A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that former President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs were illegal, creating renewed uncertainty for international trade partners. In a 7-4 decision, the court said Trump overstepped by using emergency powers to impose tariffs of “unlimited duration” on nearly all imports from nearly every country. The ruling upheld an earlier court decision and could disrupt trade talks already in progress.
Despite the ruling, the tariffs will remain in effect until October 14 to allow time for further appeals. Trump has already announced plans to take the case to the Supreme Court, leaving U.S. trading partners in a “wait and see” mode as legal proceedings continue. Until then, duties will still be collected under the contested executive orders.
Two major outcomes of the ruling were clarified. First, the so-called “liberation day” tariffs are currently deemed unlawful. Second, although illegal, the tariffs will stay in place temporarily to allow other legal challenges to be reviewed. If the Supreme Court agrees they’re illegal, the U.S. may be required to refund collected tariff revenue.
Importantly, the decision does not apply to all tariffs. It excludes Trump-era duties on steel and aluminum, which remain unaffected. However, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has already found some of Trump’s broader trade measures to be illegal, and those are now under appeal via international channels.
The decision also did not reverse the end of the de minimis exception, a policy change that caused global postal disruptions. If the ruling stands, tariff rates on low-value imports could return to pre-“liberation day” levels, often meaning zero tariffs on such goods.
Trump criticized the ruling on Truth Social, calling the court “highly partisan” and warning that removing tariffs would “destroy” the U.S. economy. He vowed to continue the fight, framing tariffs as essential to protect American workers and reduce trade deficits.
Mexican National Charged for Attempted Bribery of US Border Patrol Agent
A Mexican citizen is being charged by the federal government with trying to bribe a U.S. Border Patrol agent after being caught illegally entering the U.S. again.
Records from the court show that on February 8, 2025, 29-year-old Samuel Mendoza-Torres was arrested with another person near the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station. Mendoza-Torres is said to have asked the agent, “Can we fix this?” and offered $400 to get him out of jail while he was being taken to the station.
Mendoza-Torres admitted to helping illegal immigrants come to the U.S. from Mexico during an interview after he was arrested. He also said that he knew it was against the law to give money to the Border Patrol agent.
Mendoza-Torres will stay in jail until his trial, which has not yet been scheduled. Mendoza-Torres could spend 20 years in prison if found guilty of the current charges, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a
As of today, the news came from U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Raul Bujanda, who is Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and Chief Patrol Agent Walter “Neil” Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector.
This case is being looked into by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Trump administration has been busy lately with major arrests.
A man from Katy, Texas, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a federal court in Del Rio for one count of assaulting, resisting, or getting in the way of police officers or employees.
“According to court documents, Kevin Dominguez, 26, drove a sedan to the U.S. Border Patrol immigration checkpoint, located on U.S. Highway 57, on Aug. 1, 2023. A USBP canine alerted the agents to the trunk, revealing an individual inside. Upon the USBP agent noticing the individual, Dominguez backed up and struck the agent with the vehicle before fleeing the checkpoint,” the FBI announced in a
“A high-speed chase ensued and a USBP helicopter observed two occupants exit the vehicle into an open field. One of the individuals was located and confirmed to be an undocumented noncitizen from Honduras. Dominguez was indicted in a two-count indictment on Sept. 13, 2023, and was arrested on Sept. 14. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 24, 2024,” the press release added.
Separately, the FBI also announced that four people were arrested in El Paso, Texas, on criminal charges related to their alleged roles in a plot to smuggle people across the border.
Official court records say that agents from the Ysleta Border Patrol Station’s Disrupt Unit were watching a motel in El Paso when they saw a car with a temporary license plate. The vehicle had already been seen at several hotels that were known to house undocumented foreigners. According to court documents, the driver of the car briefly went into the motel lobby before getting back in and driving off.
Soon after, the agents supposedly saw three people carefully leaving one of the motel rooms and getting into a different car
with a temporary license plate. Yair Alejandro Aguilar-Flores, the driver of the car, is said to have admitted that he is from Mexico and is living in the US illegally.
Angel Eduardo Carrillo-Carrillo and Jorge Alfredo Lopez-Acevedo, the two people who were with him, were also arrested because they were also caught illegally in the U.S. They also admitted that there were more undocumented foreigners in the motel room.
After looking into it, the agents found seven more undocumented foreigners. They all were arrested. As the police were wrapping up their investigation, they saw the driver of the first car going back to the motel. He walked up to the room where the migrants were being held and knocked on the door.
Jesus David Reyes-Villagran allegedly told the police that the motel room was his and that he was coming back from dropping off five other undocumented foreigners at another El Paso hotel.
It is the job of Aguilar-Flores, Carrillo-Carrillo, Lopez-Acevedo, and Reyes-Villagran to bring aliens in and move them around. They could each spend up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors will be used by a federal district court judge to decide on any sentence.
Federal officials also arrested a Honduran citizen who had been deported and convicted of crimes before being taken into federal custody in Austin on criminal charges related to his alleged illegal re-entry.
Court records show that Melvin Armando Funes-Canales was found in the Williamson County jail on or around July 16, 2024.
He had been there because he was suspected of having a controlled substance. After looking into it, Funes-Canales had been sent back to Honduras from the U.S. on or around October 9, 2020, and had also been sent back five other times.
Funes-Canales has also been found guilty of burglary, grand theft, and illegal re-entry in the past.
The charge against Funes-Canales is illegal re-entry. Funes-Canales could spend up to 10 years in prison if he is found guilty.