No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball had a chance to earn the final shot Thursday night.
Maryland
Federal judge on deportation of Maryland man: ‘Detention appears wholly lawless’
Trump administration deports 17 to El Salvador CECOT prison
The Trump administration sent 17 alleged Tren de Aragua and MS-13 members to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison.
A federal judge said the Trump administration confessed to a “grievous error” by mistakenly deporting a Maryland father to a notorious Salvadoran mega-prison, where the risk of his harm “shocks the conscience.”
In an order Sunday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland pushed back on claims by Justice Department lawyers that they have no power to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, back from El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, commonly known as CECOT.
Xinis’ 22-page order issued Sunday expanded on her brief ruling on Friday ordering Abrego Garcia’s release before midnight on Monday. It rejected the Justice Department’s request to halt her order as government lawyers petitioned a federal appeals court to review it.
“As defendants acknowledge, they had no legal authority to arrest him, no justification to detain him, and no grounds to send him to El Salvador — let alone deliver him into one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere,” she said. “Having confessed grievous error, the defendants now argue that this Court lacks the power to hear this case, and they lack the power to order Abrego Garcia’s return. For the following reasons, their jurisdictional arguments fail as a matter of law.”
In mid-March, the Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant who lives in Maryland with his family, accusing him of ties to the MS-13 gang, which he has denied.
In her order, Xinis said government lawyers had the chance to present evidence of alleged ties but didn’t. Government lawyers argued the U.S., including Xinis, had no power to get him out of the Salvadoran prison.
‘Wholly lawless’
In a written order on Sunday explaining her Friday ruling, Xinis said: “There were no legal grounds for his arrest, detention or removal” or evidence that Abrego Garcia was wanted for crimes in El Salvador.
“Rather, his detention appears wholly lawless,” she added in the filing.
Abrego Garcia had complied fully with all directives from immigration officials, including annual check-ins, and had never been charged with or convicted of any crime, the judge wrote.
The Trump administration acknowledged in previous court filings that it had erroneously deported Abrego Garcia to his home country despite a previous court order prohibiting his removal. The White House and administration officials have accused Abrego Garcia of being a criminal gang member, but there are no pending charges.
His lawyers have denied the allegation.
US sidelines DOJ lawyer involved in deportation case
The Trump administration has faced criticism in the U.S. courts and elsewhere for its stepped-up enforcement against immigration rights. A judge in Washington, D.C., is separately weighing whether the Trump administration violated a court order not to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members amid ongoing legal proceedings.
Some of those deported have active asylum cases, and civil rights groups have argued the administration has failed to provide due process under the law. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Sunday vowed to continue the administration’s deportations.
“The best thing to do is to get these people out of our country,” she said.
On Saturday, the Department of Justice placed on leave one of its top immigration lawyers one day after he questioned in court the Trump administration’s handling of the deportation. Bondi confirmed in a statement the suspension of Erez Reuveni, who represented the government Friday when a federal judge ruled the Trump administration acted illegally by mistakenly deporting Abrego Garcia.
“At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences,” Bondi said.
Contributing: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY; Reuters
Maryland
Maryland Senate Republicans push to roll back MVA fees as drivers complain of costs
MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland drivers frustrated by rising costs at the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) are watching a push in Annapolis to roll back recent vehicle registration fee hikes.
At the MVA on Reisterstown Road, motorists said the cost of driving has become too high.
“It’s too expensive to drive,” one driver said.
Another driver said, “The cost is ridiculous. They want me to pay almost $400 (for my vehicle registration).”
ALSO READ | Maryland residents react to soaring vehicle registration fees, rank fifth highest in U.S.
Delores Howell, a Maryland motorist at the MVA, said the increases are hitting her hard.
“I think it’s awful. Who can afford it? It’s too much money,” Howell said.
She added, “I’m a senior citizen, and I’m on social security. I’m one person, live by myself. I can’t afford all this stuff. They keep going up, up, up, how high are they gonna go?”
Senate Republicans in Annapolis are pushing legislation this week to roll back the vehicle registration fee increases that were implemented in 2024. Those increases raised registration costs by about 60% to 70%, adding between $70 and $162 a year for many drivers.
The bill’s sponsor, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, said the higher fees are hitting families as the cost of gas, insurance and everyday essentials continues to climb.
Critics have warned the fees help fund transportation projects across Maryland and argue that reducing them could create new budget challenges for road maintenance and infrastructure.
During a recent hearing, Sen. Mary-Dulany James, D-Harford County, questioned how the state would meet transportation needs with less revenue.
“I’ve never had a hearing with the transportation department where we don’t have extraordinary demands and inadequate revenue,” James said. “So, that’s what I’m wondering about with this bill. How would you respond to that?”
Hershey responded by arguing there are competing views of what transportation funding should prioritize.
“There’s two different opinions on what transportation is in the state of Maryland,” Hershey said. “Many of us believe that it’s roads and highways, many of us believe that it’s transit.
The problem is transit is not sustainable on itself.”
James replied, “Well that’s true we should have a separate transportation trust fund for transit.”
“And that’s what’s important to get that conversation going… because the reality is you’re funding mass transit on the backs of motorists,” Hershey said.
ALSO READ | Maryland Judiciary warns of parking violation scam, directs recipients to Baltimore court
Back at the MVA, Howell said she hopes the proposed legislation could bring relief.
“Every time you look around, it’s not taxes. They put fees. Fees is a tax. So what can we do?” Howell said.
For now, the bill remains up for debate as lawmakers continue discussing the potential impacts on transportation funding.
Follow FOX45 reporter Keith Daniels on X and Facebook. Send tips to Kdaniels@sbgtv.com.
Maryland
Around Town: Maryland Home and Garden Show returns to the State Fairgrounds
Watch CBS News
Maryland
No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball stunned by No. 11-seed Oregon, 73-68, in Big Ten Tournament second round
Oluchi Okananwa drew an and-one opportunity to potentially cut the deficit to one point. But she missed the free throw.
No. 11-seed Oregon went the other way and head coach Brenda Frese decided not to foul. With 4.4 seconds remaining, guard Avary Cain knocked down a 3-pointer to end Maryland’s run in the Big Ten Tournament after just one game with a 73-68 loss in Indianapolis.
“It felt like deja vu,” Frese said.
Just like the last time it faced Oregon — in College Park in late January — Maryland led by a slim margin heading into the fourth quarter.
That night, the Terps were outscored 24-11 in the fourth. It was 21-11 in favor of Oregon on Thursday.
“They just made a few more plays than we did late game that sent us home,” Frese said.
Maryland’s offense didn’t come through when it needed it most — it made just one 3-pointer on 15 attempts on the night.
The Terps relied on interior scoring in the first half. Of its first 23 points, 22 came from inside the paint — the only other score was a free throw. The game finished with Maryland scoring 48 points in the paint. The other 15 points came from free throws.
But that was too one-dimensional offensively. The Terps attempted 21 layups and seven 3-pointers in the first half. It finished with 33 layups and 16 3-pointers, and made 20 layups compared to one 3-pointer.
As the first half progressed, Oregon adjusted to take away that gameplan. The second quarter started with an 11-2 Ducks run — they simply found more ways to score. Maryland could not find scoring outside of the paint or the charity stripe — its only 3-pointer came with 1:50 remained in the first half.
The Ducks weren’t dominating from deep, either; the game consisted mostly of back-and-forth layups. Still, the lack of success from beyond the arc was relatively uncharted territory for head coach Brenda Frese.
Early on, the Terps were overly cautious in avoiding foul trouble. But it backfired.
Oluchi Okananwa started the game on 3-of-3 shooting and scored six of Maryland’s first eight points. She has dealt with foul trouble in recent games. So Frese opted to have her sit for the remaining six minutes of the first quarter after committing a foul.
But amid the intention to avoid foul trouble, Yarden Garzon committed two quick fouls early in the second quarter.
The referees continued to call a tight game in the third quarter. Okananwa got up to three fouls, and so did Isi Ozzy-Momodu. The Terps were in the exact position they were looking to avoid.
Due to its cautiousness regarding foul trouble, Maryland’s rotations were altered. Breanna Williams had some extended playing time — though it started out well, it turned sour quickly. She made an early layup, but also had some defensive lapses and looked largely out of place.
Maryland relied on its freshmen for 35 collective minutes in the first half. They were impactful, but not as much as its senior leadership, which was hampered by foul trouble.
Okananwa finished with 27 points and was Maryland’s main workhorse. It didn’t end up being enough, but her ability to drive inside gave her team a fighting chance.
“Just be aggressive. Be my normal self. A lot of good things happen for me when I drive,” Okananwa said. “Whether it’s me getting to the line or finishing the bucket. So that was my mentality. Just be aggressive.”
With a loss in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament, what seemed like a sure thing that Maryland would host NCAA Tournament games now looks in jeopardy.
1. A shocking loss. Since joining the Big Ten, this is the first time Maryland failed to reach the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. Last year, the Terps lost their first game but had a double-bye; this was their worst outing ever in the Big Ten Tournament.
2. What now? With the Terps’ run in Indianapolis now over, they will wait to see if they will host in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland was not the only Big Ten team slated to host that lost on Thursday — Michigan State did too. It remains to be seen what that means for the Terps.
“It shouldn’t be judged off of one game, and I think our conference prepares you night in and night out,” Frese said. “I think you should be rewarded for your body of work.”
3. Garzon’s bad game. Maryland needed more from Garzon on Thursday and simply didn’t get it, as she shot 1-of-11 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep. If she made one or two of those shots, there’s a good chance Maryland would have won.
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Wisconsin5 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts4 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Maryland6 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida6 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon1 week ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling