As part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, unaccompanied minors are now being targeted for deportation, with the Department of Homeland Security engaging in “welfare checks” on children who arrived in the US alone, usually across the US-Mexican border.
The moves have sparked fears of a crackdown and prompted alarm about what one critic called “backdoor family separation”.
The president has also signed two executive orders related to immigration, including one targeting so-called “sanctuary cities” that “obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws”.
Here are the key stories at a glance:
Unaccompanied immigrant children could be deported or prosecuted
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officials are seeking out unaccompanied immigrant children in operations nationwide with a view to deporting them or pursuing criminal cases against them or adult sponsors sheltering them legally in the US, according to sources and an Ice document.
Trump signs executive order requiring list of sanctuary cities and states
Donald Trump signed two new executive orders on Monday afternoon related to immigration, according to the White House, including one targeting so-called “sanctuary cities” and another the administration says will strengthen law enforcement.
Peace Corps to undergo ‘significant’ cuts after Doge review
The Peace Corps is offering staff a second “fork in the road” buyout, according to a source familiar with the matter. Allison Greene, the chief executive of Peace Corps, sent an email to staff on Monday with an update about the “department of government efficiency” (Doge) assessment of the agency.
Doge conflicts of interest worth $2.37bn, Senate report says
Elon Musk and his companies face at least $2.37bn in legal exposure from federal investigations, litigation and regulatory oversight, according to a new report from Senate Democrats. The report attempts to put a number to Musk’s many conflicts of interest through his work with his so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), warning that he may seek to use his influence to avoid legal liability.
Trump’s justice department appointees remove leadership of voting unit
Donald Trump’s appointees at the Department of Justice have removed all of the senior civil servants working as managers in the department’s voting section and directed attorneys to dismiss all active cases, according to people familiar with the matter, part of a broader attack on the department’s civil rights division.
Democrats warn cuts at top US labor watchdog will be ‘catastrophic’
Democrats have warned that cuts to the US’s top labor watchdog threaten to render the organization “basically ineffectual” and will be “catastrophic” for workers’ rights. Elon Musk’s Doge has targeted the National Labor Relations Board for cuts and ended its leases in several states.
JB Pritzker’s fiery speech urging mass protests sparks talk of 2028 run
Illinois’s Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, scorched Donald Trump’s administration, calling for “mass protests” and declaring that Republicans “cannot know a moment of peace” during a fiery speech in New Hampshire that immediately sparked presidential speculation.
What else happened today:
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 27 April 2025.