Senate Democrats plan to force a vote on resolution for transparency on deportations to El Salvador

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By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats plan to force a vote in the coming weeks on a resolution to require more transparency from President Donald Trump’s administration about deportations to El Salvador.

The resolution, which Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine expects to introduce on Thursday, comes after two votes on Democratic resolutions challenging Trump’s tariffs. It is part of a larger strategy by Democrats to continue using mechanisms under the law to take floor time from majority Republicans and vote on reversing parts of Trump’s agenda.

“These votes are all about curbing executive power,” said Kaine, who was also a lead sponsor on the two tariff bills. “That is a unifying theme.”

The new resolution would force Trump’s Republican administration to report to Congress about what steps it is taking to comply with courts that have determined the U.S. government wrongfully deported immigrants to El Salvador. Democrats have highlighted the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to the Central American country and who a Maryland judge has said should be returned to the U.S.

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA’s Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Kaine said that Democrats want to put Republicans on record on that case and others while also pressuring the government of El Salvador, which is working with the Trump administration. The resolution would also require the Trump administration to reveal more information about money paid to El Salvador and assess the country’s human rights record. Leaders in El Salvador will have to deal with the United States long past Trump’s tenure, Kaine said, and “we’re going to have a very long memory about this.”

Democrats have been under pressure from base voters to use their limited powers in the minority to fight Trump on all fronts. While the resolution is unlikely to get a vote in the House even if it passes the Senate, Democrats say it is about bringing attention to issues and forcing Republicans to go on record where they are reluctant to speak out publicly against Trump.

“We have limited tools, but this is an effective tool,” said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who is backing the resolution and visited Abrego Garcia in El Salvador two weeks ago.

Democrats have already forced a handful of votes on the Senate floor, including the two tariff votes last month. The Senate in early April passed a resolution that would have have thwarted Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada, but Republicans this week narrowly blocked a similar resolution that would have stalled Trump’s global tariffs announced several weeks ago. Four Republicans voted with Democrats on the first tariff measure, and three Republicans voted with them on the second resolution.

The Democrats are forcing the votes under different statutes that allow so-called “privileged” resolutions — legislation that must be brought up for a vote whether majority leadership wants to or not. The resolution being introduced Thursday is under the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows any senator to force a vote to request information on a country’s human rights practices.

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Senate Republicans pulled similar maneuvers during President Joe Biden’s administration under the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers to force votes on rescinding regulations.

It is unclear if any Republicans would vote with Democrats on the El Salvador resolution. Most Republicans have enthusiastically embraced Trump’s border policies, even if some are wary of the administration’s defiance of court orders and as some Americans think Trump has gone too far.

While symbolic, Kaine said he hopes the votes on the resolutions will force Republicans to feel pressure — and potentially slow down future actions by Trump.

“It’s a way of shining a spotlight on this issue,” Kaine said.

Twin Cities’ best restaurant patios 2025: Nominate your favorite now

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Do you have a favorite restaurant patio for spring and summer days? We want to know about it.

Nominate your favorite restaurant patios through May 8. The most-nominated restaurants will be in the running for “Best Patio” in our readers’ voter contest held May 9-18 (here are last year’s winners).

RELATED: Our 2024 patio guide.

So what are you waiting for? Tell us where you like to go to get decked out.

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Our Morning Report newsletter featured 23 of our readers’ pets in April

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On weekday mornings, we highlight our readers’ pets in the Morning Report newsletter.

In April, we featured one rabbit, 12 cats and 10 dogs.

Want to see more pet photos? Here are the 15 cats and seven dogs we featured in the Morning Report in March.

Wednesday, April 30

Bob and Smokey.

“Hey, up north,” writes Bob of Florida. “I saw the note today that you’ve run out of pet pix, so I’m offering a shot of Smokey, one of two brothers we adopted here in St. Petersburg after our beloved 21-year-old passed on.

“Smokey is about 11 years old, and we’ve had him and his brother half that time. He’s a porker, just over 17 pounds, loves to be petted or to lie down on the sofa next to our legs. He occasionally heaves his bulk onto the chest of me or my wife, the better to get his muzzle where he can smell our breath — don’t ask me why. He’s a cat.”

Tuesday, April 29

Steve at home.

“Good morning,” Linda writes. “Steve is definitely happy with his new home — especially the back porch. Welcome, spring.”

Monday, April 28 (Memorial Monday)

Gage

“Out here in hot Arizona, Gage, my Lab mix, suffered by the old Vikings adage, ‘Just once before I die,’” Dennis writes. “So Vikings, let’s get one for him now. He passed recently, but he enjoyed every watching party we ever had.”

We asked Dennis if he used to live in Minnesota.

“Yes, spent my first 60 years there and Gage spent his first four years loving the snow,” Dennis replied.

Rest in peace, Gage.

Friday, April 25

Welcome to St. Paul, Lily and family!

Meet Lily the Corgi.

“Here’s a new St. Paul resident who routinely checks for exciting things out the front and back windows of her home that she shares with humans, Melissa and Matthew, ” Stacy writes. “Welcome to the neighborhood!”

Also:

Meet Almira, an adoptable puppy — a Husky mix? — who has a true survivor’s story thanks to Pooches United with People.

Thursday, April 24

Lemon and Bea.

“Lemon and Bea love to read the Sunday paper with me,” Kara writes. “Or, more, prefer to stop me from reading as they sit on it!”

Tuesday, April 22

Millie, staying warm.

“This is Millie, warming her hands on a cool spring morning in her Grand Avenue apartment,” Michele writes.

Monday, April 21

Happy Easter, Mac!

“Once again here is our sweet Golden Retriever, Mac, sitting proudly for his Easter pictures!” Ellen writes. “Happy Easter and happy spring!”

Friday, April 18

Happy Birthday, Evie!

“This is Evie celebrating her recent first birthday,” Judy writes. “She is a mini Goldendoodle that is an easy pup to love. Many, many thanks to Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue and foster extraordinaire, Anne, and her family and three dogs who taught her what a real ‘dog’s life’ could be like. How do these people fit those huge hearts in their bodies? Evie’s favorite things are finding and carrying big sticks on walks, playing chase with her human mom and squeaking only the noisiest toys that she has.”

Thursday, April 17

The bird channel is always fun.

“Presenting our sweet ‘sister’ kitties, Bobbi and Heidi, adopted in 2021 from the New Ulm Humane Society,” writes Diane of Eagan. “They are a Manx breed, hence their stubby little tails. They play, eat, snuggle and wrestle together and their antics are so comical; whether they’re gazing at a bird video on TV, playing with a candy-cane striped pipe cleaner, pushing it beneath a closed door — waiting for it to be pushed back, or playing ice hockey with a dropped ice cube on the kitchen floor. Our home wouldn’t be the same without these precious little members of our family.”

Wednesday, April 16

Macy is 20! (Photo by Jeannie Tribe Photography)

It was back in 2005 when Kaydee’s mother-in-law surprised her with a Pomeranian as a gift.

That gift, Macy Lou, turns 20 years old today.

Happy Birthday, Macy!

Kaydee celebrated her dog’s milestone with a professional photo shoot and a birthday party (a shared celebration with Kaydee’s dad, who also has an April birthday). It sounds like quite the party, at least for Kaydee, who wore a butterfly party dress and enjoyed a custom made doggie birthday cake.

When she’s not resting in her fluffy pink bed or wearing doggie couture, little Macy enjoys hanging out with her younger sibling, a 60-pound German Shorthaired Pointer named Zoey.

It must be all this love — and the assistance of Croix Valley Veterinary — that has kept Macy thriving for so long.

“Macy makes 20 in dog years look so good,” Kaydee wrote.

She sure does. What a beautiful life!

Tuesday, April 15

Charlie

“Dear Daily Meow, I am submitting a photo of our Charlie cat, who was at the vet’s office this week,” David wrote on March 20. “He was a little unsure about what was going on, however, he was a perfect gentleman for the vet.”

Monday, April 14

Charlie

“Meet Charlie, our new best friend,” write Oren and Carol. “He came to us as a 5-year-old Yorkie/Terrier mix from a local rescue. He loves his couch! Such a sweetheart.”

Friday, April 11

Patches

“This is Patches,” Steve writes. “We first saw her in Florida when she was 8 months old and a stray. That was 10 years ago. She would come in the mornings and evenings looking for food. After four weeks of this she became quite chunky. We decided she was pregnant and flew her back to Minnesota with us. She had four adorable kittens one day later. She still comes back to Florida every winter to hang out in her ‘hood.’”

What a lovely snowbird’s life for Patches! But what about her kittens?

“Patches has lived a good life and was a very good mother for an 8-month-old,” Steve replied. “Her four kittens were adopted by good homes. Two were adopted by friends so I have been able to see them grow into adulthood.”

Thursday, April 10

Malcolm

“This is Malcolm (sometimes called Mal Capone), and he is a jigsaw puzzle aficionado,” Piper writes. “With his help, I have not finished a puzzle with all of the pieces in many years! When he is not carefully looking for edge pieces, he also enjoys chasing birds on the other side of the window and lying in patches of sunshine.”

Wednesday, April 9

Frankie

“This is Frankie, my little buddy,” writes Linda of Coon Rapids. “Frankie greets me at the door each day that I go to my nephew’s to make sure he gets off to school when his parents are working. Frankie is not a lap cat but he will nudge your legs til you bend down and give him lots of pets. Thanks, Frankie, for being your sweet cute self!”

Tuesday, April 8

Zeb

Meet Zeb, a 14-year-old German Shorthair Pointer:

“Wants to be famous,” writes Eric.

Done!

We asked Eric to tell us more about Zeb.

“Last of the litter,” he replied. “Was supposed to be a fancy hunting dog, I think, but didn’t have all the pieces needed? Not sure … washed out as a finished hunting dog, we got him as an older puppy around five months. He was a birthday present to our daughter Greta when she turned nine. From my perspective, he was a great pheasant hunter in his younger years but is retired now. Transitioned to a city dog and at this point there is no safe quarter for any rabbit or squirrel in St. Paul! A gentle soul in his older years (14 years old) but still runs five miles with me through Cathedral Hill every morning!”

Monday, April 7 (Memorial Monday)

Broken Tail

“This is Broken Tail, she passed away March 17th of liver cancer,” Robin wrote. “Broken Tail was around 12 years old.”

Robin’s home was a refuge for Broken Tail and her sibling.

“Broken Tail and her sister Sunday were dumped in our neighborhood back in 2021,” Robin explained. “Both showed signs of being abused.”

Due to her background, Robin believes, Broken Tail was protective of the cats of her adopted household, especially on the two occasions the dog goot into the Designated Cats Only Zone.

“Broken Tail chased, cornered and held the dog in place,” she wrote. “We had to save the dog from Broken Tail.”

Friday, April 4

Max

“This is Max,” Bruce writes. “He moved to our house in Little Falls, Minn., from Florida about two years ago and turned nine on his birthday Christmas day. He thinks that my wife and I are just members of his pack. We are ok with that. He likes to sit in my chair. I had to talk him into letting me use it. It took a while. Max takes good care of us and our kids and grandkids. Here he is keeping an eye on the grandkids while they swim. As Minnesotans we know that you can’t be too careful around water.”

Thursday, April 3

Tommy

“Be prepared for submissions of bunnies, but with it getting closer to Easter, what if you did a story on bunnies and how they are the most dumped animal once the novelty wears off when Easter is done?” Laura writes. “The Rabbit Rescue of MN would be a great source and whom I have adopted from!

Laura sent along a photo of Tommy, her adopted rabbit.

“Tommy was rescued from a hoarding case who was being sold for $5,” Laura writes. “He was rescued by the Rabbit Rescue of MN.

“I fostered and formally adopted Tommy on Christmas Eve. He is the sweetest, gentlest soul. He loves toilet paper rolls filled with hay and running around the living room at cheetah-like speeds!

Info at rabbitrescueofmn.com.

Wednesday, April 2

Jake and Mary, reunited!

“Recently my sisters and I took a girls’ trip to New York City and we visited my niece who lives in Queens with her dog, Jake,” Beth writes. “It had been awhile since Mary saw her granddog, and the happiness on their faces was absolutely palpable! I was thrilled to capture their joyful reunion. Priceless!”

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Today in History: May 1, Obama announces killing of Osama bin Laden

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Today is Thursday, May 1, the 121st day of 2025. There are 244 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On May 1, 2011, President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden during a U.S. commando operation, which took place in Abbottabad, Pakistan in the early morning hours of May 2 local time.

Also on this date:

In 1866, three days of race-related rioting erupted in Memphis, Tennessee, as white mobs targeted Black people, 46 of whom were killed, along with two whites.

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In 1931, the Empire State Building was dedicated in New York City; it would be the world’s tallest building for four decades.

In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane over Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

In 1963, Jim Whittaker, joined by Sherpa mountaineer Nawang Gombu, became the first American to summit Mount Everest.

In 1964, the computer programming language BASIC (Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) was first run by its inventors, Dartmouth College professors John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz.

In 1971, the national passenger rail service Amtrak went into operation.

In 2003, President George W. Bush, in a speech delivered from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln which bore a banner reading “Mission Accomplished,” stated, “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended.” (The last U.S. combat troops would not withdraw from Iraq until December 2011.)

In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI beatified Pope John Paul II, moving his predecessor a step closer to sainthood in a Vatican Mass attended by some 1.5 million pilgrims.

In 2015, six Baltimore police officers were charged with felonies ranging from assault to murder in connection with the death of Freddie Gray, a Black man who’d suffered a spinal injury while riding in a police van. (None of the officers would ultimately be convicted.)

In 2020, U.S. regulators allowed emergency use of remdesivir, the first drug that appeared to help some COVID-19 patients recover faster.

Today’s Birthdays:

Singer Judy Collins is 86.
Singer Rita Coolidge is 80.
Filmmaker John Woo is 79.
Actor Dann Florek is 75.
Musician Ray Parker Jr. is 71.
Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen is 65.
Singer-actor Tim McGraw is 58.
Filmmaker Wes Anderson is 56.
Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin is 52.
Actor Jamie Dornan is 43.
Singer Victoria Monét is 36.
Social media personality Charli D’Amelio is 21.