Early Morning Political News: 4‑Minute Read
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Friday, June 26, 2026
Federal Level
SCOTUS Clears Way to Deport 1.3 Million TPS Holders
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Thursday that President Trump has virtually unreviewable authority to end Temporary Protected Status, allowing the administration to move forward with revoking protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants who have lived and worked legally in the United States for years. Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Samuel Alito said the TPS statute grants the president unrestrained power to terminate the program without judicial review. The ruling also cleared the way for a separate policy limiting asylum seekers at the border. 1, 2
Federal Judge Kills Trump’s Mail Ballot Executive Order
A federal judge in Boston ruled on Thursday that President Trump’s executive order directing the U.S. Postal Service to restrict mail ballots is ‘legally void’ because it unconstitutionally violates the separation of powers. Judge Indira Talwani sided with a coalition of 22 states, ruling that the order’s attempt to create a federal voter eligibility list and use the Postal Service to screen voters improperly strips states of their constitutional authority to run elections. Her ruling applies to this year’s midterm election cycle, and the White House said it will appeal. 3, 4
Senate Reverses War Powers Vote After Trump Berates GOP
Senate Republicans held a rare late-night do-over vote on Wednesday, defeating a war powers resolution that had passed the day before, after President Trump publicly called the four Republicans who voted for it ‘losers’ and accused them of giving ‘aid and comfort to the enemy.’ Two of the four senators flipped their votes after a tense White House meeting in which Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Trump clashed in a heated exchange over what the administration’s war goals in Iran actually are. The reversal vote failed 47-50, though Democrats argue the original Tuesday passage remains binding. 5, 6
SAVE Act Obsession Shuts Down the House for the Week
Speaker Mike Johnson was forced to cancel the House’s remaining legislative votes and send members home a day early on Thursday after conservative hard-liners brought floor action to a halt to pressure the Senate into passing the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Republican members expressed mounting frustration, with several saying that holding defense, appropriations, and veterans’ healthcare bills hostage to a bill the Senate lacks the votes to pass is self-defeating heading into November’s midterms. Trump later urged the hard-liners to stop ‘grandstanding,’ and Johnson emerged from a White House meeting saying they were ‘on the same page.’ 7, 8
Trump Opens America 250 Festivities With Low-Key Rally
President Trump launched the 16-day ‘Great American State Fair’ celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday with a campaign-style rally on the National Mall on Wednesday evening, delivering one of the shortest speeches of his political career at under 30 minutes. The event featured military flyovers and performances after several artists, including Martina McBride and the Commodores, withdrew over concerns the celebration had become partisan. The White House confirmed Trump’s overall approval rating remains at 37% in the latest AP-NORC poll, with his economic approval at a low 33%. 9, 10
State Level
New York Rallies Against SCOTUS as States Push Back on TPS
Governor Kathy Hochul held a rally with immigration advocates and healthcare union workers on Thursday afternoon in direct response to the Supreme Court’s ruling clearing the way to deport Haitians and Syrians. Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James also highlighted their ongoing counter-lawsuit against the Trump administration over new state laws restricting ICE agents from concealing their faces and barring cooperation agreements between ICE and local law enforcement. New York is among more than a dozen Democratic-led states mobilizing legal challenges in the wake of Thursday’s SCOTUS decisions. 11, 12
Florida Governor Race Heats Up as Fishback Names Running Mate
Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback named former Lauderhill police officer Sean Lozano as his running mate on Thursday, injecting new attention into a Florida governor’s race that already features Trump-endorsed U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, Lt. Governor Jay Collins, and former House Speaker Paul Renner. The primary is set for August 18. Democrats have their own competitive field, with David Jolly having previously announced former Congresswoman Gwen Graham as his running mate. 13
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Article Sources
1. AP News, “Supreme Court allows Trump administration to end legal protections for Haitians, Syrians,” June 25, 2026.
https://apnews.com/article/immigration-supreme-court-haiti-syria-tps-1bbbf8115f984a0d53336656924e989d
2. NPR, “Trump can begin deportations of Syrian, Haitian TPS holders, Supreme Court says,” June 25, 2026.
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/nx-s1-5844292/supreme-court-syrian-haitian-tps
3. AP News, “Judge halts Trump’s order to create federal voter list,” June 25, 2026.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-order-elections-mail-voting-b28c3425c1dc968cd0f57c61fb7a684e
4. Politico, “Judge blocks Trump order demanding Postal Service restrict mail voting,” June 25, 2026.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/25/trump-executive-order-mail-voting-blocked-00975844
5. The Washington Times, “Senate redo of Iran war powers vote pleases Trump,” June 25, 2026.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jun/25/senate-redo-iran-war-powers-vote-pleases-donald-trump/
6. Chicago Tribune, “Senate Republicans reject war powers resolution after Trump berates them at Capitol meeting,” June 25, 2026.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/06/25/senate-republicans-reject-war-resolution/
7. CNN, “Trump’s fixation on election overhaul bill derails GOP agenda,” June 25, 2026.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/25/politics/trump-save-act-congress
8. Axios, “Trump throws Mike Johnson a lifeline on the SAVE Act,” June 25, 2026.
https://www.axios.com/2026/06/25/mike-johnson-trump-save-america-act
9. AP News, “Trump opens America 250 festivities with campaign-style rally,” June 24, 2026.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-america-250-rally-75e2bb4f4d2b3f7ab8cdddb86879bec7
10. AP-NORC, “Trump’s overall approval rating is steady,” June 18, 2026.
https://apnorc.org/projects/trumps-overall-approval-rating-is-steady/
11. Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, “Governor Hochul Rallies With Immigration Advocates and 1199SEIU Members Following SCOTUS Ruling,” June 25, 2026.
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-rallies-immigration-advocates-and-1199seiu-members-following-scotus-ruling
12. CBS 6 Albany, “New York files counter-lawsuit against Trump Administration to keep immigration package,” June 23, 2026.
https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/new-york-files-counter-lawsuit-against-trump-administration-to-keep-immigration-package
13. Miami Herald, “James Fishback picks Sean Lozano as running mate in Florida governor’s race,” June 25, 2026.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article316273736.html