February 25, 2026 — Timeline

Feb 25

Federal judge declared Trump administration's third-country deportation policy unlawful

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled on February 25, 2026 that DHS's policy of deporting people to countries other than the one designated in their removal proceedings — without meaningful notice or a chance to raise a fear of persecution there — violated the Administrative Procedure Act and due process, vacating the policy nationwide. The ruling capped nearly a year of litigation that began after DHS attempted to deport a group of men to South Sudan in violation of a standing injunction, forcing them into weeks of detention at a U.S. naval base in Djibouti; the government secured a stay from the First Circuit within weeks and continued third-country removals while its appeal remained pending as of this filing.

Denial of due process in immigration enforcement

Feb 25

FBI fires about 10 employees who worked on Trump's Mar-a-Lago classified-documents case

Around February 25, 2026, the FBI dismissed roughly 10 employees who had worked on the criminal investigation into President Trump's retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The firings came hours after FBI Director Kash Patel publicly characterized the inquiry — under which his and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles's phone records had been subpoenaed — as Biden-era overreach, and followed reporting that those subpoenas had surfaced. The bureau dismissed additional personnel the next day, bringing the total to roughly a dozen.

Feb 25

Trump administration halts $259.5M in Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota

On February 25, 2026, Vice President JD Vance announced that the Trump administration would temporarily halt $259.5 million in federal Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota, citing alleged fraud in the state's social programs and giving the state 60 days to overhaul its systems. Vance said Minnesota — where roughly 1.3 million residents rely on Medicaid — was the first of several states the administration expected to target this way. Minnesota sued, with Attorney General Keith Ellison arguing the withholding violates Fifth Amendment due process and the Administrative Procedure Act's bar on arbitrary and capricious agency action.

Feb 25

ICE detained McAllen mariachi student brothers and their parents at a routine check-in, held them at Dilley for two weeks

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained McAllen, Texas high school mariachi musicians Antonio and Caleb Gámez-Cuéllar, their younger brother Joshua, and their parents on February 25, 2026, during what family members and Rep. Nanette Barragán described as a routine immigration check-in. The family, who had passed a credible fear interview and had an outstanding asylum case with no missed court dates, was held at the Dilley detention facility for roughly two weeks.

Feb 25

ICE vehicle pursuit in Newark causes multi-vehicle crash, injuring three children

On February 25, 2026, ICE agents pursuing a fleeing van during a targeted operation in Newark, New Jersey, caused a multi-vehicle crash that sent three children to University Hospital with injuries. Mayor Ras Baraka condemned the pursuit as reckless, noting that New Jersey law bars law-enforcement vehicle chases absent an immediate threat and that roads were still being cleared from a snowstorm. DHS said the operation targeted a man with a 2017 final removal order, who was taken into custody after the collision.

Feb 25

Puerto Rico enacted a law barring transgender people from government restrooms matching their gender identity

On February 25, 2026, Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón signed House Bill 165, the "Public Government Restroom Facilities Regulation Act" (Law 26-2026), requiring multi-occupancy restrooms in government buildings — including the University of Puerto Rico — to be segregated by sex assigned at birth. The law bars transgender and nonbinary people from facilities matching their gender identity, prohibits designating any government restroom as inclusive or neutral, and imposes fines of up to $15,000 per violation. Puerto Rico became the first U.S. territory to enact a transgender bathroom ban.