US updates: Trump admin slashes jobs at Voice of America
US President Donald Trump's administration lays off 639 employees at Voice of America and its parent organization, the US Agency for Global Media Trump says US doesn't need to meet 5% defense spending target ahead of NATO summit Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil released after more than 3 months in custody
Below is a roundup the latest developments in the US on Saturday June 21, 2025:
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who played a role in the Columbia University protests against Israel's war in Gaza, has been released from federal immigration jail in Louisiana.
He spent 104 days in US custody. "Justice prevailed, but it's very long overdue," he said outside the facility. "This shouldn't have taken three months."
Khalil was born in Syria and holds Algerian citizenship. He is not a US national but is a permanent resident.
US District Judge Michael Farbiarz ordered Khalil's release earlier on Friday.
Farbiarz said the US government made no attempt to rebut evidence from Khalil's attorneys that he is not a flight risk nor a danger to the public.
The Trump administration has targeted Khalil, saying he played a role in antisemitic protests.
Khalil's legal team have argued that he is not antisemtitic or anti-US.
The Trump administration had detained Khalil on foreign policy grounds, but Fabiarz had earlier ruled that the foreign policy reasons did not justify his detention.
Khalil's green card will be returned to him, and he is permitted to limited travel within the US.
At the same time, the Trump administration is still attempting to deport Khalil based on allegations that he lied to obtain his green card. This means that Khalil's legal battle to stay in the US is still not over.
Khalil is married to US citizen Noor Abdalla, who gave birth to their son while he was in immigration detention.
Abdalla celebrated Khalil's release in a statement: "We know this ruling does not begin to address the injustices the Trump administration has brought upon our family, and so many others."
"But today we are celebrating Mahmoud coming back to New York to be reunited with our little family."
The latest cuts to VOA were met with fierce criticism from employees of the outlet and congressional Democrats.
VOA employees Jessica Jerreat, Kate Neeper and Patsy Widakuswara are involved in a legal battle against Trump's cuts to the news outlet and US-funded public media. Jerreat, Neeper and Widakuswara were among those laid off on Friday.
"It spells the death of 83 years of independent journalism that upholds US ideals of democracy and freedom around the world," Jerreat, Neeper and Widakuswara said in a statement in response to the latest cuts.
In a post on X, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire strongly condemned the cuts. Jeanne Shaheen is the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Shaheen said the "decimation of US broadcasting leaves authoritarian propaganda unchecked by US backed independent media and is a perversion of hte law and congressional intent."
"It is a dark day for the truth," Shaheen said.
The Trump administration on Friday laid off 639 employees at US public broadcaster Voice of America (VoA) and its parent organization, the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
VoA was established in World War II and aims much of its programming at countries under authoritarian regimes such as North Korea and Iran.
Kari Lake, a former television anchor and Trump ally who serves as the senior advisor to the USAGM, said the cuts are part of a "long overdue effort to dismantle a bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy."
Some 1,400 people have been fired at VoA and USAGM since March, Lake said. Many VOA staff have been on administrative leave since March 15 amid legal proceedings.
Trump has attacked publicly-funded news outlets such as VoA and National Public Radio (NPR), claiming without concrete evidence that their programming is biased toward conservatives.
Welcome to DW's coverage of current affairs in the US and the second term of President Donald Trump.
In addition to the latest news on the US, this blog will also bring you multimedia content, analysis and on-the-ground reporting from DW correspondents.
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