The president announced the planned change in U.S. policy during a speech at a Saudi investment forum at the start of the first major international trip of his second term. His meeting with Syria’s new leader will take place Wednesday.The New York Times reports that on May 13, 2025 at 3:37 p.m. ET, the Trump administration announced plans to increase federal agents for immigration enforcement in over two dozen U.S. cities. This directive will involve about 2,000 agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The move is part of a larger crackdown on immigration, and comes as President Trump is on his first major overseas trip of his second term.
During a business forum in Saudi Arabia, President Trump also announced that he would lift sanctions on Syria, a day before his expected meeting with the country’s new president, Ahmed al-Shara. The sanctions were originally aimed at the regime of former dictator Bashar al-Assad.
In other news, the Trump administration has canceled an additional $450 million in grants for Harvard University, on top of the $2.2 billion already frozen. This is part of an ongoing clash between the federal government and the oldest university in the country.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify before Congress on Wednesday to defend President Trump’s proposed health budget. He plans to argue that the drastic cuts to research grants and jobs are necessary to “improve and save American lives.” The proposed budget includes deep cuts to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The budget plan has also sparked controversy over changes to Medicaid, with a hearing today becoming contentious as protesters interrupted Republicans during their opening remarks. At least six people have been escorted out of the room by Capitol police.
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