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A massive search continued Sunday for a man suspected in the fatal shooting of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and a separate shooting attack on another state lawmaker and his spouse, authorities said.

The manhunt for 57-year-old Vance Boelter stretched into its second day following Saturday’s twin attacks in Champlin and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and the discovery in the suspect’s vehicle of an alleged target list of dozens of Minnesota Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources.

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s arrest.

“Right now we are asking the public if you do locate him, if you see him, to call 911. Do not approach him. You should consider him armed and dangerous,” Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said at a Saturday-evening news conference.

Sources tell ABC News that authorities searching for Boelter have found a “vehicle of interest” in Sibley County, outside Minneapolis, along with “personal items” believed to be associated with him. There are now many teams of law enforcement officials searching the area, sources said.

The suspect’s wife was detained for questioning after a traffic stop near Onamia late on Saturday morning, multiple law enforcement sources told Minnesota ABC News affiliate KSTP. She was released without being arrested, according to KTSP, which reports it’s unknown why her vehicle was stopped.

Boelter is suspected of gaining entry to the lawmakers’ homes by disguising himself as a police officer, even arriving at the victims’ home in a vehicle that looked like a police cruiser equipped with flashing emergency lights, officials said.

The shootings unfolded around 2 a.m. Saturday, when Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times at their home in Champlin, Minnesota, authorities said.

Soon after the shooting at the Hoffmans’ home, state Rep. Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park, according to authorities.

Police believe the suspect opened fire on the victims while wearing a latex mask, sources said.

Following the shooting at Hoffman’s residence, officers were sent to Hortman’s home to check on her well-being, officials said. As officers arrived at the residence, they encountered the gunman at around 3:35 a.m. The suspect and the officers exchanged gunfire before the suspect escaped, flee on foot and leaving behind his fake police car, where investigators found his target list, authorities said.

Two associates of Sen. Hoffman and his wife told ABC News on Sunday that the couple was awake and out of surgery.

Yvette Hoffman is conscious and “doing relatively well,” and John Hoffman is alert and recovering from a collapsed lung, the associates said. One source estimates that Sen. Hoffman was shot multiple times.

“Everybody is cautiously optimistic,” one of the sources said.

Boelter – a husband and father, according to an online biography – has touted an extensive background in security and military training, according to an ABC News review of his online presence and professional history.

Boelter helped lead the private security firm Praetorian Guard Security Services, which is based in the Twin Cities area, according to the company website.

ABC News’ Josh Margolin, David Brennan, Emily Shapiro, Jack Moore, Luke Barr and Mike Levine contributed to this report.

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

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(BROOKLYN PARK, MN) — Authorities said they’ve identified 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter as a suspect as they search for the gunman who allegedly shot and killed a state representative and shot and wounded a state senator in a targeted act of violence early Saturday.

Authorities said they’re still investigating if Boelter knew the victims in Saturday’s shooting: State Rep. Melissa Hortman and State Sen. John Hoffman.

“There’s certainly some overlap with some, you know, public meetings, I will say, with Sen. Hoffman and the individual,” authorities said.

Police released this photo of Boelter taken on Saturday.

Dozens of Minnesota Democrats were on a target list written by the gunman, according to law enforcement sources.

The Minnesota Democrats on the list included Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the matter.

Police said the list — which was retrieved from the suspect’s vehicle — also named Hortman and Hoffman. Both victims are Democrats and Hortman was formerly the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

The shooter’s list of potential targets also included the names of abortion providers and pro-choice activists, several sources told ABC News. Many of the Democratic lawmakers on the list have been outspoken about pro-choice policy positions, two sources said.

Security resources have been dispatched to protect those people named on the list, authorities said. The Capitol Police said it’s “working with our federal, state and local partners.”

The shootings began around 2 a.m. Saturday when Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times at their home in Champlin, Minnesota, authorities said.

“We’re cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” Walz said at a news conference.

After Hoffman was shot, officers headed to pro-actively check on Hortman, who lived in the nearby town of Brooklyn Park, police said.

Around 3:35 a.m., the officers found the suspect — who was dressed as a police officer — coming out of Hortman’s house, police said.

The suspect fired at the officers; gunfire was exchanged and the suspect was able to escape and flee on foot, authorities said.

Hortman and her husband, Mark, were both found fatally shot at the house, police said.

The suspect’s vehicle — which looked like a police vehicle, including police lights — was in Hortman’s driveway, authorities said, and the list of potential targets was found inside the car.

A manhunt for the gunman is ongoing. Brooklyn Park is under a shelter in place order, officials said

Walz said in a statement, “We are not a country that settles our differences at gunpoint. We have demonstrated again and again in our state that it is possible to peacefully disagree, that out state is strengthened by civil public debate. We must stand united against all forms of violence.”

“We will spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice,” he added.

Walz warned, “out of an abundance of caution,” Minnesotans should not attend any political rallies in the state until the suspect is caught.

Fliers reading “No kings,” were found in the suspect’s car, authorities said. Thousands of “No Kings Day” protests are set to be held across the U.S. on Saturday to protest Trump’s administration and to counterprogram the military parade in Washington, D.C.

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

ABC News’ Luke Barr, Mike Levine and Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.

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(BROOKLYN PARK, MN) — State Rep. Melissa Hortman and State Sen. John Hoffman, who were targeted by a shooter on Saturday, were longtime members of Minnesota’s state legislature who spent years working to improve their communities, according to leaders who knew them.

Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park early Saturday by a suspect who posed as a police officer, investigators said. They left behind two children.

Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot earlier in the morning by the same suspect inside their home at Champlin. The couple, who have a daughter, were rushed to a hospital and underwent surgery, Gov. Tim Walz said.

Authorities said they’ve identified 57-year-old Vance Boelter as a suspect as they search for the gunman.

Both state leaders were members of Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), a state party affiliated with the Democrats.

Hortman, 55, nee Haluptzok, had the most experience in the state legislature. She earned a BA in political science and philosophy at Boston University and worked as an intern for then-Sen. Al Gore and later Sen. John Kerry, according to her campaign biography.

Hortman went on to earn a law degree at the University of Minnesota Law School in 1995 and clerked with Judge John Sommerville. She later earned an MPA from Harvard in 2018.

Outside politics, Hortman worked as a private attorney and volunteered her time in the local school board and Sunday school at Saint Timothy Catholic Church in Blaine. She first ran for office in 1998, for the State House of Representatives seat, but lost.

After another defeat for the same seat four years later, Hortman was elected to the state’s District 47B in 2004.

Hortman quickly rose through the ranks of the House, serving as assistant majority leader from 2007 to 2010 and as minority whip from 2011 to 2012. She championed many causes, including reproductive rights and environmental issues.

She also pushed for stricter gun control and attended events with gun control advocates, including Everytown for Gun Safety.

In 2017, she was named minority leader and became speaker in 2019 after the DFL gained a majority in the House. Hortman spearheaded efforts to pass police reform in 2020 following the George Floyd protests.

During this year’s session, the state House Republicans and the DFL engaged in a tense standoff over leadership after Republicans gained seats. A DFL boycott ended in February with a power-sharing agreement where Hortman retained the title of minority leader until a March special election created a tie in the House.

Hortman and her husband were married for 31 years. Mark Hortman worked as a program manager for nVent Electric, a company that specialized in electronics, particularly green electronics, according to his Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Mark Hortman frequently posted photos and updates about his family on his Facebook page.

“A couple of weeks ago, I posted a video showing off how we taught our dog how to ring the doorbell when he wants to come inside. Well, now that dog has figured out that if he wants to play he rings the doorbell and then ding dong ditches us just to get us to come outside and play!,” he posted in 2023.

The couple attended the DFL’s annual Humphrey-Mondale Dinner at the Minneapolis Hilton on Friday, according to the Minnesota House DFL Caucus.

They were killed on the same day as the birthday of Melissa Hortman’s father, her sister, Lieza Jean Haluptzok, told ABC News.

“We loved them dearly; they will be missed. It’s a horrible thing. I hope they catch him. And they get justice for what happened. It’s devastating,” she said Saturday afternoon.

Hoffman, 60, was elected to the State Senate in 2012.

A Wyoming native, Hoffman earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s University and spent several decades working for various Minnesota businesses and non-profits, according to his campaign bio page.

He was the co-founder of Consumer Credit of Minnesota, a non-profit consumer assistance organization, and served on the Anoka Hennepin School Board starting in 2005, his bio said.

In 2012, he won the state senate seat for District 34 and would win reelection three more times.

He served as the minority whip from 2017 to 2020 and is on the Senate’s Human Services committee.

“Throughout my career, I have been afforded many opportunities to assume progressive management roles, which have allowed me to gain and implement a unique set of expertise,” he wrote on his campaign page.

ABC News’ Mark Guarino contributed to this report.

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(BROOKLYN PARK, MN) — A Minnesota state representative and her husband were shot and killed, and a state senator and his wife were shot and wounded in an “act of targeted political violence” at their homes early Saturday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said.

A manhunt is now underway for the gunman who was impersonating a police officer, authorities said.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband were shot and killed in what appears to be a “politically-motivated assassination,” Walz said at a news conference.

Hortman, formerly the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, “was a formidable public servant,” the governor said of his friend. “She is irreplaceable.”

State Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife were both shot multiple times and underwent surgery, the governor said.

“We’re cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” Walz said.

The two shooting locations are a few miles away from each other in Champlin and Brooklyn Park, just north of Minneapolis.

Hoffman and his wife were shot around 2 a.m. in Champlin, Superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Drew Evans said.

After Hoffman was shot, officers were heading to pro-actively check on Hortman when they encountered the suspect at Hortman’s home around 3:35 a.m., Evans said.

The officers found a person who was dressed as a police officer — wearing a vest and a badge, and with a Taser and other equipment — at the door, coming out of Hortman’s house, police said.

The suspect fired at the officers; gunfire was exchanged and the suspect was able to escape and flee on foot, authorities said.

The suspect’s vehicle — which looked like a police vehicle, including police lights — was in Hortman’s driveway, authorities said.

A list of other possible targets was retrieved from the suspect’s vehicle, authorities said. Police said the list had “many lawmakers,” including the victims.

Security resources have been dispatched to protect those people named on the list, authorities said.

The gunman did say something to the victims, police said, but authorities did not reveal what that was.

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting and said “such horrific violence will not be tolerated,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on social media.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she’s closely monitoring the situation.

“This horrific violence will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she said in a statement.

House Speaker Mike Johnson also condemned the violence and said “every leader must unequivocally condemn it.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, formerly the Minnesota Democratic party chair, said he’s friends with both Hoffman and Hortman.

“Speaker Hortman was a leader in every sense of the word — from ushering in free lunch for our kids, to protecting women’s rights and reproductive care, to standing up for Minnesota families,” Martin said in a statement. “Melissa was also a close friend whom I’ve known since the very start of her political career. She was someone I personally relied on for advice, counsel, and friendship and I am beyond words. As I said many times when I introduced her at events, she is the very best Speaker of the House that Minnesota has ever had.”

“This senseless violence must end. These heinous murders are a reflection of the extremism and political violence that have been fomented in our country,” Martin said. “Today, we recommit ourselves to fight harder for the values that Melissa and Mark embodied — building a kinder, more just, and loving world. If this murderer thinks we will be silenced, he’s wrong.”

With the manhunt ongoing, police are urging community members to be cautious. Brooklyn Park is under a shelter in place order, officials said.

Police warned, if an officer comes to your door, call 911 to confirm that the officer is supposed to be there.

“Police are asking that no one open their door to a lone police officer,” the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said. “Licensed officers are working in pairs.”

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

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(WASHINGTON) — The federal judge overseeing the case of Columbia University pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil ruled Friday that he won’t release him from government custody.

U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz sided with the government’s interpretation of his preliminary injunction and ruled that his order will not prevent the Trump administration from detaining Mahmoud Khalil on accusations that he misrepresented information on his green card application.

On Wednesday, Farbiarz issued a preliminary injunction barring the Trump administration from deporting or continuing to detain Khalil based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s determination that his continued presence in the country would pose a risk to foreign policy.

The judge stayed his injunction until 9:30 a.m. Friday, giving the Trump administration about 40 hours to appeal the decision.

In a filing Friday, Justice Department attorneys said that Judge Farbiarz’ preliminary injunction does not prohibit the government from detaining Kahlil on a second set of grounds — the allegation that he lied on his green card application — however rare his detention on those grounds may be.

Farbiarz, in his ruling Friday afternoon, ruled in the government’s favor.

“While the Court made a factual finding that it was unlikely that Khalil would be detained on another basis … the Court never held that it would be unlawful for Respondents to detain Khalil based on another charge of removability,” DOJ lawyers argued in their filing.

Farbiarz said Friday he was denying Khalil’s request for release, but said he may schedule a bail application with the immigration judge presiding over his case.

ABC News previously reported that DHS submitted several tabloids and conservative news articles in immigration court to make the case Khalil failed to disclose on his green card application that he was a “member” of the Columbia University Apartheid Divestment coalition, and that he misrepresented the amount of time he worked for the Syria Office in the British Embassy in Beirut.

Khalil’s lawyers submitted several declarations, including from U.K. embassy officials, corroborating information he submitted on his green card application. Additionally, his lawyers say that many of the articles the government is using as evidence of alleged wrongdoing and other deportable activities were published after his application was submitted. They have argued in immigration court that Khalil was a negotiator between CUAD, which is made up of dozens of on campus groups, and the university’s administration — and therefore couldn’t be a “member.”

Khalil, a green card holder who is married to an American citizen, has been held in a Louisiana detention facility since ICE agents arrested him in the lobby of his apartment building in New York City on March 8.

Immigration Judge Jamee Comans ruled in April that Khalil is deportable based on Rubio’s assertion that his continued presence and actions in the country pose an “adverse foreign policy consequence.”

But Judge Farbiarz subsequently issued an injunction against Khalil’s removal on those grounds — and also said in his ruling that lawful permanent residents, like Khalil, who are accused of making misrepresentations on their applications are “virtually never detained pending removal.”

Trump administration officials have said Khalil was detained for his purported support of Hamas — a claim his legal team has disputed.

In a memo filed in the case, Rubio wrote that Khalil should be deported because of his alleged role in “antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.”

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(WASHINGTON) — In a court filing Friday, the Trump administration said it won’t release Columbia University pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz barred the Trump administration from seeking to deport or continue to detain Khalil based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s determination that his continued presence in the country would pose a risk to foreign policy.

The judge stayed his injunction until 9:30 a.m. ET Friday, giving the Trump administration about 40 hours to appeal the decision.

In its filing Friday, the Justice Department attorneys said that Judge Farbiarz’ preliminary injunction does not prohibit the government from detaining Kahlil on a second set of grounds — however rare his detention on those grounds may be.

“While the Court made a factual finding that it was unlikely that Khalil would be detained on another basis … the Court never held that it would be unlawful for Respondents to detain Khalil based on another charge of removability,” DOJ lawyers wrote.

Khalil, a green card holder who is married to an American citizen, has been held in a Louisiana detention facility since ICE agents arrested him in the lobby of his apartment building in New York City on March 8.

In April, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Khalil is deportable based on Rubio’s assertion that his continued presence and actions in the country pose an “adverse foreign policy consequence.” The judge has yet to rule on a second set of charges which stem from the Department of Homeland Security’s allegations that Khalil withheld information on his green card application.

But Judge Farbiarz said in his ruling that lawful permanent residents, like Khalil, who are accused of making misrepresentations on their applications are “virtually never detained pending removal.”

Trump administration officials have said Khalil was detained for his purported support of Hamas — a claim his legal team has rejected.

In a memo filed in the case, Rubio wrote that Khalil should be deported because of his alleged role in “antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.”

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(NEW YORK) — Consumer sentiment improved more than expected in June, indicating a swell of optimism as President Donald Trump rolled back some tariffs in recent weeks.

The resurgence of shopper attitudes ended six consecutive months of worsening sentiment, University of Michigan survey data on Friday showed. Before the uptick, consumer sentiment had fallen near its lowest level since a bout of inflation three years ago.

Year-ahead inflation expectations, meanwhile, dropped sharply from 6.6% last month to 5.1% in June, the data showed. The anticipated inflation level would still mark a major increase from the current year-over-year inflation of 2.4%.

The improvement of sentiment was reflected across all demographics, including age, income, wealth, political party and geographic region, Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu said in a statement.

In recent weeks, Trump has dialed back some of his steepest tariffs, easing the costs imposed upon importers. Such companies typically pass along a share of the higher tax burden in the form of price hikes.

A trade agreement between the U.S. and China slashed tit-for-tat tariffs between the world’s two largest economies and triggered a surge in the stock market. Within days, Wall Street firms softened their forecasts of a downturn.

The U.S.-China accord came weeks after the White House paused a large swath of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs targeting dozens of countries. Trump also eased sector-specific tariffs targeting autos and rolled back duties on some goods from Mexico and Canada.

Still, an across-the-board 10% tariff applies to nearly all imports, except for semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and some other items. Those tariffs stand in legal limbo, however, after a pair of federal court rulings late last month.

Tariffs remain in place for steel, aluminum and autos, as well as some goods from Canada and Mexico.

Fresh inflation data this week showed a slight acceleration of price increases, but inflation remains near its lowest level since 2021. So far, the economy has defied fears of price hikes, instead giving way to a cooldown of inflation over the months since Trump took office.

Warning signs point to the possibility of elevated prices over the coming months, however.

Nationwide retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have voiced alarm about the possibility they may raise prices as a result of the levies.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, said this month it expects U.S. inflation to reach 4% by the end of 2025, which would mark a sharp increase from current levels.

Federal Chair Jerome Powell, in recent months, has warned about the possibility that tariffs may cause what economists call “stagflation,” which is when inflation rises and the economy slows.

Stagflation could put the central bank in a difficult position. If the Fed were to raise interest rates, it could help ease inflation, but it may risk an economic downturn. If the Fed were to cut rates in an effort to spur economic growth, the move could unleash faster price increases.

For now, the Fed appears willing to take a wait-and-see approach. At its last meeting, in May, the Fed opted to hold interest rates steady for the second consecutive time.

The Fed will announce its next rate decision on June 18. Investors peg the chances of a decision to leave rates unchanged at 99.9%, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

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(DEDHAM, Mass.) — With closing arguments now underway, the second sensational trial of Karen Read — accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend in 2022 — is nearing a close.

Prosecutors allege Read hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her car outside the home of fellow police officer Brian Albert in January 2022 and then left him to die there during a major blizzard.

The defense has argued Read’s vehicle did not hit O’Keefe and instead said O’Keefe was attacked by a dog and beaten by other people who were in the house before he was thrown out in the snow to die.

Read’s first trial ended in a mistrial last July after the jury could not reach a verdict.

At least four jurors who served on her first trial last year have confirmed that she was found not guilty of second-degree murder and leaving a scene of personal injury and death, according to Read’s attorneys. However, the jury could not come to an agreement on a third charge of manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence, the attorneys said.

Her lawyers filed multiple appeals, all the way to the Supreme Court, claiming Read should not be retried on the counts the jury apparently agreed on, saying it would amount to double jeopardy. Each appeal was denied.

Read has pleaded not guilty to all three charges and maintains her innocence.

Here are top takeaways from the trial as the jury is about to receive the case:

Former state police officer not called to testify in 2nd trial

The lead investigator in the case, former Massachusetts State Police officer Michael Proctor — who was a key witness in Read’s first trial — was not called to the stand in her retrial.

Damning testimony in her first trial led to the suspension and later firing of Proctor last July. Two other state troopers were also subject to internal affairs investigations after her first trial.

It was revealed that Proctor was communicating with Canton police officer Kevin Albert — the brother of the man who hosted the gathering where O’Keefe was found dead — during the investigation ahead of Read’s first trial.

Proctor also sent text messages that described Read in lewd and defamatory manner, as revealed during the first trial.

At one point during the first trial, attorneys for Read questioned Proctor about searching for nude photos on Read’s phone.

Judge denied 1st motion for mistrial

Read’s attorneys made motions for a mistrial twice during her second criminal trial, both of which were denied by the judge.

The first motion came after prosecutors questioned a defense expert witness about whether there was evidence of dog DNA on O’Keefe’s sweater from the night of the murder. The defense’s witness had argued marks on O’Keefe’s arm were evidence of a dog attack.

The sweatshirt had — up to this point in trial — not been presented to this jury. The jury was removed from the room as attorneys made arguments to the judge.

Defense attorneys for Read argued that prosecutors could not mention DNA in this trial since it had not been mentioned so far. Prosecutors said they had always planned to introduce DNA evidence on rebuttal.

The defense also questioned the credibility of the report that determined there was no dog DNA and questioned why there was no swabbing of the wounds on O’Keefe’s arm for DNA. They also had a series of concerns about the chain of custody of the sweater.

Prosecutors admit to making a mistake over O’Keefe sweater, mistrial motion denied

In an explosive moment during the trial, defense attorney Robert Alessi claimed prosecutor Hank Brennan pulled a “stunt” in his cross-examination of Dr. Daniel Wolfe. Brennan had shown Wolfe the back of O’Keefe’s sweatshirt, and asked him if the holes in the back of the sweatshirt could be related to the alleged killing.

Alessi said the holes had been made by the prosecutor’s witness, criminologist Maureen Hartnett.

Alessi said the defense had “no idea” that Brennan was going to do this, claiming it was an intentional “stunt” to mislead the jury into believing the holes were caused by Read allegedly hitting O’Keefe with her car.

Brennan addressed the court and admitted he had made a mistake by presenting the hoodie as he did.

However, Judge Beverly Cannone denied the motion for mistrial. but did instruct the jury to disregard Brennan’s line of questioning, and will allow the exhibits presented by Alessi into evidence.

Karen Read does not take the stand

Like her first trial, Read did not take the stand in her own defense.

Read’s defense rested after its last witness on Wednesday and prosecutors did not call any rebuttal witnesses.

“I am not testifying. The case is — it’s our last witness. [The jury] has heard my interview clips. They’ve heard my voice,” Read said to reporters outside the courthouse last week, according to Boson ABC affiliate WCVB. “They’ve heard a lot of me.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty Friday to human smuggling charges, one week after he was brought back to the Unites States from detention in El Salvador.

The 29-year-old has been the subject of a prolonged legal battle since he was deported in March to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison — despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution — after the Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which his family and attorneys deny.

The Trump administration, after arguing for nearly two months that it was unable to being him back, returned him the U.S. last week to face a two-count indictment alleging that, while living with his wife and children in Maryland, he participated in a yearslong conspiracy to haul undocumented migrants from Texas to the interior of the country.

Federal prosecutors say the conspiracy involved the domestic transport of thousands of noncitizens from Mexico and Central America, including some children, in exchange for thousands of dollars.

Prosecutors have also asked the judge in the case, Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes, to schedule a pre-trial detention hearing in order to determine if Abrego Garcia should continue to be held in custody pending trial. Judge Holmes is expected to consider that motion on Friday.

In a court filing on Monday, prosecutors acknowledged that Abrego Garcia would almost certainly be immediately taken in custody by ICE if Judge Holmes were to deny their motion for pre-trial detention — but they asked the court to consider, for the sake of argument, the possibility that he “would have an enormous reason to flee” if he were not immediately detained by ICE.

They also argued that Abrego-Garcia’s alleged MS-13 ties put him at risk of attempting to obstruct justice or intimidate potential witnesses against him, including his alleged co-conspirators.

“The United States would submit that at least one co-conspirator has described that the Defendant has previously used his membership in MS-13 not just to facilitate his illegal activity in the smuggling conspiracy but also to intimidate others in the conspiracy who attempted to confront him about the treatment of female smuggling victims and his smuggling of firearms and drugs which added to the conspiracy’s risk of detection and were not a goal of the overall conspiracy,” the government’s filing said.

In response, attorneys for Abrego Garcia said in a filing Wednesday that the Trump administration’s arguments for a detention hearing are meritless.

“It should also come as no surprise that the government has not cited a single case holding that a generic alien-smuggling charge provides grounds for a detention hearing,” Abrego Garcia’s attorneys said. “This case should not be the first.”

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys also argued in the filing that their client is not a flight risk, and said that the government “points to zero facts” suggesting Abrego Garcia has a history of evading arrest, has any prior restrictions, or has “systematically engaged in international travel in the recent past.”

The attorneys also argued that there is no “serious risk” Abrego Garcia will obstruct justice, arguing that the government’s “baseless gang-affiliation allegations” do not support a finding that he poses a “serious risk” of obstructive behavior.

“[The] government is not entitled to seek detention in this case, Mr. Abrego Garcia respectfully asks the Court to deny the government’s motion for detention,” the attorneys said.

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(NEW YORK) — Levels of the harmful toxin microcystin have been detected in Lake Erie weeks earlier than usual, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Microcystin is a group of toxins produced by cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They are the most common cyanobacterial toxins and can be found inside algal cells. They can also accumulate in common marine life, such as zooplankton, mussels, and fish.

At certain levels, microcystin toxins produced by certain types of freshwater blue-green algae can pose health risks to people and pets, NOAA said in a release on Friday. They primarily affect the liver but can impact the kidneys and reproductive systems as well, according to the EPA.

The presence of microcystin may also prompt additional treatment at public drinking water systems, according to NOAA.

Microcystin is detected every year at Lake Erie, but the early measurements of the toxin could impact recreation and drinking water as the summer months continue, according to NOAA. 

Water samples taken from western Lake Erie on April 28 by NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL), is the earliest the toxin has been detected in Lake Erie.

The levels at which the toxin was detected — levels of 0.12 parts per billion of microcystin — are not high enough to trigger treatment measures at nearby drinking water facilities or prompt warnings against swimming or taking pets into the lake, said Reagan Errera, a research ecologist at GLERL in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

However, the early detection could pose problems later in the summer when concentrations are anticipated to rise to above advisory levels for drinking water — at 1.6 parts per billion — and recreation, at 8 parts per billion, according to NOAA.

Since 2008, toxin levels have exceeded advisory levels for drinking water and recreation in some areas of Lake Erie. Over the last seven years, researchers have seen the toxic period of the harmful algal bloom starting 10 days earlier, Errera said.

The lab begins routine monthly testing of Lake Erie in late April and increases the sampling frequency to weekly in June, according to NOAA. The sampling continues through October.

There are eight sites within that have historically seen harmful algal blooms, according to NOAA. The GLERL also tests five sites bi-weekly in Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron.

The testing involves taking samples by boat and testing for 19 water quality parameters, which include cyanobacteria toxins, according to NOAA.

“Early detection of toxins provides drinking water facilities, water managers, and the public more time to make informed decisions regarding the health risk associated with harmful algal bloom events,” Errera said.

It is unclear whether the toxin originated in Lake Erie or the nearby Maumee River, which runs from northeastern Indiana into northwestern Ohio and Lake Erie, according to NOAA.

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