees once they enter the country. They received two contracts valued at $65 million this year, which the Trump administration canceled last month.

In denying the motion, McFadden acknowledged the "emotions" associated with the program but insisted the court cannot intervene.

"This Court is but a creature of the trifurcated structure of its Constitution," he wrote.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous

Mar 11, 2025, 4:55 PM EDT

Layoffs at Education Department starting Tuesday night, nearly half expected to be eliminated: Sources

ABC News has learned mass layoffs are expected to start Tuesday night at the Department of Education.

Civil servants and supporters of the Department of Education rally outside the department in Washington, Mar. 11, 2025.
Jim Lo Scalzo/epa-efe/shuttersto/JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shuttersto

"Reduction in force" notices for the Education Department are expected to go out at 6 p.m. ET, according to two sources.

Nearly half of the department is expected to be eliminated, according to those sources.

-ABC News' Rachel Scott and Arthur Jones II

Mar 11, 2025, 4:41 PM EDT

Trump on whether there will be a recession: 'I don't see it at all'

ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers asked President Donald Trump further about his comments over the weekend about not ruling out a recession and how that played into market volatility these past few days.

"Do you think there will be a recession?" she asked him directly.

"I don’t see it at all. I think this country is going to boom," Trump said. "But as I said, I can do it the easy way or the hard way. The hard way to do it is exactly what I'm doing. But the results are going to be 20 times greater."

"Remember: Trump is always right," he added.

President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to the press as they stand next to a Tesla vehicle on the South Portico of the White House, on March 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Mar 11, 2025, 4:24 PM EDT

White House says 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum will still go into effect

Even though Ontario backed off on its tariffs on electricity exports, the Trump administration said it is still going forward with its 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum at midnight.

"President Trump has once again used the leverage of the American economy, which is the best and biggest in the world, to deliver a win for the American people. Pursuant to his previous executive orders, a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum with no exceptions or exemptions will go into effect for Canada and all of our other trading partners at midnight, March 12th," White House spokesman Kush Desai said.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

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