Politics and views in the United States.

A judge blocks use of a wartime law for deportations, ICE is criticized for deporting U.S. citizen children, Arkansas faces a federal lawsuit over ballot initiative restrictions, schools nationwide prepare for possible Medicaid cuts, and President Trump's approval rating is down at the 100-day mark.

TRANSCRIPT

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Welcome to "2025 Talks," where we're following our democracy in historic times. [clicking]

The Alien Enemies Act, the statute that grants this wartime power, applies only when there's a declared war or an invasion or predatory incursion against the United States by a foreign nation or government.

Tim McDonald with the ACLU in Colorado is praising a federal judge there, one of several temporarily blocking the administration from deporting migrants under a 1798 law.

President Donald Trump wants to use the Alien Enemies Act against what he calls an invasion by gangs, but courts are saying it can only be used against an enemy nation during a declared war.

Meanwhile, immigration officials are under fire for deporting three U.S. citizen children, one of them a four-year-old with cancer, alongside their Honduran-born mothers.

On CBS, Border Czar Tom Homan blamed the parents, saying having a child in the country is not a get-out-of-jail-free card.

New surveys show Trump's approval rating falling to historic lows at the 100-day mark of his second term.

Two polls put his support at about 40 percent over concerns about immigration policies and the economy.

Congressional Republicans look split over a plan to cut nearly $900 billion from Medicaid.

A dozen moderates say they will kill any budget that undermines the health care program crucial for people in their districts who are poor, elderly, rural, or have a disability.

And Mayra Alvarez with the Children's Partnership says it's also important for schools.

Medicaid is the third largest source of funding for K-12 public schools to help children have access to routine health screenings, preventive services, and physical, speech, and occupational therapy.

The League of Women Voters of Arkansas is suing the state's top election official.

The group's Kristen Foster says Secretary of State Cole Jester should not enforce new laws which put up unconstitutional barriers for ballot initiatives.

They have put so many restrictions on, and they are so layered and complex that the ability to just get a petition out in the field and let people sign it is nearly impossible.

Jester defends the changes as necessary for election integrity, although the Heritage Foundation has recorded only five voter fraud convictions in the state in the past two decades.

Congress is expected to vote this week on a proposal to deny states the authority to set clean vehicle standards.

Robert McCracken, energy manager for the city of Cincinnati, says local governments are already seeing benefits from electric vehicles.

We're also seeing lower maintenance costs.

Our total cost of ownership has looked pretty good since we've had some of these electric vehicles.

We do have goals for the city that by 2035, we will have a 100 percent clean fuels fleet.

I'm Farah Siddiqui for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.