White House says some employees were fired by mistake

In testimony on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell faced a barrage of questions about DOGE's access to millions of Americans' sensitive data at the Treasury Department -- and the shutdown of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Powell repeatedly emphasized that Americans' bank accounts -- and the government's payments system that processes checks like Social Security -- are "safe." But he said the closure of the CFPB means there is no federal regulator protecting consumers against deceptive practices at the biggest U.S. banks.

-- ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett and Elizabeth Schulze

A federal judge in New York on Tuesday refused the Trump administration’s request to throw out a temporary restraining order imposed to limit individuals associated with DOGE from accessing sensitive Treasury Department records and payment systems.

Judge Jeanette Vargas, who will hear the case going forward, decided there was a “sound factual basis” for the temporary restraining order when it was imposed late last week.

She agreed to clarify that the order does not prevent the Treasury Secretary himself or other Senate-confirmed officials in the department from accessing the payment systems.

-- ABC News' Peter Charalambous and Aaron Katersky

Two senior officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau resigned Tuesday amid the Trump administration ordering employees to halt much of their work, writing in emails obtained by ABC News to staff that they could no longer perform their duties amid the Trump administration's orders, with one calling them unlawful.

Eric Halperin, assistant director for the Office of Enforcement, and Lorelei Salas, assistant director for Supervision Policy, informed staff of their departures in separate emails to their teams, according to the emails.

"As you know we have been ordered to cease all work. I don't believe in these conditions I can effectively serve in my role, which is protecting American consumers.," Halperin wrote in their email to staff. "Today I made the difficult decision to resign effective today. lam deeply grateful for your service and all that we accomplished together."

-- ABC News' Elizabeth Schulze and Will Steakin

"Today, President Donald J. Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are able to announce that Mr. Witkoff is leaving Russian airspace with Marc Fogel, an American who was detained by Russia," the White House said in a statement Tuesday.

Fogel was one of the Americans believed to be seized by Russia as a hostage in recent years to use as a bargaining chip, similar to Brittney Griner and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. But he was left behind in the broad prisoner exchange by the Biden administration last summer that freed Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, along with 22 others.

The State Department designated Fogel as "wrongfully detained" in December, clearing the path for the U.S. to negotiate for his release.

Fogel was arrested in August 2021 when he landed at a Moscow airport, and accused of trying to bring in 11 grams of marijuana and eight grams of hash oil was reportedly found in his luggage.

The 14-year sentence was extraordinarily harsh, similar to those given to Griner and other suspected hostages, suggesting he was taken as a bargaining chip.