PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, May 29: The US press look at the effects of Donald Trump's deportation policy – from a likely "unconstitutional" detention to a booming small-town economy. Plus, Elon Musk is officially quitting DOGE – what's next? Finally, after eight years of Mongolian dominance, Japan is celebrating a new "yokozuna" – a sumo grand champion.  

The Wall Street Journal reports that the detention of former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil is likely "unconstitutional", according to a US judge. Khalil is a pro-Palestinian activist who became a deportation target after participating in protests. And while the ruling isn’t final, it suggests that Trump's deportation efforts will face "significant roadblocks in court", according to the paper. For now, however, despite the partial ruling, he is still being held in a detention centre in Louisiana.

An article in The Washington Post focuses on another detention centre in Louisiana. It's one of the biggest ICE facilities in the United States and its presence is an economic win for locals in Winnfield. "In detention alley, a small town benefits from a big ICE facility," reads the headline. Many Winnfield residents live in poverty and the presence of ICE agents means that their businesses are doing better – there are more people getting haircuts, dining and shipping in the town, resulting in "muted criticism of the president’s immigration policies," according to the article. "To locals, they're customers, relatives, neighbors." The Washington Post also cites a local sheriff who says that the "benefits of the detention center greatly outweigh the negatives". An exclusive NBC piece helps us better understand the current deportation numbers. "Trump administration has ramped up deportations but is still far below pace it wants," reads the headline. In April alone, the ICE deported more than 17,000 people, says the paper. But Trump is still far behind his Inauguration Day promise to deport "millions and millions". In a bid to ramp up deportations, the ICE has been adding local jails and increasing deportation flights. But if he wants to reach Barack Obama's record in 2013, Trump has to deport at least two times more people per month. In 2013, then-president Obama reached a record number of 430,000 deportations in a single year.

Elsewhere in the US, Elon Musk is officially quitting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Financial Times writes that Musk is stepping down from the Trump administration after just five months in office. Musk originally wanted to stay with DOGE until next summer, the paper says. He made the announcement on his social media platform X, thanking Trump for "the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending". He also said that the DOGE mission will become a way of life for the government. This comes right after his exclusive interview with American TV channel CBS News. Musk said he felt "disappointed" by Trump's domestic policy bill, dubbed the "big beautiful bill act". According to Musk, it only increases the budget deficit and undermines DOGE's work. It is still unclear if Musk has any other projects planned, but The Washington Post reports that Tesla investors are asking the board to make Musk work full-time – 40 hours per week – after his recent focus on politics. The paper says that investors are frustrated over Musk's role in the US government and the effect it had on Tesla's sales and reputation. 

Finally, Japan is celebrating a new yokozuna: a grand champion in sumo, the country's national sport. Japanese man Onosato is the first in eight years to win the title after years of Mongolian dominance. The Japan Times calls it a "historic week for Japan’s national sport". The new champion is only 24 years old and some have called him the "saviour of Japanese sumo", according to The New York Times. 

You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.