Judge temporarily restores funding for legal aid for migrant children
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(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from cutting funding to the program that provides legal representation to tens of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children.
In her ruling Tuesday night, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez Olguin said the groups that sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over the cuts “have suffered near-immediate financial impacts, and they have thus made a sufficient showing of concrete and imminent economic injury.”
“The irreparable harm resulting from Defendants’ actions weighs in favor of temporary injunctive relief,” Judge Olguin said.
Judge Olguin said that the government’s termination of funding for direct legal representation directly interferes with the groups’ mission, “impeding their ability to provide the direct legal representation of unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings.”
“The Court additionally finds that the continued funding of legal representation for unaccompanied children promotes efficiency and fairness within the immigration system,” the judge said.
Last week, groups that have collectively received over $200 million in federal grants were told that the program’s contract was partially terminated, ending the funding for legal representation and for the recruitment of attorneys to represent migrant children in immigration proceedings.
Currently, 26,000 migrant children receive legal representation through the funding.
Michael Lukens, the executive director for the Amica Center, which represents migrant children in the Washington, D.C., area, called the ruling “a win” for advocates who work with unaccompanied children every day.
“While we recognize that this is the first step in this fight, we are grateful to see the courts are recognizing the immense damage that the government’s decision in canceling this funding means to children and our organizations,” said Lukens. “There should be no political divide over protecting children.”
Airplanes sit parked at gates at Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport/Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
(MIAMI) — A New Jersey man was charged with threatening flight passengers, attendants and crew members on a flight from Miami, Florida, to Newark, New Jersey.
According to the complaint, Luis Vaquero made “threats of physical violence against a disabled minor and mocking a group of Jewish passengers.”
It said that he also threatened a flight attendant when they refused to serve him more alcohol. When the plane arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday, the captain made an announcement that law enforcement would be removing a passenger, according to the complaint.
It said that Vaquero then left his seat and began banging on the flight deck door and cursing at the captain while the plane was taxiing.
When the plane arrived at the gate, the complaint said the captain emerged from the flight deck and Vaquero approached him, screaming in his face and threatening him until law enforcement officers boarded the plane and escorted Vaquero off.
“The defendant is charged with threatening flight crew members and passengers while traveling to Newark,” Acting United States Attorney Vikas Khanna said in a press release. “We are committed to keeping the skies safe for flying and will prosecute those who criminally interfere with the professionals responsible for ensuring passenger safety.”
“It all culminated in a terrifying attack and attempted breach of the flight deck when witnesses say he banged on the cockpit door and confronted the pilot,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly said in the release.
“The harrowing flight and other similar incidents onboard airplanes recently are creating tension and fear for fliers and crew members,” Reilly added. “FBI Newark has a warning for those who think it may not be a big deal—they’re breaking federal law, and they will be brought to justice.”
(NEW YORK) — The killing of Clint Bonnell, a retired Green Beret whose remains were found in a North Carolina lake earlier this year, left his loved ones reeling. Now, his wife has been charged with his murder.
“We as a community have been devastated,” Kelli Edwards, Bonnell’s girlfriend, told ABC News. “How do you comprehend something like this? There’s really no comprehension.”
She added, “Whatever’s happened to him he didn’t deserve — no one deserves any of that — but he was just a really beautiful human being.”
Bonnell was in his second semester of physician’s assistant school at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and was the president of the cohort, Edwards said.
“This is a Green Beret who was a patriot to the Corps, who served for our country, who helped his fellow teammates with all their injuries, who deployed on teams, who went all around the world and he comes home and retires in three weeks and this is what happens? This is not okay,” Edwards said.
Edwards said Bonnell told her he was already going through the process of getting a divorce. Bonnell said he and his wife had been living separately for a couple of years and he had met with divorce attorneys, she said.
“After trying to make a marriage work for a long time, he decided it was best to cut cords and move on. And so when I met him, he was already at that stage,” Edwards said.
She added, “He was very intelligent, highly intelligent. But I think he really tried to see the best in everybody he was around. You have that personality which is a really great trait to have and sometimes it can be a flaw.”
Police said a wellbeing check on Bonnell was called in by an employee at the Methodist University on Jan. 28 after Bonnell did not attend class. When deputies arrived to the home, they spoke to his wife, Shana Cloud, who said she had not seen Bonnell since the day before, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s office.
Bonnell’s vehicle, school bag and other items were found in the residence, police said. A second wellbeing check was requested later in the evening by a friend of Bonnell, according to the sheriff’s office.
He was ultimately declared a missing person. Police executed multiple search warrants before human remains were found in a lake on Feb. 25.
Several weeks later, the remains were identified as belonging to Bonnell.
His wife has now been charged with first degree murder and felony concealing an unnatural death.
Cloud, a former traveling nurse who worked for the Virginia Department of Corrections, remains in custody without bond. Her attorney maintains her innocence, according to ABC station WTVD in Durham, North Carolina.
“Ms. Cloud looks forward to her day in court,” her defense said.
In court, prosecutors alleged Cloud was seen on video near the location where Bonnell’s remains were found, according to WTVD.
“Mr. Bonnell told his girlfriend that he had let the defendant know about the divorce and his plans the night before,” said Cumberland County District Attorney William West in court Monday. “We believe he was killed the following morning.”
Bonnell was shot multiple times, prosecutors say. A search of the couple’s home uncovered bullet holes in his book bag and laptop, according to WTVD.
Edwards said she started noticing some uncomfortable patterns and things happening in Bonnell’s life as their relationship got more serious.
“He didn’t really talk much about his wife in the beginning. I just knew more about his daughter, how much he loved his daughter and all the things that you know she’d brought to his life,” she said.
Edwards said she saw Bonnell the Monday he went missing and said you could tell he had a lot on his mind.
“The last text was that he was going to bed and good night basically. And that was it. And the next morning I texted an early morning text and there was no delivery,” she said.
Edwards said she called in a welfare check when she wasn’t hearing back from Bonnell the next day.
“I knew that something was wrong because we were in communication a lot during the day — mostly text messaging because he was in school — and I didn’t hear from him on the 28th of January,” Edwards said.
Edwards said she wants people to remember Bonnell as an amazing human who left an impact on many people.
“He was a very, just a jovial, happy human and he was really looking forward to his next part of his life, closing a chapter, coming out of the Army after 20 years, being in PA school — he was looking forward to the next chapter,” Edwards said.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said, “Our hearts go out to the Bonnell family, the Special Forces community, and the Methodist University Physician’s Assistant Program during this difficult time.”
No additional details will be released in the case “out of respect” for Bonnell and the integrity of the investigation, the sheriff’s department said.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump has indicated to top advisers that Elon Musk could be taking a step back from his current role in the administration, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Musk is employed by the government as a “special government employee” — meaning his appointment is not to exceed 130 days. His term would be up around the end of May, but it was widely rumored that the White House could take steps to keep him on or extend his employment status in some way.
As ABC News has previously reported, Musk’s decision-making has divided Trump’s top aides and at times has sparked rifts among those closest to the president.
Some of Musk’s defenders in the White House caution reporting that Musk is being pushed out is overblown, sources said.
Trump remains pleased with what Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team have done with their cost-cutting across the government, despite the backlash publicly and in the courts, according to sources.
Politico was first to report the news that Trump had told top advisers that Musk would likely be taking a step back from his role in the coming weeks.
Trump said publicly on Monday that Musk will likely have to go back and run Tesla at some point. The president was asked specifically about the 130-day special government employee time limit.
“Well, I think he’s … amazing. But I also think he’s got a big company to run. And so, at some point he’s going to be going back. He wants to.” Trump said.
ABC News previously reported that some White House officials who had grown frustrated with Musk had resigned themselves that the billionaire is unlikely to be reined in anytime soon and had instead focused on managing the situation as best they can until his special government contract comes to an end in May.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
