Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

The New York Times [1/31/2026 3:44 PM, Mitch Smith, 148038K] reports a federal judge in Minnesota denied a request by the state government and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul on Saturday to temporarily block a surge of federal immigration agents that has led to three shootings, thousands of arrests and weeks of protests. The judge, Kate M. Menendez, who was nominated to the bench by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., had resisted requests by state lawyers for an immediate ruling on halting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign, known as Operation Metro Surge, which began late last year. The state and the cities argued in a lawsuit filed on Jan. 12 that the decision to send some 3,000 immigration agents to Democratic-led Minnesota over the objections of local officials amounted to a violation of state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment. They also described the deployment as an illegal attempt to coerce them into cooperating with civil immigration enforcement. The Trump administration dismissed that legal theory and defended their actions as a lawful campaign to crack down on illegal immigration. Judge Menendez wrote that the state and local governments had failed to show that the deployment crossed a constitutional line and therefore had not met the burden for a preliminary injunction. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, celebrated the ruling on social media in a series of posts that described several recent arrests made by immigration agents in Minnesota. Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis and Attorney General Keith Ellison of Minnesota said they were disappointed in the decision, and their offices indicated that they would continue pursuing the lawsuit. The Hill [1/31/2026 3:58 PM, Zach Schonfeld, 18170K] reports that in a 30-page decision, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez ruled that Ellison is unlikely to succeed in claims that the surge violates the 10th Amendment, which protects states’ rights against federal infringement. Ellison had filed the lawsuit alongside the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul before Pretti’s death. Menendez considered it at a hearing on Monday. The plaintiffs claimed the surge violated the 10th Amendment’s anti-commandeering doctrine, which the Supreme Court has held prevents the federal government from compelling states to implement federal regulatory programs. Menendez ruled that the suit isn’t without merit — even suggesting at one point that immigration agents have engaged in racial profiling and used excessive force — but she said the case isn’t clear enough to authorize sweeping preliminary relief as it moves forward. Beyond the issue of the immigration surge’s constitutionality, the judge was also bound at this stage to consider the harms on both sides. Menendez wrote that issuing an injunction would impose significant harm on the federal government in its immigration agenda. She went on to note that an appeals court earlier this week paused another injunction she had imposed in a different case that restricted ICE’s tactics while responding to protests. The Washington Post [1/31/2026 4:06 PM, Mark Berman and Jeremy Roebuck, 24826K] reports that although Menendez acknowledged evidence that immigration agents had engaged in acts of racial profiling, excessive force and other disruptions in nearly all aspects of Minnesotans’ lives, the judge stressed she was not tasked with ruling on any of those claims. Menendez said the Trump administration also had presented plausible arguments for the need for its enforcement operation, dubbed Operation Metro Surge. Although the judge did not grant a preliminary injunction to end the immigration crackdown, she noted in her 30-page opinion that she was not making a final determination on the state’s claims until the lawsuit is heard fully. The Wall Street Journal [1/31/2026 12:32 PM, Mariah Timms, 646K] reports U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez issued the ruling in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Minnesota, which alleged the federal government used its aggressive enforcement campaign, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, to coerce changes in state policies and punish Democratic officials it disliked. She wrote that although the operation had “profound and even heartbreaking consequences” on the Twin Cities, she didn’t have the authority to halt it at this early stage of litigation. “The Court can readily imagine scenarios where the federal executive must legitimately vary its use of law enforcement resources from one state to the next, and there is no precedent for a court to micromanage such decisions,” Menendez wrote in the ruling. The enforcement surge began in December, following a welfare-fraud scandal that drew the Trump administration’s attention to Minnesota’s Somali community. The influx of immigration officers and ramped-up operations, including roving patrols, sparked tense protests that at times turned violent. In separate incidents, two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot by federal officers. The Trump administration argued it was properly sending federal resources to enforce the law. Immigration is broadly under the control of the executive branch. “The purpose of Operation Metro Surge has been, from the beginning, the enforcement of federal law. And the actions of federal officers over the past six weeks match this purpose,” lawyers for the federal government wrote. “There is no dispute that federal law, and federal law alone, has been the subject of enforcement.”

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The AP [1/31/2026 11:43 PM, Will Weissert, 31753K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem not to intervene in protests occurring in cities led by Democrats unless local authorities ask for federal help amid mounting criticism of his administration’s immigration crackdown. On his social media site, Trump posted that “under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help.” He provided no further details on how his order would affect operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and DHS personnel, or other federal agencies, but added: “We will, however, guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators, and Insurrectionists.” Trump said that in addition to his instructions to Noem he had directed “ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property.” The Hill [1/31/2026 9:31 PM, Sophie Brams, 18170K] reports that anger over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has reached a boiling point across the country following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota, leading to intense clashes between protestors and federal law enforcement agents. Police in Eugene, Ore., declared a riot on Friday night after saying protesters had “breached” a federal building. Federal agents reportedly deployed tear gas into the crowd to prevent demonstrators from entering through the windows, according to KOIN. Trump’s post referenced the incident in Oregon, claiming the “Local Police did nothing in order to stop it.” He asserted that it was the state and local government’s responsibility to protect federal property but vowed a forceful federal response if they were unable to do so. “Therefore, to all complaining Local Governments, Governors, and Mayors, let us know when you are ready, and we will be there — But, before we do so, you must use the word, “PLEASE.” Remember that I stated, in the strongest of language, to BEWARE — ICE, Border Patrol or, if necessary, our Military, will be extremely powerful and tough in the protection of our Federal Property,” Trump said. “We will not allow our Courthouses, Federal Buildings, or anything else under our protection to be damaged in any way, shape, or form,” he continued. Trump’s post came hours after a federal judge rejected Minnesota’s effort to stop the surge of federal agents to the state, finding that the state was unlikely to succeed on 10th Amendment claims. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the ruling in a post on the social platform X. “Another HUGE @TheJusticeDept legal win in Minnesota just now: a Biden-appointed district judge denied Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s attempt to keep ICE out of Minnesota,” Bondi wrote. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), who has been leading calls for ICE officers to leave the city, said he was “disappointed” by the judge’s decision but that the city would continue to pursue its lawsuit. “This decision doesn’t change what people here have lived through — fear, disruption, and harm caused by a federal operation that never belonged in Minneapolis in the first place,” Frey wrote in a statement. “This operation has not brought public safety. It’s brought the opposite and has detracted from the order we need for a working city. It’s an invasion, and it needs to stop.”

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The Hill [1/31/2026 2:06 PM, Ryan Mancini, 18170K] reports Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) on Saturday said he and city officials were “disappointed” after a judge rejected Minnesota’s effort to prevent the Trump administration’s surge of federal immigration officers to the state. The mayor vowed to appeal the decision, saying the city “will continue to pursue the lawsuit to hold the Trump administration to account.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), along with the Twin Cities, filed the lawsuit before 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot last week by Customs and Border Protection officials. His death came weeks after 37-year-old Renee Good, another Minneapolis resident, was killed during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation. The plaintiffs claimed the surge as part of “Operation Metro Surge” violated the anti-commandeering doctrine of the 10th Amendment, which protects states’ rights against federal infringement. The officials said the administration was using the immigration enforcement surge to pressure Minneapolis over its “sanctuary city” policy. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez, in a 30-page decision, ruled that while the suit is not without merit, the case is not clear enough to authorize sweeping preliminary relief. The judge, a Biden appointee, also said the injunction could severely impact the federal government’s role in carrying out its immigration agenda.

FOX News [1/31/2026 4:06 PM, Marc Tamasco, 37576K] Video: HERE reports Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he still has no plans to enforce federal immigration laws in the city, even after being warned by President Donald Trump that he was "playing with fire" by failing to do so. During a conversation with Lulu Garcia-Navarro on New York Times’ "The Interview" on Saturday, Frey was asked what he took away from Trump’s previous warning about Minneapolis failing to enforce federal immigration laws. "We were never going to agree, and we have not agreed, to enforce federal immigration law. Why? First off, it’s not our job," Frey asserted. "I want our police officers doing their own work, not somebody else’s. I want our police officers doing the important work of keeping Minneapolis residents safe, responding to 911 calls, stopping carjackings, preventing murders. The work of a police officer in a major city." The mayor added that he doesn’t want Minneapolis police officers spending their time "hunting down" illegal immigrants in the city. "I don’t want them spending a single minute hunting down a father that just dropped his kids off at day care who’s about to go work a 12-hour shift, who happens to be from Ecuador," he said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [1/31/2026 12:20 PM, Elizabeth Weibel, 2238K] reports border Czar Tom Homan debunked rumors that the Trump administration was retreating in terms of deportations of illegal aliens, labeling them "untrue.” During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Homan pointed out that since Trump has taken office, there have been "over 700,000 deportations between Border Patrol and ICE." Homan added that the administration is prioritizing "the arrests of criminals and public safety threats." On Tuesday, Homan shared that he met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and with "top law enforcement officials to discuss the issues on the ground in Minnesota." The Hill [1/31/2026 1:29 PM, Ryan Mancini, 18170K] reports White House border czar Tom Homan on Friday said President Trump remains “serious” about his crackdown on illegal immigration in the U.S. as tensions spike in Minnesota following two fatal shootings involving federal agents. Homan dismissed reports that Trump was “backing off on his promise on mass deportation” in an appearance on Fox New’s “Hannity.” Homan added that Trump wants to deescalate tensions in the North Star State — where local and state elected officials have called on the administration to withdraw Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal officers detaining immigrants in the state — echoing comments he made earlier this week. He added he has been in talks with local sheriffs to allow ICE to use their jails to keep immigrants in custody and to prevent sending several local law enforcement officers out on arrests. Homan also dismissed criticism from lawmakers and local officials around ICE’s tactics, saying “politicians are causing a lot of the rhetoric.”

Telemundo51 [1/31/2026 1:06 PM, Raul R. Ayala and Julian Quintana, 162K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited Miami International Airport on Saturday, where she met with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel and discussed investments in its modernization. During the question and answer session, Telemundo 51 asked about the future of travel to Cuba following a congressman’s request to eliminate it completely and after President Trump declared a state of emergency due to the threat he believes the Havana regime represents to the United States. Noem neither confirmed nor denied that the flight suspension would take effect. She said that DHS continues to work closely with the State Department, headed by Marco Rubio, to analyze the future of travel and relations between the two countries. Regarding TPS, she insisted that it is a program that remains in effect, but that it has always been intended to provide temporary protection to beneficiaries. This comes after a federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration acted illegally in ending the legal protections that allowed hundreds of thousands of people from Venezuela to live and work in the United States. The main reason for her visit was to discuss a billion-dollar investment to ensure the modernization of major airports, such as Miami International, in preparation for large-scale events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.

NewsMax [1/31/2026 8:54 AM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 3760K] reports President Donald Trump praised Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan in Truth Social posts, hailing them as central to his administration’s border crackdown and law-and-order push and defending Noem against growing criticism in connection with federal law enforcement efforts in Minnesota. He also credited her with bringing about the dramatic improvements at the border and in public safety that have taken place since his second term in office began a year ago. The posts come as Noem has been criticized over her handling of recent deadly shootings in Minnesota involving federal immigration officers and her management of disaster funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which she oversees. Lawmakers and officials from both political parties have called for her to resign, and some have threatened impeachment proceedings. Trump ended his Noem post by thanking her and underscoring the stakes of the election. The New York Post [1/31/2026 1:54 PM, Geoff Earle, 40934K] reports President Trump heaped praise on embattled Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem after protests nationwide over ICE tactics, and said critics are attacking her because of her gender. Then Trump sent a message to critics that they would have to live with his choices, as mandated by voters. Trump’s comments came a day after he did not invite Noem to speak during a cabinet meeting, although Small Business Administration Secretary Kelly Loeffler, who was seated next to her, did. Noem defended herself against critics in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night, dismissing calls for her resignation as politically motivated attacks.ABC News [1/31/2026 1:20 PM, Lalee Ibssa and Ivan Pereira, 34146K] reports President Donald Trump took to social media to show his support for two of his administration leaders amid the leadership shakeup following last week’s fatal shooting in Minneapolis. The president praised the work of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who came under fire following the deaths of Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Good at the hands of federal agents, and thanked Border Czar Tom Homan, who he sent to Minneapolis this week to smooth over boiling tensions. Despite several videos showing the 37-year-old Pretti did not have a firearm in his hands when he encountered federal agents on Jan 24, Noem initially claimed, without evidence, that the nurse brandished a weapon, was "wishing to inflict harm" and the officers were "attacked." Multiple videos of the incident taken by civilians show that Pretti, a licensed gun owner, was disarmed by a law enforcement officer just before the first shot rang out. The FBI is leading the investigation into Good’s shooting on Jan. 7. DHS said that Good was allegedly attempting to run over law enforcement officers when an ICE agent shot her, which local leaders and her family have disputed. Trump, who has backed Noem all of this week, lashed out at her critics in a social media post posted early Saturday. Noem walked back her initial comments on the shooting of Pretti later in the week, contending that DHS were getting information from "what we knew to be true on the ground." Homan was sent to Minneapolis this week and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino was ordered by the administration to return to California, sources told ABC News. Although Homan said he had "productive" discussions with Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, he criticized sanctuary city laws and called on local leaders to assist with federal immigration law enforcement. Homan announced a "draw down" of federal agents in Minneapolis later in the week.

NewsMax [1/31/2026 7:04 PM, Solange Reyner, 3760K] reports the recent federal response to protests and enforcement operations in Minnesota appears to have eased tensions, at least somewhat, since former ICE Director Tom Homan was dispatched to the state, says Alex Plechash, chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota. "I wish that Minnesota wasn’t in the bull’s-eye of everything across the country. But that’s where we find ourselves," Plechash told Newsmax TV’s "The Count" on Saturday. "What I would say is with Tom Homan coming into the state, it has tone[d] things down a little bit. "And I think there’s more dialog going on now between the feds and our state leaders. "I’m confident that something’s going to change here, and we’re going to see a resolution to this process in fairly short order," said Plechash. Plechash’s comments come amid continuing fallout from a controversial federal immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area known as Operation Metro Surge, which has drawn nationwide scrutiny after the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents. The operation, launched in December 2025, has led to thousands of arrests and two civilian deaths, prompting local protests and legal challenges from Minnesota officials. Homan’s role, dispatched by the White House as a sort of envoy to calm tensions, has included increased talks with state leadership, even as Minnesota attorneys general and city officials continue to criticize the aggressive enforcement strategy. The operation has become a flashpoint in debates over federal authority, immigration policy, and civil liberties. Plechash also addressed public reaction to video footage showing Alex Pretti in a confrontation with federal agents prior to being shot. Some video clips shared online have sparked conflicting interpretations about whether Pretti behaved aggressively toward law enforcement. "Well, I think the video shows it all," Plechash told The Count. "Even any of these incidents that occur, I tell people all around me that you’ll wait until the investigation comes out, until we get all the facts. "You know, looking at the video that first came out with Alex, you’d get one impression. "And then when you see these videos that you’re looking at right now, you get an entirely different impression. "People come into these things with biases, they see what they want to see," Plechash said.

FOX News [1/31/2026 7:49 AM, Emma Colton, 37576K] reports Minneapolis is the Trump administration’s latest immigration flashpoint — and a familiar figure is on the ground, taking command of the federal operation after two fatal shootings and days of agitators sparking heightened protests in the Twin Cities. Border Czar Tom Homan, a career law enforcement official with more than four decades in immigration enforcement, has worked under both Republican and Democratic administrations — including formal recognition during the Obama era. Allies say that résumé undercuts any claims he’s a partisan operator and makes him an ideal choice to take the lead in Minneapolis.

Washington Examiner [1/31/2026 7:00 AM, Rachel Schilke, 1147K] reports the bill had the support of the White House, which agreed to split DHS funding from the rest of the legislation as Democrats seek reforms to immigration enforcement. But its fate in the House is still shaky, as Democratic leadership remains noncommittal about how their caucus will vote, and conservatives are making demands over election integrity. The House, currently on a one-week recess, is poised to quickly consider the funding legislation when lawmakers return, meaning the government shutdown could be relatively short. Johnson told his conference on a members-only call on Friday that the plan is to hold votes on the Senate deal on Monday evening, the Washington Examiner confirmed. Among their demands, Democrats want to "tighten" warrant requirements, mandate ICE coordination with state and local law enforcement, implement use-of-force rules similar to those for local police, and prohibit agents from masking their identities.

The Hill [1/31/2026 12:00 PM, Mike Lillis, 18170K] reports Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate say they’re firmly united when it comes to the party’s push for new rules of restraint on federal immigration officers. But the politics governing each chamber are not the same, creating different pressures — and unique challenges — for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as they race to rein in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), prevent a partial government shutdown, and avoid an internal fight like the one that dogged the party during a similar spending battle early last year. Schumer has proposed a short wish-list of new limits on DHS and the sub-agencies on the front lines of President Trump’s deportation surge: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Many Democrats in the more liberal House, however, want to go much further, to include the cessation of ICE operations around the country. And they’re pressing party leaders to hold the line against any DHS spending bill that fails to do so.

CBS News [1/31/2026 11:00 AM, Cara Tabachnick, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 51110K] reports Jose Huerta Chuma is a man in hiding — and he’s also a man in distress. He’s been replaying the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti over and over again in his mind, wondering if he could have done something differently and if there’s something that "would have saved that life." The 41-year-old immigrant from Ecuador, who said he has been in the U.S. for over two decades, described witnessing the shooting after hiding inside a local business. The Department of Homeland Security has described Huerta Chuma as a criminal living in the U.S. illegally who was the target of the Border Patrol operation that led to the encounter with Pretti on Saturday, Jan. 24. DHS officials have described Huerta Chuma as a "violent criminal illegal alien" on the loose. Documents reviewed by CBS News indicate Huerta Chuma’s record includes traffic violations, and that he pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct misdemeanor offense in 2018. The New York Times reported, citing Minnesota court documents, that the plea was linked to a domestic violence arrest, and that the offense was later expunged. Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who has since been reassigned following the bipartisan backlash triggered by Pretti’s killing, described Huerta Chuma as an "illegal alien" during a press conference hours after the deadly shooting. Pointing to a booking photo, Bovino said Huerta Chuma’s record included "domestic assault," "disorderly conduct" and "driving without a license." In a statement two days later, DHS branded Huerta Chuma a "violent criminal illegal alien" who remained "at large," asking the public to call a government hotline with any tips regarding his whereabouts. Information accessed through the Justice Department’s immigration court system says Huerta Chuma’s deportation case was administratively closed in May 2022. The immigration court records do not list a deportation order. Huerta Chuma said he has since applied for a "U visa," designed to protect immigrants who are victims of crimes and who have assisted law enforcement investigations.

FOX News [1/31/2026 12:00 PM, Elizabeth Heckman, 37576K] reports following the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Second Amendment advocates have pushed back on statements from Trump officials immediately following the Saturday shooting. Noem said on Saturday following the shooting, "This individual, who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism." She added, "That’s the facts." "I don’t know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign," Noem said. Following this, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in response to a question during a press hearing Monday, "The president supports the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens." She added that Americans are not allowed to impede on law enforcement operations.

FOX News [1/31/2026 9:25 PM, Michael Sinkewicz, 37576K] reports a criminal illegal immigrant was detained Saturday after allegedly ramming his car into a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle in Minnesota, according to federal authorities. Tranquilino Sixto-Anorve, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested after allegedly striking an ICE vehicle and a civilian car Saturday morning in St. Paul, officials said. According to ICE, Sixto-Anorve has multiple DUI convictions and was being targeted for arrest because his criminal history indicated he was a "public safety threat.” "This ramming highlights increased risks our brave men and women of ICE face amid hostile rhetoric and actions from anti-ICE agitators and politicians," ICE said in a statement. A spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Fox News Digital that Sixto-Anorve entered the country illegally at an unknown date and location. Sixto-Anorve is in ICE custody. The incident comes amid heightened concern over illegal immigration and reports of anti-ICE agitators attempting to violently disrupt federal law enforcement operations. DHS said earlier this month that ICE officers are facing a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks. According to DHS, from Jan. 21, 2025, to Jan. 7, 2026, ICE officers experienced 66 "vehicular attacks," compared to two during the same period the previous year. ICE also arrested an illegal immigrant in San Antonio, Texas, earlier this month whom the agency said "weaponized" his vehicle by ramming two ICE vehicles and nearly running over an agent. Cuban illegal immigrant Robyn Argote Brooks is accused of ramming two ICE vehicles in a San Antonio parking lot in an attempt to evade arrest during a targeted vehicle stop, according to DHS. Video of the incident shows Brooks driving a sedan that was boxed in by agents’ vehicles when he allegedly defied law enforcement commands and suddenly reversed, narrowly missing an agent and striking a federal SUV. After unsuccessfully accelerating into the larger vehicle, Brooks then sped forward into another ICE sedan positioned in front of him, continuing to accelerate as agents attempted to stop him. The confrontation ended when an agent broke through the driver-side window and pulled Brooks from the vehicle to place him under arrest.

CNN [1/31/2026 4:53 PM, Ray Sanchez and Whitney Wild, 18595K] reports Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Saturday signed an executive order directing city police to investigate and document alleged misconduct by federal immigration officers with an eye toward prosecution. "We are putting ICE on notice in our city. Chicago will not sit idly by while Trump floods federal agents into our communities and terrorizes our residents," Johnson said in a statement, referring to President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration enforcement efforts around the country. The move comes as nine local district attorneys launched a coalition this week to assist in prosecuting federal law enforcement officers who violate state laws, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed legislation, which would prohibit cooperation agreements between local police departments and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "We need to send a clear message: If the federal government will not hold these rogue actors accountable, then Chicago will do everything in our power to bring these agents to justice," Johnson said shortly before signing the so-called "Ice On Notice" executive order. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, in an email response Saturday to Johnson’s call to action, said "claims of criminal misconduct by ICE law enforcement are FALSE." DHS, which includes ICE and the Border Patrol, told CNN its personnel receive regular training and are held to "highest professional standard.” DHS reiterated its claim that local officials have been unwilling to work with them, citing sanctuary city policies. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, acknowledged Thursday the immigration enforcement effort in Minnesota needed to be "fixed" and said his team was working on a drawdown plan while sharpening the focus of operations on undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

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New York Post [1/31/2026 9:16 PM, Lia Eustachewich, 40934K] reports a federal employee detailed the daily abuse she endures at the hands of ruthless agitators in downtown Los Angeles — saying it feels like walking through a “war zone every day.” The woman, who did not want to be identified, told The California Post that she and co-workers are regularly harassed at the Edward R. Roybal Federal building, which houses the Central District courthouse and offices for other agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “I get called a fascist,” the staffer said. “Last week, they were spitting on cars and using racial slurs against my co-workers. “It’s totally deranged and unacceptable.” The Post has learned that members of Antifa have been posting up in the back of the federal building since the summer to hurl insults and intimidate employees, including judges, by recording their faces and license plates. The employee said she and others are “fed up and frustrated” over the terrifying behavior. “It feels like an insurrection,” she said. “They are using violence and intimidation to terrorize federal employees. I feel like I’m in a war zone every day.” The building has been ground zero for violent protests, including one on Friday evening that saw several people arrested as demonstrators clashed with agents. In December, a deranged dimwit with a bone to pick with ICE was charged with hurling Molotov cocktails at the federal facility – but failed to light them first. The female employee said she turned up to work an hour later. “I was walking to the front entrance and saw the crime tape up,” she said. “Fortunately, he did not light them, but it shut down the entire lobby.” Jose Francisco Jovel, 54, who has a criminal history spanning nearly four decades, spewed anti-ICE rhetoric during the would-be attack, saying he wanted to blow up the building and “spray down” all of the officers. He called his actions a “terrorist attack” and accused the officers of “separating families.” “This was a clear and deliberate attack on federal law enforcement, and it is emblematic of the constant attacks these brave men and women endure day in and day out as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, and gang members,” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said at the time. Jovel was carrying even more Molotov cocktails, as well as four knives and a Leatherman multi-tool, authorities said. Because the bottles were not lit, they never caught fire, and there were no injuries or damage to federal property. Jovel’s past crimes include an attempted murder charge in 1987, an armed robbery charge in 1991 and a charge of annoying or molesting a victim under 18 in 2007. More than two dozen DHS agents were also attacked at an LA hotel in June — when another nut-job allegedly tossed a light Molotov cocktail at them that landed in the bushes. No one was injured in that attack.

New York Post [1/31/2026 1:11 PM, Shane Galvin, 40934K] reports leftist foreign agents are doxxing over 4,500 past and present agents with the Department of Homeland Security, compiling their personal information and posting it to Wikipedia-style web site. The ICE List Wiki home page including photos, work locations and in-field operations for agents in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and Enforcement and Removal Officers and US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The site’s home page spotlights certain agents, including their photos, work locations and detailing their in-field operations. The site’s founder, Dominick Skinner, is an Irish citizen living in the Netherlands, he told The Daily Beast. ICE List Wiki is hosted on Icelandic servers, according to online data. A leaker within the Department of Homeland Security posted personal information on 4,500 federal agents to the site, Skinner claimed to The Daily Beast — and about half so far have profiles on ICE List Wiki. So far, two people identified on the site reached out to say they no longer work for ICE, according to the report. The foreign national, who also maintains Substack publication Crust News, claimed the site is meant to be a resource for journalists and the public to maintain oversight on ICE. ICE List Wiki also includes 377 "incident reports," or submissions from volunteers about ICE activity. The site includes 1,142 vehicle license plates allegedly used during ICE field operations. Entries identifying cars include plate numbers, make, model, the state the car is registered to, and whether it belongs to certain units or departments within ICE.

New York Times [2/1/2026 5:02 AM, Miriam Jordan and Devlin Barrett, 135475K] reports the Trump administration has gone to great lengths to arrest and detain as many people as possible during its immigration crackdown. But in recent weeks, a deluge of court cases has led federal judges to release hundreds of immigrant detainees back into the country, and threatens to overwhelm the court system. In case after case, federal judges have found that the Trump administration has been ignoring longstanding legal interpretations that mandate the release of many people who are taken into immigration custody if they post a bond. The surge in such cases has dominated the court dockets in some districts, overwhelming government lawyers who have to defend the detentions. And the wave of people who have been set free has upended the Trump administration’s effort to keep detained immigrants locked up indefinitely, even if they do not pose a public safety threat. Lawyers representing detainees have been filing rafts of what are known as habeas corpus petitions — court filings that compel the government to justify holding someone in custody. In the vast majority of cases, judges are siding with the detainees and ordering their immediate release, or ordering immigration judges to hold bond hearings, according to 10 lawyers interviewed by The New York Times, who said their practices had filed dozens of habeas petitions over the last couple of months. Jessie Calmes, an immigration lawyer in Atlanta, said that she had filed at least 40 petitions since November. Every one had been granted, she said. “A lot of these people have been here more than 10 years and have U.S.-citizen kids,” she said. “They’re people who were picked up on the way to work, at their job site or for a traffic violation.” The surge in habeas petitions has strained federal courts in some states, including Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, with hundreds of new cases a month in some court districts, according to a person with knowledge of the process. That influx has led the Justice Department to pull some criminal prosecutors off regular duties to help with habeas cases, the person said. The wave of habeas petitions traces to a key change the Trump administration made in how immigration detention decisions are made.

AP[2/1/2026 12:15 AM, Moriah Balingit And Charlotte Kramon, 31753K] reports it all began after a viral video alleging fraud in Somali-run child care centers in Minneapolis: strangers peering through windows, right-wing journalists showing up outside homes, influencers hurling false accusations. In San Diego, child care provider Samsam Khalif was shuttling kids to her home-based center when she was spooked by two men with a camera waiting in a car parked outside, prompting her to circle the block several times before unloading the children. “I’m scared. I don’t know what their intention is,” said Khalif, who decided to install additional security cameras outside her home. Somali-run child care centers across the United States have become targets since the video caught the attention of the White House amid the administration’s immigration crackdown. Child care providers worry about how they can maintain the safe learning environments they have worked to create for impressionable young children who may be spending their first days away from their parents. In the Minneapolis area, child care providers, many of them immigrants, say they’re being antagonized, exacerbating the stress they face from immigration enforcement activity that has engulfed the city. One child care provider said she watched someone emerge from a car that had been circling the building and defecate near the center’s entrance. The same day, a motorist driving by yelled that the center was a “fake day care.” She’s had to create new lockdown procedures, is budgeting for security and now keeps the blinds closed to shield children from unwanted visitors and from witnessing immigration enforcement actions. “I can’t have peace of mind about whether the center will be safe today,” said the provider, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted. “That’s a hard pill to swallow.”

New York Times [1/31/2026 7:13 PM, Christina Morales, 148038K] reports crowds rallied in dozens of cities across the nation on Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, hoping to build on momentum from demonstrations on Friday against federal operations targeting Minneapolis and other liberal-leaning cities. In Minneapolis — where federal agents have clashed repeatedly with demonstrators in recent months — a rally was punctured with moments of tension, as sheriffs’ deputies made several arrests that some protesters deemed to be violent, knocking over some people as they chased others. Hundreds of people rallied in the afternoon outside Los Angeles City Hall, where Isaac G. Bryan, a Democratic state legislator, spoke to the crowd, encouraging them to keep up their protests and pointing to Minneapolis as a model. Noting the Trump administration’s decision to move Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol commander widely criticized for aggressive tactics, from Minnesota, Assemblyman Bryan said it had happened “because the people of Minneapolis had had enough.” An afternoon rally in Portland, Ore., swelled to become one of the largest protests the city had seen in months, joined by demonstrators from other events held earlier in the day. Thousands of people crowded into Elizabeth Caruthers Park, near the ICE facility in Portland, for a rally that was supported by several major labor unions. “This gathering, the size and energy, is unique,” said Jackson Casimiro, 28, a filmmaker who lives in Portland. Derek Boyd, 46, a dental assistant, came to the protest equipped with a leaf blower to try repel tear gas. “We have to let them know we won’t tolerate this,” he said of the aggressive way in which federal agents have confronted detainees and demonstrators. Several dozen counterprotesters also appeared, marching past the park chanting, “God bless ICE.” People at the rally tried to drown out the chants by blowing whistles and shouting insults. The large crowd marched from the park to Bancroft Street outside the ICE facility, which the local police had blocked off to exclude vehicles. Tensions mounted around 4:30 p.m. when federal agents fired volleys of tear gas canisters into the crowd, which included numerous families with children and others unused to Portland’s sometimes fractious street protests. The crowd soon dwindled to a few hundred people. In Minneapolis, about 100 people gathered in frigid weather on Saturday morning outside the B.H. Whipple Federal Building, where federal agents have been detaining suspected undocumented immigrants who have been arrested in the Twin Cities area. Protesters blew whistles and blared air horns. Protest activity intensified across the nation in January in support of the residents of Minneapolis, who have faced an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign by the Trump administration. President Trump announced on Saturday in a social media post that ICE and Border Patrol agents would begin guarding federal buildings, which have become targets for protesters.

CNN [2/1/2026 4:45 AM, Emma Tucker, 19874K] reports the phrase "ICE Out" reverberated around the nation this weekend as protesters took to the streets, holding up signs and chanting in unison as they called for an end to the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. Protesters marked a second day of rallies and marches after a nationwide strike on Friday prompted a shutdown of schools, workplaces and businesses from coast to coast. As demonstrations kicked off Saturday, President Donald Trump said he instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem not to intervene in protests or unrest in Democratic-led cities unless local officials formally request assistance. People in major US cities continue to voice their solidarity with Minneapolis, where the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good have transformed the national conversation on immigration enforcement and appear to have driven a tone shift from the White House in recent days. Demonstrations have continued in cities such as Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Portland and Austin over Friday and Saturday. In the courts, several legal battles challenging Trump’s immigration policies continue to play out, with a federal judge issuing a scathing opinion Saturday as he ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from a Texas detention center. Meanwhile, a different judge denied a request from Minnesota, St. Paul and Minneapolis to halt Operation Metro Surge – the federal immigration operation that has seen thousands of agents dispatched to the Twin Cities. Local and state officials sued the federal government earlier this month, calling the operation a "federal invasion" that involves warrantless arrests and excessive force. While the Department of Homeland Security celebrated the ruling, which allows the operation to continue while the lawsuit plays out, city and state officials said they were "disappointed" by the decision while reasserting their commitment to pursuing the case.

NPR [1/31/2026 9:27 PM, Kristin Wright, 28764K] reports protesters across the U.S. on Saturday demonstrated against the federal government’s immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis. The group 50501 called on communities to shut "ICE Out of Everywhere" in a national day of action. The anti-ICE protests include calls for boycotts against retailers and businesses perceived to be in cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In Washington, D.C., a coalition of organizations picketed Target stores. The retailer is headquartered in Minneapolis. "I want them to see that we are not just standing idly, while our neighbors are being kidnapped. We are standing for our brothers and sisters in Minneapolis," said Slobodan Milic, wearing his purple Free DC sweatshirt while picketing a Target store along a busy thoroughfare of the city. Milic’s group Free DC wants Target to publicly call for an independent investigation into the killings of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis earlier this month. The group is also requesting that the retailer publicly affirm solidarity with immigrants and opposition to ICE’s recent immigration operations. Challenges are playing out in federal court. About two dozen protesters marched on the sidewalk in front of Target in below freezing temperatures and surrounded by mounds of snow. They carried signs and chanted "boycott target," "ice out," and "I believe that we will win.” Toby Harkleroad manned the megaphone. He says he just returned to D.C. from Minneapolis, where he joined faith leaders for a demonstration at Target’s headquarters. "The most important things are to do something, anything. And to just keep showing up," he said. "Some of us want this immediate impact, and we’re not going to get immediate impact in this. But our sustained efforts will show impact – are showing impact – and if nothing else, they keep encouraging others," Harkleroad said. Protesters in Minnesota have also marched at Target stores and held sit-ins. They say ICE is staging operations in the retailer’s parking lots. Demonstrators want Target to ban ICE from its stores. In an email to NPR, Target defended its response to the recent turmoil in its home city and highlighted an open letter the company’s incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke signed in partnership with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and 60 CEOs of businesses in the state. The letter calls for a de-escalation of tensions between local, state, and federal officials.

Univision [1/31/2026 7:11 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports hundreds of people participated in demonstrations against ICE operations in downtown Salt Lake City on the afternoon of Friday, January 30. However, four people were ultimately arrested. According to authorities, those arrested refused to leave the street after the march, which led to their detention. "Unfortunately, four people were arrested after blocking a highway and refusing to comply with lawful orders to disperse. Our primary goal in these situations is to ensure the safety of everyone, both those participating in the demonstrations and those passing through the area," the Salt Lake City Police Department reported on social media. According to KUTV, law enforcement withdrew at around 5:45 p.m.; nearly 15 police vehicles had gathered there. The police also stated: "We want to thank everyone who came out and peacefully exercised their First Amendment rights. Civilized dialogue is the American way of life, and we respect the right of our community members to make their voices heard." The rally took place around Washington Square Park in Salt Lake City; participants marched from there to the offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS Colorado [1/31/2026 6:07 PM, Austen Erblat, 51110K] reports more protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were ongoing or planned for later in the day across Colorado, with several in Denver on Saturday after a day of nationwide protests, general strikes, business closures, and school walkouts and closures. One of those protests on Saturday included a "singing resistance"; hundreds of singers from multiple choruses sang as an act of resistance to ICE and the Trump administration at the steps of the State Capitol. "What began only days ago as a small group of GALA choruses planning to sing together has quickly swelled into something far larger," a statement from Harmony: A Colorado Chorale read. "Ensembles from across Colorado have stepped forward, transforming a simple idea into a mass choral action rooted in unity, witness, and shared humanity." The action was modelled after one formed in Minneapolis, where massive protests have been occurring for weeks, made larger and louder after the killing by an ICE agent of Renee Good and the killing by two Customs and Border Protection agents of Alex Pretti amid immigration enforcement operations in the city. Those operations and killings have sparked protests in Colorado and beyond. The singing group in Denver included members from Colorado GALA Choruses, No Enemies, First Baptist Church of Denver, and community choirs from across the region.

Los Angeles Times [1/31/2026 6:35 PM, Alene Tchekmedyian, 12718K] reports Damian Kevitt spent Saturday afternoon on a 10-mile bike ride with hundreds of other cyclists, a sticker displaying Alex Pretti’s photo stuck to his jersey. "These are just cyclists, clubs, bike shops and individuals who have come together and said, ‘Hey, Alex was one of us,’" said Kevitt, while riding on Broadway in Santa Monica. "He was an ICU nurse, he loved the outdoors, he loved cyclists and he loved cycling.” The so-called Unity Ride was one of hundreds of demonstrations across the country throughout the weekend in response to federal immigration raids and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis. "What he was doing was not a terrorist activity — he was exercising his right as a citizen and he was killed," said Kevitt, executive director of Streets Are For Everyone, an organization that aims to make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. "We shouldn’t be in fear of being killed by exercising our rights. … Even if you don’t agree with someone’s political stance, you shouldn’t be penalized for having a political stance." The nationwide demonstrations began Friday with organizers calling for people to avoid shopping and participate in a "national shutdown" they hoped would convince the Trump administration to tone down aggressive immigration enforcement tactics and actions toward protesters.

Los Angeles Times [1/31/2026 3:17 PM, Alene Tchekmedyian, 12718K] reports a man was sentenced four years in federal prison Friday after he admitted to lighting a Molotov cocktail and throwing it at Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies during a protest last year against immigration raids. Emiliano Garduño Gálvez, 23, pleaded guilty in October to one count each of possessing an unregistered destructive device and obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder. Federal authorities said Gálvez is an immigrant from Mexico in the U.S. illegally, having entered more than a decade ago and staying beyond the time permitted in his visa. "This defendant’s reckless behavior threatened the lives and safety of law enforcement officers and that of a lawful protester," Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement. "My office remains steadfast in its efforts to prosecute and punish those who commit acts of violence against others." The events occurred in June, when Border Patrol agents convened near Home Depot in Paramount, drawing protesters.

Univision [1/31/2026 9:21 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids led to clashes with federal agents on the night of Friday, January 30, in downtown Los Angeles, California, when a group of protesters set fire to a dumpster in front of a detention center. The group marched peacefully to Los Angeles City Hall, where they gathered to express their opposition to both the raids and the shootings carried out by ICE agents. However, hours later, a crowd moved toward the Edward Roybal Federal Building, a federal building that houses a detention center. Upon arriving in front of the federal building, several protest participants began throwing objects at federal agents guarding the site, according to a report by Just The News. Some protesters even pushed a large container toward the authorities’ lines and set it on fire, blocking the main entrance, while continuing to throw other objects. As tensions escalated, federal agents declared the gathering an "illegal assembly" and began firing pepper spray and other tear gas to try to disperse the crowd. The Los Angeles Police Department issued a tactical alert and ordered all officers to remain on duty due to increased tension in the area. A dispersal order was also issued for protesters, and some arrests were reported for those who did not comply with instructions to leave. On her official social media account, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass emphasized that "peaceful protest is a constitutional right" and urged participants to exercise that right safely to avoid further escalation with federal authorities. Although the protest began as an act of rejection of immigration actions, the demonstration became similar to others that have taken place in the city in recent months, in which clashes with police and federal forces have been reported. President Donald Trump instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem not to deploy federal DHS authorities to contain riots in Democratic states until requested to do so by state authorities. However, he stated that Border Patrol and other federal agents will operate to protect federal buildings. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [1/31/2026 7:52 PM, Jim Thomas, 3760K] reports Trump adviser Dick Morris told Newsmax on Saturday that "1,350 people in custody in Minnesota jails" who "are here illegally" should be "quietly taken into custody and deported," arguing that a jail-focused approach would avoid what he called "the risk of violence" from street enforcement. Morris appeared on Newsmax’s "The Count" on Saturday and was asked whether Minnesota Democrats would stop resisting federal agents if President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz reached common ground on immigration enforcement. Morris responded, "They should.” He argued, "What Trump has done is that he said, ‘Look, there are 1,350 people in custody in Minnesota jails who are here illegally.’" Morris added, "We want them out," and said the administration wants to begin by asking, "Let us into the jails. Let us get them out. Let us deport them. "So we don’t have to chase people on the street with armored cars and face the risk of violence," he added, saying that he viewed the broader enforcement picture as "relatively nonviolent" elsewhere. Morris listed "some marches, some protests, some arrests," and said, "but no deaths and no shootings.” Morris then described what he called an agreement among leaders, saying, "I think Trump and [Mayor Jacob] Frey and Walz all agreed that it made sense.” He said, "I think that’s what’s going to happen," and predicted, "these people will be quietly taken into custody and deported.” Morris also said, "Trump will not have had to retreat," and added, "There won’t be violent scenes.” The host then cited a court ruling in which a judge denied Minnesota’s bid to block Trump’s federal immigration agents and asked Morris whether that would help the operation move forward or spark more conflict. Morris replied, "No, I think it will help it move forward," and added, "I think that the Trump-Walz deal in discussions offers an exit path" for everyone.

New York Times [1/31/2026 11:12 AM, Ernesto Londoño and Hamed Aleaziz, 148038K] reports a day before six career federal prosecutors resigned in protest over the Justice Department’s handling of the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, lawyers in the office had a conversation with Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol field leader, that left them deeply unsettled. According to several people with knowledge of the telephone conversation, which took place on Jan. 12, Mr. Bovino made derisive remarks about the faith of the U.S. attorney in Minnesota, Daniel N. Rosen. Mr. Rosen is an Orthodox Jew and observes Shabbat, a period of rest between Friday and Saturday nights that often includes refraining from using electronic devices. Mr. Bovino, who has been the face of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, used the term “chosen people” in a mocking way, according to the people with knowledge of the call. He also asked, sarcastically, whether Mr. Rosen understood that Orthodox Jewish criminals don’t take weekends off, the people said. Mr. Bovino had requested the meeting with Mr. Rosen to press the Minnesota office to work more aggressively to seek criminal charges against people Mr. Bovino believed were unlawfully impeding the work of his immigration agents. Mr. Rosen delegated the call to a deputy. During the call, with a handful of prosecutors listening in, Mr. Bovino complained that Mr. Rosen had been unreachable for portions of the weekend because of Shabbat. Mr. Bovino’s remarks followed his complaints about having difficulty reaching Mr. Rosen. Mr. Bovino’s comments raised judgment concerns, but also a potential legal dilemma for government lawyers.

New York Times [1/31/2026 4:21 PM, Carl Hulse, 148038K] reports Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and minority leader, knew things were moving in his direction in the spending showdown on Wednesday afternoon when he got a surprise phone call in his Capitol office suite. It was President Trump, not a frequent contact in these days of hyper-polarized politics. “He says, ‘Chuck, I hate shutdowns. I don’t like shutdowns. We’ve got to stop them,’” Mr. Schumer said in an interview as he recalled his conversation with Mr. Trump. “And I said, ‘Well, Mr. President, the thing you have to do is rein in ICE.’” The call touched off a rapid series of events that culminated in a rare compromise between a president who hates to give in and Democrats in Congress who have struggled to use what little leverage they have to counter his agenda. The deal, which did not come together in time to avert a brief shutdown of a large portion of the government starting on Saturday, is fragile and could yet fall apart. The spending package needed to restore funding is set to reach the House on Monday, where approval is not yet certain. But the agreement to freeze homeland security spending and negotiate over new restrictions on immigration enforcement reflected a swift political shift on Mr. Trump’s signature issue — one that has long been a vulnerability for Democrats — and demonstrated how a public backlash can turn those dynamics upside down. On the phone with him on Wednesday, Mr. Schumer had a message that he would later argue was persuasive to the president, who was already rushing to mitigate the political damage he and his party were facing amid public outrage in the wake of two fatal shootings of American citizens by federal immigration agents in Minnesota. “The American people hate what is going on in the streets,” Mr. Schumer said he had told Mr. Trump, adding that he had said: “Frankly, it’s hurting your credibility in every way. When they say ‘immigration,’ they don’t like what Trump does.” A senior White House official, who discussed the talks on the condition of anonymity, said in an interview on Saturday that Mr. Trump believes he was elected to stop the flow of illegal immigrants, and that Mr. Schumer’s argument did not sway him from that conviction.

New York Post [1/31/2026 7:07 PM, Shane Galvin, 40934K] reports President Trump unleashed a blistering Truth Social attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) — calling for the Somali immigrant to be locked up or deported, while linking her to the state’s massive human services fraud scandal. "The Theft and Fraud in Minnesota is far greater than the 19 Billion Dollars originally projected," Trump wrote on his social media platform Saturday morning. "The Biden Administration knew this FRAUD was happening, and did absolutely nothing about it. "Scammer" Ilhan Omar and her absolutely terrible friends from Somalia should all be in jail right now, or, far worse, send them back to Somalia," Trump wrote referencing the massive human services fraud scandal roiling the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The scandal dates back to 2021, with at least $250 million in COVID-era fraud revolving around the Feeding Our Future program. It now includes more than 75 defendants, most of Somali descent. Omar has not been implicated in the fraud. "‘Governor’ Waltz [sic] is either the most CORRUPT government official in history, or the most INCOMPETENT," Trump continued. "Even a very low IQ person, of which there are many, should have known what was going on in Minnesota!!!". The rant against the outspoken Squad member comes just days after a constituent sprayed her with a syringe full of apple cider vinegar, while she called for the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, was charged with third-degree assault for spraying the congresswoman in the chest with the noxious liquid. But Trump suggested the incident was staged. "She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her," Trump told ABC News on Tuesday. Omar put on a brave face after the assault, writing on X: "I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work.” Earlier this week it was announced that the DOJ and Congress are investigating Omar’s skyrocketing net worth. Trump has previously called on Omar to be jailed or deported back to her native country of Somalia because she "hates" the US.

The Hill [2/1/2026 6:00 AM, Lexi Lonas Cochran, 12595K] reports the child care industry is struggling to convince parents that its facilities are safe. Providers are in a tough spot after months of immigration operations that have included parents taken in by authorities while dropping off or picking up their kids — as well as fraud allegations that have led to harassment at facilities around the country. Now, a shortage of workers that was already an issue before President Trump took office is getting worse, and some parents are looking at unlicensed child care options that the federal government doesn’t regulate as highly. The child care industry, which has been struggling with fluctuations in workers since the pandemic, is having a difficult time navigating the fear of ICE operations with worker safety. In 2019, there were 920,000 child care workers, but that number dropped by more than 30 percent before rebounding slightly, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Around 20 percent of child care workers are Latina and 22 percent are women born outside of the U.S., according to National Women’s Law Center back in 2023. “This is an industry that has been deeply underfunded for decades, and that has resulted in child care providers and business owners operating on such razor thin margins that any delay in payments or anyone who doesn’t show up to work that all has a ripple effect,” said Mary Ignatius, executive director at Parent Voices California. “And so, for staff who are concerned and not able to come to work because of the … safety of their own families, that is having an added and exacerbating what’s already a struggle to keep these child care businesses open. So, it’s just a continuous ripple effect,” she added. And while these facilities are receiving training on what to do if ICE agents show up, advocates say it does little to ease families’ minds as they feel the federal officers are not following proper protocol.

New York Post [1/31/2026 10:50 PM, Staff, 40934K] reports appalling. That’s how we describe the campaign of harassment against federal workers perpetrated by anti-ICE agitators. It needs to end now –– and law enforcement needs to prosecute those responsible. Californians watched aghast on Friday night as “peaceful” protests against ICE predictably turned violent. The mob attacked federal officers, vandalized government property and caused chaos throughout downtown Los Angeles. Now Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District in California, has admirably stepped in and vowed to act. There will be zero tolerance. “I have authorized federal officers to arrest anyone engaged in violence on the spot,” he said. Good; that sets the right tone. Now law enforcement needs to take the same approach to the Antifa thugs who have for months intimidated and abused federal workers leaving the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building. “It feels like I’m in a war zone every day,” one worker told The California Post. The agitators spit on cars, hurl racial slurs, and routinely record license plate details as part of a sustained effort to bully and intimidate, she added. On one occasion, a man tossed molotov cocktails into the federal building, but dimly failed to light them. Such attacks are unconscionable. These cowards hide behind the First Amendment, claiming free speech gives them the right to heckle and harass. That’s ridiculous. Every worker has the right to be safe and earn a living without daily torment by political agitators. This leftist culture of violence and intimidation across America needs to end. And where is Mayor Karen Bass? Why isn’t the LAPD protecting federal workers from assault? Essayli has it right: Officers must arrest those who break the law and terrorize others. Prosecutors should impose serious penalties. Criminals need consequences, or they will never stop.

New York Post [1/31/2026 8:55 PM, Jon Fleischman, 40934K] reports that, this weekend, what began as a protest in Los Angeles turned into violence. Not debate. Not a peaceful assembly. Violence. As you watch the scenes unfold on television, it feels like something that should be happening in Iran or Afghanistan — not in Los Angeles. Downtown mobs clashed with federal officers outside the Metropolitan Detention Center. Protesters were seen throwing water bottles, bottles, rocks, debris and other objects at federal and assisting law enforcement officers. A dumpster was moved into the street and set on fire outside the federal facility. The image was unmistakable: street chaos aimed directly at the seat of federal authority in the center of America’s second-largest city. This is happening yesterday and today — not in some unstable foreign capital. It is happening in Los Angeles, on streets where families work, live and commute. Yes, many people gathered earlier to protest federal immigration enforcement. That is their constitutional right. But a violent faction broke off and turned the streets into a confrontation zone where rioters attacked officers, threatened bystanders and destroyed property. Federal officers were the first on the front line. They were forced to defend a federal facility as the crowd grew more aggressive and more emboldened. Local police later moved in to support federal law enforcement efforts to disperse the crowd and arrest the people committing acts of violence and mayhem. Their role became one of reinforcement after the situation had already deteriorated into open confrontation. Los Angeles’s sanctuary posture has been treated like a moral badge by its leaders. But the moment violence erupts — assaults, vandalism, arson, obstruction — the argument is over. Those are crimes, not political statements. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has drawn the line clearly: “Every American has the right to peacefully protest. What is not constitutionally protected is a right to engage in violence … or to impede federal agents … by assaulting … or obstructing their operations.” That is not politics. That is the law, stated plainly. And yet this weekend is another reminder that Mayor Karen Bass governs by press release and platitude rather than firm, visible leadership. Angelenos do not need carefully calibrated messaging when officers are under attack outside a federal facility. They need leadership. They need unmistakable condemnation of violence and immediate enforcement that deters the next wave before it forms. Instead, we get the same pattern: public disorder first, official resolve later. More reminders of her leadership failures during the unrest from last summer, when the city also struggled to project control. Weak signals from leadership invite stronger waves of disorder. When lawlessness appears to go unchecked, the most extreme actors take that as permission to escalate. If City Hall will not enforce order early and clearly, then the federal government must protect its own people and property. President Donald Trump does not need the Insurrection Act to strengthen federal protection of federal facilities; existing federal authority already provides tools to safeguard federal property and the people on it. Los Angeles should not be a battleground between mobs and officers. It should be a city where the rule of law is not negotiable and public safety is not filtered through political caution. If Mayor Bass will not draw the bright line between protest and riot, Washington may have to draw it for her.

NewsMax [1/31/2026 4:16 PM, John McLaughlin and Jim McLaughlin, 3760K] reports despite a barrage of hostile media coverage and relentless attacks from the left, President Donald Trump’s standing with voters remains remarkably steady — especially on the issue of border security. Our latest national survey shows Trump’s job approval is unchanged from last month: 50% approve, including 36% who approve of both his persona and his policies, and another 14% who approve of his policies. Forty-seven percent disapprove. [Poll: 1,000 likely voters, plus or minus 3.1%, 95% confidence interval, conducted January 21–27]. The reason Trump’s approval remains firm is simple: His base is rock solid. Among Trump 2024 voters, his approval stands at 89% to 9%. Among Republicans, it is 88% to 11%. Among conservatives, 85% approve and just 14% disapprove. That kind of loyalty is rare in modern American politics — and it is driven largely by Trump’s unwavering stance on immigration enforcement. During a stretch of frigid, snowy weather, the biggest national political story became ICE operations in Minneapolis. Watching the legacy left-wing media’s slanted coverage of these enforcement actions made one thing clear: The press is actively trying to help anti-Trump Democrats weaken the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration law. If federal immigration enforcement is neutered, the result is de facto open borders. Millions of illegal immigrants will continue to pour into the United States — whether they are criminals, terrorists, or individuals who will drain billions of dollars in public assistance from American taxpayers. Our polling explains exactly why the left is losing this argument.

CBS News [1/31/2026 6:13 PM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 51110K] reports a new government memo disclosed in federal court granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers more leeway to carry out warrantless arrests of those suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. The directive expands the grounds ICE agents and officers can cite to conclude that getting an administrative immigration arrest warrant for someone they encounter during an operation would give that person an opportunity to flee while a warrant is sought. The memo suggests the rules are designed to give ICE greater flexibility to quickly arrest unauthorized immigrants who are not the original targets of an operation but are nonetheless encountered and found to have violated U.S. immigration law. Those detentions are known as "collateral arrests," and typically involve immigrants accused of civil immigration violations but who lack serious criminal histories or any at all. The memo was issued by acting ICE director Todd Lyons on Wednesday and submitted to a federal court in Minnesota on Friday. Its contents were first reported by New York Times.

Axios [2/1/2026 5:00 AM, Brittany Gibson, 17364K] reports a massive buyer has entered the market for commercial warehouses, sparking furious local protests: The Department of Homeland Security has scouted dozens of locations to retrofit into ICE detention centers. The biggest ones could hold as many as 9,500 people. ICE’s detention population nearly doubled over the past year, but lack of capacity was a bottleneck on mass deportations. Now that it has $45 billion to spend from the "Big, Beautiful Bill," it’s quickly making purchases for hundreds of millions of dollars. Some of the sites are warehouses previously designed for e-commerce retailers, Bloomberg reported. These sites will need additional spending to retrofit them to house people — for what can legally be up to six months — before deportation. In Hanover County, Virginia, anti-ICE protesters flooded a Board of Supervisors meeting to oppose the purchase of a roughly $50 million warehouse, as Axios Richmond’s Sabrina Moreno reported. In Hagerstown, Maryland, hundreds of protesters descended on another already-purchased warehouse, along with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) who has been a vocal voice against ICE’s expansions under the Trump administration, according to the Baltimore Banner. Minnesota, Texas, New Hampshire and New York residents packed county meeting rooms and protested detention expansions in recent weeks, according to local reports. DHS has already spent more $170 million on properties in Maryland and Arizona, according to public records reported by Bloomberg. The goal is have facilities hold approximately 500 people at smaller warehouses and between 7,500 and 9,500 at the largest ones.

Daily Caller [1/31/2026 2:33 PM, Anthony Iafrate, 803K] reports an internal memo sent to all Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel Wednesday declared the agency has the power to arrest suspected illegal immigrants, including those "likely to escape" in the time required to obtain a warrant. The memo, sent by acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons and first reported Friday by The New York Times, states the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 "unequivocally authorizes an immigration officer to execute a warrantless arrest" of an "alien" that meets one of two criteria. Lyons’s memo outlines that immigrants subject to warrantless arrests include those whom an officer has determined are "entering or attempting to enter the United States in violation of any law … regulating the admission, exclusion, expulsion, or removal of alien" or who are both in violation of such laws and are "likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained."

Washington Post [2/1/2026 6:00 AM, Colby Itkowitz, 24149K] reports Jaime Arroyo, the first Latino mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, worries about the prospect of federal immigration agents descending on his city. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say this didn’t keep me up at night,” the Democrat said in an interview, decrying what he sees as a “wrong and inhumane” strategy by the Trump administration. Jerry Dyer, the Republican mayor of Fresno, California, said it’s important that he and his counterparts in other cities speak out against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns. “That’s really all we can do right now,” said Dyer, who served as the city’s police chief for nearly 20 years. “Just allow our collective voices to be heard as mayors to see if we can’t get the administration to listen to us so that there’s a different approach.” The ongoing unrest in Minneapolis was on the minds of many mayors who gathered in Washington for a conference this past week. Interviews with a dozen mayors from both parties show distress about the Trump administration’s approach and dismay over the recent fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents. Some openly worried about how they could protect their cities if the federal government came to theirs next. Many said they were working on ways to prepare for the possibility of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in their city. The federal enforcement operation in Minneapolis has escalated tensions in the city and across the country. The deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti prompted street protests and broader public outrage, including pushback from some Republicans troubled by the Trump administration’s tactics. Trump’s border czar said late last week that his team was working on a plan to “draw down” agents, but that doing so would require state and local cooperation. Such an accord has not yet materialized and a judge on Saturday declined to order the administration to scale back its surge in Minnesota.

Breitbart [1/31/2026 10:49 AM, Warner Todd Huston, 2238K] reports several deep blue states are promising to obstruct federal law enforcement by publicly tracking the movement of and doxxing federal officers. In the State of New Jersey, for instance, Democrat Gov. Mikie Sherrill has announced that the state has debuted a "portal" where citizens can track and report the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. In another case of insurrectionary activity, the Mayor of Seattle, Washington, has also advocated for doxxing and subverting federal law enforcement. Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also announced that she is spearheading a project to reveal the names, personal information, and locations of ICE officers while pro-migration activists are trying to block law enforcement operations. Also in Illinois, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has warned ICE officers and other federal law enforcement not to remove or obscure the license plates on official vehicles because he claims it is a violation of state vehicle operating laws. The state’s radical Democrat Governor also announced an effort to thwart legal federal law enforcement actions by launching a commission aimed at hampering ICE.

USA Today [1/31/2026 11:06 AM, Jonathan Abraham, 70643K] reports with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said it’s increasingly concerned about federal law enforcement activity inside the United States. The Trump administration has engaged in immigration crackdowns in several cities across the country over the past year. The latest activity has taken place in Minnesota, where federal agents have killed two U.S. citizens over the past month. The violence has been a major worry for FSE, which told BBC Sport it is "extremely concerned by the ongoing militarization of police forces in the U.S." According to Ronan Evain, executive director of FSE, FIFA has not provided sufficient security information for traveling fans. Despite growing concerns about the fan safety at the World Cup, U.S. authorities have not ruled out the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at the tournament.

Washington Post [2/1/2026 6:00 AM, Arelis R. Hernández and María Luisa Paúl, 24149K] reports the 5-year-old boy, in a blue knit bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack, was returning from preschool when immigration officers detained him late last month in Minneapolis. A few days later, officers there took custody of a 2-year-old girl after breaking her family’s car window. Liam Conejo Ramos and Chloe Renata Tipan Villacis, along with their fathers, were flown to a family immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, an hour south of San Antonio, where detainees face long lines for basic supplies and inadequate medical care, according to people who have been housed there. They are among an escalating number of children swept up in the Trump administration’s enforcement dragnet, which has drawn mounting public outrage over its aggressive tactics and increasingly indiscriminate ramifications. The U.S. government does not provide direct information about children in immigration custody. But federal data on family detention, and independent analyses of child detentions, suggest immigration authorities are increasingly ensnaring the youngest and most vulnerable lives in President Donald Trump’s effort to deport massive numbers of undocumented immigrants. “There are other options, regardless of what you believe about immigrants, but you do not have to put children in detention,” said Dianne Garcia, a pastor at a San Antonio church that serves an immigrant population. She said authorities are trying to instill fear in families so they choose to leave the country voluntarily. On Saturday, a federal judge agreed that Liam should not be in federal custody. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered him and his father released and lambasted the Trump administration’s “ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.” The numbers are rising quickly. Over the past four months, the average number of people, including children and adults, held each month in family detention has nearly tripled, from 425 in October to 1,304 in January, according to Department of Homeland Security data. DHS did not respond directly to questions from The Washington Post asking about the number of children in federal detention and the conditions described by some migrants and their attorneys. In an email, assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the Dilley facility has been retrofitted for families and provides for their safety, security and medical needs. “All detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries,” she said. Authorities do not separate families, McLaughlin said, as parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or have them placed with someone the parent designates. In the cases of Liam and Chloe, authorities said they took custody because relatives abandoned or refused to take them. Chloe, like Liam, has been released, returned to her mother in Minneapolis, after the Trump administration belatedly complied with another judge’s order.

Politico [1/31/2026 12:00 PM, Jessica Piper, 21784K] reports the federal immigration crackdown in Maine may have ended, but the political fallout could continue to reverberate through the 2026 election. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills launched her first Senate campaign ad on Friday — and it’s focused on attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Political newcomer Graham Platner, competing with Mills for the Democratic nomination, held an anti-ICE protest at Sen. Susan Collins’ offices in Maine on Thursday, calling for her to block funds for the agency. The message from both Democrats was clear: Immigration enforcement politics is not going away, and they think it could be a winning issue as they look to unseat the only Republican senator up for reelection this year in a state former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024. But Collins’ Thursday announcement that ICE was ending its immigration enforcement campaign in Maine — dubbed Operation Catch of the Day by the Department of Homeland Security — released some of the pressure that had been building in the state for more than a week, with local leaders expressing an initial sense of relief. That campaign had left the state’s immigrant communities hiding in fear and Democrats and activists raging at their treatment. The surge disrupted life for many in southern Maine, with decreased attendance in schools, legal immigrants afraid to go to work and observers trailing ICE agents in the state. Now, in the aftermath of an operation that led to more than 200 arrests and prompted widespread protests, lawmakers and community leaders are navigating the upheaval left behind. The political impact continues to ripple. Collins’ announcement Thursday morning, which implied her conversations with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had helped sway the decision, is emblematic of how she wants voters to think of her: a powerful pragmatist who can get results, including by standing up to her own party. And it was a high-profile reminder of her longstanding case that her senior role in Washington helps her deliver for the Pine Street State. Still, Democrats and activists, buoyed by rapidly shifting public opinion around immigration enforcement after videos of violent arrests and two fatal shootings in Minneapolis, are redoubling efforts for broader restrictions on ICE and its funding — along with a reckoning on what happened in Maine. Reports of the end of the operation in Maine, they said, are not enough.

FOX News [1/31/2026 12:50 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin joins ‘Saturday in America’ reacting to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s, D-Va., order to end local law enforcement’s cooperation with ICE. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [1/31/2026 5:23 PM, Tina Moore, 40934K] reports an alleged crack-smoking, sexual-predator migrant wanted by ICE was allowed to flee through a back door of a Manhattan courthouse — infuriating federal agents, The Post has learned. Gerardo Miguel Mora, 45, was arrested Thursday for shoplifting and possession of stolen property after allegedly snatching $130 in items from an H&M display case in Midtown that day, court records show. Mora, whose country of origin was not disclosed, was collared on the Upper West Side on Jan. 7 for possession of alleged crack cocaine, according to a criminal complaint. That case is pending in court. In 2011, Mora was busted for attempted rape and strangulation after he allegedly followed a 21-year-old woman home in Midtown, choked her and tried to remove her clothes, police sources said. He was presumably deported after that, and was off the radar for 12 years. But in 2023 he was back in the US and arrested for showing a false ID. Federal authorities had been looking for Mora on a criminal arrest warrant under a section of the US code that concerns "reentry of removed aliens," law enforcement sources said. But instead of handing him over to waiting ICE agents, Mora was allowed to simply slip out the back door of Manhattan Criminal Court, law enforcement sources said. ICE agents realized Mora had been released, and chased him down outside, a source said. Mora’s now in federal custody. The Department of Justice could prosecute Mora, deport him or both.

New York Post [1/31/2026 5:49 PM, Gabrielle Fahmy, 40934K] reports New York City is set to bar ICE from operating at any of its 19 correction facilities — including Rikers Island. The Safer Sanctuary Act, which Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to sign into law in the coming days, significantly expands limits on city officials’ collaboration with federal agents during immigration crackdowns. Currently, sanctuary city status only focuses on cooperation with ICE. The bill, introduced by socialist Astoria Councilmember Tiffany Caban last year, passed the City Council in December, but was vetoed by Mayor Eric Adams on his final day in office. Adams tried to re-open an ICE office on Rikers through a controversial executive order but was shot down in September by a Manhattan judge, who ruled he was only doing so to curry favors with the Trump administration after it dropped criminal charges against him. The City Council voted 44 to 7 to override Adams’s veto Thursday, setting the Big Apple up for a showdown with the Trump Administration.

FOX News [1/31/2026 2:46 PM, Greg Norman-Diamond, Preston Mizell, 37576K] reports an MS-13 gang member and alleged mass murderer has been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Virginia, Department of Homeland Security sources told Fox News Digital. The announcement of the arrest of Edwin Antonio Hernandez Hernandez, 27, of El Salvador, comes after newly sworn-in Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed an executive order saying local and state law enforcement are no longer required to cooperate with ICE, repealing an order from her Republican predecessor, Glenn Youngkin. Sources told Fox News Digital that Hernandez has claimed to have participated in five murders in El Salvador and is an MS-13 gang member who goes by the aliases "Demente" and "Crazy." A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) report obtained by Fox News Digital said Hernandez entered the U.S. illegally near Hidalgo, Texas, in June 2015. He was then arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol, the report said, before being released from custody during immigration court proceedings. Hernandez eventually was brought back into custody by ICE on Dec. 31 in Alexandria, Va., for remaining in the U.S. without a proper visa and illegal entry, according to the report. DHS sources told Fox News Digital he was arrested after USCIS referred him to ICE.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [1/31/2026 7:47 PM, Anna Young, 40934K]

The New York Times [1/31/2026 1:03 PM, Emily Cochrane, 148038K] reports Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago ordered city police on Saturday to begin formally documenting instances of aggressive and potentially illegal federal immigration enforcement actions, looking to build cases for prosecution against the most egregious actions. Mr. Johnson’s order now codifies the role of local police in identifying agents and documenting their actions, adding to a nationwide effort by neighbors and community groups to use cellphone footage and informal databases to capture how immigration agents have used force to detain people across the country. The order, signed Saturday, instructs the Chicago Police Department to ensure that body cameras worn by officers record any use of force, injuries or other actions, as well as the name and badge number of the supervisory federal officer present at an immigration operation. Officers that are called to a scene involving federal immigration agents are also now required to report any apparent violations of state or local law — and refer cases to the state’s attorney’s office — and create a public record of how many times police have reported or responded to allegations of illegal force. It also requires Chicago police to provide immediate medical care if needed to anyone present. CBS Chicago [1/31/2026 1:44 PM, Jeramie Bizzle, 51110K] reports The "ICE On Notice" directs members of the Chicago Police Department to investigate and document any alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents. That evidence will then be referred to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The office said the order is in response to federal immigration operations, which have violated constitutionally protected rights, destabilized communities, and provoked life-threatening confrontations — highlighting the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Chicago and the killings of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park and Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The signing also comes as reports of another federal immigration surge planned in Chicago, possibly in the spring. The office said CPD will issue guidance and establish procedures for implementing the requirements of the order within 30 days.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [1/31/2026 2:13 PM, Kalea Hall, 38315K]

CBS News [1/31/2026 7:47 PM, Jonah Kaplan, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Sarah N. Lynch, 51110K] reports Gregory Bovino, the controversial Border Patrol leader who helped oversee the immigration surge in Minnesota, allegedly used language offensive to the Jewish federal officials on a recent call, multiple sources familiar with the call told CBS News. The call, which was held on Jan. 12, five days after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, involved multiple federal officials who were trying to coordinate a Saturday meeting to discuss issues related to the massive deployment of federal immigration agents in the area. Bovino was told on the call that Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, an Orthodox Jew, could not attend that meeting because he observes the Sabbath. Bovino allegedly responded with audible frustration that Rosen was not available for the Saturday meeting, sources familiar with the planning call said. One of them recounted that Bovino replied, "Do Orthodox criminals also take off on Saturday?" That source said Bovino also used the phrase "chosen people" in a disparaging manner. Another source briefed on the conversation described Bovino’s alleged remarks as an "antisemitic rant." New York Times first reported Bovino’s alleged comments. Reports of Bovino’s conduct on the call were relayed to Attorney General Pam Bondi and others in the Department of Justice, as well as the White House, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Department of Homeland Security, the White House and the Department of Justice have not yet responded to a request for comment. Bovino’s remarks contributed to a growing unease between federal immigration officials and some Minnesota-based federal prosecutors, as ICE and Border Patrol officers have engaged in a widening surge of raids and arrests, and thousands took to the streets in protest in reaction, sources told CBS News. Bovino’s sometimes brusque manner had raised concerns previously. The former Border Patrol "commander-at-large" ran afoul of a federal judge in Chicago during deportation operations there in October. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, whose injunction limited federal immigration agents’ use of force in Chicago, criticized what she called Bovino’s "cute" responses about clashes between agents and protesters. She wrote in her opinion, "Bovino appeared evasive over the three days of his deposition, either providing ‘cute’ responses to the Plaintiffs’ counsel’s questions or outright lying." In November, an appeals court paused Ellis’ injunction. Bovino was reassigned and relieved of his command in Minneapolis earlier this week after an intense backlash over how top U.S. officials, including Bovino, responded to the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by two Customs and Border Protection officers.

NPR [1/31/2026 8:22 AM, Scott Simon, 28764K] Audio: HERE reports NPR’s Scott Simon talks to Georgetown Law Professor Stephen Vladeck about tensions between federal judges and the Trump administration after the recent immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota.

NPR [1/31/2026 8:42 AM, Meg Anderson, 28764K] Audio: HERE reports Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara sees little attempts at de-escalation from the some 3,000 federal immigration agents — four times the number of sworn MPD officers — in the city.

New York Times [1/31/2026 12:55 PM, Talya Minsberg and Lauren McCarthy, 148038K] reports in the past two months, federal immigration agents have arrested thousands in the Twin Cities, detaining citizens, asylum-seekers, refugees and the undocumented. They have killed two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. And they have stopped people seemingly at random, asking for identification or simply demanding: “Where were you born?” Now, many people here are asking a question that is a novel one in America: Is it safe to leave home without proof of citizenship? Has the United States turned into a show-me-your-papers nation? For many Minnesotans, the answer has been an unequivocal yes. Residents of the United States who are not citizens can be asked to produce immigration documents. In a September 2025 case, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh also gave ICE increased discretion to detain anyone based on factors that include race and ethnicity. He wrote that people wrongly detained “may promptly go free after making clear to the immigration officers that they are U.S. citizens.” Those actions, which opponents call “Kavanaugh stops,” have become ubiquitous.

Wall Street Journal [1/31/2026 1:00 PM, Mariah Timms, 646K] reports in a typical winter, Minnesota’s transportation department would be mobilizing its heavy-duty vehicles to plow snow, but lately it has redeployed part of its fleet to block streets for protests. The local police department has blown through its entire annual overtime budget in one month. A resident underwent an unnecessary amputation after being too afraid to seek timely medical care, according to court documents. For weeks, the standoff between federal immigration agents and protesters in Minneapolis has captured national attention—most pointedly with the shooting deaths of two people by federal immigration officials. But the enforcement surge and the protests have upended daily life in the Twin Cities in much more widespread ways, leading to disruptions in critical functions such as healthcare, education, policing, and traffic flow on the city’s roads. In interviews and court filings, local officials said the situation is straining resources and putting residents at risk, even as Trump administration officials have said they plan to pull back some of the approximately 3,000 federal immigration agents and officials who have been in the Twin Cities since early December. Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who became the public face of the operation, has left, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are still on the ground. Protests also continue, as thousands took to the streets in Minneapolis on Friday. Transportation Department officials have had to take snowplow attachments off some of their trucks and add crash cushions to block roads for crowd control during protests. Forecasting whether the weather or protests will require more resources has been challenging, DOT official Bryan Dodds said in a court filing. Police departments in Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul have been fielding unusual emergency calls, including being asked to deal with cars abandoned in the middle of the road when people are swept up in immigration arrests and locals asking police to investigate whether unidentified figures are kidnappers or federal law enforcement, according to a lawsuit filed by the cities and the state of Minnesota challenging the enhanced immigration enforcement known as Operation Metro Surge. A federal judge on Saturday declined to order the administration to end or curtail the surge. The Minneapolis city tow lot is waiving fees for people reclaiming cars they had to leave stranded after they or family members were arrested by ICE—a blow to the city’s coffers.

Breitbart [1/31/2026 10:26 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports that, for the two months that federal agents have been conducting immigration raids in Minneapolis, Ana, Carlos and their son Luis have locked themselves in at home, feeling trapped behind their own deadbolt. The curtains in this Mexican family’s home stay closed all day, and the door is braced with a metal bar to keep it from being forced open. For more than a decade they’ve lived in this Midwestern city, where two US citizens were shot and killed this month by federal immigration agents, and US President Donald Trump’s second term has turned their American dream into a nightmare. “It’s inhuman to live like this, a prisoner in your own home,” Ana told AFP using a pseudonym, as do her husband and son. The 47-year-old mother has four children. Luis stays shut in with her because he was born in Mexico. The other three are native-born Americans, but she’s worried sick every time they leave the house. “I’m always afraid that even though they’re citizens, they won’t be respected and that they could be taken away just because of the color of their skin,” she said, trembling. The children know to text before they come home, or else the door won’t open when they knock. At 15, Luis longs to come and go as his brothers and sister do and dreams of walking to the fast-food spot “right down the street — when things get better.” “Right now it’s literally so close, but so far.” “It’s the only thing that makes me forget what’s going on,” he murmured. His father Carlos seethes at their current ordeal. He works installing granite countertops, and has paid nearly $11,000 in legal fees for his family’s visa applications, but the process has dragged on for nearly three years. He and Ana both have work permits. But the armed, masked agents the Trump administration has deployed into this city don’t care about that document, which no longer protects against arrest or deportation. “They give you a work permit, but it doesn’t allow you to stay in this country legally. How is that possible?” Carlos asked. “When we realized Trump had removed the protection (of the work permit) against deportation, we felt as if he swindled us,” the 43-year-old added. “I don’t think we deserve this. We haven’t done anything wrong. We are not criminals.” There are widespread fears of mistreatment amid the militarized raids favored by the two federal agencies carrying out Trump’s hardline policies, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In major Democratic strongholds of Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Chicago, teams of masked agents have stepped up street sweeps, targeting working people at bus stops and hardware stores. Carlos said things were different during Trump’s first term, and he didn’t feel the need to lock himself in because operations were more targeted.

Washington Post [2/1/2026 5:00 AM, Karen Tumulty, 24826K] reports on April 20, 1999, the nation’s attention was fixed on a shooting massacre that occurred at Columbine High School near Littleton, Colorado, killing 12 students and one teacher. That same day, in the small southern Minnesota town of Waseca, another horror was unfolding: Jayme Larson, 16, returned home from school to find the body of her 12-year-old sister, Cally Jo, stabbed, sexually assaulted and left hanging in the stairwell of their bungalow. It took police nearly a year to find the man who would be convicted. He turned out to be Lorenzo Bahena Sanchez, a Mexican citizen in the United States illegally who is now serving a life sentence in Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater. The soonest he could be released on parole is 2030. The review process will begin in early 2027, and Cally’s family has vowed to fight every step of the way. Cally’s loved ones now have a new terror: Under the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement effort, Sanchez might be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, deported and sent elsewhere, perhaps to his native Mexico, where he might walk free. Last week, Jayme’s husband, Chad, sent a frantic, anguished email to state officials, including Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell and his two U.S. senators. (The couple spoke to The Washington Post on the condition that neither their last name nor their location be used.) “We do not care if he was born here or born in Mexico, he committed a crime here. He needs to finish his sentence here — where we know exactly where he is and we know that he won’t hurt anyone else,” Chad wrote Tuesday. “We want him to take his last breath in a Minnesota prison. When he is up for parole in about a year, we will be there demanding he remain in prison. Until that time, we are seeking confirmation that he will never be turned over to ICE for deportation.” Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin pointed out, in response to an inquiry by The Washington Post, that the way detainers — such as the one that applies to Sanchez — work is that “the criminals serve their time and then are turned over to ICE. They aren’t taken out prematurely before they serve their time.” But in an interview, Schnell said handing over incarcerated inmates to ICE is indeed a new policy that is being sought by border czar Tom Homan and top officials, as part of ongoing negotiations that could lead to the withdrawal of the surge of thousands of enforcement personnel in Minneapolis. “We’ve been asked to release people from our custody who are actively serving sentences, and that’s not something that we have an interest in doing,” Schnell said.

The New York Times [1/31/2026 3:43 PM, Mattathias Schwartz and Emily Cochrane, 148038K] reports a federal judge on Saturday ordered the release of a 5-year-old boy and his father from immigration custody, condemning their removal from their suburban Minneapolis neighborhood as unconstitutional. The image of Liam Conejo Ramos, wearing a Spider-Man backpack and an oversize fluffy blue winter hat as he was detained by officers earlier this month, spurred outrage at a moment when many were already incensed by the Trump administration’s immigration tactics in Minnesota and elsewhere across the country. The flood of immigration enforcement officers into Minneapolis, known as Operation Metro Surge, has led to mass demonstrations as well as the shooting deaths of two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents. In a blistering opinion ordering Liam’s release, Judge Fred Biery of the Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas condemned “the perfidious lust for unbridled power” and “the imposition of cruelty.” The boy’s father, Adrian Conejo Arias, was also arrested and the pair were taken to an immigration detention center outside San Antonio. A lawyer for the family previously said in court filings that Mr. Conejo Arias, who is from Ecuador, had legally entered the country under American guidelines for asylum. The Department of Homeland Security had charged that Mr. Conejo Arias had entered the country illegally in December 2024. In a statement, Jennifer Scarborough and four other attorneys who represent Liam and his father praised the ruling. They said they were now working to quickly reunite the family. “We are pleased that the family will now be able to focus on being together and finding some peace after this traumatic ordeal,” they wrote. The Trump administration has said Liam was not targeted or arrested, but that Mr. Conejo Arias had asked that his son remain with him after he tried to flee from immigration agents. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, reiterated those claims in a statement late on Saturday. “The alleged mother refused to accept custody of the child,” she wrote. “The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him.” School officials have said that someone in the family home had, unsuccessfully, pleaded with agents to keep the child. FOX News [1/31/2026 6:01 PM, Brie Stimson, David Spunt and Bill Melugin, 37576K] reports U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, a Clinton nominee, wrote in his ruling that "the case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children," according to the order obtained by Fox News Digital. He invoked the Declaration of Independence in the ruling, saying, "Thirty-three-year-old Thomas Jefferson enumerated grievances against a would-be authoritarian king over our nascent nation. Among others were: 1. ‘He has sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People.’" He also cited the "pesky inconvenience called the Fourth Amendment" that protects people from "unreasonable searches and seizures." While neighbors have claimed that the government used Ramos as "bait," asking him to knock on the door to his house, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called that an "abject lie," saying his father abandoned him in a running vehicle in their driveway. "The facts in this case have NOT changed: ICE did NOT target or arrest a child," Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration. As agents approached, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias fled on foot—abandoning his child.”

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Wall Street Journal [1/31/2026 10:57 PM, Joseph Pisani, 646K]
Politico [1/31/2026 4:55 PM, Kyle Cheney, 21784K]
Houston Chronicle [1/31/2026 11:17 AM, Elizabeth Zavala, 2493K]
Washington Examiner [1/31/2026 9:19 PM, Zach LaChance, 1147K]

NPR [1/31/2026 3:04 PM, Brian Mann, 28764K] reports hundreds of protesters gathered in a central square in Milan on Saturday, demanding that U.S. ICE agents assisting with security at the Winter Olympics leave Italy. Many of the Italians who chanted and blew whistles near the grand stone arch in the Piazza XXV Aprile said they had been horrified and angered by images and videos on social media showing ICE agents operating violently in Minneapolis. "All the videos are public and everyone can see what’s happening," said Bruna Scanziani, age 18, who held up a sign with photographs of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, two American citizens killed by ICE agents. "The perception of America has changed." With the opening ceremony taking place next Friday, Italy’s government has scrambled to contain the growing political scandal over ICE’s role at the Winter Games, holding high level cabinet meetings and offering public assurances that the role of ICE agents would be limited. According to U.S. officials, meanwhile, an ICE unit from the Department of Homeland Security will help monitor for criminal activity but will conduct no immigration operations. In the past, that kind of activity by U.S. agents has been a normal part of major international events like the Olympics. But many Italian politicians, including Milan’s mayor, have said that in the wake of violence in Minneapolis, ICE officers are no longer welcome in the city.

NBC News [1/31/2026 3:39 PM, Staff, 42967K] reports the Department of Homeland Security said that Homeland Security Investigations, a unit of ICE, will be in Italy for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics to support U.S. diplomatic security. NBC News’ Claudio Lavanga spoke to Italians who gathered in Milan to protest ICE’s role at the Games. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Post [2/1/2026 5:00 AM, Jasmine Golden, 24149K] reports the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is weighing whether to overturn a lower court order in Maryland that bars immigration officials from arresting certain people during green card interviews with their U.S. citizen spouse, a tactic being employed by the Trump administration elsewhere in the country. In the appeal that was initially filed by the Biden administration, Justice Department attorneys argued on Thursday that a 2024 judgment imposing the ban should be reversed because the plaintiffs in a 2020 class-action lawsuit have been issued final orders of removal and “lack any right to remain in the United States,” according to a live stream of the oral arguments before a three-judge panel. Attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland say that the administration’s effort amounts to a “bait and switch,” in that, under its current policy, people with final orders of removal are invited with their U.S. citizen spouse to show up for a green card interview to begin a first step toward gaining legal permanent status. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers then arrested some while they were in the offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for the interview. “If you want to change that policy, you have to issue new rules, or you have to rescind the old ones,” said Michael Abrams, an attorney working with the ACLU of Maryland on a pro bono basis. “That’s why it’s become this procedural fight about how the government is supposed to work.” The legal dispute revolves around rules the Department of Homeland Security instituted in 2013 that allowed for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to seek what is known as a provisional unlawful presence waiver, meant to avoid long periods of separation that begins with the green card application that prompts an interview to confirm a marriage. Getting approval for the waiver is a step to legal residency that lifts a 10-year bar on reentry for people found to have been in the country illegally. In 2016, DHS extended the process to people with final removal orders, according to the federal register.

Breitbart [1/31/2026 1:51 PM, Bob Price, 2238K] reports a San Antonio woman who helped run a multimillion‑dollar human‑smuggling ring moving illegal aliens from Eagle Pass to the Alamo City was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison. The sentencing follows her conviction for the death of a smuggled illegal alien who died in a packed trailer and was dumped in a ditch near her property, the Justice Department announced. Federal prosecutors say 36‑year‑old Erica Aracely Carmona helped coordinate a smuggling pipeline that moved more than 500 illegal aliens and generated over $4.7 million in revenue during the Biden-era border crisis. The Texas woman bought a Von Ormy, Texas, property with smuggling profits and used custom trailers and hidden compartments to move illegal aliens. Prosecutors said Carmona was a member of an Alien Smuggling Organization (ASO) that was responsible for the smuggling of more than 500 illegal aliens in the first year of the Biden Border Crisis, January 2021 to July 2022. During that period, they ASO generated more than $4.7 million in illicit proceeds from the smuggling of humans, frequently under inhumane conditions. Law enforcement arrested Carmona on August 23, 2022, and she pleaded guilty on December 9, 2022. This week, the judge in Del Rio, Texas, sentenced Carmona to 231 months in federal prison and assessed a money judgment of $955,350 on the charge of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death.

FOX News [1/31/2026 6:47 PM, Sophia Compton, 37576K] Video: HERE reports Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday touted sweeping Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations at Miami International Airport, saying the efforts have played a critical role in protecting U.S. transportation networks. Speaking at a news conference at the airport, Noem said TSA officers prevented more than 10,000 people with suspected ties to narcoterrorism from traveling over the past year. She added that an additional 85,000 people linked to terrorism or listed on the U.S. terrorism watch list were also stopped from boarding flights. "What has happened here at this airport is that over the last year they have prevented over 10,000 individuals from traveling that had ties to narcoterrorism, 85,000 individuals that had similar ties to terrorists and to terrorists on the watch list in the United States," Noem said. Noem also highlighted Miami International Airport’s human trafficking unit, which conducted more than 2,200 inspections in the past year. Those efforts resulted in 24 arrests related to child exploitation. The unit also confiscated 85 firearms from travelers — 82 of them loaded at the time of discovery, according to Noem. "It’s incredible the work that they have done to keep people safe, which is the mission that the Department of Homeland Security seeks to do every single day," Noem said.

USA Today [1/31/2026 7:12 AM, Zach Wichter, 70643K] reports just months after Congress averted the last shutdown, lawmakers hit another wall at midnight on Jan. 31 after failing to pass the full slate of funding bills by the Jan. 30 deadline. On Friday, the Senate approved a continuing resolution to keep Department of Homeland Security funded for two more weeks while the rest of the government gets full-year funding, but that deal now waits in the House, which is in recess and won’t vote until Monday at the earliest. If the House rejects the plan or delays action, the shutdown could stretch beyond the weekend, though most appropriators still expect a relatively short closure given the bipartisan momentum before the deadline. Some travelers may already be noticing a high number of flight disruptions on Saturday, Jan. 31, but that’s unrelated to the potential shutdown. Airlines preemptively canceled flights ahead of Winter Storm Gianna, which is predicted to pound the East Coast with heavy snow and damaging winds over weekend. FAA and TSA employees who perform essential functions related to flight safety continue working during a shutdown. Still, the longer a shutdown lasts, the more likely they are to have to miss work. It’s not yet clear when, how, or whether flights will be affected by the latest shutdown.

USA Today [2/1/2026 12:01 AM, Eve Chen, 70643K] reports time to pay up if you fly without a REAL ID or an accepted alternative. Effective Sunday, Feb. 1, travelers lacking REAL ID-compliant identification must pay a new $45 fee to have their identity verified through the Transportation Security Administration’s new ConfirmID program. "All travelers 18+ will need to pay the $45 fee for TSA ConfirmID to attempt to have their identities verified. The fee goes towards the cost of the alternate identity verification, which until now has been shouldered by the taxpayers as a whole," TSA told USA TODAY by email. "The two options are to have a REAL ID or an acceptable ID, or to pay the $45 fee to participate in TSA ConfirmID. There is a not a free option.” Travelers have been required to present REAL IDs or other acceptable identification at airport security checkpoints since last May, when the REAL ID Act took full effect, after years of advance notice. "It’s the law, and this law has been effect since 2005," Acting Executive Assistant Administrator for TSA Steve Lorincz said in a video the agency shared with news media. "It’s one of the recommendations from the 9/11 Commission. ID verification is critical to TSA and critical to TSA’s layered security approach process. So for us, our security and safety is paramount, and this is one of those layers that is critical to make sure that the system is safe.” However, he noted 6% of U.S. airline passengers still aren’t complying.

New York Times [1/31/2026 8:21 PM, Eduardo Medina, Amy Graff, Kevin Maurer, and Nick Madigan, 148038K] reports there were still eggs, baby snacks and two small generators at Kwadwo Som-Pimpong’s house on Saturday in Asheville, N.C., where a winter storm last weekend threatened to potentially knock out power and trees. In the end, his home and much of the state were spared from those icy hazards. Now, Mr. Som-Pimpong and his 1-year-old son once again had on their thickest jackets and gloves, watching fluffy snow drape the mountains, as another winter storm coated their world in white. But as cold, puffy flakes fell on the toddler’s cheeks, his reaction reflected the opinions of Carolinians fed up with their unusual burst of frigid temperatures. “His face was just neutral,” Mr. Som-Pimpong said. “It’s like he’s saying, ‘Get me out of here.’” No matter the winter fatigue, especially after many people’s fruitless search for dwindling supplies of salt, another round of bitterly cold weather was settling across North and South Carolina on Saturday, bringing several inches of snow, gusty winds and dangerous road conditions. For many, it was also spurring excitement about statewide snow days. From the mountains out west to beach towns along the eastern coastline, officials in the Carolinas warned residents about the latest burst of Arctic temperatures that threatened to cause blizzard-like conditions in some areas over the weekend. Power outages were possible, especially with a second band of snow expected to hit both states on Saturday afternoon. Strong tides and powerful winds could cause flooding in some parts of North Carolina’s coast, especially the Outer Banks, officials said. And temperatures were expected to sink to below 20 degrees or into the single digits on Saturday night for much of North Carolina and persist through Sunday morning, meaning the snow will most likely stick around through at least early next week. “Our greatest concern is unsafe travel,” said Gov. Josh Stein of North Carolina, noting that the state’s Department of Transportation employees had been working up to 100-hour weeks to keep roads clear since last week. Every county in the Carolinas was under a winter storm warning through at least early Sunday morning.

FOX News [1/31/2026 5:06 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports FOX Weather meteorologist Haley Meier reports live from Greenville, N.C., as a Nor’easter intensifies into a bomb cyclone, slamming the Carolinas with heavy snow and blizzard conditions on ‘Fox Report.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The New York Post [1/31/2026 2:21 PM, Ella Morrison, 40934K] reports the search for TV star fisherman and his crew who are missing off the coast of Massachusetts after their boat sank on Friday in the midst of dangerous winter weather plaguing the East Coast, has been called off. Captain Gus Sanfilippo, his crew, and a fishery observer from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were on board the 72-foot boat, when the Coast Guard received a radio beacon alert shortly before 7 a.m. Friday morning. The Coast Guard issued an emergency alert after not being able to make contact with the crew, and sent a helicopter and boat crew to the location, according to the agency. Rescuers found one person dead, floating in the water amongst debris and an empty lifeboat when they arrived at the location. The person who died has not yet been identified by officials and six people remain missing at sea. The search and rescue effort spearheaded by Coast Guard Commander Timothy Jones on Friday, has been suspended, the agency said Saturday. Jones noted that sea spray was freezing on vessels in the area and caused a serious danger to both the missing fishing crew and rescuers. The AP [1/31/2026 3:36 PM, Michael Casey, Rodrique Ngowi and Patrick Whittle, 12718K] reports that the Coast Guard launched a search and rescue mission early Friday after receiving an alert from the 72-foot Lily Jean about 25 miles off Cape Ann. Searchers found a debris field near where the alert was sent along with a body in the water and an empty life raft, the Coast Guard said. The mission covered about 1,000 square miles using multiple aircraft, cutters and small boats over a 24-hour period. But after consultation between mission coordinators and on-scene commanders, the Coast Guard announced Saturday it had determined that all reasonable search efforts for the missing crew members had been exhausted. Officials said there wasn’t a mayday call from Lily Jean as it navigated the frigid Atlantic Ocean on its way home to Gloucester, Mass., America’s oldest fishing port. The Coast Guard was notified by the boat’s beacon that alerts when it hits the water.

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Breitbart [1/31/2026 11:06 AM, Amy Furr, 2238K]

CBS News [1/31/2026 7:13 PM, Staff, 51110K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search Saturday morning for the six missing crewmembers of the fishing vessel Lily Jean that sank off the coast of Gloucester after one body was recovered a day earlier. Crews searched continuously for more than 24 hours after the 72-foot boat’s emergency beacon activated 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann Friday at about 6:50 a.m. During the search, Coast Guard air and surface crews located a debris field in the area and one body in the water. Seven people were reported to be on the vessel at the time. The Coast Guard said the missing include five crewmembers of the Lily Jean and a NOAA observer. Crews also recovered an unoccupied life raft and other debris that would come off the boat as it would sink, the Coast Guard said. At a press conference on Saturday afternoon, state Sen. Bruce Tarr said the life raft and emergency beacon are designed to be activated "without human intervention." "The decision to suspend the search was incredibly difficult," said Capt. Jamie Frederick, commander of Coast Guard Sector Boston. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all the family members and friends of the lost crew of the Lily Jean, and with the entire Gloucester community during this heartbreaking time." The cause of the incident is under investigation, but the Coast Guard’s Timothy Jones said the boat was "coming back in full of fish" and may have had an equipment issue. The Coast Guard said crews conducted coordinated search patterns that covered approximately 1,047 square miles using multiple aircraft, cutters and small boats. Search and rescue mission coordinators and commanders determined that "all reasonable search efforts for the missing crewmembers had been exhausted." The names of those on board the Lily Jean will be released in the coming days, the Coast Guard said. Tarr said the captain is well known and one of the "kindest, nicest individuals on the face of this earth." Ricky Beal told WBZ-TV that his brother Paul Beal and nephew Paul Jr. were on board the vessel. Gloucester Mayor Paul Lundberg said the sinking of the Lily Jean is a tragedy the community has experienced before, but one it will never get used to. "Fishing is the heart and soul of Gloucester," Lundberg said in a statement. "Every day fishermen risk their lives facing treacherous conditions to provide for their families in order to feed our collective family. We consider everyone who fishes from this port our family and that’s what makes times like this trying." Mayor Lundberg said the names of those lost on the Lily Jean will be added to the city’s Fisherman’s Memorial. "We join as a state in expressing our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of those aboard the vessel," Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said. "We join with the families; the fishing community, the city of Gloucester and I know people up and the down the East Coast of the United States who have reached out in mourning this day and in grieving seven brave individuals who were out there doing their job." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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ABC News [1/31/2026 8:32 AM, Staff, 34146K]
Washington Times [1/31/2026 2:57 PM, Brad Matthews, 1323K]

New York Post [1/31/2026 6:04 PM, Rich Calder, 40934K] reports how sweet it isn’t! The owner of an East River booze-cruise line allegedly told the operators of Domino Park in Brooklyn to "go f—k yourselves" for trying recouping roughly $40,000 in damages resulting from a party boat slamming into the popular green space, sources told The Post. Reps from real estate titan Two Trees Management — which opened the $50 million public park in 2018 as part of its mixed-use rental project in Williamsburg paying tribute to the old Domino Sugar Plant that once operated there – fired off letters Friday to federal, state, and city agencies urging they investigate the Oct. 17 incident involving the Sir Winston vessel. Two Trees also wants authorities to consider "enforcement, corrective, or operational measures" to prevent future "incidents." There were no reported injuries, and the US Coast Guard and FDNY tugged the boat to Pier 36 in Manhattan. Michael Lampariello, the park’s director for Two Trees, alleged in his letter to the Coast Guard, EPA, the NYC Economic Development Corp., and other government agencies that R and D Cruise Lines Inc. and its owner Raj Rahaman are to blame for "serious infrastructure damage and creating a major risk to public safety."

FOX News [1/31/2026 5:04 PM, Eric Shawn, 37576K] reports shouts of "Trump act now!" filled the sunny Saturday afternoon on New York’s Fifth Avenue as hundreds of anti-Iranian regime protestors denounced the theocratic regime in Tehran and called for the U.S. to take action against Iran. "We want freedom for the Iranian people," said protester Sarah Shahi. "We want this theocracy that has been taking people’s rights away to be taken out with whatever means necessary. We need help when so many people have been killed." The protesters gathered across the street from the residence of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations and called for the regime in Tehran to be toppled. One protester’s sign showed a photograph of current Iranian UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani with the words "A terrorist lives here." "For the people of the Islamic republic to be residing here is just so unjust," said Shahi. "But it is the closest thing we have to an embassy" as a protest location. Since Iran does not have diplomatic relations with the United States, the building is the only Iranian government-owned property in the country.

Reuters [1/31/2026 11:22 PM, Trevor Hunnicutt, 36480K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he believed the United States would "work a deal" on Cuba.

His comments came days after threatening tariffs on any country supplying Cuba with oil. Trump reiterated his call for Cuba to negotiate with the United States. "It doesn’t have to be a humanitarian crisis," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida. "I think they probably would come to us and want to make a deal ... They have a situation that’s very bad for Cuba. They have no money. They have no oil. They lived off Venezuelan money and oil, and none of that’s coming now." In 2025, Venezuela was Cuba’s largest oil supplier, meeting roughly one-third of the island’s daily needs. Supply from Venezuela dropped following the U.S. blockade on shipments from there, even before the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Reuters exclusively reported in January that Mexico, Cuba’s top supplier after Venezuela cut off shipments in December, was reviewing whether to continue sending oil amid fears it could face retaliation from Washington.

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AP [1/31/2026 10:35 PM, Staff, 16072K]

Telemundo [1/31/2026 4:25 PM, Staff, 162K] reports the energy crisis in Cuba intensifies after the recent announcement by the United States government declaring a state of emergency , considering the Havana regime a threat to US security and increasing pressure to prevent any other country from supplying fuel to Havana. In this context, and while the country’s reserves are running out, Cuba will experience one of the most severe blackouts recorded to date this Saturday , with power cuts simultaneously affecting up to 63% of the island during peak demand hours, according to official data released by the state-owned Electric Union (UNE) . This is the second highest peak documented in January , following a prediction ten days ago that 62% of the country would be affected. Furthermore, it is the highest rate since 2022 , the year Cuba began publishing detailed figures on power outages.

Breitbart [1/31/2026 5:58 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports the new head of the US diplomatic mission to Venezuela arrived in the country on Saturday and was welcomed by the South American country’s foreign minister, as relations gradually warm after the ouster of Nicolas Maduro in a US military raid. "I just arrived in Venezuela. My team and I are ready to work," Laura Dogu said in a post in Spanish on the US Embassy of Venezuela’s X account, accompanied by photos of her disembarking a plane. Dogu, a former ambassador to Nicaragua and Honduras, was named last week as US charge d’affaires in Venezuela. A charge d’affaires is the head of a diplomatic mission in the absence of a full ambassador. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil received Dogu after her arrival.

Bloomberg [1/31/2026 10:39 PM, Tamsin McMahon and Jennifer A Dlouhy, 18082K] reports President Donald Trump said Saturday he welcomed investment by China and India in Venezuela’s oil industry. “China is welcome to come in and will make a great deal on oil,” Trump told reporters during a flight to Mar-a-Lago on Air Force One. He added that the US is working with India on a deal to purchase Venezuelan oil. “India’s coming in and they’re going to be buying Venezuelan oil, as opposed to buying it from Iran,” he said. “We’ve already made the deal, the concept of that deal.” Earlier this week, Venezuela’s acting president signed off on historic changes to the country’s nationalist oil policy that would reduce taxes and allow greater ownership for foreign oil companies, less than a month after US forces captured longtime leader Nicolas Maduro. Shortly after, US Treasury Department issued a general license expanding the ability for US companies to export, sell and refine crude coming from the sanctioned South American country. The US is set to import the most Venezuelan oil in a year after the Trump administration moved to control the country’s energy supply and pressed oil companies to invest $100 billion in rebuilding the country’s oil infrastructure. Yet as the US emerges as the biggest recipient of Venezuelan oil following Maduro’s capture, shipments to China — which averaged 400,000 barrels a day last year — fell to zero in January amid a US naval crackdown on the so-called dark fleet of vessels used to transport sanctioned oil to China. Most of the oil arriving in the US comes from Chevron Corp., which holds a US license to sell sanctioned Venezuelan crude. About 20% is being supplied by commodity traders Trafigura Group and Vitol Group, which were tapped by the Trump administration to help sell up to 50 million barrels of oil after Maduro’s ouster in early January. Vitol and Trafigura are on course to lift 14 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Much of that supply was on ships that were initially bound for China and were loaded before January. The traders have placed around 9 million barrels of that oil in Caribbean storage tanks, while the rest is going to the US and Europe.

Reuters [1/31/2026 9:47 PM, Trevor Hunnicutt and Nidhi Verma, 38315K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said India will buy Venezuelan oil, helping to replace some of the Russian oil that the world’s third-biggest oil importer buys. "We’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to his vacation home in Florida from Washington. Reuters reported on Friday that the United States has told Delhi it could soon resume purchases of Venezuelan oil to help replace imports of Russian oil, citing three people familiar with the matter. India stopped buying oil from Caracas last year after Trump in March imposed a 25% tariff on countries buying Venezuelan oil. In his comments on Saturday, Trump said India would buy Venezuelan oil instead of Iranian crude. However, New Delhi stopped loading oil from Iran in 2019 due to U.S. sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Indian refiners turned to U.S. oil to make up for the loss of Iranian supply, then curbed U.S. purchases and became the top buyer of Russian seaborne oil sold at a discount after Western nations imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump in August doubled duties on imports from India to 50% to pressure New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil, and earlier this month said the rate could rise again if it did not curb its purchases. However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled in January that the additional 25% tariff on Indian goods could be removed, given what he called a sharp reduction in Indian imports of Russian oil. The U.S. government this week lifted some sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry to make it easier for U.S. companies to sell its crude oil. Trump’s comments on Saturday appeared to reflect continued improvement in U.S.-India relations, which have been tense throughout the past year. Trump also said China could make a deal with the U.S. to buy Venezuelan oil. "China is welcome to come in and would make a great deal on oil," Trump said, without providing any details.

FOX News [1/31/2026 6:15 PM, Brie Stimson, 37576K] reports hundreds of Danish protesters, many of whom are military veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, staged a demonstration in Copenhagen on Saturday outside the U.S. Embassy. The group was protesting President Donald Trump’s push that the U.S. acquire Greenland from Denmark and his remarks at Davos that NATO forces "stayed a little back" when they fought alongside the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan. "They have a feeling that they’ve been betrayed," Carsten Rasmussen, president of the Danish Veterans Association, told The Associated Press. "And of course, they are angered by this. They deployed. They fought with the Americans. They fought with the Brits. They fought together. They bled together. And as you have heard here in front of the American embassy today, 52 of them never returned."

FOX News [1/31/2026 3:35 PM, Jacqui Heinrich and Michael Dorgan, 37576K] Video: HERE reports President Donald Trump has said the U.S. could not share military plans with Gulf allies while negotiating with Iran, even as a major American naval presence moves into the region. Trump, speaking with Fox News Channel Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, responded to reporting that Gulf allies remain in the dark about potential U.S. intervention plans involving Iran. It comes as Trump is understood to be weighing his options on a possible military strike on Iran amid widespread protests and violent crackdowns inside the country. ‘‘Well, we can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan — it could be worse, actually,’’ Trump said. ‘‘But look, the plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens… We have a big fleet heading out there, bigger than we had — and still have, actually — in Venezuela.’’ A senior Gulf official told Fox News that Saudi Arabia would not allow the U.S. to use its airspace or bases for an attack. A high-ranking government figure from a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) state told Fox News that the ‘‘U.S. hasn’t shared objectives or plans’’ regarding Iran with Gulf allies, despite recent high-level Saudi meetings in Washington aimed at gaining clarity. Gulf allies have said Iran frequently seeks negotiations, but they remain skeptical that talks will lead to a deal. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [2/1/2026 4:21 AM, Michael Sinkewicz, 37576K] reports President Donald Trump said Saturday he believes Iran is negotiating "seriously" with the U.S., stressing that he hopes an "acceptable" deal can be brokered. The president’s comments were made as he reportedly weighs options on a possible military strike on Iran amid widespread protests and a violent crackdown in the country. When asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One whether he had decided on a strike against Iran, Trump responded, "I certainly can’t tell you that." "But we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction," he added. "I hope they negotiate something that’s acceptable." The president then sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would be emboldened if the U.S. opted not to launch strikes on Iran, saying, "Some people think that. Some people don’t." "You could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons," Trump said. "They should do that, but I don’t know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.” Trump has said the U.S. will not share military plans with Gulf allies while negotiating with Iran, even as U.S. naval forces surge into the region. Speaking with Fox News Channel senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Saturday, Trump said, "We can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan — it could be worse, actually.”

Reuters [2/1/2026 1:40 AM, Staff, 38315K] reports Iran considers as "terrorist groups" the armies of EU countries that listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the bloc’s list of terrorist organisations, the speaker of the Iranian parliament said on Sunday. The European Union marked a symbolic shift in its approach to Iran’s leadership on Thursday by designating the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, following what turned out to be the Islamic Republic’s bloodiest crackdown of protests since its establishment in 1979. "By trying to hit the Revolutionary Guards... the Europeans actually shot themselves in the foot and once again made a decision against the interests of their people by blindly obeying the Americans," the speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, told his fellow lawmakers, who all wore Revolutionary Guards uniforms in support of the elite force. "According to Article 7 of the law on countermeasures against the designation of the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, the armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups." Qalibaf said the national security parliamentary commission would deliberate on the expulsion of EU countries’ military attaches and follow up on the issue with the foreign ministry. The Revolutionary Guards issued a statement on Sunday saying that the EU’s decision complicated "the path to constructive interaction and cooperation" while strengthening "confrontational approaches". Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that if the U.S. attacked Iran it would become a regional conflict, state media reported.

AP [2/1/2026 5:26 AM, Jon Gambrell, 31753K] reports Iran’s supreme leader warned Sunday that any attack by the United States would spark a “regional war” in the Mideast, further escalating tensions as President Donald Trump has threatened to militarily strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on recent nationwide protests. The comments from the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are the most-direct threat he’s made so far as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and associated American warships are in the Arabian Sea, sent by Trump there after Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. It remains unclear whether Trump will use force. He’s repeatedly said Iran wants to negotiate and has brought up Tehran’s nuclear program as another issue he wants to see resolved. But Khamenei also referred to the nationwide protests as “a coup,” hardening the government’s position as tens of thousands of people reportedly have been detained since the start of the demonstrations. Sedition charges in Iran can carry the death penalty, which again renews concerns about Tehran carrying out mass executions for those arrested — a red line for Trump. Iran had also planned a live-fire military drill for Sunday and Monday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes. The U.S. military’s Central Command had warned against threatening American warships or aircraft during the drill or disrupting commercial traffic.

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