Trump admin live updates: Judge blocks IRS sharing taxpayer data with ICE

The Department of Homeland Security is hiring "deportation judges" to make decisions "with generational consequences," according to a post by DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

In the post on X, McLaughlin said the jobs offer potential full-time remote work with salaries ranging from $159,951 to $207,500.

Immigrant advocates and the union representing immigration judges have called out the administration for dismissing at least 80 immigration judges since Trump's second term began.

There are now roughly 600 judges to handle the backlog of more than 3.4 million cases.

Last week, three recently terminated judges discussed the firings at an event in Washington, D.C.

"People believe that immigration courts function with judicial independence the same way that we think of most courts in this country, and immigration courts just don't have that sense of independence that most courts do," said former judge Emmett D. Soper.

The Trump administration has also changed the hiring criteria for temporary immigration judges, removing the need for prior experience in immigration law.

-ABC News' Laura Romero and Rebecca Gelpi-Ufret

President Donald Trump eliminated tariffs on agricultural products from Brazil with an executive order Thursday, his latest move to try to lower grocery prices.

This means key food imports from Brazil like coffee and beef, which were subject to 40% tariff rates, will now enter the U.S. tariff-free.

"After considering the information and recommendations these officials have provided to me and the status of negotiations with the Government of Brazil, among other things, I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate to modify the scope of products subject to the additional ad valorem rate of duty imposed under Executive Order 14323," the order said.

Earlier this year, the president slapped hefty tariffs on Brazilian imports over qualms with its government, specifically charges against former Brazilian president and Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro that the White House said were "politically motivated."

-ABC News' Elizabeth Schulze and Michelle Stoddart

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a Marine combat veteran, slammed President Donald Trump on Thursday for his attacks against Democratic veterans who called for servicemembers to "refuse illegal orders," suggesting Trump was trying to distract from the Epstein files fallout and "doesn't understand" the military.

"He thinks the military is one of his personal little play toys ... he, for some reason, thinks that men and women upholding their oath is a contradiction to him as commander in chief - which, again, tells you he doesn't really understand his role," Gallego told ABC News.

Gallego, who did not take part in the video, said the Democrats were "trying to put out into the atmosphere to military personnel that, if you feel that there's something illegal, that you have a right to object. There's nothing that crazy. It's something that is entirely taught within all military forces."

Gallego said he is hearing "unease" from servicemembers about "what could happen" with future orders from the Trump administration, "not what's happening now."

--ABC News' Benjamin Siegel

The White House on Thursday expressed optimism after Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to talk about a potential peace plan.

"I'm not going to litigate the details of this plan as it's ongoing and it's in flux. But the president supports this plan. It's a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine. And we believe that it should be acceptable to both sides. And we're working very hard to get it done," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at her briefing.

Leavitt was asked about reports that the plan is more favorable to the Russians than Ukrainians.

"You've read reporting from one side of the war. And so I want you to understand that the administration has talked equally with both sides. You have seen President Trump engage directly with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy. Likewise, his national security team has as well. In fact, special envoy Witkoff and Secretary Rubio met with some of the Ukrainians just in the past week to discuss this very plan," Leavitt said.