The Rundown

President Donald Trump’s battle over immigration enforcement escalated over the weekend, when he deployed hundreds of California National Guard troops to downtown Los Angeles over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass.

Mass deportations are continuing as directed by the Trump administration, with some actions approved by the U.S. courts system — and other actions moving forward in opposition to court orders.

As House Republicans move toward a vote on the "one big, beautiful" budget reconciliation bill, some state officials and advocates have said they are concerned about the major cuts to health coverage and food assistance programs through Medicaid and SNAP that could come through proposed changes.

As the GOP majorities in Congress look at potentially $880 billion in spending cuts to Medicaid in the budget reconciliation process, Democrats and some state officials say these efforts could result in lost health care coverage for millions of Americans in need — but some Republicans argue that the measure will only target instances of waste, fraud and abuse in the system.

Confrontations and criticism continue to build at town halls hosted by members of Congress, a growing trend as many voters are seeking to express their discontent with President Donald Trump, Elon Musk's DOGE and the Republican majorities in Washington, D.C.

Much of the attention on court challenges to President Donald Trump and his administration's actions are focused on his actions related to immigration and cuts to both the federal workforce and spending. But there are many other legal battles underway challenging Trump's executive orders, including those involving military and education decisions.

Across the country, hundreds of international students legally in the U.S. for their education have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or told their visa status has been revoked in recent weeks, often because of students' involvement in pro-Palestinian activism.

As the Trump administration moves forward with mass deportation policies, questions and criticism have grown about deporting undocumented immigrants to a prison in El Salvador, the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, or CECOT.

This weekend, protesters gathered at more than 1,200 "hands off" events across the country and internationally organized by Democratic activists to protest President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, criticizing actions by the president and the U.S. DOGE Service making cuts to the federal workforce and public assistance programs.

Early last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on elections administration that included requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. While legal challenges are expected, officials in many states are also questioning how the order will impact upcoming elections.

As the administration has made major steps in enacting President Donald Trump's mass deportation plans through the use of executive powers, it is unclear what abilities the U.S. court system will have in setting guardrails on the extent of these actions.

It's been just over four months since the 2024 general election. But already, some Democrats are preparing for the 2026 midterms — and looking ahead to the presidential race in 2028 — with events criticizing decisions made by President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Republican trifecta in Congress.