Axios

A federal judge released Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man who was wrongly deported by the Trump administration, from Tennessee jail on Friday, his attorney confirmed to Axios.

The big picture: Abrego Garcia still awaits trial on charges of smuggling undocumented immigrants into the U.S., and he could still be detained or deported as soon as he arrives in Maryland.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is slated to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. and wants to be there "very badly," President Trump said on Friday.

Why it matters: Trump and Putin are resetting a relationship that had been splintering over the past few years, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

President Trump's acrimonious relationship with his former national security adviser devolved further Friday after the FBI raided John Bolton's Maryland home.

Why it matters: Bolton and Trump fell out over foreign policy with the hawk Bolton calling the president "unfit" for the office in his memoir last year.

Portions of Gaza are enduring famine, a UN-backed hunger monitor said Friday in a determination Israel rejected as fabricated and political.

Why it matters: This is the first time that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has said famine exists in Gaza since the war began nearly two years ago.

Vice President J.D. Vance, Elon Musk and other MAGA voices horrified Europe's leaders by embracing Germany's AfD and other far-right parties early in the Trump administration.

• Six months later, those parties are smashing their establishment rivals in poll after poll.

Why it matters: The populist wave that formed in the wake of the 2015 migrant crisis has not crested. It's surging — and spreading — across Europe, cheered on by a U.S. government eager to see MAGA go global.

The world of AI-generated, adversarial disinformation is growing rapidly — and it's already indistinguishable from run-of-the-mill social posts.

Why it matters: Foreign disinformation has become a highly disruptive force in the U.S., with Russia and other foreign powers seeking to influence elections and inflame discord. Generative AI is now making it far more effective and harder for average users to detect.

The Trump administration said Thursday it's scrutinizing the records of all U.S. visa holders for potential violations that could result in deportations — from overstays to "terrorist activity."

The big picture: President Trump has made immigration enforcement a key priority during his second administration, aggressively cracking down on undocumented immigrants and revoking visas for students for reasons such as pro-Palestinian activism.

California and Texas are among the six states where the majority of the nation's record 14 million unauthorized immigrants live, though more are moving to other states, a new Pew study finds.

The big picture: The states have consistently had the most unauthorized immigrants since at least 1980, but they are no longer the only draw as unauthorized immigrants have moved to other states amid economic transformation and new networks.

The Trump administration has asked Israel to reduce "non-urgent" military action in Lebanon to bolster the Lebanese government's decision to start the process of disarming Hezbollah, two sources with direct knowledge tell Axios.

Why it matters: The Lebanese cabinet's unprecedented decision to prepare to disarm Hezbollah came at the urging of the U.S., but many in the region doubt the government will be able to carry it out. The Trump administration thinks reciprocal steps by Israel would give Beirut more space and credibility to follow through.

The number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. rose to a record 14 million in 2023, sparked by migration from countries other than Mexico, a new Pew Research Center analysis says.

Why it matters: The report sheds light on the massive jump in unauthorized immigrants during the first two years of the Biden presidency, a historic rise that fueled the backlash that aided Donald Trump's return to the White House.

U.S. and European officials released a joint statement on Thursday that outlined some details of a trade deal — including reduced tariffs on autos that will take effect once Europe eliminates its own tariffs on U.S. goods.

Why it matters: It is the only official text of the agreement since President Trump announced the deal in Scotland late last month.

A U.S. Navy sailor was convicted Wednesday of espionage and five other charges related to selling military secrets while on active duty to a Chinese intelligence officer who recruited him via social media, the Department of Justice announced.

The big picture: The jury accepted prosecutors' allegations that Jinchao Wei, 25, was paid $12,000 over 18 months for selling "Navy secrets" while working as a machinist's mate on the amphibious assault ship, the USS Essex, at Naval Base San Diego, California, in 2023, per a DOJ statement.

The Trump administration announced fresh sanctions on International Criminal Court officials on Wednesday and accused the ICC of being a "national security threat" and "instrument for lawfare" against the U.S. and Israel.

The big picture: The intergovernmental organization and international tribunal, in a statement, called the latest U.S. sanctions that affect two judges and two prosecutors "a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution."