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(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge in Maryland has granted a preliminary injunction and ordered the government to facilitate the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was deported to El Salvador in error, by Monday.

“I am going to grant the motion for preliminary injunction I’ve reviewed, and I’ll read this word for word, so that there is no dispute that the oral order is the written order,” said U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis at Firday’s hearing, making a reference to the Alien Enemies Act court case in which the government failed to carry out another judge’s oral order.

“The two defendants are hereby ordered to facilitate the return of plaintiff Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States by no later than 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 7, 2025,” Judge Xinis said.

Abrego Garcia was sent to El Salvador as part of what the Trump administration described as a $6 million deal with Salvadoran authorities in which they would house deported migrants in exchange for payment. At Friday’s hearing, however, the Justice Department attorney denied there was such a contract.

“The way I see the record, though, is that there is an agreement between your clients and El Salvador where your clients are [paying] upward of $6 million to house individuals,” Judge Xinis said. “There’s nothing to suggest that they’re still not in the custody of DHS and immigration.”

Erez Reuveni, Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Immigration Litigation for DOJ, replied, “There’s nothing in the record that there is a contract.”

When Judge Xinis pushed back and said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem have spoken about an agreement between the two countries, Reuveni said he could not speak for them.

“I can’t speak to where they got their information from,” Reuvani said. “But neither of them said there is a contact.”

“They may not have used the word contract, but agreement sounds a lot like contract where we paid $6 million,” Judge Xinis replied. “I think I can draw a logicial inference.”

Abrego Garcia, despite having protected legal status, was sent to the notorious CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador following what the government said was an “administrative error.”

“The facts are conceded,” Reuvani said during Friday’s hearing. “Mr. Abrego Garcia should not have been removed.”

Although the government has acknowledged the error, it said in an earlier court filing that because Abrego Garcia was no longer in U.S. custody, the court cannot order him to be returned to the U.S., nor can the court order El Salvador to return him.

Last month, Abrego Garcia, who has a U.S. citizen wife and 5-year-old child, was stopped by ICE officers who “informed him that his immigration status had changed,” according to his attorneys. He was detained and then transferred to a detention center in Texas, after which he was sent to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, along with more than 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members, on March 15.

Abrego Garcia entered the United States in 2011 when he was 16 to escape gang violence in El Salvador, according to his lawyers. His attorneys say that in 2019, a confidential informant “had advised that Abrego Garcia was an active member” of the gang MS-13. Abrego Garcia later filed an I-589 application for asylum, and although he was found removable, an immigration judge “granted him withholding of removal to El Salvador,” the attorneys said.

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers say that he “is not a member of or has no affiliation with Tren de Aragua, MS-13, or any other criminal or street gang” and said that the U.S. government “has never produced an iota of evidence to support this unfounded accusation.”

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt — while acknowledging the government’s error in sending him to El Salvador — called Abrego Garcia a leader of MS-13.

“The administration maintains the position that this individual who was deported to El Salvador and will not be returning to our country was a member of the brutal and vicious MS-13 gang,” Leavitt said.

Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, the attorney representing Abrego Garcia, acknowledged at Friday’s hearing that his client could have been removed to another county — just not El Salvador.

“He certainly was removable to many countries on Earth — El Salvador is simply not one of them,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said.

“There was no removal order as to El Salvador,” he added. “This was essentially the equivalent of a forcible expulsion.”

When asked by Judge Xinis under what authority law enforcement officers seized Abrego Garcia, Reuveni said he was frustrated that he did not have those answers.

“Your honor, my answer to a lot of these questions is going to be frustrating and I’m also frustrated that I have no answers for you on a lot of these questions,” Reuvani said.

Following the hearing, Abrego Garcia’s wife said she will continue to fight for her husband.

“I want to say thank you to everyone that has helped us, that has supported us in fighting this, and we will continue fighting for Kilmar, for my husband,” said Jennifer Varquez Sura.

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(SENECA, Kan.) — A man has been arrested in the murder of a Catholic priest, who was shot Thursday outside the residence at his church in the small town of Seneca, Kansas.

Gary Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder.

A 911 call was made at around 3 p.m. on Thursday to report shots fired at the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Deputies arrived on the scene to find Father Arul Carasala, 57, outside the church residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the KBI.

Carasala twas transported to the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, but died due to his injuries, according to the KBI.

Kansas Highway Patrol troopers responded and helped secure the scene. Shortly after, deputies from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Seneca Police Department took Hermesch into custody, the KBI said.

He was booked into the Nemaha County Jail but has not yet been formally charged, authorities said.

Kansas City Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann said he was “heartbroken” by the news of Carasala’s death.

“This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend. Fr. Carasala was a devoted and zealous pastor who faithfully served our Archdiocese for over twenty years, including as dean of the Nemaha-Marshall region,” Naumann said in a statement on Facebook.

“We are in shock and disbelief. Please allow our parish community to process. We will release official information as it becomes available,” Saints Peter and Paul Parish said in a statement on Facebook.

Carasala was ordained in March 1994 in his home Diocese of Cuddapah, India, according to the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas.

“He ministered at Sts. Peter and Paul for nearly 14 years and also served as dean of the Nemaha-Marshall deanery. His deep faith, pastoral care, and generous spirit touched the lives of so many,” the archdiocese said in a statement on Facebook.

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(NEW YORK) — ​​​​A four-day, once-in-a-generation weather event is pounding the middle of the U.S. with destructive tornadoes and life-threatening flooding.

Friday marks day three of the devastating storm. Here’s what you need to know:

8 deaths reported in 4 states

At least eight people have died across four states.

In Franklin County, Kentucky, a boy died after he got caught in floodwaters on Friday while walking to the school bus stop, officials said.

A second death — a local fire chief — was confirmed in Missouri. Garry Moore, 68, who was the chief of the Whitewater Fire Protection District, died in the line of duty on Wednesday, while helping a stranded motorist, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol.

Another death was confirmed in Hendricks County, Indiana, just outside of Indianapolis. A 27-year-old man was driving on Wednesday when he hit downed power lines in the road, and then he got out of his car “and came into contact with the live power lines,” the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office said.

Another five weather-related fatalities were confirmed in Tennessee, according to state officials.

Gov. Bill Lee announced the fifth death in the state during a news conference Thursday evening, where he spoke of the “immense devastation” wrought by a powerful tornado that tore through the small city of Selmer, in the southwestern part of the state, between Memphis and Nashville.

Lee had declared a state of emergency in Tennessee, as did Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

“We are facing one of the most serious weather events we’ve had forecast,” Beshear warned on social media. “Please stay alert, take all precautions, and be prepared.”

Tornado threat

Since the outbreak began Wednesday, there have been at least 42 reported tornadoes from Arkansas to Ohio. This includes an EF-3 tornado in Selmer, Tennessee, with winds of 160 mph, and an EF-3 tornado in Lake City, Arkansas, with winds of 150 mph.

Matt Ziegler documented the moment the tornado hit Lake City.

“I’ve always heard that they sound like a train on a track, but to be honest with you, it was eerily quiet,” he told ABC News. “If you weren’t looking, you wouldn’t know that there was a major tornado just a field over from us.”

On Friday, there’s another moderate risk for severe weather — including damaging tornadoes — from northeast Texas to Little Rock, Arkansas, to southern Missouri.

On Saturday, the severe threat is labeled “enhanced,” with the potential for strong tornadoes from Louisiana to Tennessee.

“We are facing one of the most serious weather events we’ve had forecast,” Beshear warned on social media. “Please stay alert, take all precautions, and be prepared.”

Flash flooding threat

Since Wednesday, over 6 inches of rain has inundated Tennessee and over 4 inches of rain has fallen in Arkansas and Kentucky — and the threat isn’t over.

A massive flood watch on Friday stretches from Texarkana, Texas, to Little Rock to Memphis to Nashville to Louisville, Kentucky, to Indianapolis to Columbus, Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Arkansas is in the bull’s-eye on Friday, with much of the state bracing for up to 10 inches of rain.

Another high risk for flash flooding is in effect Saturday from Arkansas to Kentucky.

By the time the storm ends, rain totals could be well over 15 inches. Some cities may see record-high four-day rain totals.

Rivers, creeks and other waterways could also advance into major flood stage from Arkansas to Kentucky.

The system will finally move east Sunday afternoon, bringing rain to the Southeast on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

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(LOS ANGELES) — A man is at large after he allegedly gunned down his estranged girlfriend and her daughter in their car, authorities said.

Donte Lamont Brown, 41, of Compton, is considered armed and dangerous, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department warned.

La’von Hall and her daughter, Ma’Laysia Martin, were stopped at a traffic light in Compton around 7 p.m. on Tuesday when Brown allegedly drove up alongside their car and shot them, according to the sheriff’s department.

After Hall was shot, she got out of the driver’s seat and fell to the ground, authorities said. Her car kept moving until it struck a pole.

Responders found Hall lying on the ground and Martin in the passenger seat, the sheriff’s department said. The mother and daughter both died at the scene, authorities said.

“Detectives have exhausted all leads” in their search for Brown and are asking for the public’s help to find him, the sheriff’s department said.

Anyone with information is urged to call the sheriff’s department at 323-890-5500 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

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(MADISON, Wis.) — Two people are missing after a boat capsized on the Wisconsin River on Thursday, according to the Wisconsin Dells Police Department.

At approximately 4:24 p.m. on Thursday, police received reports that a “boat had capsized on the Wisconsin River, south of the Kilbourn Dam,” which is an hour north of Madison, police said.

Three people were in the boat at the time of the incident, with one being able to “safely swim to shore,” police said. The recovered boater was met by police and rescue units and handed over to medical services for treatment, officials said.

The two other boaters were not seen after “disappearing under the water, near where the boat had capsized,” police said.

Rescue boats were launched on Thursday to begin searching for the missing individuals, police said. Officials also requested the assistance of dive teams, but “due to the high flow of water from the Kilbourn Dam and the fast-moving currents” divers were not able to commence their search.

Aerial and underwater drones, shoreline searchers and boats with sonar capabilities were also deployed for the search, police said.

Officials suspended the search on Thursday evening due to the “unpredictable flow of the river” but said efforts will continue Friday morning.

The names of the missing individuals are not being released at this time, police said.

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(NEW YORK) — Wendy Brugh, owner of Dry Ridge Farm in Marshall, North Carolina, said President Donald Trump’s tariffs announcement is like “pouring salt in a wound that is just now beginning to heal.”

During a gathering of small business owners on Wednesday, she said tariffs will increase the costs of “everything from fertilizer and feed to construction materials and tractors,” hitting the farming community while it still recovers from crop losses after Hurricane Helene.

“We’re personally faced with the uncertainty of how retaliatory tariffs will affect our largest expense, our animal feed,” Brugh told ABC News’ Asheville affiliate WLOS.

Brugh and other small business owners are weighing in on the tariffs Trump unveiled against virtually all U.S. trading partners on Wednesday afternoon. He described the tariffs as “kind reciprocal” and will focus on nations he claimed were the worst offenders in trade relations with the U.S.

The new measures — which Trump described as “historic” — include a minimum baseline tariff of 10% on all trading partners and further, more targeted punitive levies on certain countries, including China, the European Union and Taiwan.

“We will charge them approximately half of what they are and have been charging us,” he said, adding, “because we are being very kind.”

Hendrick Svendsen, the owner of a furniture store in Merriam, Kansas, told ABC News on Wednesday he has decided to close his store due to Trump’s tariffs announcement.

“We just made the decision we are going to close down, we will be out in August,” Svendsen said.

He said there is no way to continue the store’s operation by using American-made products, with 90% of their items made overseas.

“I don’t think that furniture manufacturing is ever going to come back to the U.S. North Carolina, where it used to be made, it’s like a ghost town,” Svendsen said on ABC News Live. “When it comes to skill and workers, I don’t think we have that in the U.S.”

Furniture manufacturing jobs in the United States have declined over the past few months, with 336,900 reported in February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But, there are individuals who are optimistic about the tariffs, including Duane Paddock, the owner of a Chevrolet dealership in Buffalo, New York. He told ABC News Live that he has seen the best sales in 13 years.

While he is uncertain of the exact impact of the tariffs, he said he is hopeful that Trump’s announcement is the “best thing for our country” and that his dealership will continue to “keep prices as low as possible and do our fair share to help the customers.”

“Whether President Trump was a Democrat or Republican, I have to have faith in my president and that’s what I choose to do,” Paddock said.

He also stressed the importance of these tariffs allowing for products to be made in the United States.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to get back with manufacturing and have an opportunity to have a great middle-class life and increase their compensation over the course of time,” Paddock said.

But Leah Ashburn, the president and CEO of Highland Brewing in North Carolina, said moving to American production is not feasible in all industries, especially her company, which relies on aluminum to make beer cans. While there are existing aluminum manufacturers in the United States, Canada is still the fourth-largest primary aluminum provider, behind China, India and Russia, according to the Canadian government.

In 2021, the United States accounted for less than 2% of global aluminum production, according to a Congressional Research Service Report.

“The U.S. simply can’t pivot to making aluminum cans,” Ashburn told WLOS. “Mining is not done here. Aluminum is 95% brought in from other countries, and we are dependent on Canada. The effort to make aluminum here would be complex, costly and take a lot of time. It won’t come soon enough.”

She also said her business cannot raise their prices because consumers have “hit their limit on what they’re going to pay for a six-pack.”

The 10% baseline tariff rate goes into effect on April 5, according to senior White House officials. The “kind reciprocal” tariffs go into effect April 9 at 12:01 a.m., officials said, and will affect roughly 60 countries.

ABC News’ Jaclyn Lee, Alexandra Hutzler, Lauren Lantry and Michael Pappano contributed to this report

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(NEW YORK) — ​​A four-day, once-in-a-generation weather event is pounding the middle of the U.S. with destructive tornadoes and life-threatening flooding.

Friday marks day three of the devastating storm. Here’s what you need to know:

7 deaths reported in 3 state

At least seven people have died across three states

One death — a local fire chief — was confirmed in Missouri. Garry Moore, 68, who was the chief of the Whitewater Fire Protection District, died in the line of duty, possibly while helping a stranded motorist, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol.

Another death was confirmed in Hendricks County, Indiana, just outside of Indianapolis. A 27-year-old man was driving when he hit downed power lines in the road, and then he got out of his car “and came into contact with the live power lines,” the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office said.

Another five weather-related fatalities were confirmed in Tennessee, according to state officials.

Gov. Bill Lee announced the fifth death in the state during a news conference Thursday evening, where he spoke of the “immense devastation” wrought by a powerful tornado that tore through the small city of Selmer, in the southwestern part of the state, between Memphis and Nashville.

Lee had declared a state of emergency in Tennessee, as did Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

“We are facing one of the most serious weather events we’ve had forecast,” Beshear warned on social media. “Please stay alert, take all precautions, and be prepared.”

Tornado threat

Since the outbreak began Wednesday, there have been at least 42 reported tornadoes from Arkansas to Ohio. This includes an EF-3 tornado in Selmer, Tennessee, with winds of 160 mph, and an EF-3 tornado in Lake City, Arkansas, with winds of 150 mph.

Matt Ziegler documented the moment the tornado hit Lake City.

“I’ve always heard that they sound like a train on a track, but to be honest with you, it was eerily quiet,” he told ABC News. “If you weren’t looking, you wouldn’t know that there was a major tornado just a field over from us.”

On Friday, there’s another moderate risk for severe weather — including damaging tornadoes — from northeast Texas to Little Rock, Arkansas, to southern Missouri.

On Saturday, the severe threat is labeled “enhanced,” with the potential for strong tornadoes from Louisiana to Tennessee.

“We are facing one of the most serious weather events we’ve had forecast,” Beshear warned on social media. “Please stay alert, take all precautions, and be prepared.”

Flash flooding threat

Since Wednesday, over 6 inches of rain has inundated Tennessee and over 4 inches of rain has fallen in Arkansas and Kentucky — and the threat isn’t over.

A massive flood watch on Friday stretches from Texarkana, Texas, to Little Rock to Memphis to Nashville to Louisville, Kentucky, to Indianapolis to Columbus, Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Arkansas is in the bull’s-eye on Friday, with much of the state bracing for up to 10 inches of rain.

Another high risk for flash flooding is in effect Saturday from Arkansas to Kentucky.

By the time the storm ends, rain totals could be well over 15 inches. Some cities may see record-high four-day rain totals.
Rivers, creeks and other waterways could also advance into major flood stage from Arkansas to Kentucky.

The system will finally move east Sunday afternoon, bringing rain to the Southeast on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

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(BROADVIEW, Ill.) — A man who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this month is expected to be released on Friday from a facility in Broadview, Illinois, after community advocates and officials appealed for his release so he can resume the kidney donation process in hopes of saving his brother’s life.

ICE records show that Jose Gregorio Gonzalez, a native of Venezuela who was detained on March 3 in Illinois, is being held in the Clay County Jail in Brazil, Indiana. But Peter Meinecke, an attorney representing Gonzalez, told ABC News on Wednesday that his client is expected to be released from ICE detention by Friday.

“I was in communication with the officer assigned to his case today. It sounds like they are going to release him under humanitarian parole, so that is still being coordinated,” Meinecke said. “The logistics of his release are not yet confirmed with ICE, but potentially as early as Friday, he could be released, and at which point he would be able to pursue the kidney donation. I don’t have any specifics regarding the duration of release.”

The duration and the conditions of Gonzalez’s expected release are unclear. ABC News reached out to ICE, but requests for comment were not returned.

Meinecke, an attorney with The Resurrection Project — a group advocating for Gonzalez’s release — told ABC News that Gonzalez’s brother, Jose Alfredo Pacheco, who suffers from kidney failure, reached out to the group earlier this month seeking support after Gonzalez was detained.

Speaking in Spanish, Pacheco addressed a crowd of supporters during a press conference on Monday and called for his brother’s release.

“My health is at serious risk—I have 100% kidney failure and depend on dialysis three times a week,” he said, according to a translation provided by The Resurrection Project.

“It’s extremely difficult—sometimes, I can barely get out of bed. I have three children, nine-year-old twins and a 17-year-old back home, and I want to live to see them grow up. My brother used to take me to my appointments, but now I’m alone. My brother is a good man, not a criminal in Venezuela or here—he came only with the hope of donating his kidney to me. I thought I was alone, but seeing the support of this community has moved me deeply.”

Meinecke said that he had been in touch with Gonzalez’s ICE officer over the past few weeks and submitted a request for release on temporary humanitarian parole on March 25.

“He needs to show that his release is either in the public interest or is necessary for like, urgent humanitarian factors. And in his case, we argue both,” Meinecke said. “You know, obviously, the medical conditions kind of speak to both. They’re both urgent humanitarian factors by now, but organ donation is in the public interest as well.”

Meinecke explained that Pacheco was admitted into the U.S. from Venezuela in 2023 and was permitted to apply for asylum, so he has a work permit while his asylum application is pending. His wife and three children remain in Venezuela. But soon after he arrived in the U.S., he suffered from stomach pain and was diagnosed with “end-stage kidney failure,” Meinecke said.

“He went to the hospital with severe abdominal pain, which is when he was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure,” Tovia Siegel, director of organizing and leadership at the Resurrection Project, told ABC News on Wednesday. “At the time, he was told he had 2 percent functioning of his kidneys and would need dialysis consistently, multiple times a week to survive, and really, his best chance to live a full, healthy life would be a kidney transplant.”

Since his diagnosis in 2023, Pacheco’s condition has deteriorated, Siegel said.

“[Alfredo] currently receives [dialysis] three times a week, from 4 am to 8 am, and his brother Jose came here to help care for him, and with the intention of being able to donate his kidney and save Alfredo’s life,” Siegel said. “And so for the last year, Jose has essentially been a full-time caretaker for Alfredo, helping with cooking, cleaning, etc, and with the intent to donate his kidney.”

But unlike Pacheco, when Gonzalez arrived to the U.S. from Venezuela “primarily to assist” his brother, he failed to pass the credible fear screening, which did not allow him to apply for asylum like Pacheco had done, according to Meinecke, so he was detained by ICE for several months and then he was granted temporary supervised release but still faced a pending removal order. During his time on supervised release, Gonzalez routinely checked in with his ICE officer, provided his address and wore an ankle monitor, Meinecke said.

Siegel said that Gonzalez was detained while the brothers were leaving their home to go to Pacheco’s kidney dialysis appointment.

“It was shocking and devastating,” she said. “They had been living life together, and an incredibly difficult life where one of the brothers was undergoing incredible medical distress and suffering.”

“They were taking care of one another and surviving for a year together,” she added. “And during that time, clearly, you know, caring deeply for one another, loving each other as family members do. Jose [Gregorio] had no contact with police, the criminal legal system, and then one morning, with, you know, completely unexpected, ICE came to their home.”

Gonzalez’s expected release comes after ICE denied on Monday a stay of removal request submitted by his attorneys and then the case was elevated to an ICE Chicago Field Supervisor, according to The Resurrection Project.

“This is literally a matter of life and death,” said Erendira Rendón, vice president of Immigrant Justice at The Resurrection Project. “ICE has the discretionary authority to release Mr. Gonzalez on humanitarian grounds. Every day he remains detained is another day his brother’s life hangs in the balance.”

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(WASHINGTON) — A female fencer was disqualified from a competition for refusing to compete against a transgender opponent, USA Fencing said in a statement to ABC News on Thursday.

The incident occurred last month at a USA Fencing-sanctioned regional tournament where fencer Stephanie Turner decided to remove her mask and take a knee instead of competing against Redmond Sullivan, a transgender woman.

Following the act of protest, the referee of the University of Maryland match — which was not an NCAA tournament — issued a black card to Turner, removing her from the competition.

USA Fencing’s current transgender and non-binary athlete policy was enacted in 2023 and allows athletes to participate in sanctioned events “in a manner consistent with their gender identity/ expression, regardless of the gender associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.”

USA Fencing told ABC News on Thursday that the decision to disqualify Turner from the tournament was “not related to any personal statement” but because she refused to fence an “eligible opponent.”

Sullivan transferred to the Wagner College women’s fencing team from the men’s team in 2024.

“We understand that the conversation on equity and inclusion pertaining to transgender participation in sport is evolving,” USA Fencing said in a statement, adding that the organization “will always err on the side of inclusion, and we’re committed to amending the policy as more relevant evidence-based research emerges, or as policy changes take effect in the wider Olympic & Paralympic movement.”

In a statement to ABC News on Thursday, Turner detailed the moment she took a knee and decided not to compete against Sullivan.

“As a woman fencing in a women’s tournament, I do not believe men should fence in my category. I was not aware Mr. Sullivan was registered until the night before the tournament. I prayed about it and decided if Mr. Sullivan and I were to fence face-to-face, then I would peaceably protest by taking a knee,” Turner said, misgendering Sullivan.

Turner said she has previously refused to fence in tournaments in which she knew a transgender athlete was going to compete, including the 2023 Summer Nationals.

“I want to thank God for trusting me with this mission to fight for female-exclusive sports and putting me in a place to effectively protest,” Turner added.

ABC News has reached out to Redmond Sullivan for a comment. The University of Maryland declined to comment on the incident.

The incident between Turner and Sullivan comes amid a wider debate surrounding transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, fulfilling a promise that was at the center of his 2024 campaign.

Titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” the order mandates immediate enforcement, including against schools and athletic associations that “deny women single-sex sports and single-sex locker rooms,” according to the document, and directs state attorneys general to identify best practices for enforcing the mandate.

Opponents of the federal order said at the time that Trump’s action would lead to increased discrimination and harassment.

“This order could expose young people to harassment and discrimination, emboldening people to question the gender of kids who don’t fit a narrow view of how they’re supposed to dress or look,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement at the time. “Participating in sports is about learning the values of teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. And for so many students, sports are about finding somewhere to belong. We should want that for all kids — not partisan policies that make life harder for them.”

Proponents say, however, Trump’s federal direction brings clarity at the federal level.

“We’re a national governing body and we follow federal law,” NCAA President Charlie Baker told Republican senators at a hearing in December. “Clarity on this issue at the federal level would be very helpful.”

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(WASHINGTON) — “Numerous people” have been stabbed in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, police said.

A suspect is in custody, police said.

Seven people were transported from the scene to the hospital, according to a D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson.

The stabbing incident occurred in the area of Meigs Place and Montello Avenue NE, D.C. police said on X.

Authorities did not provide details on their conditions.

The stabbing incident occurred in the area of Meigs Place and Montello Avenue NE, D.C. police said on X.

Authorities did not provide details on their conditions.

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

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