By VALERIE GONZALEZ

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge issued an order Wednesday requiring the Trump administration to again consider granting protection from deportation to certain vulnerable young immigrants.

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U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to again consider granting deportation protection under a 2022 program the agency rescinded in June. The decision will allow the program to continue while the lawsuit brought by plaintiffs in July continues.

Children and youth affected are those who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by a parent and given Special Immigrant Juvenile status through a state court and the federal government.

SIJS, as it’s known, was created through congressional bipartisan support in 1990, and though it does not it grant legal status, it lets qualifying young people apply for a visa to become legal permanent residents and obtain a work permit. It can take years for a visa to become available due to annual caps. Under the Biden administration, USCIS could consider shielding designees from deportation while waiting for a visa.

Without the deferred action program, young people do not qualify for a work permit, face deportation and would no longer be eligible to become legal permanent residents if they’re returned to their country of origin.

“The crux of the court’s decision is that the government can’t just pull the rug out from under hundreds of thousands of young people like it did without considering how they built their entire lives around the policy that existed,” Stephanie Ellie Norton, an attorney for the plaintiffs working for the National Immigration Project.

USCIS and DHS did not immediately respond to a request for a statement.

Under the judge’s orders, applicants who had the protection as well as new applicants will be able to submit applications for consideration of this protection. USCIS will also be required to make decisions on the work permit requests for new applicants and designees with existing deferred action status.

The judge has not ruled on the certification of the class but litigation will resume.

By DAVID KLEPPER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees blasted the Trump administration’s handling of intelligence matters Thursday, alleging that America’s spy agencies have been undermined and politicized under President Donald Trump.

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During a floor speech, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said the Trump administration has rewarded loyalty over competence and purged experienced intelligence officers, including the former head of the National Security Agency. He also noted that deep cuts to intelligence agencies have shuttered efforts to combat foreign disinformation while reducing cyber defenses.

China, Russia and other adversaries will look to capitalize on these changes amid escalating global tensions, Warner said.

“We are watching, in real time, an administration strip away the guardrails that have protected this country for generations,” said Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused earlier administrations of exploiting intelligence work for political ends and has cited politicization as one of the reasons she revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials this year.

Two House Democrats, meanwhile, wrote to Gabbard on Thursday demanding information about whether strikes on alleged drug cartel boats have prompted some countries to limit the intelligence they share with the U.S.

The letter from Reps. Jim Himes of Connecticut and Joaquin Castro of Texas comes after recent reports that Colombia, Britain and the Netherlands have limited some intelligence sharing with the U.S.

The strikes have killed dozens of people that the government says were involved in drug trafficking, leading to questions about due process, international law and the use of force. Colombia’s president wrote on social media this month that intelligence sharing would be restricted “as long as missile attacks on boats in the Caribbean continue.”

“To the extent that targeted killings of alleged drug traffickers or other policies reduce the willingness of our partners to work closely with our national security agencies, the United States will be less safe as a result,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Gabbard.

In response to questions about the letter, a spokesperson for Gabbard pointed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent comments on strong U.S. partnerships with the U.K. and other nations.

Rubio also pushed back on reports about Britain limiting intelligence sharing with the U.S. over concerns about the strikes, calling it “a false story.”

The Prep Bowl begins Friday, with four of the seven Minnesota high school football champions being crowned at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Games will be televised on KSTC-Ch. 45 and can be streamed for free at https://kstp.com/45tv/prep45/mshsl-tournaments/

Class A: Minneota (12-0) vs. Breckenridge (13-0), 10 a.m.

Minneota is in search of consecutive win No. 46 and, with it, a fourth-straight state title. While they may seem like a foregone conclusion, Breckenridge has the offensive balance to potentially score points on the Vikings.

Prediction here is a thriller to kick off the festivities.

Our pick: Minneota 34, Breckenridge 31

Class 4A: Orono (9-3) vs. Kasson-Mantorville (11-1), 1 p.m.

Both teams won low-scoring, dramatic semifinals. It’s difficult to see anything else playing out Friday. Senior quarterback Griffin Mauer has been a playmaker when the Spartans have needed it most down the stretch run of the season.

If the ball is in his hands late, Orono would have to like its chances.

Our pick: Orono 20, Kasson-Mantorville 16

Class 2A: Jackson County Central (12-0) vs. Goodhue (12-0), 4 p.m.

Good for Roman Voss, the Gophers athlete commit who’s served as Jackson County Central’s signal caller. Voss was knocked unconscious during the state semifinals as a sophomore, and thus had to miss the Huskies’ state title game appearance two years ago. Now, he gets his shot on the grandest stage.

It comes against a Goodhue team that’s been so sound defensively all season and will see what answers it can dial up for Voss.

Our pick: Jackson County Central 21, Goodhue 14

Class 6A: Edina (8-4) vs. Moorhead (8-4), 7 p.m.

Ready for some fireworks? These two high-

Moorhead’s Sam Jacobson (65) celebrates with fans after defeating Lakeville South during a Class 6A semifinal of the State Football Tournament at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. Moorhead won 26-14.(Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

octane passing offenses combined to post 95 points in a mid-October meeting.

Given the potency of the two aerial attacks, it would be foolish to count either team out at any point in the meeting. When it’s all said and done, a four-loss team will win the Class 6A crown.

Our pick: Moorhead 38, Edina 35

ICE arrested 14 people on immigration violations in a raid at a St. Paul warehouse this week, the federal agency said Thursday.

Immigrant groups said Wednesday that they’d confirmed two people were detained and attorneys were working to determine if anyone else was taken into custody.

A statement from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson late Thursday was the first official confirmation of the number of people arrested.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s HSI and other federal law enforcement agents carried out a search warrant Tuesday morning at Bro-Tex Inc. on Hampden Avenue near University Avenue in the St. Anthony neighborhood.

Bro-Tex’s website says they’ve been manufacturing and converting cloth and paper wiping products since 1923.

Of the people arrested, one had past domestic abuse charges and one committed a felony by illegally re-entering the U.S., according to the Homeland Security spokesperson’s statement.

“Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to protect public safety, national security and economic stability while rescuing individuals who may be victims of labor trafficking or exploitation,” the statement said. “These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets and threaten American communities.”

The spokesperson also said “the employment of illegal aliens also incentivizes dangerous and illegal practices, including social security fraud.”

The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee in a Wednesday statement said they condemn “the kidnappings of the workers at Bro-Tex Inc., the arrest of a community observer, and the violence carried out by federal agents against peaceful demonstrators.”

The husband of a woman who was cuffed and taken into custody outside the business Tuesday wrote on social media that she’d been “peacefully protesting and filming.” She was held at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling until she was released later in the day.

Some people swarmed vehicles driven by federal agents while yelling, “No justice, no peace.” Federal personnel sprayed protesters with a chemical irritant. A woman reported she was struck twice in the leg by rubber bullets.

Video also showed some people stood in front of moving vehicles and law enforcement shoved them out of the way.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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