Latest Trump highlights you need to know: Funding freeze to Laken Riley law 

A federal judge in the United States has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s order to suspend hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants and loans just minutes before it was scheduled to take effect on Tuesday.

Judge Loren AliKhan ruled from US District Court in Washington, DC, that the plan should be delayed until 5pm (22:00 GMT) on Monday.

Here is what we know about the legal battle over the order and other key developments from the past 24 hours of Trump’s fast-moving presidency.

What is the funding freeze about?

The funding freeze, outlined in a two-page memo leaked on Monday night, asked agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance” until officials ensure that the programmes are consistent with Trump’s policies.

“This temporary pause will provide the Administration time to review agency programs and determine the best uses of the funding for those programs consistent with the law and the President’s priorities,” the memo read.

The memo singles out programmes related to foreign aid; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes; transgender care; and the fight against climate change.

The order is unclear in its scope, so it created widespread confusion about which agencies and programmes would be impacted. Nonprofit groups also challenged it.

What did the judge rule?

AliKhan issued a short-term pause, preventing the administration from freezing funds. AliKhan said the pause helps “preserve the status quo” while she reviews a legal challenge brought by a group of nonprofit organisations.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio allowed a waiver so US foreign aid can still be used for “life-saving” humanitarian help while other programmes are suspended for review.

Some legal experts suggested that withholding funding could violate the US Constitution, which grants Congress the “power of the purse” – the authority to allocate government spending and determine programme funding.

Why is Trump’s administration taking this action?

Administration officials said the decision was necessary to align spending with Trump’s recent wave of executive orders.

The president aims to boost fossil fuel production, roll back protections for transgender people, and eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Trump has also suspended foreign aid to all countries other than Israel and Egypt.

What has Trump said?

As a 2024 presidential candidate, Trump said: “I will use the president’s long-recognised impoundment power to squeeze the bloated federal bureaucracy for massive savings.”

The 1974 Impoundment Act permits a president to temporarily withhold funds under specific conditions and for limited periods. It also requires the president to notify Congress. Congress then determines whether to approve the delay or cancel the spending.

Trump’s immigration crackdown

Over the past two days, the Trump administration’s immigration sweeps have led to more than 2,000 arrests.

However, according to Tom Cartwright, who monitors deportations by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency for the advocacy group Witness at the Border, ICE deportation flights remain within typical levels as of Monday.

The governments of both Mexico and Guatemala said they have not observed a rise in migrant deportations since Trump took office.

Separately, the Pentagon has authorised ICE to use Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado for detaining undocumented migrants arrested by federal deportation officers.

Other things you might have missed:

• Buyouts: A majority of federal employees have been offered buyouts as part of an initiative to quickly reduce the government workforce.
• An email offers seven months of severance pay and gives more than two million federal employees until February 6 to accept the offer.
• According to a report by the Reuters news agency, there are about 2.3 million civilian employees in the federal government, excluding the Postal Service. Security-related agencies make up the majority of the federal workforce. Still, thousands of employees nationwide handle tasks such as overseeing veterans’ healthcare, conducting agricultural inspections and managing government payments, among other responsibilities.
• “At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency, but should your position be eliminated, you will be treated with dignity,” the email from the Office of Personnel Management said. “The reform of the federal workforce will be significant.”
• It remains uncertain how this initiative could affect government costs or services. But a senior administration official told NBC News that an estimated 5 to 10 percent of the federal workforce could resign, potentially saving $100bn.

• Gender transition: Trump also signed an executive order aimed at stopping programmes that support or fund gender transitions for people under age 19.

• Senate blocks ICC sanctions bill: Democrats blocked the passage of a bill that aimed to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza. 
• Speaking before the vote, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Party leader in the Republican-controlled Senate, said: “As much as I oppose the ICC bias against Israel, as much as I want to see that institution drastically reformed and reshaped, the bill before us is poorly drafted and deeply problematic.”
• The ICC has rejected claims of bias in its actions, and United Nations experts have said the court is not biased against Israel.
• Bernie Sanders opposes Trump’s call to “clear out” Gaza: On Monday, Sanders, an independent from Vermont, was the only senator to denounce the remarks and urged others to formally rebuke Trump for his suggestion.

What’s next?

Laken Riley Act: Trump is set to sign the first bill of his new administration on Wednesday. It is named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an undocumented Venezuelan migrant in the US. Trump made her killing part of his election campaign, during which he linked immigration with crime although crime data show immigrants commit fewer crimes than US citizens.

Once signed, the legislation will require federal authorities to “detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the US or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting”.

Republican Senator Katie Britt, who supported the legislation, argued: “If you enter this country illegally and commit a crime, you should not be free to walk the streets.”

Robert F Kennedy Jr: Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services will face his first congressional hearing on Wednesday as senators consider whether to approve his appointment. Kennedy is due to appear first before the Senate Committee on Finance. He must receive votes from a majority of senators to be confirmed to head the department, which encompasses federal health agencies.

Caroline Kennedy, a member of the US political family they both belong to, urged senators on Tuesday to reject his nomination, calling her cousin a “predator” and his healthcare views “dangerous”. Robert F Kennedy Jr has been an anti-vaccination campaigner.

Immigration enforcement: The administration is expected to continue implementing its immigration enforcement initiatives. Since January 20, the day Trump was sworn in, more than 4,000 people have been arrested.