The week included a White House personnel change, an immigration ruling, and new federal restrictions on gender-affirming care.
Dante Belcher
Aug 17, 2026
Trump’s 82nd week brought updates to immigration, trans rights and staffing changes. This comes as an appeals court dismissed a case challenging the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law that allows the president to arrest, detain and deport noncitizens, stemming from a previous report from The Introspective detailing the administration deporting more than 100 Venezuelans without due process. At the same time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced plans to purchase gloves that have the ability to electrically shock people during arrest.
At the same time, as backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) continues, the Trump administration blocked the use of federal funding for gender-affirming care for minors, raising implications as backlash to trans rights continues. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she would be stepping down at the end of the month.
Immigration
Following a previous report from The Introspective detailing the Trump administration deporting more than 100 Venezuelans without due process, an appeals court dismissed a case challenging the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act.
“The Supreme Court remanded this case to us when the three named petitioners were still in the country. But we have since learned that the government has removed them. Given this change, we conclude that the appeal is moot,” wrote Chief Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod.
The court later ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to provide any relief since the plaintiffs are no longer in the country.
“Given the lack of any named petitioners to whom we could grant relief in this appeal, and given that this case has never and does not now feature any class, we conclude that the appeal is moot.”
This comes as ICE announced plans to purchase gloves that have the ability to electrically shock people during arrest.
“ICE is constantly assessing the needs of our officers in the field to ensure they have the tools and equipment necessary to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our country,” said a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson to The Introspective.
“Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards.”
This comes as the gloves give an electric shock similar to a Taser.
Trans Rights and Karoline Leavitt
As backlash to DEI and trans rights continues, the Trump administration blocked the use of federal funding for gender-affirming care for minors while also prohibiting Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) plans from paying for gender-affirming procedures for minors.
“Today, we are ending federal taxpayer funding for sex-rejecting procedures on children,” said Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a press release.
“These interventions carry serious risks and can cause irreversible harm. The federal government will no longer use Medicaid and CHIP dollars to fund procedures that fail to meet the evidentiary standard our children deserve.”
This comes as a 2024 study found that the majority of transgender youth do not receive gender-affirming care until adulthood, raising implications as 27 states banned gender-affirming care for minors.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she would be stepping down at the end of the month.
“Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline Leavitt, will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!” wrote Trump on Truth Social.
“Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections.”
In an X post, she called being press secretary “the honor and adventure of a lifetime.”
“I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours in the Oval Office, flying around the world and meeting foreign leaders, and traveling across our beautiful country and meeting Americans from all walks of life,” she wrote.
The Introspective 
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