Abrego Garcia fights deportation after ICE arrest

🪖 Plus: Will Trump's DC crackdown expand to other cities?

12:30 REPORT 12:30 REPORT Monday, August 25 | By Cate Martel Today in DC: ☀️ 80°  View Online  |  Sign up Happy Monday! For everyone who is excited for the fall, expect a cooler-than-usual stretch coming up. In today's issue: Kilmar Abrego Garcia detained Sues to block his deportation to Uganda Trump aims to end cashless bail Some DC troops now armed Trump zigs, zags on expanding crackdown NEWS THIS MORNING Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been detained: AP Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) again after he arrived at ICE's field office in Baltimore today as part of a required check-in ahead of new expected deportation proceedings. Why you know his name: Abrego Garcia is the Maryland resident and Salvadoran national mistakenly deported by the Trump administration as an "administrative error" earlier this year. He was sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador in March, but was later returned to the U.S. What happens now?: His lawyer said an ICE agent wouldn't say where he would be taken. But authorities now want to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda. (Abrego Garcia has no known connection to Uganda.) Abrego Garcia is fighting back: His team just filed a legal action to block his deportation to Uganda. His attorneys had previously said the U.S. offered to possibly deport him to Costa Rica if he pleaded guilty to charges against him. He rejected that offer last week. What his lawyer told a crowd of supporters outside the facility this morning: "There was no need for them to take him into ICE detention. He was already on electronic monitoring from the U.S. Marshal Service and basically on house arrest. The only reason that they've chosen to take him into detention is to punish him." What's happening in the White House?: Trump is meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung today. Making this meeting newsy: A few hours before the meet-up, Trump  questioned on Truth Social whether he can do business with South Korea. His post: "WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can't have that and do business there. I am seeing the new President today at the White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!" Trump just briefly spoke with reporters in the Oval Office and was asked about this post. Trump said, "I heard there are raids on churches over the last few days. They went into our military base. I heard bad things. I don't know if it's true or not." 📹 Watch Trump's reaction 🗨️ Follow today's live blog Trump's next target: Cashless bail and burning American flags. President Trump signed two executive orders this morning, one aimed at ending cashless bail policies in places like Washington, D.C., and the other to crack down on those who destroy the American flag. First, cashless bail — why is it used?: "Proponents of the policy argue cash bail disproportionately harms low-income offenders who cannot afford to post bond. Trump and other critics have argued cashless bail policies allow offenders to end up back on the streets." Where is cash bail no longer used?: "Washington, D.C., moved away from cash bail decades ago. Illinois has eliminated cash bail entirely, and states like New York and New Jersey have moved away from cash bail for certain offenses." This could be heading to Capitol Hill: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R), a likely 2026 New York gubernatorial candidate, said she would lead legislation to fully ban cashless bail. Now, destroying flags: Another order from Trump directs the attorney general to prosecute individuals who "desecrate" the flag by identifying state and local laws they may have violated. 💻 Watch the announcement Some FEMA employees are worried: A group of 181 current and former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees wrote a letter warning that the Trump administration is weakening the agency's capacity to respond to natural disasters. Their example: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's directive to require a "personal review and approval of all contracts, grants and mission assignments over $100,000." The staffers argue this "reduces FEMA's authorities and capabilities to swiftly deliver our mission." From the letter: "Consequences of this manual review became tragically clear during the July 2025 floods in Kerrville, Texas, when mission assignments were delayed up to 72 hours;  FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue Branch Chief resigned, citing these delays as cause." A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, defended the Trump administration's moves in a statement to The Hill. Read more: 'FEMA staffers warn Trump administration policies weakening disaster response' 🚓 IN WASHINGTON, DC Some Guardsmen are now armed: Some National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., are now carrying weapons while they patrol the streets. Which troops?: Members of the Joint Task Force-DC. They began carrying weapons on Sunday evening after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an authorization last week. When can the weapons be used?: Weapons can only be used "as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm," according to a Pentagon spokesperson. Tidbit in D.C.: The Wall Street Journal's Vera Bergengruen posted, "The scene in Columbia Heights right now, where a house is being raided by armed FBI agents, per neighbors. They also had a videographer with them, they say." 📹 Watch the clip Will Trump expand his effort beyond D.C.?: The president has threatened to send troops to Chicago and Baltimore. He bashed Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) this morning as "incompetent." Plus, Trump and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) lobbed insults at each other on Sunday. As part of their clash, Trump threatened to rethink federal funding to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge near Baltimore. Moore said he considers Trump's D.C. National Guard deployment "disrespectful" to the guard members. Though, Trump may have backed off: The president appeared to back off his threat to crack down on crime in liberal cities late this morning, saying it would be up to state and local officials. In Trump's words: "I was telling some of the people that in a certain way you really want to be asked to go. I hate to barge in on a city and then be treated horribly by corrupt politicians and bad politicians. … I don't like going to a town, city, place, a state, and then be criticized by some corrupt or incompetent governor where crime is rampant." Tidbit —  a House Democrat's advice for Trump: Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) has some advice for Trump: "Just treat Russia like you're treating Washington, D.C., or how you treated Greenland or Canada when you came into office. Where is that President Trump with the Russians? It seems like he's tougher on Chicago than he is dealing with Putin." 📹 Watch the clip ➤ SPEAKING OF DC — A POTENTIAL FUNDING FIGHT IS COMING UP: "The battle between top Republicans and Washington, D.C., could see another wrinkle next month, when Congress returns to a race against the clock to prevent a government shutdown by the end of September," reports The Hill's Aris Folley. Primer: "Local leaders said the last shutdown showdown left the District with a roughly $1 billion budget hole after Congress overrode its local spending plans. And the looming Sept. 30 funding deadline comes as tensions between Republicans and Democrats over the District have hit a fever pitch amid President Trump's crackdown in the capital." Read more on how this could play out: 'DC braces for funding fight in Congress amid Trump crackdown' 📰 OTHER NEWS So, how bad is this redistricting for Dems?: "President Trump's campaign to redraw House maps in GOP states around the country will make it tougher for Democrats to win back control of the chamber in next year's midterms, but it won't knock them out of contention altogether, according to leading election handicappers," reports The Hill's Mike Lillis. How so?: A number of factors could help Democrats win control of the House, according to election experts. Like: "Not only is California vowing to revamp its own map to counter the GOP advantage in Texas, but the national mood currently favors the more energized Democrats; Republicans are defending a razor-thin House advantage that leaves them little room for slipups; and historic trends predict significant midterm losses for the party of the sitting president." Read Lillis's reporting: 'GOP redistricting gives Republican edge, but no guarantee in House battle' Related read: The New York Times published reporting today, 'How the Electoral College Could Tilt Further From Democrats.' ➤ QUICK HITS: • Trump threatened major broadcast networks on Sunday night, suggesting they may be fined or taken off the air due to their coverage of his administration. Read more • New York City Mayor Eric Adams and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) mocked mayoral front-runner and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani over his bench-pressing efforts at a "Men's Day" event in Brooklyn. Adams labeled him as "Mamscrawny." 📹 Watch the video • Trump threatened to investigate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) over the infamous "Bridgegate" scandal of 2013. COMING UP The House and Senate are out. 🌴 President Trump is at the White House. (All times EST) Noon: Trump greets South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. 💻 Livestream 12:15 p.m.: Trump and Lee participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office. 12:45 p.m.: Trump and Lee have lunch together. 🐝 INTERNET BUZZ 🍌 Celebrate: Today is National Banana Split Day.   🦷 Watch out for another Ozempic side effect: Dentists are warning that patients using Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs are getting "Ozempic teeth." Read more 👋 AND FINALLY… It's a beautiful August day and I'd like to keep you in a good mood. Here's the perfect example of what it's like living with two golden retrievers.  Stay Engaged  📺 Miss Friday's newsletter? Catch up with a 1-minute video. I love hearing from you — send your feedback, tips and favorite cookie recipes 🍪 to cmartel@thehill.com. Check out more newsletters here. See you next time! Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe |  View Online  | Sign Up for Other Newsletters 400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 © 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.