Millions of "Hands Off!" protesters, by organizers' count, took to the streets, state capitals, federal buildings, congressional offices and city centers to protest the Trump administration on Saturday.

Why it matters: President Trump's political, economic, social, health and legal changes have mobilized a wide cross-section of Americans.

What they're saying: "We are seeing estimates go beyond what was anticipated," organizers told Axios in an email Saturday. "We had about 2,000 RSVPs for cities like Raleigh, where we saw 45,000 show up.

• "DC and NYC are well over 100,000 attendees, each."
• The total attendance estimate far surpasses the 500,000 RSVPs organizers counted as of Friday night.

By the numbers: More than 1,100 rallies, visibility events and meetings were scheduled in all 50 states as of Wednesday.

• Dozens of advocacy organizations are supporting the mass mobilization against Trump policies.

Protesters are also rallying against Elon Musk's involvement in the federal government as an unelected official leading DOGE.

Context: The anticipated protests prompted the White House to reschedule its Saturday spring garden tours.

See more:

New York City

Washington, D.C.

Lansing, Michigan

St. Paul, Minnesota

Boston

Go deeper:

• What to know about Saturday's nationwide "Hands Off!" anti-Trump protests
• Protests force rescheduling of Saturday White House tours

Editor's note: This piece has been updated with additional photos and attendance estimates.

The Supreme Court on Friday sided with the Trump administration, allowing it to withhold federal education grants for teacher training while the case proceeds at a lower court.

Why it matters: The decision marks a Supreme Court victory for President Trump as he slashes federal spending with the help of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.

• Chief Justice John Roberts voted with the court's three dissenting liberal justices in the 5-4 decision.

Catch up quick: The Trump administration on March 26 asked the Supreme Court to pause a District of Massachusetts order to reinstate millions in federal education grants.

• The Department of Education terminated about $65 million, or 104 professional development grants, that it found at odds with the administration's anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

State of play: The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in several cases as lower courts block Trump's policies at a particularly high rate.

• In March, the high court refused to halt a lower court's ruling that required the administration to unfreeze about $1.9 billion in foreign aid payments.

What they're saying: "If respondents ultimately prevail, they can recover any wrongfully withheld funds through suit in an appropriate forum," the majority wrote on Friday.

• "And if respondents instead decline to keep the programs operating, then any ensuing irreparable harm would be of their own making."

Zoom in: The Massachusetts restraining order called for the government to pay out its obligations, but the Supreme Court majority said the government is likely to prove that the District Court lacked the jurisdiction to order payments.

The other side: "Reinstating the challenged grant-termination policy will inflict significant harm on grantees — a fact that the Government barely contests," Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a dissent that was joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

• "Worse still, the Government does not even deign to defend the lawfulness of its actions."

Go deeper: Trump administration asks SCOTUS to allow teaching grant cuts

The Department of Education sent letters Thursday to state K-12 agencies requiring them to comply with the Trump administration's anti-diversity policies to maintain their federal funding.

Why it matters: It's the Trump administration's latest action against public schools that threatens Title I funding, which provides support for low-income students.

State of play: State officials were given a certification form, due within 10 days, to vouch that their policies aligned with federal directives against DEI practices.

• The department referred to the Supreme Court's overturning of affirmative action as a basis for anti-diversity policies, in addition to the Trump administration's interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

What they're saying: "Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right," Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote on Thursday. "When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal antidiscrimination requirements."

• "Unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics."

Context: In a January executive order, Trump called for the end of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in schools and companies.

• They "undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system," the executive order said.

Zoom out: Last month, the Trump administration targeted 45 schools for what it called "race-exclusionary practices" a part of the effort to crack down on diversity initiatives.

• In February, the Department of Education warned academic institutions that it may cut federal funding for those with policies related to race or diversity.

Go deeper: Trump-voting states have more to lose if Education Department dismantled

A nationwide anti-President Trump movement on Saturday, "Hands Off!," is expected to be the largest single-day protest since he entered office.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's wide-reaching and ground-shaking policies have mobilized a varied cross section of Americans affected by political, economic, social and legal changes.

• "This is not just corruption," the Hands Off! website said. "This is not just mismanagement. This is a hostile takeover."

By the numbers: More than 1,100 rallies, visibility events and meetings were scheduled in all 50 states as of Wednesday afternoon.

• Organizers said they had more than 500,000 RSVPs as of Friday night.

The latest: White House garden tours scheduled for Saturday were postponed to Sunday in anticipation of D.C. protests, first lady Melania Trump said on Thursday.

State of play: Protesters are rallying against several Trump administration policies, including its handling of Social Security benefits, layoffs across the federal workforce, attacks on consumer protections and anti-immigrant policies and attacks on transgender people.

• The protests are also against Elon Musk's involvement in the federal government via DOGE — after he's already faced a wave of demonstrations at Tesla dealerships worldwide via the #TeslaTakedown movement.
• The Hands Off! demonstrations will occur at state capitals, federal buildings, congressional offices and city centers.
• Dozens of advocacy organizations are partnering to support Saturday's action, including the Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research, Declaration for American Democracy, the Human Rights Campaign, Indivisible and Planned Parenthood.

What they're saying: "This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history," the movement's website said.

• "Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights—enabled by Congress every step of the way."

Zoom in: The movement hosted a virtual safety and deescalation training on Wednesday, after a Tuesday virtual meeting with nearly 35,000 RSVPs, recorded for posterity, gave general information on the protests and the Trump administration.

• "Whether they get away with any particular effort doesn't matter as much as the message that they are sending so loud and so clear, which is sowing fear, sowing the feeling of powerlessness," Deirdre Schifeling, the ACLU's chief political and advocacy officer, said on Tuesday.

Zoom out: Consumers have also been protesting corporations with boycotts, especially over anti-diversity policies since the start of the Trump administration.

Go deeper:

• The Trump 2.0 resistance: Alive, but evolved
• Protests force rescheduling of Saturday White House tours

Editor's note: This story was updated with the latest number of RSVPs and news about the White House garden tours.

Disgruntled Americans are using their wallets, votes and voices to send Elon Musk a message in a string of business and political losses for the world's richest man.

Why it matters: Musk's time as the chainsaw-wielding head of DOGE has made him the face of several controversial Trump administration policies, turning him into a target for protests and public backlash.

Behind the scenes: President Trump suggested to reporters on Monday that Musk's role in the federal government could end imminently.

• His status as a "special government employee" can only last 130 days.
• Musk may be more of a political liability these days with some members of the Trump administration frustrated with his unpredictability. He'd likely maintain an informal advisory role, per Politico.

Read more:

Tesla sales plummet amid protests

Tesla vehicle deliveries plunged 13% in the first quarter compared with a year earlier. Deliveries are considered a close proxy for sales.

• This marks a significant indicator that the brand's reputation is suffering from Musk's political involvement and his association with DOGE.

Zoom out: Tesla Takedown protests at dealerships nationwide have been a mass-grassroots backlash to Musk's role in the Trump administration.

• The movement organized a March 29 "global day of action" with demonstrations outside Tesla showrooms across the world.

Wisconsin election

The Musk poured millions into the Wisconsin Supreme Court election only to see the conservative-backed Brad Schimel soundly defeated by Susan Crawford on Tuesday.

• It was the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, which led to high turnout.
• The court, which has cases pending on abortion rights, redistricting and election laws, will maintain a liberal majority until at least 2028.

Between the lines: The election served as an early referendum on Trump and Republicans.

• Musk, who campaigned in Wisconsin, had cast the race in apocalyptic terms, saying the outcome would decide "the future of the world" — a prediction he now downplays after his resounding loss.

Dipping favorability

Musk's favorability ratings dropped from neutral to 10 points underwater with respondents by the end of Trump's second month in office, according to data from the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard that the Harris Poll and HarrisX released on Monday.

• According to the polling, Musk is less popular with the public than Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (+7) and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (-5), who was recently caught up the administration's Signal scandal.

Zoom in: Musk's cratering public perception is hitting his highest profile company, with two-thirds (67%) of Americans telling a recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll they wouldn't consider buying or leasing a Tesla.

• 56% of those said Musk was "the whole reason" or "part of the reason" why.

Court losses

Judges across the U.S. have repeatedly limited the power of Musk and DOGE in response to its attempts to force sweeping changes across the federal bureaucracy.

• In March, Musk and DOGE employees were barred from accessing Americans' personal information in Social Security Administration systems.
• Also last month, they were blocked from dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the accelerated shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development was deemed likely unconstitutional.
• In February, DOGE's access to sensitive Treasury payment system information was temporarily restricted.

Go deeper: Tesla EV sales plunged 13% in Elon Musk backlash

TikTok faces a Saturday ban if it is not sold to a U.S. owner — déjà vu.

The big picture: At least four groups have made offers to buy the app, but TikTok owner ByteDance would likely need Chinese government approval to sell.

State of play: President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office delaying the app's ban by 75 days, and the Supreme Court upheld a ruling that the app needs to be sold to an American company or banned.

• As of early March, TikTok's owner and prospective buyers had not yet negotiated a sale. The Chinese government could be willing to let the app shutter in the U.S. rather than concede to a deal.
• Trump on March 26 suggested he'd lower tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing agreed to a TikTok sale.
• Vice President JD Vance and national security adviser Michael Waltz have been tasked with navigating the potential deal.

Flashback: The bill originally passed with broad bipartisan support and was signed by former President Biden in April 2024.

• Proponents of the ban have argued that the app poses a national security threat because ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is controlled by the Chinese government and can harvest personal information from American users.
• Opponents challenged the ban, saying it violated their First Amendment rights, which the Supreme Court said didn't apply.
• Trump, despite originally trying ban TikTok via executive order in 2020, vowed to save the app.

Read more about potential buyers:

Frank McCourt and Kevin O'Leary

Shark Tank host Kevin O'Leary and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt submitted an official proposal to purchase TikTok in January.

• Alongside other investors, the group calls itself the People's Bid for TikTok.
• They would aim to collect less data on users.

By the numbers: McCourt told Axios' Sara Fischer in January that he got $20 billion in commitments to his bid.

MrBeast and Jesse Tinsley

MrBeast, born Jimmy Donaldson joined a bid with Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley, per CNN.

• "Our offer represents a win-win solution that preserves this vital platform, while addressing legitimate national security concerns," Tinsley said in a January statement. "We're prepared to move quickly and have assembled a team with deep experience in technology, content moderation, and platform governance."

Between the lines: Donaldson had previously considered joining McCourt's bid.

Perplexity

Artificial intelligence engine Perplexity made a bid in January to merge with TikTok, per CNBC.

• Perplexity on March 21 released a vision for the app, which includes building a transparent algorithm, enhancing trust and adding more AI functionality.

What they're saying: "A TikTok rebuilt and powered by Perplexity would create the world's greatest platform for creativity and knowledge discovery," Perplexity said.

Oracle

Software company Oracle has accelerated talks with the White House on running TikTok, Politico reported.

• The deal brings potential national security implications.
• Oracle would oversee Americans' data and ensure the Chinese government can't access it, per Politico. But it's unclear if the U.S. firm would have control over the algorithm.

Go deeper: TikTok ban timeline: Here's where things stand

Wisconsin voters on Tuesday will elect a single state Supreme Court member in a special election that will determine if the bench keeps its liberal majority.

Why it matters: The swing state race is the first major election in the U.S. since November and has become the most expensive judicial race in American history.

• The winning candidate will serve a 10-year term.

About the candidates

State of play: The election has become a proxy battle for greater partisan political fights in the U.S., although both candidates are technically nonpartisan.

• Off-year elections typically see lower turnout than midterm and presidential elections, but the race will show the power of President Trump's coalition.

Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge and former state attorney general has been backed by Trump and Elon Musk.

• If he wins, the court will have a conservative majority until at least 2026.

Susan Crawford, a Dane County Circuit Court judge, has received support from former President Barack Obama and billionaire megadonor George Soros.

• If she wins, the court will have a liberal majority until at least 2028.

Context: The primary, initially scheduled for February, was canceled because only two candidates filed to run.

• Liberals have held a majority since 2023.

Elon Musk's involvement

By the numbers: Musk has spent millions on the race.

• It's the most expensive state Supreme Court race on record, at $68.1 million total spent on advertising as of March 26, per AdImpact.

Between the lines: Musk on Sunday gave $1 million checks to two people at an event in an effort to turn out the vote.

• Wisconsin's Supreme Court justices unanimously declined to hear a lawsuit alleging that Musk's actions violated state law.

Abortion, redistricting, voting rules on the table

The big picture: The state's Supreme Court, as of March 14, had pending cases concerning abortion rights, voting rules and legislative redistricting.

• In 2023, a liberal justice won a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat by 11 percentage points, which reflected an adverse reaction to the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice, wrote in March.
• "This year, Republicans want the debate to be driven by support for Donald Trump in a state he won just a few months ago," Waldman wrote.

Go deeper: Exclusive: Elon Musk group's playbook in Wisconsin's court race

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has touted vitamin A as a measles treatment, but the side effects of a vitamin overdose are dire.

Why it matters: The vitamin can treat some patients who are already infected but should only be administered under doctors' guidance.

Context: An unvaccinated Texas school-age child died of measles in February, marking the first reported measles death in the U.S. in a decade. A second death in New Mexico, also an unvaccinated person, is under investigation.

• Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine are 93% effective against measles.

State of play: Some unvaccinated child measles patients in Texas — the state with the most cases — have shown signs of vitamin A toxicity, including abnormal liver function, multiple outlets reported.

• Kennedy has said in multiple interviews that vitamin A and cod liver oil are effective measles treatments, per ABC News. He also blamed poor diets for severe measles cases.
• Kennedy also cast the measles outbreak as "not uncommon" in a Cabinet meeting, but the disease was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its vitamin A recommendation "as part of supportive management" for children with severe measles.

Threat level: Taking too much vitamin A can cause headaches and increased intracranial pressure in both acute and chronic toxicity cases, according to the Merck Manual, a medical reference publication.

• Acute toxicity can also include nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, irritability and abdominal pain.
• Chronic toxicity causes changes in skin, hair and nails; generalized weakness; liver damage; and fetal birth defects.

Zoom in: Vitamin A deficiencies are uncommon in the U.S., according to the Mayo Clinic.

• However, supplements could be recommended for children who are diagnosed with measles.

What they're saying: The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association for the dietary supplement industry, said in a statement that it is concerned about the inappropriate use of high-dose vitamin A, especially in children.

• "Vitamin A may be administered therapeutically to individuals who are already infected with measles, particularly in children with vitamin A deficiency, where it has been shown to help reduce the severity and complications of the disease," the statement said.
• "However, this use is a targeted, short-term medical intervention—not a preventive measure—and should only be done under the direction of a qualified healthcare professional."

By the numbers: As of March 27, a total of 483 confirmed measles cases were reported in 20 states, per the CDC.

• Of those, 97% of patients are unvaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown.
• 93% of confirmed cases were outbreak-associated, with five reported outbreaks.
• 42% of cases have been 5-19 year olds, and 33% have been children under 5.

Behind the scenes: Leaders at the CDC ordered staff not to release an expert assessment on measles, ProPublica reported.

• The report would have emphasized the importance of vaccination, as "risk of catching measles is high in areas near outbreaks where vaccination rates are lagging."

Go deeper: https://www.axios.com/2025/03/04/texas-measles-outbreak-cdc-rfk-jr-trump

The Trump administration cited electronic data, found while examining cellphones, as reason to detain and deport U.S. residents or tourists under its escalating anti-immigration policies.

Why it matters: While electronic checks make up a small percentage of border interactions, people can take measures to generally safeguard their phones and personal information while traveling.

• "When you're traveling, you really do want to be mindful that there are people that want access to your data and they have ways of getting access to that," said Randy Rose, the Center for Internet Security's vice president of security operations and intelligence.

State of play: U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the authority to conduct warrantless device searches at the border, including in international airports, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

• "Border agents cannot deny a U.S. citizen admission to the country," an EFF digital privacy guide said. "However, if a foreign visitor declines, an agent may deny them entry.
• "If a lawful permanent resident declines, agents may raise complicated questions about their continued status as a resident."
• Courts in the U.S. have issued different rulings on device searches at ports of entry, the Verge reported.

Zoom in: Rose said he recommends deleting sensitive information such as licenses, credit card information or photos of children from phones before traveling.

• "Just assume that phone is not going to be yours at some point during your trip," he said. "What are you comfortable with somebody else having access to?"

Zoom out: General security practices include avoiding open wifi networks, which could potentially be unsecured, and plugging phones into power adapters rather than directly into USB ports, Rose said.

• Travelers can set up virtual private networks (VPNs) to encrypt personal data and mask a user's location, he said.
• "The internet was not built with security in mind," he said. "It was built for open communication, and over time we've tacked security on."

Between the lines: Law enforcement can require people to unlock their cellphones with facial recognition and fingerprint identification, but not with numerical passcodes.

• "A police officer cannot make you input your passcode/password to unlock your cellphone because doing so would force you to produce the contents of your mind, according to Berry Law in Nebraska and Iowa, "The Fifth Amendment protects against this type of self-incrimination."
• Providing fingerprints is not considered a "testimonial act," per ESS Law Partners in Houston. Sharing a passcode reveals "explicit knowledge" and is therefore testimonial.

By the numbers: U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted 47,047 searches of electronic devices, which made up fewer than 0.01% of arriving passengers in fiscal year 2024.

• Of those, abut 10,500 were U.S. citizens and 36,500 were non-U.S. citizens. Basic media searches were conducted on 42,725 devices and advanced media searches on 4,322 devices.

Go deeper: Tracking the foreign nationals detained by ICE as tourists or U.S. residents

An inadvertent invitation to a group chat thrust The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg into the center of an explosive national security breach that's put the White House on the defensive.

Why it matters: Goldberg's decision to disclose the discussion of planned strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen and publish the group chat's contents has embroiled top Trump officials in scandal and exposed them to potential legal jeopardy.

• The White House confirmed the authenticity of the chat, then responded by attacking Goldberg's credibility and denying that officials shared classified materials when discussing the war plans in the messaging app.
• Goldberg responded on Wednesday by publishing a second round of information from the chat.

Here's what to know about Goldberg.

Jeffrey Goldberg's background

Goldberg, 59, was born in Brooklyn and attended the University of Pennsylvania. He dropped out of college and moved to Israel to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, per the New York Times.

• He wrote a book about the Israel-Palestine conflict called "Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror" after serving as a guard at the largest prison camp in Israel in 1990.
• "Leftists call him a neocon for his love of Israel and early support for the Iraq War," staff at the Forward, a Jewish news outlet that Goldberg previously worked for, wrote in 2016. "Right-wingers accuse him of Israel-bashing as he demonstrates impatience with Israeli settlement and peace policies."
• Goldberg previously worked at The New Yorker, serving as a Middle East and Washington correspondent. He also worked at the Washington Post.
• He served as the public-policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and as the distinguished visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Goldberg's tenure at The Atlantic

Goldberg joined the magazine in 2007 as a national correspondent.

• Then-owner of The Atlantic, David Bradley, spent two years trying to hire Goldberg, even sending ponies to his home to entertain his children, per the Washington Post in 2007.
• He became the magazine's 15th editor-in-chief in 2016. The publication won its first Pulitzer Prizes under his leadership, according to his biography.

White House attacks Goldberg for Signal reporting

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Karoline Leavitt, the White House's press secretary, categorically denied that classified material was shared in the chat.

• Leavitt accused Goldberg of "sensationalist spin" after the magazine published its initial story, which withheld certain details from the exchange.

Zoom in: On Wednesday, Goldberg and Atlantic staff writer Shane Harris wrote that The Atlantic generally would not publish information about military operations that could jeopardize U.S. personnel.

• However, they wrote that the administration's response to the leak "led us to believe that people should see the texts in order to reach their own conclusions. There is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisers included in nonsecure communications channels."

What they're saying: "The White House continues to attempt to mislead and confuse the public," the magazine said in a statement. "The fact is that there was a massive national-security breach."

• "Today's semantic debate is a complete distraction from what actually matters," they added.

Go deeper: Houthi group chat: What top Trump officials claimed vs. what the texts show

Editors' note: This story has been updated with a statement from The Atlantic.

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case seeking to challenge the 1964 precedent that protects news outlets from litigation for publishing critical information about public figures.

Why it matters: Conservative justices have called for the Supreme Court to revisit New York Times v. Sullivan, which determined that a plaintiff must demonstrate "actual malice" in defamation lawsuits against the press.

• In Sullivan, the court determined that the First Amendment protects news outlets from liability, even when they publish false statements, as long as the outlet did not do so knowingly and recklessly — without seeking to determine its accuracy.

Catch up quick: Casino mogul and President Trump donor Steve Wynn, in a libel lawsuit against the Associated Press, sought to challenge the bedrock case law that has protected journalists from libel lawsuits for decades.

• Wynn, also a former finance chair of the Republican National Committee, had sued the AP in 2018 after it published a story on sexual misconduct allegations against him from the 1970s.
• He appealed the case to the Supreme Court after Nevada's top court dismissed the lawsuit.

Zoom out: "The actual malice standard ... exists to give even more breath when you're talking about famous people, people with power in government, or people just with more power in society," First Amendment expert Kevin Goldberg previously told Axios' Kerry Flynn.

• "The bar is intentionally high to dissuade people from ever filing these lawsuits," he added.

Our thought bubble, from Axios' Sam Baker: There's still energy on the court's right wing to overturn Sullivan, but SCOTUS has turned away multiple cases over the past several years that would have given it the chance to do so.

• There doesn't seem to be enough votes on the court to wade back into the issue — at least not now, or not through the specific cases they've been presented with so far.

What we're watching: Trump has threatened to "open up" libel laws to be able to further target the press.

• Several media companies will face defamation lawsuits in courts this year.

Go deeper: Trump's historic war on traditional media

The Trump administration on Friday disbanded most of the civil rights branch that oversees immigration within the Department of Homeland Security, multiple outlets reported.

Why it matters: The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is charged with ensuring the Department of Homeland Security's activities protect individual rights and guarantee equal treatment under the law.

• More than 100 staffers were told they'd be put on leave for 60 days, per the New York Times. If they don't find another job within the administration, they'll be fired in May.
• The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman will also be cut, per Bloomberg Government.

What they're saying: "These reductions ensure taxpayer dollars support the Department's core mission: border security and immigration enforcement," a senior DHS official said in a statement to Axios.

• "These offices have obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles and undermining DHS's mission. Rather than supporting law enforcement efforts, they often function as internal adversaries that slow down operations."

State of play: Trump has rolled back civil rights efforts more broadly as part of his anti-diversity policies, and his crackdowns on immigration have prompted concern among civil rights activists.

• The administration's immigration policies, including attempting to deport legal U.S. residents and a large-scale deportation of Venezuelans to El Salvador, have already escalated in courts.

Context: The DHS civil rights staff, per its website, works with people and communities whose civil rights may be affected by the department's activities and investigates complaints about policies or personnel.

State of play: The Trump administration has laid off staff across the federal government, much of which has been led by DOGE.

• Labor unions have sued the administration in response, and judges have ordered some roles to be reinstated.

Go deeper: Tracking the foreign nationals detained by ICE as tourists or U.S. residents

U.S. tourists and permanent residents from around the world have been arrested, detained and deported under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Why it matters: The recent high-profile detentions and deportations demonstrate an escalation in tactics from immigration officials, accused of targeting some for their political stances or involvement.

What we're watching: The United Nations advised its New York-based employees and their family members to carry U.N. identification cards and a copy of their passport page that contains their visa, the New York Times reported on March 24.

• They were warned that they risk being stopped by immigration officials.

Read more about the arrests and detentions:

Turkish student at Tufts

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national and doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by the Department of Homeland Security on March 25, per court documents.

• A video showed officers without uniforms, many of whom covered part of their faces, stopping her on a sidewalk.
• Ozturk is not allowed to leave Massachusetts without providing advance notice of the intended move and why it is necessary, District Judge Indira Talwani.

What they're saying: Sunil Kumar, Tufts president, said in a statement that the university did not have prior knowledge of the incident and did not share information with authorities before the arrest.

• "The student's visa has been terminated, and we seek to confirm whether that information is true," he wrote. "The university has no additional information at this time about the cause or circumstances of the student's apprehension."

French scientist detained for text messages

A French researcher was prevented from entering the U.S. this month because of messages he sent that were critical of the Trump administration's academic research policies, French government officials told multiple outlets.

• The scientist, whose name has not been revealed, was traveling to a conference near Houston, per Le Monde.
• "Freedom of opinion, free research, and academic freedom are values ​​that we will continue to proudly uphold. I will defend the right of all French researchers to be faithful to them, while respecting the law," Philippe Baptiste, France's minister of higher education and research, said in a statement.

Zoom out: Baptiste in a post on X said he requested an emergency meeting alongside other European ministers to come up with a plan to preserve academic freedom.

• "Europe must rise to the occasion to protect research and welcome the talents who can contribute to its success," he wrote.

Welsh artist and tourist detained over visa issue

Rebecca Burke, a 28-year-old British artist from Wales, was detained on Feb. 26 during "the trip of a lifetime across North America," according to her family and a donation page. She was reunited with her family this month, the BBC reported on March 18.

• She had been staying with host families, where she helped with chores in exchange for lodging. When she tried to cross into Canada, authorities thought she needed a work visa, and she was told to return to the U.S.
• "She was refused re-entry and classified as an 'illegal alien,'" her father wrote. "Despite being a tourist with no criminal record, she was handcuffed and taken to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington."

Pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia alumus arrested

Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent U.S. resident with a green card, was arrested by federal agents, prompting free speech and First Amendment concerns from advocates.

• The Department of Homeland Security said it gathered evidence that he was actively, but not materially, supporting Hamas. He was involved with the pro-Palestinian encampments at Columbia University last year.
• Khalil has not yet been charged with a crime.

Georgetown researcher arrested in his Virginia home

Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University graduate student originally from India was arrested at his Arlington, Virginia, home on March 17 by masked agents who said his student visa had been revoked.

• He was accused of "spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media" and having "close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas," per Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
• Attorneys for Suri argued in a petition for his release that the detention is unlawful.
• A judge on March 20 ordered the Trump administration not to deport Suri, pending a further order from the court.

Brown University doctor detained upon return to the U.S.

Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese citizen and H-1B visa holder, was detained this month upon her arrival to a Boston airport.

• She traveled to Beirut for the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, McLaughlin said.
• Brown University sponsored Alawieh's visa after offering her an assistant professorship, according to a complaint. She was previously on a J-1 visa.

Canadian visa seeker detained during routine meeting

Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian entrepreneur, was detained at the San Diego border while going through the process to legally obtain a work visa. She was held for about two weeks.

• "There was no explanation, no warning. One minute, I was in an immigration office talking to an officer about my work visa, which had been approved months before and allowed me, a Canadian, to work in the U.S.," she wrote in the Guardian.
• "The next, I was told to put my hands against the wall, and patted down like a criminal before being sent to an ICE detention center without the chance to talk to a lawyer."

Several Germans detained, prompting updated travel advisories

German authorities updated travel advisories for the U.S., warning of immigration enforcement at the border, following the detentions of Germans.

• Lucas Sielaff, 25, returned to Germany this month after spending two weeks in detention, per the Guardian. He incorrectly answered a question about where he lived due to a language barrier when re-entering the U.S. from Mexico.
• Jessica Brösche, 29, was detained for more than six weeks, including eight days of solitary confinement. She was traveling with tattoo equipment, and border officers assumed she was intending to work illegally in the U.S., per the Guardian.
• Fabian Schmidt, 34, a permanent U.S. resident originally from Germany, was detained after returning from a trip to Luxembourg on March 7, per NBC News.

Representatives for the White House and Department of Homeland Security did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

Go deeper:

• Germany warns its travelers of tougher U.S. immigration enforcement
• Inside Trump's Supreme plot on immigration
• Immigrant rights activist's arrest marks big shift in enforcement

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional detainments.

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked Elon Musk and DOGE employees from accessing Americans' personal information in Social Security Administration systems.

Why it matters: More than 65 million Americans receive Social Security, and the administration's databases are full of personal details about recipients.

• The judge ordered DOGE employees to "disgorge and delete" any personally identifiable information that they have that hadn't been anonymized.
• They were also barred from installing software on Social Security Administration devices and ordered to remove any software they have installed since the start of the Trump administration.

What they're saying: "The American public may well applaud and support the Trump Administration's mission to root out fraud, waste, and bloat from federal agencies, including SSA, to the extent it exists," District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander wrote in a 137-page opinion.

• "But, by what means and methods? The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion."

DOGE's operation is "tantamount to hitting a fly with a sledgehammer," Hollander said.

• The administration "never identified or articulated even a single reason for which the DOGE team needs unlimited access to SSA's entire record systems, thereby exposing personal, confidential, sensitive and even private information that millions of Americans entrusted to their government," she wrote.
• "Indeed, the government has not even attempted to explain why a more tailored, measured and titrated approach is not suitable to the task."

What's next: The Trump administration was ordered to file a status report by 1pm ET on Monday documenting steps it has taken to comply with the order.

• The order doesn't block DOGE from accessing redacted or anonymized data, but any recipient must be trained on regulations governing private information.
• The White House didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Context: Musk has claimed, without conclusive evidence, that the Social Security system is plagued with fraud.

• The Social Security Administration's top official resigned in February in response to DOGE's access to sensitive information.
• Last month, the agency announced it sought to cut 7,000 of its 57,000 employees through voluntary resignations and a reduction-in-force plan.

Zoom in: In their lawsuit, labor unions argued that DOGE's access to Americans' data posed significant security risks, "including members whose medical records may contain information that carries a stigma."

• The country's most vulnerable citizens rely on the system, including nearly 90% of Americans over 65.

Read the order:

Go deeper: Social Security cuts phone services in bid to address fraud

Editor's note: This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The Department of Justice continued Wednesday to push back against a federal judge's request for information about Venezuelan migrant deportations and whether it defied a court order, saying the request is "continuing to beat a dead horse."

The big picture: It's the latest response in the back and forth between the Trump administration and U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has repeatedly requested that the government provide details on the migrant deportation flights conducted over the weekend.

• Boasberg extended the filing deadline to Thursday from Tuesday's initial deadline for the DOJ to answer his questions regarding flight departure times and the passengers aboard the flights.
• When the DOJ resisted answering in its Tuesday filing citing concerns about "sensitive information bearing on foreign relations" being made public, Boasberg agreed they could do so under seal.

What they're saying: In its Wednesday filing, the DOJ accused Boasberg of "continuing to beat a dead horse solely for the sake of prying from the Government legally immaterial facts and wholly within a sphere of core functions of the Executive Branch is both purposeless and frustrating."

• "The Court has now spent more time trying to ferret out information about the Government's flight schedules and relation with foreign countries than it did in investigating the facts before certifying the class action in this case."
• "That observation reflects how upside-down this case has become, as digressive micromanagement has outweighed consideration of the case's legal issues," the filing reads.

State of play: The government maintains that the flights — which included about 250 Venezuelans, including alleged Tren de Aragua gang members —departed the U.S. before the judge ordered them not to.

• The Justice Department has not yet provided details to prove that the flights were over international waters by 7:25pm ET on Saturday, as it claimed.

Yes, but: A New York Times review of flight data showed that they didn't leave American soil until after Boasberg's written order was posted online.

Go deeper: DOJ remains defiant about Venezuela deportation flights

A federal judge on Tuesday said Elon Musk and DOGE likely violated the U.S Constitution with its "accelerated" shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The big picture: The shutdown harmed public interest and deprived Congress of using its constitutional authority as the public's elected representatives to decide what to do with an agency it created, the judge said in his written opinion.

• U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang ordered DOGE to restore USAID emails, payments, security notifications, electronic systems and more within seven days of his order.
• Chuang also barred the federal government from terminating employees or placing them on leave, closing USAID buildings and shutting down USAID information technology systems.

Context: DOGE gutted the world's largest humanitarian aid organization in January and February and Musk labeled the agency as corrupt and wasteful.

• Musk and DOGE were sued by 26 current or recently terminated USAID employees and contractors, who alleged the federal government's actions were unconstitutional.

State of play: The judge barred Musk and DOGE from taking other actions relating to USAID "without the express authorization of a USAID official with legal authority to take or approve the action."

• The constitutional Appointments Clause "would be reduced to nothing more than a technical formality" if the president's advisers could go beyond their traditional role, Chuang wrote.

Go deeper: What is USAID, the federal agency the Trump admin is gutting

Editor's note: This story has been updated with details throughout.

The Trump administration on Tuesday in court filings defended its deportation of Venezuelans, including gang members, saying that two of three flights took off before a judge ordered them not to.

Why it matters: The Trump administration insists they were within their rights to conduct deportation flights after the president invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1789 via an executive order.

• U.S. District Judge James Boasberg initially ordered the flights return to the U.S., though the administration argued the planes were already in international waters and the ruling did not apply, Axios Marc Caputo previously reported.
• Boasberg's ruling has generated ire from Trump allies, with GOP Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) vowing to draft articles of impeachment against the federal judge.
• Elon Musk and President Trump have also called for Boasberg to be removed from the bench. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) on Tuesday introduced articles of impeachment against the judge, claiming he overstepped authority.

What they're saying: Robert Cerna, an acting field office director within ICE, said in a court filing that two of three planes carrying migrants departed for El Salvador before 7:25pm ET, when the judge issued the order.

• A third plane departed after that, but its passengers were not removed solely based on Trump's executive order, Cerna said.
• He did not provide details as to what time the planes departed or prove that they were over international waters at 7:25.

"The Government maintains that there is no justification to order the provision of additional information, and that doing so would be inappropriate, because even accepting Plaintiffs' account of the facts, there was no violation of the Court's written order," a separate filing reads, signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi and others.

• It also argues that the government "should not be required to disclose sensitive information bearing on national security and foreign relations" while the request for a stay of proceedings is still pending in D.C. district court.

By the numbers: As of Tuesday, about 54 alleged Tren de Aragua gang members are in detention and on the detained docket and about 172 are on the non-detained docket, per Cerna.

• About 32 people are in criminal custody with active detainers against them.

The case is one of several that appear to be ensnared in a long, legal fight.

• A White House official told Caputo that the administration wasn't actively defying the court order, but a second official said the case would reach the Supreme Court, "and we're going to win."

Context: Trump's executive order earlier invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1789 to allow for quicker mass deportations of Venezuelan migrants.

• Doing so led to about 250 Venezuelans, including alleged Tren de Aragua gang members, being placed on the flights on Saturday, prompting the ACLU to sue the government in a class action complaint.
• On Monday, Boasberg laid out questions he wanted answered by the government by noon on Tuesday, including what time the planes took off and landed and where.

What's next: Another hearing is scheduled for Friday at 12pm ET.

Go deeper: Exclusive: How the White House ignored a judge's order to turn back deportation flights

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Rep. Brandon Gill's claim.

Harvard will now be completely free for students from families with incomes under $100,000, the university said on Monday, as part of a significant financial aid expansion.

Why it matters: Harvard is under a hiring freeze and scrutiny from the federal government that could lead to funding cuts.

• It's the latest elite school to expand financial aid since the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in 2023.

By the numbers: About 86% of U.S. families will qualify for Harvard's financial aid, which will expand starting with the 2025-26 school year.

• The college will be free for families with annual incomes of $100,000 or less, meaning tuition, food, housing, health insurance and travel costs will be covered.
• Attendance will be tuition-free for students from families with annual incomes under $200,000.

Zoom out: Harvard earlier this month announced a hiring freeze in response to "substantial financial uncertainties" in higher education caused by the Trump administration's crackdowns.

• Harvard, under federal investigation, also faces potential funding cuts for alleged antisemitism. It was one of dozens of schools where students protested the Israel-Gaza war with on-campus encampment.

Between the lines: While the announcement doesn't explicitly mention diversity, it does say that the move will allow more students to attend, regardless of their financial circumstances.

• "Putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals widens the array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all of our students encounter, fostering their intellectual and personal growth," Alan Garber, Harvard University president, said in a statement.
• Since the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, several selective colleges have boosted their financial aid policies.

State of play: Americans' confidence in higher education has fallen significantly over the past decade, while schools also prepare for a looming decline in enrollment.

Zoom in: Harvard's tuition and fees, including housing, cost nearly $83,000 in the 2024-25 school year for undergraduate students.

Go deeper: Trump fear freezes hires at MIT, Harvard

Warm weather, affordability and politics have prompted a teenage migration from the Northeast to the South.

Why it matters: Large Southern state schools, many in already expanding metro areas, are attracting a geographically diverse student body as Americans are increasingly disillusioned with the value of higher education.

• "They're seen not only as more fun, but also more accessible," Jeff Selingo, author of college admissions books, told Axios.

The big picture: Many public Southern schools have lower tuition rates than their private counterparts, and they prioritize merit scholarships, Selingo said.

• The more exciting draws? School spirit and football culture.

By the numbers: In two decades, 84% more students from the North attended public schools in the South, per a Wall Street Journal analysis last year. It jumped 30% from 2018 to 2022.

• Louisiana State University saw a nearly 500% increase in attendance from students in the Northeast from 100 students in 2014 to 568 in 2023, according to an Axios analysis of National Center for Education Statistics data.
• The University of Tennessee in Knoxville and the University of Mississippi had significant increases as well.

Between the lines: Politics are also a rising factor in some students' decisions.

• Colleges in Republican-led states returned to in-person classes sooner than colleges in Democratic-led states after the onset of COVID. High school students who sat through virtual classes during the pandemic may have been inclined to flock south for a more authentic college experience.
• "Students who were looking at colleges saw more freedom and fun in the South than they saw up North," Selingo said.

Zoom in: More recently, elite colleges in the Northeast and California were the main sites of pro-Palestinian protests that sparked clashes between demonstrators and school administrations.

• "Students have said to me, 'I don't want to go to a college where everybody's angry at each other and everybody's fighting over everything,'" said Maria Laskaris, a counselor at Top Tier Admissions, a higher education consulting firm.
• "It's not that they don't want to be challenged. They're looking for a good education, an active and generally happy student body."
• Politically moderate or conservative students could feel that they'd better fit in at schools in Republican-leaning states, Selingo said, as slightly more young people identify with conservatives.

What's next: Alumni of these schools are likely to stay in the South for work after graduating, as the populations in cities such as Raleigh, Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta and Austin have been growing faster than the country overall.

• About half of graduates work in the same metro area as their college, and two-thirds work in the same state, per 2024 research from the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
• "Suddenly you're living there and raising the next generation of kids," Selingo said.

Behind the scenes: The Common Application, which allows students to apply to multiple schools at once, used to primarily serve private and highly selective schools, per Education Week. It's now become a major resource for students applying to public colleges and universities.

• In 2023-24, applications to public schools on the platform surpassed private for the first time, per a report.

The bottom line: "It is becoming almost impossible to get into the most competitive schools," Laskaris said.

• "And at some point, I think students are going to say 'Why am I chasing something? Look at this wonderful school that has a much more generous admit rate that gives me everything I want."

Go deeper: America's college chaos

A coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general on Thursday sued the Trump administration over its plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

Why it matters: President Trump's Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, confirmed the mass layoffs this week were the first step toward shuttering the department.

Driving the news: The attorneys general argue that the recent mass layoff of department staff was "illegal and unconstitutional." They're seeking a court order to stop further disruption.

• The lawsuit asserts that "only Congress may abolish an agency it created." McMahon did acknowledge this week that Congress would have to be involved in disbanding the department.
• McMahon has the authority to "modestly restructure" the department, but her permissions are limited, the lawsuit said.
• However, it noted, "She is not permitted to eliminate or disrupt functions required by statute, nor can she transfer the department's responsibilities to another agency outside of its statutory authorization."

The big picture: The mass layoffs will cause loss or delays in funding or support "impacting nearly every aspect of K-12 education" in the states that sued, the lawsuit said.

• Impacts will include teacher shortages and a loss in professional development and salaries for specialists who work with students with disabilities, the attorneys general said.
• The cuts "will result in lost educational opportunities for students that cannot be recovered or remedied," they wrote.
• The recent layoffs will acutely hurt low-income and disabled students, who rely on supports provided via federal funding, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

Zoom in: The attorneys general participating in the lawsuit are from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

• Democratic attorneys general have launched challenges to several of the Trump administration's actions and executive orders.
• On Thursday afternoon, the case was assigned to a Magistrate Judge Page Kelley in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts.

Read the lawsuit:

Go deeper:

• Education secretary says mass layoffs first step toward shutting down DoE
• Trump-voting states have more to lose if Education Department dismantled

Editor's note: The story has been updated with the judge assigned to the case.