Trump floats dragging Congress back during spring recess to end shutdown — but one hurdle stands in the way

March 31, 2026 5:04pm EDT / Fox News

A special session would be unprecedented, with the last one called by President Harry Truman, a GOP senate insider told Fox News Digital

By Elaine Mallon , Emma Colton Fox News

Schumer remains silent on Homeland Security funding as country reels from four suspected terror attacks

The Senate Minority Leader deflected blame when approached about ongoing gridlock for funding DHS over Democratic demands to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)

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President Donald Trump floated cutting Congress’ two-week spring recess short as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues, but the move is unlikely as lawmakers are still negotiating, Fox News Digital has learned.

“It’s something that’s under consideration,” Trump told the New York Post on Tuesday, floating the possibility of calling lawmakers back to the nation’s capital as a 45-day partial DHS shutdown continues.

A GOP Senate source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that while it’s possible Trump will call Congress back to the nation’s capital for a special session, it is unlikely, citing that lawmakers need legislative text to vote on — not a “show vote.”

“You don’t need senators on the floor until you have that something figured out, and that product text ready to go,” the source said. “And if we do have to call people back, they can get here pretty quickly.”

SCHUMER, DEMS BLOCK DHS FUNDING AGAIN, TRUMP INTERVENES TO PAY TSA AGENTS

President Donald Trump speaks with the media before boarding Air Force One, Monday, March 23, 2026, at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla.(Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

Last week, the House passed its own version of a bill to restore Department of Homeland Security funding, ensuring all personnel are paid and “critical operations are resourced and ready” through May 22.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer swiftly called the bill “dead on arrival” in the Senate, meaning GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber do not have legislation to consider after Democratic colleagues rejected it.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during the House and Senate Democrats’ joint news conference on DHS funding negotiations in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. Schumer is flanked from left by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES RAGE AGAINST SENATE DHS SHUTDOWN DEAL

The Constitution grants the president the power to call Congress into a special session. The last time Congress was called into a special session was by President Harry Truman.

Congress is on recess until April 14.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told colleagues over the weekend that he would only bring senators back for DHS action if there were legislative text to vote on, not merely another procedural exercise. Thune is continuing negotiations during the congressional recess.

On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested during a press briefing that Congress’ recess should be cut short.

“But again, Congress needs to come back,” Leavitt told the briefing room. “Democrats need to fund the Department of Homeland Security so we can formally and fully get these great employees paid long into the future.”

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, joined by Sen. Tim Scott, speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2026.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital reached out to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for response to Trump’s comments.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment on potentially calling lawmakers back to the capital but was referred to Trump’s remarks to the New York Post.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

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Kit Maher
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Fredreka Schouten

Updated 27 min ago
Updated Mar 31, 2026, 7:35 PM ET
PUBLISHED Mar 31, 2026, 6:17 PM ET

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President Donald Trump speaks during the signing ceremony for an executive order on mail ballots, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 31.

Evan Vucci/Reuters

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that the White House says is aimed at cracking down on mail-in voting.

“It’s about voter integrity, we want to have honest voting in our country because if you don’t have honest voting, you can’t have really a nation,” Trump said after signing the order in the Oval Office.

It’s not clear what authority Trump is relying on to carry out the order — given that states, not the president, have broad authority to run elections. Trump has repeatedly and baselessly argued that US elections are rife with fraud and has sought to require proof of citizenship to vote.

Trump acknowledged the order could be legally challenged by a “rogue” federal judge, but he added, “I don’t see how anybody can challenge it.”

The order also directs the Homeland Security Secretary, in coordination with the Social Security Administration Commissioner, to compile and transmit “State Citizenship Lists” to the chief election official of each state.

“The State Citizenship List shall be derived from Federal citizenship and naturalization records, SSA records, SAVE data, and other relevant Federal databases,” the order states. “The State Citizenship List shall be updated and transmitted to State election officials no fewer than 60 days before each regularly scheduled Federal election, or promptly upon request by a State in connection with any special Federal election.”

Experts note that noncitizen voting in federal elections already is illegal and is exceedingly rare. Foreigners who cast ballots in presidential or congressional elections risk prosecution and deportation if caught.

White House aide Will Sharf said Tuesday that the order will use federal data to verify eligible voters and direct the United States Postal Service to take new measures to verify that mail-in ballots are being sent to eligible voters and properly returned.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said states will be required to receive a bar code from the USPS that will be placed on mail-in ballot envelopes.

“The states run these elections — if they want to use the US mail, the US Postal Service, they’re going to get a code, a bar code, from the US Postal Service and they’re going to put that on the envelope and we’re going to have one envelope per vote,” Lutnick said, standing behind Trump in the Oval Office.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the order, calling it “an unlawful power grab” and vowed to fight the move.

“The Constitution is clear. Donald Trump has no power to change the way states conduct their elections,” Jeffries said in a statement. “We will fight back against this desperate Republican scheme to take over our free and fair elections and end the era of voter suppression in America once and for all.”

In recent weeks, the president has demanded that Congress pass a proof-of-citizenship requirement and other changes to election law as part of a bill dubbed the “Save America Act,” but it has failed to gain traction in the Senate.

Trump, who has declared voting by mail cheating, defended his own vote by mail in a recent Florida special election, saying, “Because of the fact that I’m President of the United States.”

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Manu Raju contributed to this report.

特朗普3月31日说，美国将很快结束伊朗战争，“我们没有理由继续打下去”。 （法新社）

美国总统特朗普预计美国将在两到三周内结束对伊朗的战争，他还暗示美国已基本实现军事目标，将霍尔木兹海峡问题留给其他国家解决。

路透社报道，特朗普星期二（3月31日）在白宫椭圆形办公室告诉记者：“我们很快就会撤军。”他说：“我想大概在两周或三周之内，我们就会撤军，因为我们没有理由继续打下去。”

特朗普还暗示，伊朗仍有可能在此期间与美国达成协议。

他说：“我们正在收尾，也许需要两周时间或多几天就能完成，但我们希望彻底摧毁他们拥有的一切。我们有可能在那之前与他们达成协议，因为我们会袭击桥梁，我们已摧毁一些，还准备再袭击一些桥梁。但如果他们愿意回到谈判桌，那很好。”

同一天，伊朗总统佩泽希齐扬说，伊朗有“必要的意愿”结束与美国和以色列的战争，并强调德黑兰正在寻求不会再次爆发冲突的保证。佩泽希齐扬的这番言论提振了美国股市。

延伸阅读

波斯湾国家态度改变 支持美国加大对伊军事施压

特朗普：盟友应“自己去抢”霍尔木兹海峡燃油 美国不再帮忙

佩泽希齐扬当天与欧洲理事会主席科斯塔通电话时说，伊朗“有结束这场战争的必要意愿，前提是满足必要的条件——特别是防止侵略再次发生的保证”。目前尚不清楚这一表态是否意味着德黑兰的立场发生变化。

特朗普周二也再次对美国盟友未帮助重新开放霍尔木兹海峡表示不满。自美以伊战争爆发以来，这条关键航道基本上处于封闭状态。特朗普当天早前在社媒平台贴文说：“你们必须学会为自己上战场，美国不会再帮助你们，就像你们当初没有帮助我们一样。”

美以伊战争进入第二个月，仍未找到明确的“退场”策略。彭博社分析指，特朗普针对伊朗战争发表的公开讲话反映了他私下向身边人士抱怨，对这场战争日益增长的挫败感。

知情人士透露，特朗普向身边人士表示，他对北约成员国和其他美国盟友感到愤怒，他认为一些伙伴国不愿为彻底结束伊朗战争做出足够努力。

此前一天，伊朗遭受猛烈空袭，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队发出强硬的警告说，如果更多伊朗领导层遭“定点清除”，伊朗将从4月1日开始对谷歌、Meta、苹果等美国领先科技公司进行报复。

内坦亚胡3月31日发表电视讲话说，伊朗战争还没有结束，他说：“我们坚定不移地履行我们的使命，并改变了中东的面貌。” （路透社档案照片）

在美国总统特朗普说要在两三周内结束伊朗战争之际，以色列总理内坦亚胡却表明，以色列将继续推进针对德黑兰的军事行动，“粉碎伊朗恐怖政权”。

法新社报道，内坦亚胡星期二（3月31日）在犹太逾越节前夕发表电视讲话，他说：“这场战役还没有结束。我们将继续粉碎这个恐怖政权。”

内坦亚胡说：“我们必须采取行动，我们已采取了行动。”他说：“我们坚定不移地履行我们的使命，并改变了中东的面貌。”

他强调，尽管战争还在继续，以色列已经崛起为“地区强国”。

在内坦亚胡发表讲话之前，特朗普告诉白宫记者，美国将在两三周之内结束对伊朗的战争，“因为我们没有理由继续打下去”。

同一天，伊朗总统佩泽希齐扬与欧洲理事会主席科斯塔通电话时说，伊朗有“必要的意愿”结束与美国和以色列的战争，并强调德黑兰正在寻求不会再次爆发冲突的保证。

Hegseth lifts suspension of Army pilots who flew by Kid Rock’s house, says there won’t be investigation

March 31, 2026 / 7:35 PM EDT / CBS News

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday there won’t be an investigation after two Apache helicopters were seen hovering outside the home of singer and rapper Kid Rock, and he announced that the pilots’ suspension has been lifted.

“Thank you @KidRock. @USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED. No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots,” Hegseth wrote Tuesday on X from his personal account.

Just hours earlier, an Army spokesperson said the crew had been suspended from flying while the Army conducts a formal investigation into why the AH-64 helicopters flew near the singer’s Nashville house and a “No Kings” protest during a training mission over the weekend.

It’s not clear what the purpose of the training mission was. It was also not immediately clear how many people the suspension had affected.

Kid Rock said in an interview with local ABC affiliate WKRN that he thinks the crew is “going to be alright.”

“My buddy’s commander-in-chief,” he added, referring to President Trump.

He also said he didn’t know what the Army was looking into, as the helicopters “stopped for, I don’t know, seconds? A minute?”

Kid Rock had posted two videos of the helicopters on social media Saturday. In one of the videos, a helicopter is seen hovering outside his house while he stands poolside next to a replica of the Statue of Liberty and salutes the pilots before they fly away. In another video, seen from a different angle, Kid Rock is pumping his fist at the first helicopter outside his house. A second helicopter then flies past.

An Army spokesperson said Monday that the branch had launched an administrative review. “Army aviators must adhere to strict safety standards, professionalism, and established flight regulations,” Maj. Montrell Russell said, and the review would “assess the mission and verify compliance with regulations and airspace requirements. Appropriate action will be taken if any violations are found.”

Maj. Jonathon Bless, a spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division, also said the command had opened an investigation.

In his interview with WKRN, Kid Rock noted that the pilots fly from Fort Campbell and he often sees the helicopters, saying: “It’s not the first time they’ve flown over my house.” Kid Rock said he spoke to pilots at Fort Campbell last year during a Thanksgiving celebration. The singer, who appeared at the holiday event with Vice President JD Vance, said he told the pilots they are “always welcome” to cruise by his house, and that “it’s harmless.”

Cara Tabachnick contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/army-investigates-apache-helicopter-flyby-at-kid-rocks-home/

FBI agents who worked on Trump election probe sue, saying they were unjustly fired

2026-03-31 4:25 PM ET / CNN

By Holmes Lybrand

3 hr ago
PUBLISHED Mar 31, 2026, 4:25 PM ET

An FBI flag flutters outside the the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, DC, on December 29, 2025.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images/File

FBI agents who say they were summarily fired for investigating President Donald Trump following his first term have filed a class-action lawsuit arguing they were improperly dismissed from the agency.

The lawsuit demands the three agents be reinstated and could, if successful, open the door for at least 50 other agents who were part of the various Trump investigations and fired under similar circumstances to also rejoin the agency.

The agents say that both Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel “were personally embroiled, as fact witnesses or attorneys representing (Trump), in investigations brought by the FBI, through the FBI’s career employees.”

“And now, by virtue of presidential appointment to the pinnacle of federal law enforcement, Defendants are abusing their positions to claim victories that eluded them on the merits,” the lawsuit says. “Defendants’ mission – in their own words – is retribution.”

The FBI declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Related article Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, in February. Rod Lamkey/AP Judge rules that White House ballroom construction ‘has to stop!’ 4 min read

The three agents say they were fired without clear explanation or the ability to respond and had each worked on the 2020 election case, with decades of experience at the FBI between them.

The Justice Department faces several other lawsuits by FBI agents who say they were unconstitutionally dismissed from the agency as part of a political purging of those who worked on past investigations into Trump or who are believed to not align with the president’s agenda.

Patel and Bondi, the lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, DC, says, “began their terms of office by compiling lists of FBI employees whom they perceived to be ‘enemies’ — due to assigned investigative work, private comments, personal friendships, immutable characteristic, or other absurd measure — and publicly initiating mass firings on a rolling basis, without due process.”

The agents also said they were required by FBI policy “to accept all lawful assignments based on the needs of the FBI” and were “not permitted to refuse lawful assignments based on personal or political preferences.”

Investigations into Trump’s retention of classified material after leaving office and his effort to change the results of the 2020 election culminated in two criminal cases against the former president led by special counsel Jack Smith.

The classified materials case was dismissed by a federal judge appointed by Trump who found that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was invalid because, in part, he was not confirmed by the Senate. Smith withdrew the election-related case after Trump won the 2024 presidential election.

Trump administration unlawfully revoked status of migrants who used Biden-era app, US judge rules

2026-03-31 16:08 UTC / Reuters

By Nate Raymond

March 31, 2026 4:08 PM UTC Updated 3 hours ago

节点运行失败

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters onboard Air Force One, on travel from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., February 16, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Judge rules DHS unlawfully terminated parole granted to migrants who used CBP One app
• Lawyers for plaintiffs say Trump administration sought to revoke legal status through mass emails
• DHS under Trump failed to follow required procedures for ending ​parole, judge rules

BOSTON, March 31 (Reuters) – A federal judge on Tuesday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to reverse the termination of the legal status of thousands of migrants who had been allowed to temporarily live in the United States after using an appointment app utilized ​by Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston ruled, opens new tab that the U.S. Department of ​Homeland Security acted unlawfully in April 2025, when it sent mass emails notifying many ⁠of the more than 900,000 people who had entered the country using the CBP One app that ​it was “time for you to leave the United States.”

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Skye Perryman, whose liberal legal group Democracy Forward pursued the legal ​challenge, in a statement hailed the ruling, saying the judge had rejected an effort to “erase lawful status for hundreds of thousands of people with the click of a button.”

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ruling came in a ​class-action lawsuit filed in August by three people from Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti and the advocacy group ​Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, who argued the Trump administration’s action constituted an abrupt, unlawful move to strip immigrants of their parole ‌status ⁠and work authorization.

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Such immigrants had been generally granted two-year terms of humanitarian parole after using a Biden-era app called CBP One to schedule an appointment with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

DHS under Biden had begun requiring many asylum seekers to use that app starting in 2023 in an effort to ​alleviate chaos at the border.

Trump, ​shortly after returning to ⁠the White House in January 2025, moved to shut down use of the app, as the Republican president’s administration began to institute his hardline immigration and mass ​deportation agenda.

In April 2025, many non-citizens who received parole through the CBP One ​process received an ⁠email from DHS saying it was exercising its discretion to terminate their parole. “Please depart the United States immediately,” the email said.

Burroughs said that DHS failed when sending out those termination notices to comply with requirements that it provide ⁠a record ​showing an official had determined the purposes of parole have been ​served.

“Accordingly, the parole terminations exceeded the agency’s statutory authority and contradicted the procedures set forth in its own regulations,” wrote Burroughs, who ​was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama.

Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Franklin Paul and Bill Berkrot

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Army suspends helicopter aircrew that flew near Kid Rock’s house, official says

2026-03-31 / Reuters

By Phil Stewart

March 31, 2026 6:53 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

节点运行失败

Singer Kid Rock testifies on the cost of concert tickets before a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 28, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo

• Summary

• Army investigation follows video showing helicopters near Kid Rock’s Nashville home
• Military helicopters also flew near anti-Trump demonstrators protesting in Nashville

March 31 (Reuters) – The U.S. Army has suspended the aircrew ​of two Apache attack helicopters that flew near the house of singer Kid ‌Rock, seemingly in support of the vocal backer of U.S. President Donald Trump, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

Over the weekend, Rock posted a video on X showing two Army Apache helicopters flying next to his ​house in Nashville, Tennessee. The singer, standing in front of his swimming pool, ​can be seen saluting one of the helicopters.

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Military helicopters were also seen flying ⁠close to demonstrators in the city, who were taking part in organized protests decrying Trump’s aggressive ​deportation efforts, war in Iran and other policies.

The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, ​did not provide further details on the suspension. Reuters reported on Monday that the Army was investigating the incident and an Army spokesman declined further comment when contacted by Reuters on Tuesday.

“Army aviators must adhere to ​strict safety standards, professionalism, and established flight regulations. An administrative review is underway to assess ​the mission and verify compliance with regulations and airspace requirements,” U.S. Army spokesperson Major Montrell Russell said ‌on Monday.

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“Appropriate ⁠action will be taken if any violations are found. Until the review is complete, there will be no further comment,” Russell added.

The U.S. military is supposed to be apolitical, loyal to the U.S. Constitution and independent of any party or political movement.

Since being sworn in last ​year, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete ​Hegseth has moved ⁠quickly to reshape the military, firing top generals and admirals as he seeks to implement Trump’s national security agenda and root out diversity ​initiatives he calls discriminatory.

Democratic lawmakers have warned the Trump administration is ​increasingly trying ⁠to use the military for political gain.

In his post about the helicopters, Rock took a swipe at Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom, adding: “God Bless America and all those who have made the ⁠ultimate sacrifice ​to defend her.”

Over the weekend, as part of the ​anti-Trump “No Kings” protests, more than 3,200 events were planned in all 50 states. Two previous nationwide events attracted millions of participants. Local ​news said thousands took part in the weekend’s protests in Nashville.

Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Nia Williams

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Artemis II moonshot enters final hours before launch with NASA engineers optimistic

2026-03-31 3:59 PM EDT / CBS News

By William Harwood

William Harwood CBS News Space Consultant
Bill Harwood has been covering the U.S. space program full-time since 1984, first as Cape Canaveral bureau chief for United Press International and now as a consultant for CBS News.

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William Harwood

The countdown to launch of the Artemis II mission, NASA’s first piloted moonshot in half a century, proceeded smoothly Tuesday as engineers and technicians prepared the agency’s giant Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule for fueling and blastoff Wednesday evening.

After clearing nonessential personnel from the “blast danger area” and verifying rocket and ground system readiness, engineers planned to begin pumping nearly 760,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuel into the 322-foot-tall SLS rocket’s two stages starting around 7:34 a.m. ET Wednesday.

The Artemis II astronauts visited launch pad 39B Monday to get an up-close look at their Space Launch System rocket. Left to right: commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. NASA

The fueling process will take about five and a half hours to complete, and engineers are optimistic a repaired quick-disconnect fitting that leaked during a dress rehearsal countdown in February will prove leak-free this time around.

Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen spent the day relaxing, reviewing their flight plans and getting updates on the countdown, among other day-before-launch tasks.

They will be awakened Wednesday about two hours after the start of fueling. After breakfast and a weather briefing, they’ll don their bright orange pressure suits and head for pad 39B to strap in for launch at 6:24 p.m., the opening of a two-hour window.

Forecasters continue to predict an 80% chance of favorable weather throughout the window, but warn that possible afternoon cloud buildups and isolated showers could prompt brief delays to allow time for clouds or rain to move out of the launch area.

Jeff Spaulding, NASA’s senior countdown test director and a space shuttle veteran, said engineers and technicians working in the launch control center “are excited and ready to go on this, this first chapter on our way back to the moon since the 1970s.”

He said engineers were not working any significant technical problems going into the final day of the countdown.

US customs agency says tariff refund system progressing, but payments may take up to 45 days

2026-03-31 18:31:47 UTC / Reuters

By David Lawder

March 31, 2026 6:31 PM UTC Updated 52 mins ago

节点运行失败

Shipping containers are shown stacked together on Terminal Island at the port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) – The U.S. customs agency said on Tuesday it was making progress in setting up a streamlined process for refunding some $166 billion in tariff collections deemed illegal ​by the Supreme Court, but that its new system could take up to ‌45 days to review and process refund applications.

In a filing with the U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection official Brandon Lord said development of a new refund claims portal, review, processing and refund ​system is now between 60% and 85% complete. He did not provide a ​start date for applications, but the agency previously had indicated a 45-day goal, a deadline ⁠that ends in late April.

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In the declaration filing on Tuesday, Lord said the new system ​will begin accepting claims in phases, with first priority given to those customs entries liquidated, or ​finalized, within the preceding 80 days and entries whose liquidation status has been “suspended, extended, or under review.”

The initial phase will also accept declarations containing warehouse and warehouse withdrawal entries, Lord said.

The filing also said some 26,664 ​importers of record had completed the process to receive electronic refunds, representing 78% of entries ​for which duties or deposits under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act had been paid, an amount totaling $120 ‌billion.

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The ⁠U.S. Supreme Court last month struck down President Donald Trump’s broadest global tariffs under IEEPA, dealing a blow to the central economic policy of his administration.

More than 330,000 importers paid the IEEPA tariffs on 53 million shipments, according to court documents.

The Supreme Court did not provide guidance on refunding the ​tariff payments that had ​been collected from importers ⁠since February 2025, leaving that matter to the Court of International Trade in New York City.

Many large importers such as FedEx sued CBP to protect their ​right to a refund, which Trump said could take up to ​five years. Many ⁠smaller importers feared the cost of the refund process would outweigh the benefits of trying to get reimbursed.

Judge Richard Eaton of the Court of International Trade earlier this month ordered CBP to begin processing refunds ⁠using ​its existing system, but the agency instead proposed a new process ​that would be ready to accept refund applications as soon as next month and would not require importers to ​sue.

Reporting by David Lawder; Additional reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Paul Simao

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.