Border Asylum Ban Overturned
A federal appeals court on Friday rejected President Trump's effort to prevent migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum. The court stated that the administration's policy ignored laws enacted by Congress, which grant foreign individuals "physically present" in the United States the right to apply for asylum. The court ruled that immigration laws permit border asylum applications.
Endangered Species Act Under Fire
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives canceled a vote scheduled for Wednesday on legislation aiming to codify President Trump's moves to weaken endangered species protections. The ESA Amendments Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), would limit habitat protections and require economic and national security analyses when determining whether to list a plant or animal as endangered or threatened. The bill would also extend the deadlines required for listing decisions and fast-track the delisting process.
Concerns Over Drilling
Republican lawmakers from tourism-dependent areas along the Gulf of Mexico, including U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), voiced concerns about the bill. Cammack said she is concerned about "opening up any potential avenues for drilling in the Gulf," given how much the state relies on ecotourism. Dozens of Floridians, including businesspeople, environmentalists, and scientists, signed a letter opposing the legislation.
AI Crackdown on China
The Trump administration is vowing to crack down on foreign tech companies' exploitation of U.S. artificial intelligence models, singling out China. Michael Kratsios, the president's chief science and technology adviser, accused foreign entities "principally based in China" of engaging in deliberate campaigns to extract capabilities from leading AI systems made in the U.S. The administration will work with American AI companies to identify such activities, build defenses, and find ways to punish offenders.
China's Response to AI Accusations
China's embassy in Washington said it opposed "the unjustified suppression of Chinese companies by the U.S." Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters Friday that the U.S. claims are groundless and were smearing the achievements of China's artificial intelligence industry. China urges the U.S. to stop suppressing China's technological development.
Legislative Action on AI Theft
The House Foreign Affairs Committee offered unanimous, bipartisan support for a bill to identify foreign actors that extract "key technical features" of closed-source, U.S.-owned AI models and to punish them with measures including sanctions. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., said that model extraction attacks are the latest frontier of Chinese economic coercion and theft of U.S. intellectual property.
Jones Act Waiver Extended
The Trump administration announced on Friday it was issuing a 90-day extension to the Jones Act waiver, which requires shipping between U.S. ports to be conducted by American ships, in an effort to lower fuel prices. New data compiled since the initial waiver was issued revealed that significantly more supply was able to reach U.S.
Since Congress began its current session in January 2025, lawmakers have proposed more than 60 pieces of legislation that would undermine the ESA or weaken protections for imperiled wildlife, according to a Defenders of Wildlife tracker.
