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(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration’s attempt to make federal funding to schools conditional on them eliminating any DEI policies erodes the “foundational principles” that separates the United States from totalitarian regimes, a federal judge said on Thursday.

In an 82-page order, U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty partially blocked the Department of Education from enforcing a memo issued earlier this year that directed any institution that receives federal funding to end discrimination on the basis of race or face funding cuts.

“Ours is a nation deeply committed to safeguarding academic freedom, which is of transcendent value to all of us and not merely to the teachers concerned,” Judge McCafferty wrote, adding the “right to speak freely and to promote diversity of ideas and programs is…one of the chief distinctions that sets us apart from totalitarian regimes.”

“In this case, the court reviews action by the executive branch that threatens to erode these foundational principles,” she wrote.

The judge stopped short of issuing the nationwide injunction, instead limiting the relief to any entity that employs or contacts with the groups that filed the lawsuit, including the National Education Association and the Center for Black Educator Development.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — Lawyers with the Department of Justice accidentally filed a document overnight that outlined a series of legal flaws with the Trump administration’s plan to kill New York City’s congestion pricing tolls.

In an 11-page letter to the Department of Transportation, lawyers with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York wrote that Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s attempt to terminate congestion pricing faces “considerable litigation risk” and is “unlikely” to be accepted by the court.

“As discussed below, there is considerable litigation risk in defending the Secretary’s February 19, 2025 decision against plaintiffs’ claims under the Administrative Procedure Act, that the decision was contrary to law, pretextual, procedurally arbitrary and capricious, and violated due process,” the letter said.

According to DOJ lawyers, both of Duffy’s arguments for canceling the program — that the tolls raise revenue rather than prevent congestion and that the program does not offer a toll-free option — are unlikely to convince the court.

DOJ lawyers instead proposed an alternative justification to defend canceling the program, urging the Department of Justice to use regulations set by the Office of Management and Budget to say the program was canceled “as a matter of changed agency priorities.”

“Importantly, DOT can seek termination of the agreement pursuant to the OMB regulations in addition to, and not in place of, defending the rationale laid out in the Secretary’s letter,” the letter said.

In a letter to the judge overseeing the lawsuit challenging congestion pricing, DOJ lawyers on Thursday morning acknowledged the document was “plainly filed in error” and asked to permanently seal the record. They argued the internal legal guidance included in the letter is privileged and should not be considered in the ongoing lawsuit.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said the filing was an “honest error.”

“Unfortunately, an attorney-client privileged document was erroneously filed on the public docket last night,” the spokesperson said in a statement Thursday. “This was a completely honest error and was not intentional in any way. Upon realizing the error, we immediately took steps to have the document removed. We look forward to continuing to vigorously advocate in the best interest of our clients, the DOT and FHWA, in this matter.”

The Metropolitan Transit Authority’s congestion pricing program, the first of its kind in the nation, went into effect in January. Weeks later, with Donald Trump now in office, the Federal Highway Administration terminated approval of the plan, with Duffy saying at the time that the “scope of this pilot project as approved exceeds the authority authorized by Congress.”

In February, the Metropolitan Transit Authority sued over the Trump administration’s attempt to rescind the agreement between the Federal Highway Administration and MTA that authorized the collection of the congestion toll. Lawyers for the MTA argued the termination was unlawful, contradicts the DOT’s own publicly stated policies and seeks to end a program that benefits the public.

“The region’s subways, buses, and commuter railroads — vital lifelines for so many New Yorkers who live in the New York City metropolitan area and beyond — are already benefiting from substantial investments that have been made as a result of the Program,” they argued. “New Yorkers support the Program because it is working.”

New York officials have said they will not turn off the tolls without a court order.

The congestion pricing plan charges passenger vehicles $9 to access Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours as part of an effort to ease congestion and raise funds for the city’s public transit system. During peak hours, small trucks and charter buses are charged $14.40 and large trucks and tour buses pay $21.60.

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(HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.) — Robert Crimo III, the gunman who killed seven people and injured dozens in a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4, 2022, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday.

Crimo was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences, Judge Victoria A. Rossetti announced on Thursday.

“This court hopes this sentence hopes brings a sense of justice and an end to the continued horror,” Rossetti said.

The sentencing hearing, which began Wednesday, finished Thursday morning after the court heard from multiple survivors and relatives of those killed in the shooting at the Independence Day parade.

Crimo decided to not appear in court on Wednesday or Thursday. The shooter’s parents, who have attended most court proceedings, were also not present.

The victims, who expected to address Crimo at the sentencing hearing, still shared the impact Crimo’s attack had on their lives.

Leah Sundheim, daughter of victim Jacqueline Sundheim, said Crimo “threw the balance of this world off” by killing her mother.

“I hope you wake in the middle of the night, gasping air you don’t deserve,” Sundheim said in court on Wednesday.

Sundheim also read a statement on behalf of her father, Bruce Sundheim, who said their family’s lives have been destroyed by Crimo’s “violent tantrum.”

Marcia Moran, whose husband was shot by Crimo, said she has been in therapy for over two years due to the emotional trauma. Her family has since moved out of Highland Park and is now living in Tennessee.

“The shooter doesn’t get to take anything more from me,” Moran said in court via Zoom.

In March, Crimo pleaded guilty to 21 counts of first-degree murder, three counts for each person killed, and dozens of attempted murder charges.

Survivor Ashbey Beasley, who fled the parade with her son when the gunfire broke out, said in March the plea brought an “immense amount of relief.”

“Every single time I see [Crimo], it’s stressful,” she told reporters back in March. “I think it’s upsetting for everyone…Just knowing that his plea has been entered and we will not have to see him again is what we all need.”

Crimo appeared ready to accept a guilty plea last June during a hearing, only to reject the deal in front of devastated members of the victims’ families. He was expected to plead guilty to seven counts of murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm at the hearing at the time, according to the AP.

“We have Fourth of July coming up and it will be two years,” Sundheim said at a news conference at the time. “All I wanted was to be able to fully grieve my mom without the looming trial, knowing that he was going to spend the rest of his life in jail. And instead, we were yet again shown [Crimo’s] complete and blatant disregard for humans.”

Crimo told police he wore women’s clothing during the shooting and used makeup to hide his facial tattoos and blend in with the crowd during the chaos, prosecutors said. Crimo was apprehended hours later and prosecutors said he confessed to the shooting.

Crimo’s father, Robert Crimo Jr., pleaded guilty last year to reckless conduct, admitting to signing the Firearm Owner’s Identification card for his son to apply for gun ownership.

The younger Crimo was 19 at the time and too young to get a FOID card on his own. Illinois at the time required people ages 18, 19 or 20 to have parent or guardian authorization.

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(OCEAN COUNTY, N.J.) — A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of starting a massive New Jersey wildfire that has consumed at least 15,000 acres and continued to burn Thursday, authorities said.

In a statement released Thursday morning, New Jersey officials, including Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, announced the arrest of Joseph Kling of Waretown, New Jersey, on charges of aggravated arson and arson in connection with the wildfire that ignited early Tuesday.

Kling was arrested after investigators determined the fire to be “incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire,” according to the statement.

The Jones Road Wildfire was first spotted about 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday in the Greenwood Wildlife Management area near Waretown, officials said.

Fueled by drought-ravaged vegetation, blustery winds and low relative humidity, the fire quickly spread through the Pine Barrens of the wildlife area, jumped the busy Garden State Parkway and threatened around 1,300 structures at one point, fire officials said.

At least 5,000 people heeded mandatory evacuation orders or voluntarily evacuated, according to officials.

Officials said investigators tracked the origin of the fire to Waretown.

“Further investigation has revealed that Kling was the individual responsible for setting wooden pallets on fire — and then leaving the area without the fire being fully extinguished,” they said in the statement.

Kling was taken into custody at Ocean Township Police Headquarters in Waretown, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what led authorities to suspect Kling was involved in the fire.

Kling was booked at the Ocean County Jail, where he is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.

During a news conference on Wednesday, Shawn LaTourette, New Jersey’s commissioner of Environmental Protection, praised firefighters for “truly averting a major disaster.”

Although one commercial building was destroyed and several cabins were damaged, officials said no homes have been lost and no injuries were reported.

The Jones Road Wildfire continued to burn on Thursday. The fire has burned at least 15,000 acres and was 50% contained Thursday morning, according to the Fire Service.

The fire is expected to grow as dry conditions, winds and low humidity aid the blaze’s activity, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

With the fire ongoing and winds shifting north, authorities expect some of the wildfire smoke to make it to New York City and Long Island. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality advisory on Thursday morning that will remain in effect through midnight.

“Air quality levels in outdoor air are predicted to be greater than an Air Quality Index value of 100 for the pollutant of Fine Particulates,” the agency said in a statement.

According to the air quality index, anything over 100 for pollutants and fine particulates in the air is considered unhealthy, especially for people who are sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants, including children and adults with pre existing respiratory problems.

Winds are expected to shift overnight away from New York City and Long Island, but could shift back again on Friday, bringing wildfire smoke to the region.

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(COLCHESTER, Vt.) — A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to keep Mohsen Mahdawi, the Columbia student who was arrested during his citizenship interview last week, in Vermont while his case proceeds.

In the written order filed on Thursday morning, U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford said the order was necessary to “prevent disputes” about jurisdiction “or any other issues that may arise in the case of involuntary movement of a petitioner between states.”

On Wednesday, Judge Crawford said he was going to issue the temporary restraining order and ordered a hearing for next week to decide whether Mahdawi should be released while the case continues.

Mahdawi, who co-founded a university organization called the Palestinian Student Union with detained Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, is a permanent resident of the U.S. and was taking his last step in the process for him to become a U.S. citizen before his arrest, his attorneys said.

During the hearing Wednesday, attorneys for Mahdawi argued that the federal judge in Vermont should preserve the court’s jurisdiction in the case and said that an immigration court “does not have the authority to address the egregious violation of his First Amendment.”

The judge seemed to agree with Mahdawi’s attorneys and pointed out that Mahdawi is a Vermont resident and that he was arrested in the state.

Judge Crawford said that he will give the government until Monday to reply to Mahdawi’s attorneys’ motion for release.

Michael Drescher, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Vermont, said Wednesday he was not authorized to “justify” the extension of the TRO to keep Mahdawi in Vermont. Drescher also requested an opportunity to respond to Mahdawi’s attorney’s motion from Tuesday requesting his release.

“It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, told ABC News in a statement. “When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country.”

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(TOPSFIELD, Mass.) — A 49-year-old mother of four died on Wednesday after she fell about 50 to 75 feet from a cliff while hiking at Purgatory Chasm in Massachusetts.

The woman, who was from Topsfield, Massachusetts, was hiking at the Purgatory Chasm State Reservation in Sutton just before 2 p.m. when the incident took place, according to local police. She was hiking with three of her children and other family members when she fell, authorities said.

“There were multiple medical professionals in the area hiking the chasm at the same time, and were able to provide medical attention right away,” Sutton police said. “However, she had succumbed to the injuries sustained during the fall, and was pronounced deceased a short time later.”

The chasm, a popular hiking destination about 20 minutes south of Worcester, is closed in the winter due to slippery conditions. However, the weather was warm and dry on Wednesday.

The fall remains under investigation, but appears to be accidental, police said.

The Sutton Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police, Northbridge Police Department, LifeStar and others were involved in the rescue efforts, according to Sutton police.

“There are trails above the chasm you can go along, [and] dangerous overhangs if you’re going to the edge to look down,” hiker Andy Spears told Boston ABC affiliate WCVB. “It’s really sad that it had to happen at a place like this.”

The woman was not identified, out of respect to the family, according to Sutton police.

“Lastly, the Sutton Police Department would like to extend our condolences to the family during this very difficult time,” the department said.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is acknowledging it deported four noncitizens to El Salvador despite a court order barring the removal of people to countries other than their place of origin without an opportunity to raise concerns about their safety.

In a series of court filings overnight, Justice Department lawyers argued that the court order was not violated because the removal of four alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua was carried out by the Department of Defense — not the Department of Homeland Security, which is a defendant in the lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued a court order on March 28 requiring that anyone with a final order of removal must have an opportunity to raise concerns about their safety before they are deported to a so-called “third country” that is not on their order of removal or their country of origin.

Three days after Judge Murphy’s order, the four men — who are originally from Venezuela — were flown from U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to El Salvador, according to a sworn declaration from Tracey Huettl, a unit chief for field operations with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Huettl said that each of the four men were identified as members of Tren de Aragua by federal law enforcement, and had extensive criminal records.

According to her declaration, one man admitted he was a member of the gang and that he recruited prostitutes for the organization, and another was charged with multiple crimes including discharge of a firearm and theft.

Another man is allegedly a sex offender who was charged with human smuggling and convicted for domestic assault, and the last was arrested for possession and use of drug-related objects.

None of the men had orders of removal to El Salvador before they were deported to that country on March 31, according to the filings.

Judge Murphy set an April 28 conference earlier this month to learn more about what he described as the “potential violations of the temporary restraining order.”

Last Friday, the judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Trump administration to give noncitizens the chance to raise concerns about their safety before they are removed to third countries.

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