The Introspective

National Guard deployments, immigration rulings, and new federal powers end the week.

Trump’s 34th week ended with updates on immigration, the National Guard and court rulings. Following a previous report from The Introspective detailing the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Pentagon to identify military members who dismissed Kirk’s death on social media. At the same time, backlash rose after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot a man who resisted arrest.

Meanwhile, as Trump’s takeover of Washington, D.C., continues, the president announced plans to deploy the National Guard to Memphis.

The Supreme Court later allowed the Trump administration to block Medicaid funding—the government program that serves millions of low-income and disabled people—to Planned Parenthood. This move aligned with a directive from the “Big Beautiful Bill,” signed over Fourth of July weekend, which instructed the federal government to end Medicaid payments for one year to providers that received more than $800,000 in funding.

Later, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkely), provided personal information on more than 150 students and staff to the Trump administration as part of a federal investigation into allegations of antisemitism.

Charlie Kirk and Immigration

Following the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk in Utah, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed staff to identify military members who dismissed Kirk’s death.

“We are tracking all these very closely — and will address, immediately. Completely unacceptable,” Hegseth said in a post on X.

His post was in response to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, who wrote, “It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American.”

“The Department of War has zero tolerance for it,” he added. A previous report from The Introspective detailed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War.

The Coast Guard also posted on X, stating that the agency was “aware” of members dismissing Kirk’s death but did not identify them.

“That social media activity is contrary to our core values. With the support of DHS, we are actively investigating this activity and will take appropriate action to hold the individual accountable,” the post read.

“We recognize the harm such behavior can cause and remain steadfast in ensuring that the conduct of our personnel reflects the trust and responsibility placed in us by the American people.”

A report from Fox News noted an Instagram post from Gavin Sylvia, a data analyst at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who was placed on leave after questioning flags being flown at half-staff in honor of Kirk.

At the same time, as anti-immigrant sentiment continues, an ICE officer shot and killed Silverio Villegas-Gonzales during a vehicle stop in the Chicago suburb of Franklin Park, Illinois, on Friday after officers alleged he drove into agents.

“During a vehicle stop, the suspect resisted and attempted to drive his vehicle into the arrest team, striking an officer and subsequently dragging him as he fled the scene. Fearing for his life, the officer discharged his firearm and struck the subject,” read a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) obtained by The Introspective. Villegas-Gonzales had a criminal history of reckless driving, according to the agency.

National Guard, Court Rulings, and UC Berkeley

As the unprecedented takeover of Washington, D.C., continues, President Trump announced that the National Guard would be deployed to Memphis after previously threatening to send troops to Baltimore and Chicago, despite crime rates declining in both cities.

“I’ll be the first to say it now, we’re going to Memphis,” Trump told Fox News.

“I would have preferred going to Chicago.”

In a press release, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee acknowledged the deployment, saying he has been in “constant” communication with the Trump administration to “combat crime” in Memphis.

“Our goal is to accelerate the positive momentum of Operation Viper — an ongoing FBI mission in Memphis with a dedicated task force of federal, state and local law enforcement that has already arrested hundreds of the most violent offenders,” he said.

“I’m grateful for the president’s unwavering support and commitment to providing every resource necessary to serve Memphians, and I look forward to working with local officials and law enforcement to continue delivering results.”

In an interview with CBS Memphis, Mayor Paul Young said he never requested the National Guard be deployed to the city, though he added that he was willing to work with federal officials.

“I do not support the National Guard—however, they are coming. It’s not the mayor’s call,” he said.

“The mayor doesn’t have the say or the authority to stop them from coming. So my goal is to make sure that, as they come, I have an opportunity to work with them to strategize on how they engage in this community.”

That same day, UC Berkeley provided the names of more than 160 students and staff members to the Trump administration amid allegations of antisemitism stemming from campus protests supporting Palestine.

The office of University of California President James Milliken said Berkeley is subject to oversight by federal and state agencies and that schools “routinely receive document requests in connection with government audits, compliance reviews or investigations.”

“UC is committed to protecting the privacy of our students, faculty and staff to the greatest extent possible, while fulfilling its legal obligations,” a spokesperson for Milliken said.

In a report from the Daily Californian, UC Berkeley’s student paper, a graduate student alleged that the university’s move targeted Muslim and Arab students.

“Whenever we teach about Palestine, it usually leads to an investigation. I think they flagged and sent all of that information to the federal government,” the student said.

Previous reports from The Introspective detailed settlements with other universities over alleged antisemitism, including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and Brown University.

Meanwhile, a U.S. Appeals Court allowed the Trump administration to block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood while legal challenges continue.