Erez Reuveni conceded in court that the deportation last month of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who had a court order allowing him to stay in the United States, should never have taken place.

Congressional aides of both parties believe that the nominee for U.S. attorney, Ed Martin, appears to have a solid chance of squeaking through on a party-line vote.

Whether the agencies open an investigation will bring into sharp relief the intended approach of their leaders, Kash Patel and Pam Bondi, who promised to administer impartial justice.

The request, which comes on the heels of an executive order by President Trump, represents a sharp reversal for the F.B.I. and the department.

Ed Martin, the acting U.S. attorney in Washington, has been blocked so far in seeking a grand jury investigation into remarks made by Senator Chuck Schumer about Supreme Court justices.

Tens of thousands of prisoners deemed to be at low risk of committing crimes again have languished in lockup for as long as a year after they reached their release date under the First Step Act.