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(NEW YORK) — The Trump administration is set to award a multimillion-dollar contract to a small Texas law firm without immigration expertise to provide legal representation for thousands of unaccompanied migrant children in government custody during immigration proceedings.

In a notice published in the Federal Register, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced its intent to award the $150 million contract to Burke Law Group, a law firm headquartered in Houston, Texas.

The notice states the contract would “provide legal orientation, legal consultation, and attorney-of-record representation services for eligible unaccompanied alien children” during immigration proceedings and hearings before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services while the children remain in government custody.

The proposed award comes after legal service providers across the country have said that the administration has withheld $65 million in overdue fees from the previous contract, alleging it is an attempt to force them to turn over confidential information about the migrant children they represent.

Burke Law Group has 26 employees across eight offices, according to its website. None of the firm’s attorneys list immigration law as a practice area. Instead, their practices include administrative law, white-collar defense, commercial litigation, securities litigation and other areas.

ABC News reached out to the law firm for comment and did not immediately get a response.

In December 2023, the Acacia Center for Justice, an immigrant advocacy group, became the prime contract holder with HHS for the Unaccompanied Children Program, overseeing subcontracts with more than 100 service providers that provide legal representation to more than 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children.

A spokesperson with HHS previously told ABC News that its sub-agency, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), “offered Acacia the opportunity” to receive a new federal contract “based on requirements that include they provide the data on who they represent and that they bill [HHS] when they submit applications for immigration relief.” The HHS spokesperson said Acacia refused.

Legal services providers including Acacia have said that ORR was demanding “client-level data that is confidential and legally privileged.”

During the Trump administration, Acacia and many of its subcontracted groups have alleged that unaccompanied children and their sponsors are among those being targeted under the administration’s immigration crackdown.

In June, DHS agents visited the offices of several Washington-area nonprofit organizations that provide legal services to unaccompanied migrant children. Last year, ABC News reported that the administration was directing immigration agents to track down unaccompanied migrant children in the United States.

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(LOS ANGELES) – A man allegedly armed with a pistol was arrested after he was seen taking photos and videos of the Trump National Golf Club grounds in Los Angeles County over the weekend, authorities announced on Tuesday.

Following his arrest, detectives found more firearms and “multiple notebooks containing concerning statements” at the suspect’s residence, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele of Downey, California. Taele is being held on $250,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on Aug. 26.

Taele is charged in a federal criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

“While we are still investigating the motives of this individual, we are thankful he was apprehended before the President’s visit,” Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney, said in a statement. “Federal and local law enforcement stepped in early and prevented what could have been a dangerous situation from occurring. This investigation remains ongoing.”

The golf club incident occurred on Sunday, the sheriff’s department said, a day before it was announced that President Donald Trump is set to visit the Rancho Palos Verdes property this week for a Republican National Committee dinner.

Deputies responded to the golf course Sunday afternoon after plainclothes federal agents reported a “suspicious individual” who was seen walking on the grounds, taking photos and videos and “appearing to monitor security-planning activities,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a release on Tuesday.

Deputies detained the suspect, later identified as Taele, and located his vehicle in the golf club’s parking lot, the sheriff’s department said.

Deputies recovered a 16-round magazine containing hollow-point ammunition from his pants pocket, as well as a loaded pistol with a round chambered and an additional loaded magazine containing hollow-point ammunition from his vehicle, authorities said.

Taele was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm and possession of armor-piercing/prohibited ammunition, the sheriff’s department said.

Detectives executed a search warrant at Taele’s residence Monday afternoon due to the “potential security implications surrounding the incident” and recovered more firearms and ammunition, as well as “multiple notebooks containing concerning statements,” body armor and two radio signal devices, the sheriff’s department said. It did not elaborate on what was allegedly found in the notebooks.

Taele remains in custody, authorities said. Investigators presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office earlier Tuesday for filing consideration.

The incident remains under investigation in coordination with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the United States Secret Service, the sheriff’s department said. Authorities have “identified no credible threat to our communities,” it said.

Trump is planning to attend an RNC dinner at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf club Tuesday evening, where he is set to deliver an economics-focused speech, according to the White House.

Last year, a jury found a man guilty of trying to assassinate Trump at his Florida golf course. Prosecutors said Ryan Routh hid in the bushes of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach and pointed a military-grade SKS rifle towards Trump and a Secret Service agent. Routh was sentenced earlier this year to life in prison.

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(NEW YORK) — Hundreds of Haitian immigrants in Ohio who had Temporary Protected Status have been summoned by the Department of Homeland Security for in-person “check-ins” with the agency, where some have been fitted with ankle monitors, immigration advocates tell ABC News.

The move from the government comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the Trump administration could end TPS for about 350,000 Haitians, as part of the administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.

Steve Foster, the immigration policy coordinator for the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, said “Haitians with TPS, regardless of whether they have a pending asylum claim, have gotten a ‘DHS Call-In Letter’ to appear at ICE offices in person.”

Some have been given ankle monitors and future court dates, Foster said.

Viles Dorsainvil, executive director of a Haitian support group in Springfield, Ohio, confirmed the government’s effort to call Haitians in Ohio with TPS into ICE offices and fit some of them with ankle monitors.

“We are just helping these folks to go to this appointment, and when they get there, they interview them and eventually put [an] ankle monitor on them,” Dorsainvil said.

TPS status, established by the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, provides work authorization and protection from deportation if a foreign country is deemed by the government to be unsafe because of armed conflict, natural disaster, or “extraordinary and temporary conditions.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said, “Temporary Protected Status is exactly that — temporary. For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.”

“What we would say now is it’s closing time, which means you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,” the statement said.

Dorsainvil said that some TPS holders have lost their work permits, while others who have pending asylum cases still have valid work authorization.

“There is so much anxiety, and they are fearful, and they are uncertain when it comes to what they should do next,” he said.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted to advance acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to permanently lead the Department of Justice.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) The first two deaths of the cyclosporiasis outbreak have been reported in Michigan, the state’s health department announced Monday.

Both people had “significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration,” the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) added. No additional information will be provided, according to the department.

The deaths come as cases in the state have surpassed 11,000 for a total of 11,234, including 193 hospitalizations, MDHHS data shows.

MDHHS added that cyclosporiasis is typically not a life-threatening illness and that deaths are uncommon in the U.S.

Federal health officials have so far linked cases in Michigan and eight other states to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants. 

Taylor Farms, the supplier of the lettuce, issued a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. Consumers are being advised to throw out or return any iceberg lettuce.

Taco Bell said last month that it is no longer using lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico at any of its restaurants. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote on its website that it “is aware of two cyclosporiasis-related deaths in people with underlying health conditions from Michigan as part of this outbreak. CDC will update its website to include laboratory confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths.”

The CDC has previously said it is investigating other outbreaks and illnesses of cyclosporiasis nationally that are unrelated to the nine-state outbreak.

Since May 1, cases of cyclosporiasis have topped 18,000 in 45 states, according to data updated by the CDC on Wednesday.

There are at least 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, including 423 hospitalizations, the data shows.

The agency is also aware of at least 11,500 additional cases that have not yet been laboratory confirmed or require further investigation and analysis.

The CDC said it can take up to six weeks to determine if a sick person should be counted in the agency’s tally, meaning nationally reported cases may be lower than state totals.

Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published data last week showing a “sharp rise” in cyclosporiasis infections among travelers returning from Mexico.

Between April 30 and July 15, 67 cases have been reported among returning travelers in England, Wales and Scotland. Comparatively, an annual average of 93 cases has been recorded between 2022 and 2025.

UKHSA said it is advising all travelers to take precautions when traveling abroad including “maintaining good food and water hygiene to reduce their risk of infection.”

Cyclospora, the parasite that causes infection, usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the CDC.

Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, the CDC says.

The most common symptom of cyclosporiasis is watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC. Other symptoms nay include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or bloating.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Friday blamed Minnesota’s Democratic governor for cyberattacks on the state’s water systems even though U.S. officials previously told ABC News authorities are investigating whether Iran or hackers associated with the country could be behind them.

“We heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack and they blame it on Iran. I don’t think so. I think, I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent,” Trump said a Cabinet meeting at Camp David.

More than 30 water systems in Minnesota were targeted in a cyberattack Sunday and Monday according to Minnesota IT Services (MNIT).

MNIT said the attackers targeted systems to remotely monitor and control equipment, including the programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in an alert Thursday that cyber threat actors are targeting PLCs and modifying passwords to “to lock out operators.”

Despite the warnings, Trump laid the blame on Minnesota and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.

“I think that Minnesota ought to get its act together. It’s one of the worst run states,” he told ABC News’ Mary Bruce when she asked about the attack.

Walz pushed back against Trump in statements on social media Friday.

“Trump knows exactly who is responsible for this attack, and knows that other states were hit too. This is what modern warfare looks like, and it further illustrates there’s no plan to win a war with Iran,” he said.

The governor also noted federal cuts by the The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) weakened cyber security.’

“DOGE took an axe to CISA and left the U.S. exposed to cyber attacks. Thankfully, our experts in Minnesota were able to identify the vulnerability quickly and work with local communities to stop it,” he said.

MNIT said there are no active requests from Minnesota localities for residents to change their water use and that it is working with federal investigators in the probe. The agency said it has not determined who was responsible.

“In this situation, ‘impacted’ means investigators confirmed malicious activity involving a system’s technology. It does not mean every affected community experienced a disruption to water service,” MNIT said in a statement Thursday.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump appeared to reverse course on his offer earlier this month to license Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles, saying during a Friday Cabinet meeting that “we have not agreed to that.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — A man has been charged with manslaughter months after he allegedly shot and killed his neighbor, mistaking him for a bear, according to an arrest affidavit. 

Ariel Gonzalez Rodriguez, 25, was charged on Tuesday for the March killing of his neighbor Jason Sheffield in Naples, Florida.

Rodriguez’s wife, Katherin Hidalgo, told investigators that she heard a noise around midnight and was worried a wild animal was attacking the farm animals she has in her backyard, so she woke her husband up to investigate, according to the affidavit. 

After leaving the house with a smaller caliber rifle, Rodriguez — who was 24 at the time — returned to tell his wife he believed it may have been a bear, before retrieving a larger caliber rifle, according to the affidavit. 

Rodriguez told investigators he fired a single round from the larger rifle to the ground. Rodriguez then alleged he believed the noise was walking closer and that he was about to be attacked, prompting him to shoot a round in the direction of his neighbor’s property at about waist level, according to the affidavit. 

Hidalgo told investigators she heard at least two gunshots before her husband returned to the residence, according to the affidavit. 

Hidalgo told investigators that Rodriguez told her whatever was making the noise — which he believed might have been a bear — began approaching him, so he shot off a “couple of warning shots,” according to the affidavit.

“According to Katherin, Ariel did not further investigate because he feared he might have wounded the bear and did not want to risk getting attacked. He told Katherin he would go check in the morning,” the affidavit said. 

Around 8 a.m. the next day, Rodriguez explored his property but did not see anything. He then proceeded to explore his neighbor’s property, where he discovered his neighbor lying face down with blood on his body, according to the affidavit.

In the morning, Rodriguez told his wife he had shot someone before dialing 911, according to the affidavit.

Rodriguez dialed 911 and stayed on the phone with dispatchers until deputies arrived. Rodriguez was brought in on the charge of manslaughter with a firearm, according to the affidavit. 

“Ariel was frantic as he informed the dispatcher that he shot off a gun yesterday at a noise he believed to be a bear, but now believed he accidentally shot his neighbor,” investigators wrote in an arrest affidavit. 

When officers responded to the scene, Rodriguez and his wife were handcuffed, detained and placed in the back of separate patrol vehicles, according to the affidavit. 

Investigators found the neighbor dead, lying face down in an overgrown patch of vegetation behind a chicken coop. He appeared to have blood on the back of his shirt, according to the affidavit. 

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(WASHINGTON) — Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff’s deputy who was convicted of second-degree murder in the fatal 2024 shooting of Sonya Massey, was on Friday denied early release by a prisoner review board.

“I am writing to confirm that the Board voted 3-0 to deny Sean Grayson’s medical release application,” an Illinois Prisoner Review Board spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News. “He will remain in custody.”

Grayson had asked for an early release because he has cancer. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in January, after his conviction last October.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — New York sued Kalshi on Friday, alleging its prediction market is nothing more than illegal, unlicensed gambling, in large part because outcomes depend more on chance than skill.

The lawsuit does not seek to close down Kalshi, but, if successful, it could dent its ability to operate.

Kalshi insists its event contracts are federally regulated derivatives outside the scope of state gaming laws but New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit said Kalshi is merely seeking “to avoid the legal and financial consequences of New York’s close regulation of gambling by offering what is quintessentially wagering.”

“It’s sad to see this type of political theater from the leadership in our own state. States can’t just shut down a federally licensed exchange,” Elisabeth Diana, Kalshi’s Head of Communications told ABC News. “This would also hurt New Yorkers, who would be driven offshore. We love New York, we love New Yorkers, and New Yorkers love our product.”

The lawsuit alleged Kalshi violates state laws prohibiting wagering on games involving New York college teams and all sports betting for those under 21.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which has said prediction markets are its exclusive purview, filed for a temporary restraining order to halt the state’s lawsuit.

“New York’s gambling laws protect children from underage betting and help combat gambling addiction,” James said in a statement. “No matter what they call themselves, prediction makers like Kalshi are gambling platforms, plain and simple.”

The lawsuit sought a court order demanding Kalshi submit to state regulators and taxes, to forfeit illegal profits and pay restitution to users nationwide, a possible penalty that could cost Kalshi an estimated $36 billion, according to a statement of facts accompanying the lawsuit.

“Kalshi has chosen to ignore New York’s gambling laws, which exist to protect consumers, prevent problematic gambling, deliver funding for critical public services and ensure that every company plays by the same rules,” Governor Kathy Hochul said.

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