The Introspective

With sweeping legal moves and mounting tensions over immigration and diversity policy, the second half of Week 16 saw the Trump administration intensify its institutional and cultural resets.

Dante Belcher

May 12, 2025

Trump’s sixteenth week continued to bring dramatic escalations in anti-immigrant sentiment, federal investigations, and sweeping policy shifts. This came after the arrest of Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility while visiting with members of Congress. While later released, Baraka stated he was there to visit the facility, not to protest. Further backlash ensued after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller suggested suspending habeas corpus—a constitutional right—for immigration cases. That same day, Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk was released from ICE custody following a report by The Introspective highlighting her arrest over her support for Palestine.

President Trump later announced that Fox News host and former prosecutor Jeanine Pirro would serve as interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., a decision that drew criticism due to Pirro’s history of Islamophobia and her promotion of disinformation about the 2020 election. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a criminal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James over the alleged falsification of mortgage documents.

In continued backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, the Pentagon ordered military academies to remove and review all library books focused on gender and race that are deemed incompatible with the department’s core mission. Arizona passed legislation criminalizing student encampments in support of Palestine at public universities, raising free speech concerns. Simultaneously, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced it would no longer track the financial cost of climate change-related natural disasters such as floods, heatwaves, and wildfires.

Mayor Arrested, Habeas Corpus, and Öztürk’s Release

Anti-immigrant sentiment reached new heights following the arrest of Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka while visiting an ICE facility in the city.

“The mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, this afternoon,” wrote acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba in a post on X.

“He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused Baraka, along with members of Congress, of “storming” Delaney Hall, the ICE facility in question.

“These members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond a bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and the detainees at risk. Members of Congress are not above the law and cannot illegally break into detention facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility. This is an evolving situation,” wrote DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a press release.

In response, New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman—who was present at the scene—stated that DHS was lying about the situation.

“This scuffle, during which an ICE agent physically shoved me, occurred AFTER we had entered the Delaney Hall premises. We entered the facility, came BACK OUT to speak to the mayor, and then ICE agents began shoving us. This is not how we entered the facility,” wrote Coleman on X.

Video obtained by The Introspective confirms ICE agents pushing Coleman in a scuffle before arresting Baraka.

After being released from custody, Baraka maintained that he was not at the facility to protest, but to tour it alongside members of Congress.

“What’s happening now in this country, everybody should be scared of,” Baraka told a crowd of supporters.

The Delaney Hall facility has faced allegations of blocking fire, electrical, and plumbing inspections, with further claims that the private prison company contracted by ICE failed to obtain proper permits.

“We’re not asking for anything that’s incorrect. We ask them to obey our laws, to obey the policies and rules here in the city and state of New Jersey,” said Baraka.

Baraka’s arrest came shortly after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said President Trump is considering suspending habeas corpus—the constitutional right that allows people to challenge their detention by the government—in order to deport suspected undocumented immigrants.

“The Constitution is clear, and that, of course, is the supreme law of the land—that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,” Miller told reporters Friday.

“So, I would say that’s an option we’re actively looking at.”

Habeas corpus—Latin for “you have the body”—originated from the British Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, which required King Charles II to justify imprisonment and release individuals when no legal grounds existed.

The Suspension Clause of the U.S. Constitution specifies that habeas corpus “shall not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.”

Meanwhile, following earlier reports by The Introspective on the March arrest of Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, a federal judge has ordered her release. Öztürk had been detained by ICE agents over her advocacy for Palestine.

“Öztürk is free to return to her home in Massachusetts. She’s also free to travel to Massachusetts and Vermont as she sees fit, and I am not going to put a travel restriction on her, because, frankly, I don’t find that she poses any risk of flight,” said Judge William K. Sessions III.

“Her continued detention cannot stand.”

In a statement, her attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai, said she was “relieved and ecstatic” about the decision.

“Unfortunately, it is 45 days too late. She has been imprisoned all these days for simply writing an op-ed that called for human rights and dignity for the people in Palestine,” Khanbabai said.

“When did speaking up against oppression become a crime? When did speaking up against genocide become something to be imprisoned for?”

Jeanine Pirro Appointed and Letitia James Under Investigation

President Trump announced Thursday that former prosecutor and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro will be appointed interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.

“I am pleased to announce that Judge Jeanine Pirro will be appointed interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Jeanine is incredibly well qualified for this position, and is considered one of the top district attorneys in the history of the state of New York. She is in a class by herself. Congratulations, Jeanine!”

Pirro, who will be leaving her position at Fox News for the role, previously faced backlash for spreading disinformation about the 2020 election and for making Islamophobic comments directed at Rep. Ilhan Omar in 2019.

“Your party is not anti-Israel, she is,” Pirro said.

“Think about it. Omar wears a hijab, which according to the Quran 33:59 tells women to cover so they won’t get molested. Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law, which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?”

Pirro was later suspended following the comments directed at Omar, telling Salon that Fox News reviewed “everything.”

“You know what? They suspended me, and I’m not going to get fired,” Pirro said.

“I’m worried that suspension was the basis to tee up for anything I do wrong. They’ll fire me.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice announced an investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, following a CBS News report alleging that James “has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government-backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms.”

The allegations include James listing a house in Norfolk, Virginia, as her primary residence despite living and working in New York; purchasing a five-family home in Brooklyn using loans reserved for properties with four units or fewer; and claims that in 1983, James’ father falsified mortgage documents by identifying them as husband and wife.

Abbe Lowell, an attorney for James, dismissed the allegations as “baseless and long-discredited” and said the investigation “appears to be the political retribution President Trump threatened to exact that Attorney General Bondi assured the Senate would not occur on her watch.”

“If prosecutors are genuinely interested in the truth, we are prepared to meet false claims with facts,” Lowell said.

DEI Backlash, Arizona Legislation, and NOAA

In continued backlash against policies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the Pentagon ordered all military academies to remove books from their libraries that deal with topics such as race, gender, and other issues deemed incompatible with the department’s initiative.

A memo detailed the creation of an Academic Libraries Committee composed of “knowledgeable leaders, educators, and library professionals” throughout the Department of Defense, tasked with identifying and reviewing the books by May 21.

A separate memo obtained by The Introspective also stated that there would be “no consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex” in admissions to military academies, with an emphasis instead on merit-based scores.

“Merit-based scores may give weight to unique athletic talent or other experiences such as prior military service or performance at a MSA preparatory school,” the memo read.

This comes as the Naval Academy removed more than 400 books from its library in response to the ongoing backlash to DEI policies.

At the same time, Arizona passed legislation criminalizing protest encampments at universities in support of Palestine, raising concerns about free speech as protests continue nationwide.

“These people are taking public university land and appropriating it, seizing it for themselves so other people can’t use it,” Sen. John Kavanagh told the Arizona Daily Star, alleging that protesters “are intimidating Jewish students and removing their right to free movement around the campus.”

In the same report, Rep. Anna Abeytia questioned the legislation.

“As an activist at heart, this is not a good bill for those of us who are activists and do go out and protest,” Abeytia said.

“Encampments are a form of sit-ins, and sit-ins have a long history, particularly in the Chicano culture.”

The law is set to take effect during the 2025–26 school year, with the specific date depending on when the legislative session ends.

Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced it will no longer track the financial cost of climate change-related natural disasters such as floods, heatwaves, and wildfires, stating that its Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database will not be updated beyond 2024. Previous data dating back to 1980 will be archived.

Many experts have raised concerns about archiving the database, as climate change has intensified natural disasters such as Hurricane Milton and the Southern California wildfires.

“Extreme weather events that cause a lot of damage are one of the primary ways that the public sees that climate change is happening and is affecting people,” said Kristina Dahl, vice president of science at Climate Central, in an interview with PBS.

“It’s critical that we highlight those events when they’re happening. All of these changes will make Americans less safe in the face of climate change.”

A previous report from The Introspective highlighted proposed cuts to NOAA as part of President Trump’s ongoing initiative to downsize the federal government.