Trump admin live updates: Trump strikes deals with law firms totaling $600M

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sent a memo on Wednesday to the Department of Justice workforce directing that the DOJ cease official engagement with the American Bar Association.

The memo said that while the ABA has previously taken positions on issues that don't align with DOJ positions, the department has traditionally "chosen to engage in an exchange of ideas with ABA officials and members" by, among other things, participating in ABA events.

But, the memo said, the ABA recently filed suit against the DOJ, even as "the Department continues to expend taxpayer dollars on ABA events" and uses DOJ personnel's participation "to attract attendance."

"The Department of Justice will no longer use taxpayer funds to pay for any travel to or engagement with ABA events. Additionally, Department employees may not, when acting in their official capacities, speak at, attend, or otherwise participate in events hosted by the ABA. … Department personnel may not participate in ABA-sponsored events on official time," the two-page memo noted.

The memo added that in limited circumstances, DOJ personnel may engage with the ABA if appropriate approvals from senior officials are granted.

-ABC News' Mike Levine, Katherine Faulders and Alexander Mallin

The Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll has replaced FBI Director Kash Patel as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, multiple U.S. officials told ABC News.

Driscoll was informed of the role while traveling on an ongoing trip to Europe, the officials said.

Driscoll will remain Army Secretary while serving as acting ATF Director. Patel was sworn in as the acting head of ATF in February, just a few days after he was sworn in as FBI Director.

It was not immediately clear why Patel was removed from the post.

The change comes as the Justice Department is considering a major reorganization effort that would include merging the Drug Enforcement Agency and ATF.

-ABC News' Alexander Mallin, Luis Martinez and Katherine Faulders

A federal appeals court froze a lower court’s ruling on Wednesday that prevented the mass firing of federal workers, clearing the way for the Trump administration to fire more than 20,000 probationary workers.

The Fourth Circuit of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, found that a Maryland federal judge lacked the jurisdiction to order the Trump administration to reinstate approximately 20,000 government employees across 18 agencies who had been terminated.

The decision comes one day after the Supreme Court stayed a decision from a California judge who blocked the firings of 16,000 probationary federal workers across six agencies.

Despite the Supreme Court ruling, most of the federal employees were still protected by the Maryland order issued U.S. District Judge James Bredar, who last month stopped a larger block of probationary employees from being fired.

Since the decision, the Trump administration reinstated more than 24,000 government employees by placing them on paid administrative leave, according to court filings.

With the Fourth Circuit lifting James Bredar’s decision, the Trump administration effectively has the green light to re-fire thousands of employees.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous

President Donald Trump is expected to host a Cabinet meeting at the White House Thursday -- his first since announcing, and now pausing, his sweeping tariffs.

The meeting comes as Trump's top advisers have butted heads both privately and publicly over Trump's tariff policy. Thursday's meeting is expected to include Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Members of the Cabinet have also been informed that Elon Musk is expected to attend.

The meeting was scheduled prior to his latest tariff announcement and was not convened because of the 90-day pause.

--ABC News' Katherine Faulders