Trump Administration Faces Legal and Workforce Challenges Amid Controversies

A U.S. judge temporarily halted mass firings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, citing potential legal violations. Senator Chris Van Hollen met a wrongly deported Salvadoran man in El Salvador. Meanwhile, Trump administration's controversial deportations and federal worker rulings face legal opposition.

A federal judge has temporarily stopped the Trump administration from executing mass terminations at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, questioning whether court orders were violated. Nearly 1,500 employees were dismissed in a massive workforce reduction effort by the agency on Thursday.

Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen visited El Salvador to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man mistakenly deported to the country and held in its infamous CECOT prison. The senator called for the man's release amid diplomatic negotiations.

In a flurry of legal action, the Trump administration's deportation practices faced scrutiny as U.S. judges reacted to accusations of unlawful deportations of Venezuelans. The administration moved to ease the dismissal of federal employees perceived as opposing Trump's political objectives.

(With inputs from agencies.)