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 Post [2/6/2026 2:45 AM, Staff, 40934K] reports the US military said Thursday that it has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean. US Southern Command said on social media that the boat "was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations." It said the strike killed two people. A video linked to the post shows a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames. The strike was announced just hours after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that "some top cartel drug-traffickers" in the region "have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY due to recent (highly effective) kinetic strikes in the Caribbean.” However, Hegseth did not provide any details or information to back up this claim, made in a post on his personal account on social media. Neither US Southern Command nor the Pentagon would answer follow-up questions about Hegseth’s claim. The boat attacks, which began in September 2025, have slowed in frequency since January — a month that only saw one strike after the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. By contrast, the Pentagon struck more than dozen boats in December 2025. Thursday’s attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats to 128 people. Last week, the military said that figure was up to 126 people, with the inclusion of those presumed dead after being lost at sea. That figure included 116 people who were killed immediately in at least 36 attacks carried out since early September in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, US Southern Command said. Ten others are believed dead because searchers did not locate them following a strike. Meanwhile, the families of two Trinidadian nationals killed in a Trump administration boat strike in October sued the federal government last week, calling the attack a war crime and part of an "unprecedented and manifestly unlawful US military campaign.” The suit is believed to be the first wrongful death case arising from the campaign and will test the legal justification of the attacks, which many experts say are a brazen violation of the laws of armed conflict. President Donald Trump has said the US is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing "narcoterrorists.” CBS News [2/5/2026 10:12 PM, Joe Walsh, 51110K] reports President Trump has argued the boat strikes are necessary to quell narcotics trafficking. His administration has told Congress the U.S. is in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels, and the alleged smugglers who crew the boats are "unlawful combatants." Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, argue the strikes are legally unjustified and accuse the administration of failing to produce enough evidence that the boats were carrying drugs toward the U.S. Revelations last year that two survivors of the campaign’s first strike on Sept. 2 were killed by a follow-on attack also drew steep criticism. Congressional Democrats have also broadly criticized the Trump administration’s military buildup near Central and South America, including the boat strikes and Maduro’s capture, noting that Congress hasn’t authorized the use of military force. The administration has asserted that the operations are legal and don’t require approval from lawmakers. Democrats have introduced resolutions that aim to limit military operations in the region, but they have failed to pass. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] CNN [2/5/2026 9:42 PM, Aleena Fayaz, 612K] reports that the US military in early January captured Maduro from Caracas and brought him to New York to face criminal charges, which he pleaded not guilty to last month. Some members of Congress, as well as human rights groups, have questioned the basis of the strikes and argued that potential drug traffickers should face prosecution, as had been the policy of interdiction carried out by the US before President Donald Trump took office. The families of two men believed to have been killed in an October military strike on a boat in the region filed a lawsuit last week against the US government for wrongful death and extrajudicial killing of the men. FOX News [2/5/2026 11:46 PM, Michael Sinkewicz, 37576K] reports that the strike was carried out at the direction of U.S. Southern Command Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, who assumed command Thursday. Donovan was sworn in during a ceremony at the Pentagon, succeeding acting commander U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan L. Pettus. "Together with our partner nations, we will continue to address shared challenges, uphold democratic values, and ensure a safe and prosperous future for the region," Donovan said in a statement. This is a developing story.

CBS News [2/5/2026 11:09 AM, Sarah Lynch Baldwin, Pat Milton, Jordan Freiman, 51110K] reports President Trump said he is directing all federal law enforcement to be at the disposal of Savannah Guthrie’s family as the search continues for her mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. "I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY," Mr. Trump said on social media Wednesday night. "We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely." A White House official said the president called Savannah Guthrie, who co-hosts NBC’s "Today" show. The call took place right after NBC interviewed the president on Wednesday, NBC said on its streaming platform. Authorities are trying to figure out what happened to Nancy Guthrie, who went missing over the weekend. In an emotional video released Wednesday night, Savannah Guthrie pleaded for her mother’s return and addressed any possible abductor or abductors, saying, "We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us." Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken from her Tucson, Arizona, home, but say they haven’t identified any suspects or persons of interest in the case, and it isn’t clear how many people may have taken Guthrie. Savannah Guthrie said she and her family are aware of reports of a ransom note. Multiple media organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they gave to investigators. "We live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her," Savannah Guthrie said in the video posted on social media. Law enforcement is intensifying their search. Pima County sheriffs and the FBI returned to Nancy Guthrie’s home Wednesday evening, putting up crime scene tape and combing through the property. Former FBI agent Katherine Schweit — who worked on a similar case where an elderly woman in Wisconsin was kidnapped, held for ransom and eventually freed after five days — said "everybody is working as frantically as they can." "There are hundreds of people working on this," she said Thursday on "CBS Mornings." According to Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, U.S. Border Patrol’s specialized search and rescue unit BORSTAR has provided support to Pima County officials handling the search. The community in Tucson is holding on to hope. A few hundred people gathered at a church Wednesday evening for a vigil for Nancy Guthrie, hearing prayers and placing candles on an altar. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
NewsNation [2/5/2026 2:48 PM, Nancy Loo, 4464K]

USA Today [2/5/2026 9:01 AM, Terry Collins, 70643K] reports security at the Super Bowl has always been of paramount concern, typically drawing its fair share of attention outside of the big game itself. But the critical topic that traditionally focuses on the scores of highly visible (and not-so-visible) federal and local law enforcement officers on scene, an undisclosed number of surveillance cameras and various high-tech command centers scanning the skies above and every entrance and everything in between, has been vastly overshadowed by the specter of Immigration and Customs Enforcement imposing its presence across the San Francisco Bay Area. Yet, days before the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks clash at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8, NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier said ICE will not be anywhere around, and Homeland Security, the department that oversees it, will not conduct any immigration enforcement. "We are confident of that. Our Department of Homeland Security, who’s been our partner for more than 20 years now and is made up of more than 20 different departments, will send a variety of different agencies," Lanier said during a press conference, addressing multiple questions about the deployment of federal agents. "It does not include ICE. There is no ICE deployed with us at the Super Bowl," Lanier continued. "And I don’t believe there has been in the last several (Super Bowl games)." Additionally, Lanier said there are no known specific or credible threats to the Super Bowl or any related events. Emphasizing that federal security presence during this Super Bowl will be no different than at other major sporting events, including the Olympics, the World Cup and past Super Bowls, Lanier’s comments come at a time when America’s ongoing political divisiveness has been viewed by some as seeping into the sports world. Lanier and her security teams have an unenviable task, said Corri Zoli, a researcher at Syracuse University’s Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute. "There are a lot of serious matters and performative politics at play," Zoli told USA TODAY. "But this is a colossal public safety challenge, and at the end of the day, Homeland Security and local law enforcement have to manage the real and fundamental issues by working in tandem to keep people safe." Officials say Super Bowl LX security planning has been ongoing for the past 18 months. It’s designated as a "Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1," event, a top-tier level that includes comprehensive surveillance, bomb-sniffing dogs and strict clear bag policies for those attending most events, including the game. Among the agencies assisting are the Transportation Safety Administration, Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service, if the president attends. And while they don’t anticipate unusual ICE activity, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office released a statement on Feb. 3 that said, "California will work with state and local officials to ensure everyone’s safety." That team effort is going to be crucial, Zoli said. "There shouldn’t be a wedge in the ability to collaborate," Zoli said. "Nobody wants to see a public safety crisis in the middle of the Super Bowl with the whole world watching."

(B) NBC News Daily [2/5/2026 12:38 PM, Staff] reports Security for the Super Bowl started about a year and a half ago. NFL has been working with authorities at the local and county level. Federal authorities will be there working in conjunction with them as well. A representative from the US Coast Guard said yesterday as of right now there are no credible threats to speak of.

The Hill [2/5/2026 7:07 AM, Jesse Byrnes, 18170K] reports President Trump is signaling that he’s taking a different approach to his immigration enforcement plan amid backlash to his policies and with the midterm elections on the horizon. The administration has already begun to shift its strategy in the aftermath of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, having replaced Gregory Bovino, the commander of U.S. Border Patrol, as the official overseeing the situation in the city. White House border czar Tom Homan, who has taken a more conciliatory tone on the two deaths, has now been on the ground there for the past week. He quickly said after arriving that the administration was working to “draw down” the federal presence in Minnesota. Homan announced Wednesday that 700 immigration officials would withdraw from Minneapolis, while he and Trump said they were serious about continuing to crack down on illegal immigration. Still, the president seems to be pivoting away from his hardest-line immigration approach as polls increasingly show more voters disapprove of how he’s handling the issue, which was long an area of strong support. Trump acknowledged in an interview Wednesday with NBC anchor Tom Llamas that the administration could use a “softer touch” on immigration in response to a question about what he’s learned from Minneapolis. “I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough,” Trump said. Trump claimed that Pretti and Good were “not angels” but said the fatal shootings were not justified. “It should not have happened,” he said. “It was a very sad incident, two incidents.” The president acknowledged that his administration has a public relations problem on immigration. “What happens is that, I think we do a phenomenal job, but I don’t think we’re good at public relations,” Trump told NBC. Llamas asked the president about comments from podcaster Joe Rogan, who said he understands why Trump’s critics compare U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Gestapo asking people for their papers. Trump called Rogan “a great guy” and said the two had a “great conversation” several days earlier during which they talked about the issues surrounding ICE’s immigration enforcement “a little bit.” He told Llamas that the decision to withdraw hundreds of immigration officials from Minneapolis came from him. Homan said those being pulled out are a mix of Border Patrol agents and ICE officers. He said the decision came after federal, state and local officials agreed to cooperate on its enforcement efforts and noted that 2,000 officers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would remain.

The Hill [2/5/2026 1:04 PM, Staff, 18170K] reports that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefed reporters Thursday afternoon, a day after President Trump signaled his administration could use a “softer touch” on immigration enforcement. The shift came as the Department of Homeland Security is facing backlash after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by federal immigration authorities in separate incidents last month in Minneapolis — sparking calls for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to step aside and a battle over long-term funding for the agency. Trump is also set to officially launch his TrumpRx website later Thursday, a direct-to-consumer, lower-cost platform for prescription drugs. The launch is directly related to the administration’s “most favored nation” drug pricing policy unveiled last year. He will be joined by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Daily Wire [2/5/2026 8:41 AM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports President Donald Trump seemed to signal a major change in his approach to federal immigration raids during an interview with NBC News that aired on Wednesday. When looking at the next cities to send federal immigration agents, Trump said he’s not going to take the approach of thrusting ICE on areas that don’t want officers there. "I say they have to ask, and they have to say please," Trump told NBC News’ Tom Llamas, referring to mayors and governors. "I don’t wanna go and force ourselves into a city, even if their numbers are terrible. Like, for instance, I got a call from Jeff Landry, governor of Louisiana. He said, ‘We have a big problem. Could you go in and help us with,’" Trump said. There are five new cities Trump has set his sights on for the next immigration raids, he said while declining to disclose the locations. "We have five cities that we’re looking at very strongly, but we want to be invited," he said. "We’ll be announcing them very quickly. But— we could do something. As an example, I was called by people. San Francisco said, ‘Please, we have a Democrat mayor. He’s trying very hard. Would you’— friends of mine that live there. It’s got crime problems. ‘Would you let him do the job and not come in? Let’s see how it works.’ I said, ‘Look, I can do it much quicker, much faster.’ Don’t forget, we remove criminals. We took over 2,000 hard-core criminals out of Washington, D.C.," he added.

FOX News [2/5/2026 3:43 PM, Rachel Wolf, Brooke Taylor, 37576K] reports the Trump administration is shifting its approach to cracking down on illegal immigration in Minneapolis after federal agents’ actions drew scrutiny and sparked protests, sources told Fox News. Minneapolis has become a flash point for clashes between federal immigration enforcement agents and agitators, particularly after the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Amid the unrest, President Donald Trump moved to change his administration’s approach and sent border czar Tom Homan to manage the situation. A White House official appeared to dismiss rumors of tension between Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Homan, saying that the two were working together to carry out the president’s agenda. Homan has reportedly changed how Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) operates and interacts with suspected illegal immigrants. The border czar has reportedly increased the threshold for making arrests and shifted entirely to targeted operations as opposed to rover patrols, which were done under Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, according to sources. Under Homan’s leadership, CBP agents have been instructed not to approach anyone they suspect to be in the country illegally unless they are a target, according to sources. CBP agents will instead be partnered with ICE officers to make targeted arrests, sources said. Additionally, sources told Fox News that Homan gave agents a warning that there would be consequences for stepping out of line.

FOX News [2/5/2026 2:10 PM, Ashley Carnahan, 37576K] reports a federal judge on Wednesday barred the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from carrying out warrantless immigration arrests in Oregon without individualized assessments of flight risk, finding that federal agents likely violated the law through a pattern of unlawful arrests. U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai granted a preliminary injunction in a proposed class-action lawsuit against DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as the case moves forward. The court concluded that agents routinely arrested people for alleged immigration violations without warrants and without determining whether they were likely to flee before a warrant could be obtained. Kasubhai ordered the government to notify immigration officers, employees, agents and contractors of the ruling and to document and regularly report any future warrantless arrests, including detailed, case-specific justifications. DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The Associated Press reported that Kasubhai was presented with evidence showing immigration agents in Oregon carried out enforcement operations in which people were arrested without warrants or individualized determinations that they were likely to flee. During a daylong hearing, the court heard testimony from one of the plaintiffs, Victor Cruz Gamez, a 56-year-old grandfather who has lived in the United States for more than two decades. Cruz Gamez said he was taken into custody during a traffic stop last fall as he was driving home from work and held in immigration detention for three weeks despite having legal authorization to work and a pending visa application. He said he presented his driver’s license and work permit but was still detained, taken to an ICE facility in Portland, and later transferred to an immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington. He was facing deportation when an attorney intervened and secured his release. Cruz Gamez became emotional as he described the toll the arrest took on his family, telling the court through a Spanish interpreter that his wife and grandchildren were afraid to leave their home for weeks. The AP reported that a lawyer for the federal government apologized to the 56-year-old for his treatment and its impact on his family. "Due process calls for those who have great power to exercise great restraint," Kasubhai said. "That is the bedrock of a democratic republic founded on this great Constitution. I think we’re losing that.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
The Hill [2/5/2026 10:12 AM, Ella Lee, 18170K]

Reuters [2/5/2026 5:26 PM, Nate Raymond, 38315K] reports the Justice Department has hired 33 new immigration judges, including 27 temporary ones, after firing or pushing out more than 100 others as the Trump administration seeks out new recruits to serve as what it dubs "deportation judges." The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review said the new immigration judges were sworn in on Thursday, following the October hiring of 36 immigration judges, including 25 temporary ones, after months of workforce cuts. The new judges will serve in immigration courts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Half of the new permanent judges have a military background, as do 100% of the temporary judges who can serve up to six months. The immigration courts face a backlog of about 3.2 million cases as of December 31, according to data from Mobile Pathways, a nonprofit that analyzes immigration court data and promotes access to justice for immigrants. The Trump administration plans to publish a fast-track regulation on Friday that would cut the time for someone to appeal an immigration judge’s decision to 10 days and make it easier for the appeals board to dismiss appeals.

Washington Post [2/6/2026 5:01 AM, Mark Berman and Jeremy Roebuck, 24149K] reports the Trump administration says it has begun to scale back some of its immigration enforcement efforts in the Minneapolis region. But the massive strain the crackdown has placed on the area’s courts and law enforcement is likely to linger for months to come. Government lawyers are buckling under a crush of hundreds of cases, including scores of challenges filed by migrants who say they are being illegally detained. Federal judges are running out of patience with what they describe as the Trump administration’s repeated flouting of court orders. And immigration attorneys say they are drowning amid near constant pleas from noncitizens seeking help. A government lawyer’s comment to a federal judge in Minnesota this week that she was so exhausted with her workload that being jailed might be preferable attracted nationwide attention as an unusually stark sign of those pressures. “Sometimes I wish you would just hold me in contempt, your honor, so that I could have a full 24 hours of sleep,” said Julie T. Le, who had been temporarily assigned to the U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis to help respond to the torrent of new filings. “The system sucks,” Le said later in the hearing Tuesday. “This job sucks.” Le was removed from her role after that outburst, administration officials said. But hers was hardly the only voice expressing deep frustration in recent days. Last week, Minnesota’s chief federal judge, Patrick J. Schiltz, threatened to hold the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in contempt, accusing ICE of violating 96 court orders in January alone — more, the judge noted, “than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.” He later backed off his contempt threat after the government released an Ecuadorian man whom the judge said had been illegally locked up for more than two weeks. But Schiltz noted that he and the district’s other judges — all facing a glut of new cases — had already shown the administration extraordinary patience despite its decision “to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for the hundreds of ... lawsuits that were sure to result.”

CBS News [2/5/2026 5:16 PM, Jacob Rosen, Melissa Quinn, 51110K] reports a federal court hearing in Minneapolis on Tuesday provided an extraordinary window into the volume of immigration-related cases overwhelming federal prosecutors in Minnesota amid the Trump administration’s surge of immigration agents to the Twin Cities, and the frustrations of exasperated judges who have said their orders are repeatedly ignored. The hearing before U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell was over cases brought by five different immigrants who were arrested in Minnesota and had subsequently challenged their detentions. Blackwell had ordered each of the men to be released from immigration custody, but then had to repeatedly seek information from the government about their locations and statuses. Le was subsequently removed from her detail with the Justice Department, according to a source familiar with the matter. She told Blackwell she began working with the Justice Department in January after volunteering to move from her post as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer to assist with the influx of cases in Minnesota stemming from the Trump administration’s enhanced immigration operations, dubbed Operation Metro Surge. The person said Le was removed from the detail after her comments Tuesday. Blackwell, meanwhile, expressed his own frustrations with what he said was a lack of compliance by the government with his orders. Blackwell told Justice Department lawyers that in some instances, he had to issue multiple orders asking for information about the status of detainees who were arrested and then ordered to be released from custody. The Justice Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and ICE "are not above the law," Blackwell said. Still, Blackwell remained critical of the lack of expediency in freeing the men from detention. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CBS News in a statement that Le was a probationary attorney, and called her conduct "unprofessional and unbecoming of an ICE attorney in abandoning her obligation to act with commitment, dedication, and zeal to the interests of the United States Government." Blackwell is not the first judge in Minnesota to express frustrations with the Trump administration and its response to orders in immigration cases. Judge Patrick Schiltz, the chief judge on the U.S. district court in Minnesota, lambasted ICE last week for violating what he said was 96 court orders issued in 74 cases. In a recent court filing, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said that more than 427 habeas cases were filed in Minnesota alone, and that his office "has been forced to shift its already limited resources from other pressing and important priorities."

CBS News [2/5/2026 6:27 PM, Sarah N. Lynch, Jonah Kaplan, 51110K] reports as immigration sweeps and detentions have expanded in Minnesota and around the country, the work of justifying those detentions is overwhelming federal prosecutors, who are being forced to sideline a range of other criminal and civil cases in order to keep pace. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota declared in a new brief filed in federal court that his staff faces "an enormous burden" and that a "flood" of immigration cases is negatively affecting his office’s work. Minnesota is not alone. The Justice Department is deploying some civil attorneys to assist U.S. Attorney’s offices across the nation, after those offices complained they are being crushed by a tidal wave of federal cases filed by immigrants challenging their detention, sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell CBS News. The cases, known as "habeas corpus petitions," started spiking in September after a Justice Department-run immigration court made a sweeping determination that the government could essentially detain a large swath of immigrants indefinitely while their removal proceedings are pending. In response, immigration lawyers have flooded federal courts with requests for their clients to be released while they petition immigration judges for a bond hearing. In most cases, the government has been losing. By one count, the number of decisions that have been adverse to the Justice Department have skyrocketed – from nearly 100 in September to more than 600 by December, one source told CBS News. The influx of cases is putting a major strain on U.S. Attorney’s offices, many of which experienced a mass exodus over the past year and are still struggling to hire qualified replacements. In some offices with smaller numbers of civil litigators, prosecutors who normally handle criminal cases are being asked to take on some of the burden, sources say. At the same time, nearly 430 petitions were filed related to immigration arrests in January, according to court documents, in addition to more than 100 filed at the end of 2025. Immigration advocates and nonprofits have filed the motions on behalf of those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents that have conducted the sweeping raids in Minnesota.

Washington Examiner [2/5/2026 7:55 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1147K] reports the top federal prosecutor in Minnesota is urging an appeals court to move quickly over a key immigration enforcement dispute, saying his office is buckling under a flood of lawsuits against the Trump administration’s mass deportation push in the Twin Cities. U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, an appointee of President Donald Trump, said his short-staffed office has been forced to abandon "pressing and important priorities" to manage hundreds of emergency habeas petitions filed by immigrants arrested and detained during Operation Metro Surge. In a Jan. 30 filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, Rosen disclosed that 427 immigration-related habeas cases were filed in the District of Minnesota in January alone, with the pace expected to continue into February. "To respond to this wave of habeas petitions, this Office has been forced to shift its already limited resources from other pressing and important priorities," Rosen wrote in a declaration submitted to the appeals court. "The MN-USAO has canceled all [affirmative civil enforcement] work and any other affirmative priorities … and is operating in a reactive mode.” Rosen, a Trump appointee confirmed by the Senate in October, said his office’s civil litigation team in his office is "down 50%" following a wave of resignations and departures at the start of Operation Metro Surge. Remaining attorneys, he said, are appearing daily for emergency hearings, often on nights, weekends, and holidays. "The Court is setting deadlines within hours, including weekends and holidays. Paralegals are continuously working overtime. Lawyers are continuously working overtime," Rosen wrote, adding that swift appellate intervention is "desperately needed.” The Justice Department echoed those concerns in a filing submitted Thursday in the case at hand, Herrera Avila v. Bondi, urging the 8th Circuit to resolve the appeal on the briefs or, alternatively, to expedite oral argument. DOJ attorneys said the "crushing burden" of immigration litigation has forced U.S. attorney offices across the circuit to divert resources from "other critical priorities, including criminal matters.” A significant part of the burden facing the federal government is the lack of clarity from federal circuit courts on the legality of the Trump administration’s indefinite detainment of illegal aliens detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. The 8th Circuit has a generally conservative ideological makeup, as the majority of its judges were appointed by Republican presidents. More recently, the appeals court sided with the Trump administration after a lower court temporarily limited ICE’s tactics for mitigating protests. It could soon have a chance to weigh in on the efforts by pro-immigration lawyers to stop deportations using the courts.

NewsMax [2/5/2026 11:49 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports the Justice Department’s Board of Immigration Appeals on Thursday issued a ruling that likely will reduce the number of cases it hears. The change was highlighted in a post on X by Britain Eakin, Law360’s senior immigration reporter, who shared language from the new policy explaining that the board is facing an "unprecedented" caseload and lacks the tools to handle the volume of appeals. "Given the unprecedented Board caseload … the Department has reconsidered the Board’s role as an appellate tribunal," the text stated, adding that the board "cannot — and does not need to — adjudicate every case on the merits.” Under the new approach, appeals from immigration judge decisions issued after the interim final rule becomes effective will face a major shift in default treatment. Instead of automatically being reviewed on the merits, the "default will be summary dismissal unless a majority of current Board members vote to consider the appeal on the merits," the policy states. The Justice Department said those summary dismissals will happen quickly — "within 15 days of filing the appeal" — allowing migrants to seek federal court review sooner rather than potentially waiting years for a board decision that, in most cases, would simply uphold the immigration judge’s ruling.

Wall Street Journal [2/5/2026 5:38 PM, Michelle Hackman, 646K] reports the Trump administration is attempting to eliminate most opportunities for immigrants with deportation orders to appeal their cases under a new policy, the latest step by the government to strip immigrants of due process rights so they can be deported more quickly. Under the new policy, posted by the Justice Department to the Federal Register on Thursday, the administration is seeking to change several rules to make it nearly impossible for immigrants, many of whom are seeking asylum, to appeal their deportation cases. Immigrants will now be given 10 days, rather than the current 30 days, to appeal a deportation order. And their appeals will be automatically dismissed after 15 days unless a majority of immigration appeals judges, who are handpicked by the Trump administration, vote to hear them. The changes will take effect in a month. They were issued as an interim final rule, meaning the public will be allowed to comment on their impact, but the feedback won’t necessarily be consulted to reshape the policy further. Issuing the policy before the customary notice and comment process is gathered and incorporated could open the administration to legal challenges on procedural grounds. Immigrant advocates called the changes an illegal attempt to strip immigrants of their due process rights. The new limits, immigration lawyers said, may not give immigrants enough time to find legal representation to file their appeal. “This is also a clear violation of the Due Process Clause, and is further evidence of this administration’s disregard for the Constitution,” said Charles Kuck, a prominent immigration lawyer and advocate in Atlanta, on X. The administration said the changes will help clear an appeals backlog of more than 200,000 immigration cases, forcing people to wait longer for answers and, in the government’s view, prolonging their time in the country before they can be deported. It also argues that reviews of immigration judges’ decisions are in many cases unnecessary because the appeals body isn’t likely to disagree with the judges’ reasoning.

Wall Street Journal [2/5/2006 8:00 PM, Sadie Gurman and Hannah Critchfield, 646K] reports when a lawyer representing the Justice Department told a judge in open court this week that she was exhausted and “this job sucks,” she said out loud what many federal prosecutors have been privately feeling for months. The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown—and the push to arrest many of the demonstrators protesting against it—is straining U.S. attorneys offices across the country. Already overworked, government lawyers in cities that have seen unrest, including Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles, have been rocked by departures, crippling caseloads and directives from Washington that have made them uncomfortable. Justice Department officials have repeatedly sought reinforcements from other cities and government agencies, even temporarily assigning military lawyers to help deal with the crush. Department lawyers in several offices told The Wall Street Journal they empathized with Julie Le, a Department of Homeland Security attorney who was detailed to the U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis to bolster staffing. They said her remarks during a Tuesday court hearing described a working environment with which they have become familiar. “When you show up, they just throw you in the well and then here we go,” Le told the judge, adding that she had stayed awake until 2:35 a.m. that day preparing. She said she had “stupidly” volunteered for the Justice Department role and had been given no direction since starting last month. Le was on loan from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help the Minneapolis U.S. attorney’s office wade through a deluge of cases brought by immigrants challenging the legality of their detentions. The office has been overwhelmed by more than 500 such habeas petitions in the eight weeks since the Trump administration launched a massive deportation effort in the Twin Cities, sparking protests. As of this week, the office had fewer than 20 attorneys, down from 55 in January of last year, and others are expected to leave in the coming weeks, citing concerns about the Trump administration’s approach, people familiar with the matter said.

FOX News [2/5/2026 9:23 AM, Lindsay Kornick Fox, 37576K] reports Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey avoided answering why he opposes a federal immigration measure once used by President Barack Obama and now pushed by President Donald Trump during an interview with CNN on Wednesday. Frey appeared on CNN’s "The Arena with Kasie Hunt" to discuss the Trump administration’s recent pullback of 700 federal agents from Minneapolis after two deadly shootings last month involving federal officers. The mayor continued to push back against what he called "coercion" from the Trump administration regarding immigration enforcement, but Hunt pointed out that some of the policies supported by conservatives were previously implemented by the Obama administration. "I take your point about the voting rolls for sure, but it is worth noting that during the Obama years, the Hennepin County Jail actually had a policy where they let an [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] ICE agent keep an office there and allowed them to talk to immigrants," Hunt remarked. "So the policy has clearly been under a Democratic president what now the Trump administration is asking for.” She continued, "I mean, big picture. Do you think it’s good policy for the jails to follow an ICE detainer and hand someone over if they’ve committed a crime? And again, this only happens after they’ve served their time for whatever crime they may have committed against the people of Minnesota.” "I mean, look, you’re asking all the right questions here," Frey responded. "And while I don’t have full expertise in how the operations at the jail are conducted, again, that’s not our jurisdiction.” He added, "What I would say is that there are mechanisms to do this lawfully. You know, the federal government could seek some form of federal warrant. That warrant could run part and parcel with the warrant that already exists at the state level. And if they were to do that, there would be a legal mechanism for detention after bail has been posted. And so, again, we’re getting pretty technical here. But what we can’t have from a legal perspective is a second detention after the obligations under the first detention have been met.” Frey’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. In an interview with NBC News Wednesday, Trump clarified he did not "want" to pull officers from the blue state but described a trade-off for the release of illegal immigrant prisoners. However, he added that his administration could take a gentler approach when arresting illegal immigrants. "I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough," the president said. "We’re dealing with really hard criminals. But look… I’ve called the governor [Tim Walz], I called the mayor [Jacob Frey], spoke to [them], had great conversations with them. And then I see them ranting and raving out there, literally as though a call wasn’t made.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [2/5/2026 8:17 PM, Alec Schemmel, 37576K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is detailing cases in which anti-ICE agitators actively helped criminal illegal immigrants evade federal arrest, including suspects accused of child rape, domestic abuse and gang-related violence. The cases point to a growing pattern of organized interference with federal immigration enforcement during recent ICE operations. "These are the monsters that agitators and sanctuary politicians are protecting," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. "We remind the public that obstructing law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime.” According to DHS, members of the anti-ICE Colorado Rapid Response Network, alerted Jose Reyes Leon-Deras, a convicted child rapist, of ICE’s presence on June 20, 2025. A Facebook post by the anti-ICE group, accused by DHS of facilitating Leon-Deras’ evasion on June 20, indicates members affiliated with the anti-ICE group used a bullhorn that day to alert potential targets of ICE. The post suggested that police left without serving any warrants, while noting that agents returned the following days as well. Per DHS, federal agents finally arrested Leon-Deras on June 27, and he was issued a final order of removal on Oct. 30 amid the Trump administration’s ongoing operations in Colorado. In a separate situation in Minneapolis, an apartment manager allegedly prevented federal immigration agents from entering a building where a criminal foreign national from Somalia, convicted of violent sex crimes and previously arrested for a high-level assault, was located. DHS accused the apartment manager of actively protecting a sex offender, Mahad Abdulkadir Yusuf, who had a conviction of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. He allegedly forcibly compelled his victim to perform sex acts on him on multiple occasions. "As our law enforcement are putting their lives on the line to arrest heinous criminals including child rapists, sex offenders, gang members, and other violent offenders, our officers are facing a coordinated campaign of violence against them," McLaughlin said Thursday. "President Trump and Secretary Noem have been very clear; we will NOT let agitators slow us down from removing criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods. If you obstruct or assault law enforcement, you will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Los Angeles Times [2/5/2026 4:47 PM, Gavin J. Quinton, 12718K] reports Senate Republican Leader John Thune warned Thursday that Congress is not close to an agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security, signaling that another short-term extension may be the only way to avoid a shutdown as Democrats demand "nonnegotiable" ICE reforms ahead of the Feb. 13 deadline. The Republicans are increasingly looking to punt the full funding package a second time if negotiations collapse. Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Thune said that such a move would not include any reforms lawmakers had previously negotiated, including body cameras for immigration agents. He spoke hours after House and Senate Democrats announced they were aligned behind a list of 10 demands they say must be passed before approving the Homeland Security funding package through September. Democrats are pressing for statutory limits on immigration raids, new judicial warrant requirements, body-worn cameras, identification rules for agents and enhanced oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection — reforms they say are necessary to rein in what House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called an agency "out of control." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Democrats are planning to propose the legislation as soon as possible. Republican leaders have little appetite for the full slate of reforms. Some have indicated openness to narrower changes, such as expanding body camera programs and training, but reject mask bans and the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has already ruled out warrant requirements, which would limit immigration agents from entering private property without a court order. In remarks to reporters Wednesday, he also hinted at some interest in attaching voter ID and anti-sanctuary city policies to negotiations. The AP [2/5/2026 6:26 PM, Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro, 1297K] reports that the Democratic leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, released an expanded list of 10 detailed proposals on Wednesday night for restraining President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign of immigration enforcement. Among the demands are a requirement for judicial warrants, better identification of DHS officers, new use of force standards and a stop to racial profiling. Congress is trying to renegotiate the DHS spending bill after Trump last week agreed to a Democratic request that it be separated from a larger spending measure and extended at current levels for two weeks while the two parties negotiate. The deal came after ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, and some Republicans agreed that new restrictions were necessary. But with nearly a week gone, a shutdown is becoming increasingly likely starting Feb. 14 as Republicans have been cool to most of the Democrats’ requests. "This is not a blank check situation where Republicans just do agree to a list of Democrat demands," said Thune, R-S.D. "The only way to get reforms to ICE is to agree to a bill.” As of now, Thune said, "we aren’t anywhere close to having any sort of an agreement.” In addition to ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the homeland security bill includes funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration. If DHS shuts down, Thune said, "there’s a very good chance we could see more travel problems" similar to the 43-day government closure last year.

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Bloomberg [2/5/2026 10:58 AM, Laura Davison and Erik Wasson, 50K]
NBC News [2/5/2026 8:01 PM, Frank Thorp V, Sahil Kapur and Julie Tsirkin, 42967K]

Roll Call [2/5/2026 1:16 PM, Valerie Yurk, Aris Folley and Jacob Fulton, 673K] reports Democrats and Republicans have hardly begun negotiations for a deal to overhaul federal immigration enforcement, but they’re already accusing each other of negotiating in "bad faith.” Before leaving Washington for the weekend, lawmakers checked some business off their list, passing a package to reopen the government after a four-day partial shutdown. But they also punted on the Homeland Security Department funding bill, meaning they now must iron out seemingly irreconcilable differences. They’ve made very little progress in the days since — an indication that they might not meet the Feb. 13 deadline, when current stopgap Homeland Security funding is set to expire. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday he’s already prepping another short-term DHS funding patch for the floor next week. "I don’t know how you — if they agree on something today, if you have to go through the procedural, file all the things we have to do over here in the Senate — how we would ever get it done by next week," he said. Democrats have thrown cold water on the idea of another continuing resolution over concern it would incentivize negotiators to drag out the talks. When asked about a CR, Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said if Republicans "can’t go along" with his party’s proposal for tighter restrictions on federal immigration agents, they shouldn’t "count on our votes.” But the two parties haven’t gotten any closer to a deal. Republicans have already shot down several key provisions of Democrats’ list of 10 demands released Wednesday night, which Democrats argue are necessary checks on federal immigration enforcement after two citizens were fatally shot by agents in Minnesota last month. Schumer said Democrats would release legislative text of their proposal Thursday night. Among the demands are provisions to stop DHS agents from wearing masks, entering private property for enforcement activities without judicial warrants and making arrests at "sensitive" locations like schools. Thune called them "totally unrealistic.” As Thursday rolled on, the two parties couldn’t even agree on whether negotiations had officially begun. Republicans, for their part, sought to increase the pressure on Democrats to pass a bill that avoids a department shutdown. The GOP-controlled House Appropriations Committee scheduled a hearing for next week on the impact of a Homeland Security shutdown. House Democrats, meanwhile, were considering drafting a bill to provide full-year funding for all agencies housed under DHS except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection in an effort to mitigate the impact of a government shutdown if no immigration deal is reached.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [2/5/2026 5:44 PM, Michael Gold, 148038K]
Reuters [2/5/2026 5:11 PM, Richard Cowan, 38315K]
AP [2/5/2026 1:43 PM, Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro, 2238K]

Washington Post [2/6/2026 5:01 AM, Theodoric Meyer, 24149K] reports Republicans and Democrats remain far apart on new restrictions for federal immigration agents that Democrats have demanded in exchange for funding the Department of Homeland Security. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) laid out their demands late Wednesday in a letter to Republicans, including barring immigration agents from wearing face masks and entering private property without a warrant from a judge. Republicans immediately criticized Democrats’ proposals as excessive. Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (R-Alabama), who is representing Senate Republicans in negotiations with Democrats, described it as “a ridiculous Christmas list of demands.” Democrats have threatened to block funding for DHS when it expires at the end of the day Feb. 13, giving the two sides barely a week to strike a deal and avert a shutdown of the department. The brunt of a shutdown would fall on agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency because Republicans last year sent DHS tens of billions of dollars in extra border security and immigration enforcement funding.

FOX News [2/5/2026 8:35 AM, Anders Hagstrom, Tyler Olson, 37576K] reports Democratic leaders in Congress shared a list of 10 demands for reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday, insisting they be added to the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., put forward the following demands in a letter to Republican leadership, arguing ICE has "has terrorized communities across the country.” Democrats say DHS officers must not "enter private property without a judicial warrant.” "End indiscriminate arrests and improve warrant procedures and standards. Require verification that a person is not a U.S. citizen before holding them in immigration detention," Jeffries and Schumer wrote. "Prohibit ICE and immigration enforcement agents from wearing face coverings," the pair demanded. Schumer and Jeffries say ICE agents should constantly display their agency, unique ID number and their last name during immigration operations. They should also "verbalize" their ID number and name if asked during an operation, the pair argue. Jeffries and Schumer argue that federal funding should not be used to conduct immigration operations near "sensitive locations," which they define as "medical facilities, schools, child-care facilities, churches, polling places, courts" and others. Top Democrats argue that DHS officers have been "conducting stops, questioning and searches based on an individual’s presence at certain locations, their job, their spoken language and accent or their race and ethnicity.” They say that must stop, and that decisions should be based on prior evidence. Democrats say ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection must operate under a more robust use of force policy, involving expanded training and certification for federal agents. "In the case of an incident, the officer must be removed from the field until an investigation is conducted," the pair argued. "Preserve the ability of State and local jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute potential crimes and use of excessive force incidents," the pair wrote. "Require that evidence is preserved and shared with jurisdictions. Require the consent of States and localities to conduct large-scale operations outside of targeted immigration enforcement.” Schumer and Jeffries demanded that federal detention facilities "must abide by the same basic detention standards that require immediate access to a person’s attorney to prevent citizen arrests or detention.” "Allow states to sue DHS for violations of all requirements. Prohibit limitations on Member visits to ICE facilities regardless of how those facilities are funded," they wrote.

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(B) CNN News Central [2/5/2026 2:41 PM, Staff]
Washington Examiner [2/5/2026 9:11 AM, Emily Hallas, 1147K]

Washington Examiner [2/5/2026 2:37 PM, David Sivak, 1147K] reports that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) could be on another collision course with Senate Democrats over how to handle the next fight over government funding as Republicans ask for more time to negotiate a deal on the Department of Homeland Security. Senate Democrats have not ruled out a temporary funding patch for DHS, even as Jeffries and many of his Democratic colleagues in the House are refusing to extend the deadline for two or more weeks. Jeffries argues that Republicans, staring down a Feb. 13 deadline, have enough time to agree to reform immigration enforcement. Senate Democrats, though, are more open to keeping DHS limping along if the White House appears to be making a good-faith effort in budget talks. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), one of eight Senate Democrats to help end last year’s record-setting government shutdown, sidestepped whether his party should let DHS lapse at the end of next week. "Rather than assume the lack of success, let’s try to work for success, and then if we can’t get there, then we’ll see," Kaine told the Washington Examiner. Some centrist Senate Democrats have also encouraged colleagues to "keep as many options on the table as possible." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), for his part, has shown a greater willingness to cut a deal and brokered an initial two-week extension with President Donald Trump last week, but so far won’t tip his hand on Jeffries’s red line.

CBS News [2/5/2026 12:24 PM, Kaia Hubbard, 51110K] reports that Senate Republicans criticized Democrats’ list of demands to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday, further reducing the odds of reaching a deal to keep the Department of Homeland Security funded beyond next week’s deadline. "As of right now, we aren’t anywhere close to having any sort of an agreement that would enable us to fund the Department of Homeland Security," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on the Senate floor Thursday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a list of policies to impose "guardrails" on DHS on Wednesday night, including by restricting immigration agents from wearing masks and requiring them to display an ID and use body cameras. The Democrats also demanded agents be banned from entering private property without judicial warrants, along with requiring agents to verify that someone is not a U.S. citizen before holding them in immigration detention, among other things. "The American people rightfully expect their elected representatives to take action to rein in ICE and ensure no more lives are lost. It is critical that we come together to impose common sense reforms and accountability measures that the American people are demanding," Schumer and Jeffries wrote. The Democrats also said there are steps the administration can take immediately to "show good faith," including removing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem from her position and fully ramping down the immigration operation in Minneapolis.

NewsMax [2/5/2026 4:05 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports House Democrats are expected to introduce a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that excludes money for immigration enforcement as the standoff in Congress deepens ahead of another funding deadline. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, said Thursday that he has urged and expects Democrats on the Appropriations Committee to release a DHS bill "in the next few days." The proposal would fund agencies under the department unrelated to immigration enforcement, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, and the Transportation Security Administration. Bloomberg Government [2/5/2026 3:06 PM, Ken Tran, 111K] reports "There’s some things in there that need to be funded," Hoyer said Thursday at an exclusive Bloomberg Government roundtable with reporters and editors. "We’re going to hold out until we have an agreement which is why we want to fund the rest. Now the Republicans can oppose it and say you don’t get this, but that’s not a very good political position for them to be in," he added, arguing the proposal would put the onus of DHS funding on Republicans. Senate Democrats aren’t a part of the proposal, Hoyer said, but he expects they will back the effort.

Daily Caller [2/5/2026 1:28 PM, Adam Pack, 803K] reports that Democrats have demanded negotiations for weeks on immigration enforcement, but so far Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has not been willing to talk to Republicans, several GOP senators said Thursday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Thursday that various parties have contacted Schumer to ramp up negotiations, but the lead Democrat has not shown any interest in cutting a deal. Lawmakers are up against a fast-approaching Feb. 13 deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or risk triggering a prolonged shutdown. "[Republican Alabama] Senator [Katie] Britt has reached out multiple times now to Senator Schumer, or whomever he wants to negotiate on his behalf, and it’s been crickets over there," Thune told reporters Thursday. "The White House has tried, too.” Britt, a key Senate dealmaker, told the DCNF her outreach to Schumer has not materialized in negotiations despite visiting his office on multiple occasions. "Obviously, it is a bit of political posturing if you’re just going to do press conferences and tweets and not have dialogue," she said. "I certainly hope that changes.” A spokesperson for Schumer did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

Bloomberg Law [2/5/2026 1:26 PM, Lillianna Byington and Zach C. Cohen, 763K] reports Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) dismissed Democrats’ proposals for a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security as "totally unrealistic," and said lawmakers should think twice about upcoming international trips. Thune told reporters the threat of a shutdown of DHS next weekend is raising a "serious question" about whether any members should attend the Munich Security Conference that starts Feb. 13, the day DHS funds run out. Thune may cancel the chamber’s recess, scheduled for the week of Feb. 16, if DHS’s funding runs out, his spokesperson said.

FOX Business [2/5/2026 8:07 AM, Staff, 7946K] reports Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss looming DHS funding deadlines, shutdown risks and Republican concerns over Democratic efforts to weaken ICE. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [2/5/2026 10:50 AM, Solange Reyner, 3760K] reports Senate Majority Leader John Thune said negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security must address what he described as a worsening environment for law enforcement officers. Thune said that Republicans want specific guarantees in the DHS funding bill as lawmakers continue talks over policy priorities. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Thune said any agreement involving DHS should include "a serious discussion about the climate of harassment and worse that law enforcement officers have been facing for simply trying to do their jobs.” He argued that concerns about officer safety and public rhetoric targeting law enforcement have become central issues that Congress can no longer ignore. Lawmakers are negotiating DHS-related measures that encompass border security, immigration enforcement, and federal law enforcement operations. Funding for DHS has repeatedly become a flashpoint in broader budget debates, with disagreements over immigration policy and enforcement authority often stalling progress. In addition to concerns about the treatment of officers, Thune said negotiations must also focus on "the issue of cooperation between local and federal law enforcement.” He emphasized the importance of coordination among agencies, particularly in areas related to immigration enforcement and public safety.

NewsMax [2/5/2026 9:06 PM, Sam Barron, 3760K] reports Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is making his voice heard as the Senate debates President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. Graham has become a proponent of cracking down on cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. While appearing at a bill signing this week in the Oval Office, Graham made his case directly to Trump. "I’ve got a better idea — it’s your idea," Graham said, pointing at the president. "End sanctuary cities.” Last week, Graham put a hold on votes that would fund the government, threatening to derail the compromise with Democrats. He released the hold after an agreement was made to hold a floor vote on outlawing sanctuary cities — those that limit their cooperation with federal authorities regarding detaining or reporting illegal aliens. "We’re going to have a vote on the United States Senate in two weeks as to whether or not we should criminalize the act of local and state officials who willfully disobey laws on the books because it’s good politics for them," Graham said on the Senate floor. "What conduct am I talking about? State and local officials openly defying federal law that’s been on the books for decades, incentivizing more illegal immigration, massive taxpayer rip-off, and break[ing] of law and order," he added. Graham also blasted his fellow Republicans for not doing enough to hold protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement accountable for harassing agents and interfering in their operations. "These people are patriotic. They’re away from home," Graham said. "These crowds that follow them to their hotel, they intimidate their families," Graham added. "The people pushing this are nuts. They’re not normal.” Graham’s Republican colleagues told Politico that the South Carolina senator likes to be the center of attention. "Lindsey is Lindsey," one Republican lawmaker told Politico, saying Graham wants to show "how close he is to the president.” Graham has shifted from being one of the senators involved in bipartisan immigration talks during the Obama administration to being in favor of the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies. "On immigration, I know what I’m talking about. I’ve got the scars to prove it," Graham said to Politico. Some of Graham’s fellow Republicans believe he has altered his positions to avoid losing a primary in a red state. "People change their mind," Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Politico. "He’d have to tell you why.” Norman had considered challenging Graham in the GOP primary before deciding to run for governor this year. Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.

FOX News [2/5/2026 2:06 PM, Alex Miller, 37576K] reports that a Senate Republican wants to kneecap sanctuary cities and provide more stringent protections for federal agents in a sweeping package designed to push back against disruptions to the Trump administration’s immigration operations. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., plans to introduce his Protect America Act, a colossal legislative package that would punish sanctuary cities, enhance penalties for illegal entry and reentry, boost protections for federal agents, and defund "corrupt" nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), or nonprofits. The goal of the package is to cut into the unrest simmering in cities across the country where the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are operating. Schmitt’s legislation comes as anti-ICE protests continue around the country, most notably in Minneapolis, where agitators have clashed with federal agents, resulting in the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. "This environment demands action," Schmitt said in a statement. "The Protect America Act is a comprehensive, four-part legislative response designed to address the root causes of disorder, restore lawful enforcement authority, protect federal officers from coordinated interference and violence, and prevent the abuse of nonprofit status to shield or support criminal activity." NewsMax [2/5/2026 10:28 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports Schmitt’s Protect America Act has four key planks: permanently ending cities that have declared themselves sanctuaries for illegal aliens, enhancing penalties for illegal entry and reentry, protecting law enforcement, and defunding rogue nongovernmental organizations. "The rule of law is central to our Constitutional order," Schmitt said Thursday in a statement. "A nation that does not enforce its immigration laws cannot effectively protect its people. ... To secure our future, we must enforce our laws," the statement continued. "The American people deserve no less." On the Senate floor Wednesday, Schmitt linked the bill directly to his broader critique of existing border policies and the consequences he said they have had for public safety and national sovereignty. "There is a war on the rule of law itself. It is the ‘mobocratic spirit’ that Lincoln spoke of in 1838," he said. "Some of the Democratic Party politicians in this city might want to pretend that’s not what’s going on here, but their friends on the streets out there are very clear about what this is all about," Schmitt continued. "This war is organized, coordinated, and actively aided and abetted by local and state authorities across the country." The bill’s framework reflects a hard-line Republican approach to immigration enforcement that emphasizes strict border control and punitive measures for unlawful entry. Schmitt’s plan rejects catch-and-release policies by reclassifying illegal entry as a felony with mandatory detention and significant minimum prison terms for repeat violators. Schmitt also contended the legislation would "double the criminal penalty for assaulting federal law enforcement" and expand crimes to include interference with federal officers carrying out their duties. It would further empower the government to revoke the nonprofit status of NGOs that the senator says incite or finance violence against law enforcement. During his prepared floor remarks, Schmitt framed his legislative push against what he described as ideological policies that undermine the rule of law and societal order. He invoked the term "suicidal empathy" to characterize policies he said tolerate unchecked immigration in the name of compassion. He cited multiple cases of violent crimes involving illegal aliens in arguing for a tougher federal stance, evoking the names of Rachel Morin, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Laken Riley. "The radicals on the streets of Minneapolis — and their comrades in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland [Oregon] — are not driven by ‘empathy’ in any meaningful sense of the term," Schmitt said. "These are not bleeding-heart humanitarians, paralyzed by an overwhelming concern for the welfare of mankind," he continued. "Quite the opposite: Their sphere of moral concern is vanishingly small, and it is reserved exclusively for those who can be used as instruments for their political goals," Schmitt said. "They don’t care about what is just. They care about what is useful," he continued. "They wield the language of decency and compassion as a political weapon."

Wall Street Journal [2/5/2026 6:57 AM, Damian Paletta, 646K] reports things might get a little scary on Friday the 13th. That’s when a short-term funding law for the Department of Homeland Security expires. Standing in the way of a deal: Democrats and Republicans are brawling over nearly every aspect of U.S. immigration enforcement, with the GOP pushing a particular focus in the past 24 hours on “sanctuary cities,” jurisdictions that won’t cooperate with federal immigration officials. White House officials say a lack of local cooperation was at the core of the recent chaotic weeks in Minneapolis. Minnesota officials argue that the White House’s sudden intervention in their state trampled on states’ rights and was counterproductive. The term “sanctuary” is loosely defined and it can be used to refer to states, counties, and cities. The Justice Department last year said there were 12 sanctuary states (plus Washington, D.C.), four sanctuary counties and 18 sanctuary cities. Other estimates put the number of cities much higher. Bipartisan immigration policy has escaped Washington lawmakers for, well, decades. These enormous issues won’t get resolved in the next 10 days. That said, expect intensity and fire in the coming debate, as Republicans and Democrats marshal arguments they think will resonate with their core voters, voters they are trying to wake up ahead of November’s midterms that are now less than nine months away.

Breitbart [2/5/2026 4:13 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested thousands of illegal aliens across Minnesota since the start of Operation Metro Surge, whereby the Trump administration surged law enforcement resources to the North Star State. "Despite coordinated attacks of violence against our law enforcement, our officers have made more than 4,000 arrests of illegal aliens, including murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists in Minnesota since Operation Metro Surge began," the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Tricia McLaughlin said.

New York Times [2/6/2026 3:31 AM, Claire Fahy, 330K] reports that, on Sunday morning, as some people packed the diners in downtown Minneapolis in search of warm breakfast and coffee, others filed into the pews at Westminster Presbyterian. One detail, however, hinted that this wasn’t a typical weekly service — a woman with knitting needles was making a red hat worn by many of those who have poured into the streets to deplore the presence of immigration agents. The church offered a quieter but, for many, an equally powerful form of protest: prayer. Absent were the animal onesies and profanity-laden chants of the crowds outside the B.H. Whipple Federal Building. In their place were hymns, scripture and a full-throated sermon. “The main reason why Operation Metro Surge has not gone according to the Department of Homeland Security’s plan is because the architects assumed that Minnesotans would turn on one another, or decide that it’s too costly to show solidarity to people who are suffering or who are gripped by fear,” the Rev. Matthew Skinner declared from the pulpit. “So far, we haven’t done that.” Places of worship have played pivotal roles in protests throughout history. The Presbyterian Church has urged members into action in the Revolutionary War and supported the civil rights movement. Since Immigration and Customs Enforcement began operations in Minnesota in December, leaders of many faiths have provided support for the people resisting. Mr. Skinner said in an interview that attending church allows older congregants, those who can no longer march or stand for hours in the cold with signs, to show solidarity. “People are looking for ways to feel a sense of cohesion,” Mr. Skinner said. Those people are not always members. On Jan. 22, the church hosted over 700 clergy of different faiths to train them on security risks before a day of protest. And after services on Sunday, roughly 2,000 protesters filled the sanctuary to participate in what they called “a singing resistance,” performing protest songs. The Rev. David Shinn said that Westminister had a surplus from its 2025 budget that it donated to two groups providing services such as food delivery to immigrants afraid to leave their homes as well as finding and funding immigration attorneys. Ryan Burge, a professor at Washington University’s John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics in St. Louis, said that, for many churches, political activity can risk alienating members. But as politics becomes inescapable — and President Trump’s administration has liberalized tax rules to allow churches to make political endorsements — some churches have become more overt. Conservative Christians voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Trump, and some pastors have herded their flock in his direction. Now, even a sanctuary is not necessarily a refuge. Nine people have been charged in connection with a protest during a service at a St. Paul church where a pastor also serves as an ICE official.

Politico [2/5/2026 5:00 PM, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Sophia Cai, 21784K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is trying to navigate the ongoing furor over ICE unleashed after immigration officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. But the embattled Noem faces a litany of other dysfunctions in her department that also imperil her tenure. President Donald Trump has insisted Noem will not lose her job. But her handling of other things under her agency’s sprawling remit – from disaster relief to the gutting of the nation’s cybersecurity agency – is increasingly alienating Republicans at a time when she needs them most. “You’ve got to get adults in the room,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), said in an interview. “Get people in there who actually have the kind of experience you need to run large, complex organizations. And there’s a lot, by the way, in this Cabinet that do that. It’s just not her.” Tillis has been a vocal critic of DHS as of late, not to mention Trump more broadly – but other Republicans have floated the idea of ousting Noem, too. “A lot of people question her ability to lead this agency, particularly after what has happened,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) told CNN this week. “I think that all options need to be on the table to find the best person, if there’s somebody better.” But Trump has repeatedly broadcast his support for her. The latest declaration came Thursday morning at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, where he again said he had no plans to remove her. And DHS on Wednesday shared poll numbers from Republican-leaning firm Harper Polling showing that 81 percent of Trump supporters approve of Noem’s performance in office. “Secretary Noem’s leadership has delivered results every American can be proud of including the most secure border in American history, removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our communities, and the $50 million in taxpayer savings every single day since she took office,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. But frustrations with how the agency is functioning continue to mount. Some of the most public critiques outside of ICE operations have related to Noem’s leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tillis, who has called for her resignation or removal from office, devoted much of a speech on the Senate floor last week to Noem’s leadership of FEMA. On FEMA, McLaughlin argued that Noem is “moving money faster than ever and jump-starting recovery,” calling the changes Noem’s directed at FEMA a “breakthrough in how FEMA supports state-led disaster recovery.” She also said “DHS has been relentless in its efforts to eliminate waste and ensure every dollar strengthens our communities.” Then there are tensions over the future of CISA under Noem’s leadership, which continue to boil over. Acting CISA chief Madhu Gottumukkala has generated a whirlwind of bad headlines in recent months, including allegations he dumped sensitive information into ChatGPT and failed an unsanctioned polygraph test during his security clearance process. (DHS has said Gottujukkala did not fail a sanctioned polygraph test, and that Gottumukkala “was granted permission to use ChatGPT with DHS controls in place” and that its use was “short term and limited.”)

Politico [2/5/2026 8:35 PM, Jacob Wendler, 21784K] reports the Department of Homeland Security’s independent watchdog disclosed numerous investigations into the department on Thursday as the White House faces heightened scrutiny over its nationwide immigration crackdown. The probes, some of which have previously been disclosed, span ICE’s hiring surge, expedited removal of individuals, use of force and compliance with detention standards. An additional review pertains to “DHS’ processes for determining U.S. citizenship for individuals detained or arrested during immigration enforcement operations.” The inspector general’s office is also conducting a probe into Customs and Border Patrol. The investigation — which is reviewing whether CBP conducts interior immigration enforcement in accordance with department policies and federal requirements — was opened in early January, according to a spokesperson for the DHS OIG. The spate of investigations comes as the Trump administration faces an uproar from Democrats and a growing number of Republicans over its immigration enforcement operations in several states, which have at times turned violent. Senate Democrats are currently holding up DHS funding over a list of demands for reforms to ICE and CBP, including requirements that federal officers wear body cameras and IDs. The administration has also refused to budge on a demand that immigration enforcement agents do not wear masks. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin dismissed the probes, writing in a statement that “the supposed number of ongoing matters doesn’t say anything about their disposition or the facts.” “DHS’s job is to secure the homeland, and we do so in line with federal law and the Constitution,” she said. “The Trump administration is committed to transparency, and we have no problem with honest and impartial oversight.” President Donald Trump purged independent watchdogs for several government agencies during the first month of his second term, but Joseph Cuffari — the inspector general for DHS nominated by Trump during his first term — remains in place. Dozens of congressional Democrats wrote last week to Cuffari urging him to expedite his probe into “whether ICE investigates allegations of use of excessive force,” which his office opened in June. In a Thursday statement, Cuffari’s office said the timeline for conducting an oversight review “is affected by several variables.” The office has an internal goal of completing audits within 397 days but routinely misses the benchmark, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office last month. “If, however, during our work we find matters that warrant immediate attention and action (such as those posing serious risk or imminent threat to safety, health, property, or continuity of operations), DHS OIG has mechanisms to promptly inform the Department and Congress, rather than waiting for a final report,” the office said. Dozens of Democratic lawmakers have also called for the removal of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in recent weeks, although an impeachment resolution is unlikely to garner sufficient bipartisan support in the House.

Daily Signal [2/5/2026 12:17 PM, Fred Lucas, 474K] reports that one of America’s most well-known left-leaning legal groups has asked the United Nations to investigate the Trump administration, alleging human rights violations and racial discrimination by federal agents in Minnesota. The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Minnesota sent an "urgent submission" to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, or CERD, regarding federal immigration enforcement and treatment of protesters in the state. The U.N. committee defines early warning measures as "aimed at preventing existing situations escalating into conflicts." It defines urgent procedures as responding to "problems requiring immediate attention to prevent or limit the scale or number of serious violations.” The ACLU request calls for the U.N. committee to use its early warning and urgent action procedures to probe alleged violations of international human rights obligations. "The Trump administration’s egregious crackdown in Minnesota is not only flouting the Constitution but also United States international human rights obligations that prohibit the use of racial and ethnic profiling, extra-judicial killings and unlawful use of force against protesters and observers," said Jamil Dakwar, director the Human Rights Program at the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU’s submission argues that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have stopped and arrested residents of Minnesota based on race, ethnicity, and national origin, which is a violation of rights enshrined in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, or ICERD.

Politico [2/5/2026 5:55 AM, Nick Reisman, 21784K] reports simmering anger over President Donald Trump’s expansive deportation strategy has roiled the Empire State’s bellwether suburbs, upending crucial House races and complicating Republicans’ uphill bid to retake the governor’s office. On Long Island, Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen are contending with protesters’ fury over their support for a Homeland Security funding bill. In the Hudson Valley, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler wrote in a New York Times op-ed that the nation’s immigration policy is a failure. And in the race for governor, incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul is pursuing measures meant to rein in federal immigration enforcement officers, while her likely Republican foe, Bruce Blakeman, has remained a stalwart Trump defender. The divergent problems facing suburban Republicans and Democrats over Trump’s deportation agenda points to a broader shift: Voters are souring on the president’s sweeping immigration push, and the political costs are rising on both sides. The communities clustered around New York City — where immigration has increasingly influenced campaigns this decade — are becoming a bellwether for the rest of the country. Grassroots suburban activists have seen a clear change over the last year as more people appear at rallies and sign up to act as ICE observers. “I don’t think people really understood, because it wasn’t directly affecting them,” said Rachel Klein, the founder of Engage Long Island, a left-leaning activist group. “Now you’re seeing more of this happening in local communities. You’re seeing the manager of the bagel shop in Port Washington get arrested and detained. People are showing up.” Taken together, the communities adjacent to the nation’s most iconic entry point for immigrants have become a battleground over Trump’s deportation campaign. They are home to a trio of swing House seats that may determine which party controls the closely divided chamber — and the fate of the final two years of Trump’s term. The suburbs are also at a political crossroads in this deep blue state, often reflecting voters’ public safety concerns — an undercurrent that traditionally has buoyed GOP candidates. Yet Democrats have made inroads in areas like the Hudson Valley, where the party has seen significant growth in enrollment among upper-income and college-educated voters. The suburbs are politically crucial for Blakeman, the top official in Nassau County, who is trying to reverse a 20-year losing streak for Republicans in statewide elections. Blakeman’s county executive office has signed orders meant to bolster federal immigration authorities and entered into an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to work with the sheriff’s office on deportation efforts. He’s also shown no daylight with Trump and his administration’s aggressive deportation campaign — a posture that has opened him up to withering attacks from Hochul.

NPR [2/5/2026 8:18 AM, Maria Godoy, 28764K] reports South Carolina’s measles outbreak continues to grow, with a total of 876 confirmed cases, which is the biggest outbreak the U.S. has seen in decades. But there are some positive signs in this current outbreak. The outbreak started in October, and within 16 weeks it had surpassed the Texas outbreak of 2025. Now that rate of new confirmed cases has slowed. On Tuesday, public health officials in South Carolina reported just 29 new confirmed cases, which is a much smaller number than in recent weeks. State epidemiologist Linda Bell told reporters on Wednesday that it’s too soon to say if that means the trajectory of this outbreak has finally slowed, but they are hopeful. Bell said public health officials’ outreach efforts on vaccination seem to be working. A few weeks ago, she told reporters that not very many people were getting vaccines at mobile clinics they were offering. But on Wednesday, she reported vaccinations were up by 162 percent in January compared to last year in Spartanburg County, which is the epicenter of the outbreak. And she says across the state, vaccinations were up 72 percent, which is going to be key to stopping the spread of this virus. "So far, this is the best month for measles vaccination during this outbreak," Bell says. "I’m hoping that what we can attribute that to is a wider recognition of the threat of this disease circulating in our communities and the desire for people to be protected against the complications," she adds. Common complications from measles include encephalitis, or brain swelling, and pneumonia. Bell says public health officials knew of at least 19 people, children and adults, who have been hospitalized so far. Dr. Robin LaCroix is a pediatric infectious disease physician with Prisma Health in Greenville, S.C. She’s helped treat several children hospitalized with measles, and she says they can get really ill. "When I go in to see these children, it is always so sobering to see how difficult this illness is for them," she says. "They’re dehydrated, both from fever and from feeling so poorly. They are coughing and coughing and coughing.” She and her colleagues told reporters on Wednesday that they are bracing to see further complications in kids that can happen after a measles infection. They expect to see more of these complications in coming months. Several unvaccinated pregnant women have also had to be treated with immune globulin after being exposed to measles, Bell said. The disease poses severe risks to pregnant women and their babies, including an increased risk of maternal death, preterm labor and stillbirth. There have also been reports of measles cases at two Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. One was a single case confirmed earlier in January at a detention center in Florence, Ariz. And this past weekend, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed at least two measles cases in people held at the ICE detention center for families in Dilley, Texas. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the two people are now in quarantine. She said federal immigration officials have halted all movement within the centers and are quarantining anyone who may have been exposed.

Univision [2/5/2026 10:25 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports a Venezuelan woman detained at the ICE detention center in Dilley, Texas, reported that adequate protocols to prevent measles infections were not being applied at the facility. This is despite the fact that the Department of Homeland Security recently confirmed the presence of two cases and announced the implementation of a quarantine. This is Margely , who has been detained for 76 days along with her son. In an interview with N+ Univision San Antonio, she stated that the measures announced by the authorities have not been implemented in practice within the facility. “They said it was going to be for 14 days, but today they didn’t show up to take temperatures. That’s all they’ve done, but no gloves or masks, nothing. There hasn’t been any change at the center,” she said. When questioned about how many times medical personnel have come to check on the detainees since the cases were reported, she replied: “Only once. “Because of this situation, Margely and other detained migrants say they have doubts about the actual existence of the measles cases. According to her, the announcement came shortly before a visit by members of Congress to the facility, which raised suspicions among the detainees. “We doubt the measles case is real because it was reported after some congressmen were scheduled to visit. Everything seems normal; we haven’t seen anything. It seems a bit strange to us,” he said. Despite the doubts, fear persists, especially among the mothers who remain detained with their children. “We feel worried, both I and the other mothers, because regardless of our health, we are more worried about the health of the children,” she said. He also explained that during a quarantine, all activities within the center are completely suspended, which represents an emotional and physical burden for the children. N+ Univision San Antonio requested a reaction from the Department of Homeland Security regarding this testimony and the measures implemented for the measles quarantine. However, as of the time of publication of this article, no official response has been received. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [2/5/2026 11:24 AM, Amy Furr, 2238K] reports a man was arrested Wednesday in Trumbull County, Ohio, for allegedly posting online threats against President Donald Trump and other officials. The suspect Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents took into custody was identified as 47-year-old Charles Bronson Ingram, WFMJ reported Thursday. The man is accused of posting the threats on YouTube along with a profile picture of Trump being shot in the head. Ingram, who does not have a criminal record, reportedly admitted to officers he posted the messages online. He is also accused of threatening to kill U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Those officials have faced an 8,000 percent increase in death threats against themselves and their families as leftists protest and riot against lawful immigration enforcement across the nation. "Federal officials say Ingram posted dozens of violent comments over several weeks. In one message from Jan. 14, he allegedly wrote, ‘Get a gun Find good location up high. Kill a random ICE agent. Anytime, anywhere, and all the time,’" the WMFJ article stated. While investigators surveilled his house prior to arresting him, "a task force officer reported seeing an upside-down American flag hanging on a building on the property. The officer said the flag had been spray-painted with the words, ‘Kill Them All.’ Next to it was a sign with the message ‘F–k Trump,’" the outlet continued. Ingram is also accused of encouraging people to kill wealthy people, judges, police officers, and CEO’s. The suspect is facing a federal charge of making illegal threats via interstate communications and is being held in federal custody.

Reuters [2/5/2026 12:21 PM, Nandita Bose and Steve Holland, 38315K] reports that President Donald Trump defended three members of his cabinet whose actions have drawn scrutiny and touted U.S. military strength in a free-wheeling speech on Thursday at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. Trump frequently strayed off the teleprompter in remarks to religious leaders and lawmakers, pushing themes of law and order and American might abroad in a speech that he could easily have given at one of his ubiquitous political rallies. He warned Hamas fighters in Gaza to disarm or face consequences, promoted first lady Melania Trump’s new documentary and praised El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has championed a mega-prison called CEGOT where the United States has sent hundreds of mostly Venezuelan migrants. In one of his few religious references, he quoted the biblical verse "blessed are the pure in heart" and wondered if he would qualify. "I’m not sure that applies to me necessarily," he said. "Does that apply to me? I try." He also mused about his chances of going to heaven, saying "I really think I probably should make it" while noting he was "not a perfect candidate." Trump rejected calls to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who drew criticism after federal officers shot and killed two Americans protesting Trump’s tough migrant deportation policies in Minnesota.

FOX News [2/5/2026 1:51 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports that President Donald Trump brushes off calls to relieve Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem of her duties. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [2/5/2026 1:08 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1147K] reports that top Justice Department officials announced Thursday the arrest of a self-described "Anti-ICE Antifa TERRORIST" in Minneapolis who is charged with threatening to assault and kill federal immigration agents. Federal authorities took 37-year-old Kyle Wagner into custody after prosecutors alleged he repeatedly posted violent threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on social media last month, encouraging followers to attack, "get your hands on" and even kill federal officers. Photos from Thursday show Wagner being led out of a Minneapolis residential building by agents with Homeland Security Investigations — part of the Department of Homeland Security — wearing a sweatshirt that reads, "I’M ANTIFA!" In announcing the arrest, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche directly labeled Wagner as an "Antifa TERRORIST." Antifa is short for anti-fascist. "It’s no surprise that an antifa terrorist is allegedly threatening to kill and assault federal law enforcement officers as they dutifully remove criminal threats from neighborhoods," Blanche said. "After all, this is what antifa is about: lawlessness and violence. But under the leadership of President [Donald] Trump and Attorney General Bondi, there is no safe haven for terrorists and no protection from the full weight of justice."

FOX News [2/5/2026 12:43 PM, Breanne Deppisch, 37576K] reports that federal prosecutors have charged more than 150 anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota with crimes ranging from obstruction of federal agents to FACE Act violations — offenses that carry penalties from fines to years in prison — as the Justice Department warns that similar conduct will be prosecuted aggressively nationwide. The response in the state offers a roadmap of sorts for how the Justice Department could move to quash similar protests nationwide and respond to unrest during Trump’s second presidential term. In Minnesota, more than 150 protesters have been arrested since the start of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operation, "Operation Metro Surge," including protesters who interrupted a church service, and others who blocked, assaulted, or attempted to otherwise restrict ICE officers in the state. The administration’s response to these protests could prove telling as it moves to deploy ICE officers to other states in the weeks and months ahead. These individuals have been charged with FACE Act violations, conspiracy charges, and obstruction of federal agents, according to copies of criminal complaints and indictments reviewed by Fox News Digital. Convictions on any of these charges range from fines to years in prison, in a sign of the administration’s plans to crack down on similar protest tactics in other states.

New York Times [2/5/2026 7:41 AM, Jonathan Wolfe, 148038K] reports two people died Wednesday evening when a patrol helicopter they were in crashed near Flagstaff, Ariz., while responding to a shooting involving the police, officials said. The helicopter was deployed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety to assist the Flagstaff Police Department as its officers engaged a suspect, the police said in a statement. It crashed in the Flagstaff area, the statement said, and a pilot and a paramedic trooper on board died in the crash. The police department said it would not immediately release their identities, but said the two were the only ones on board the helicopter. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Before the crash, police officers were “involved in a shooting with the active shooting suspect,” the department said. The suspect suffered “non-fatal gunshot wounds” and was taken into custody, the police said. There were no other injuries reported in the incident. The police department said it was working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the crash. ABC News [2/5/2026 6:31 PM, Staff, 34146K] reports responded to an "active shooter," who was firing at officers from the roofs of multiple homes in the Flagstaff area, officials in Arizona said. The Arizona Department of Public Safety was providing "tactical air support," at the time of the crash, Flagstaff police said in a news release. The two people aboard were a pilot and a trooper/paramedic. Their identities have not been released. Officials have not said if the helicopter was fired on before it crashed or what may have caused it to go down. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will help investigate the cause of the crash. At a news conference Thursday morning, officials in Flagstaff said police initially responded to a domestic violence call at around 8:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday. When they arrived at the scene, they were talking to the victim, when they were fired upon by the suspect from behind the house with a semi-automatic rifle, leading officers to return fire, officials said. The suspect then climbed on a roof and for nearly 2 hours the suspect fired at officers while jumping from roof to roof of multiple different homes, officials said. Overall, police said he fired dozens rounds at officers and into nearby homes. The suspect suffered a gunshot wound in an exchange of gunfire with officers and was taken into custody at about 10:20 p.m. and is being treated at a Flagstaff hospital, officials said.

Reuters [2/5/2026 8:14 AM, Rory Carroll, 38315K] reports no agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are providing security for the Team USA delegation in Milan, a top security official for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) told reporters on Thursday. "I can tell you unequivocally that there are no ICE agents that are part of the Team USA delegation on the ground here in Milan," Nicole Deal, Chief of Security and Athlete Services for USOPC, said on the eve of the Milano Cortina Olympics opening ceremony. Backlash to reports that ICE agents were being sent to Italy led to protests in Milan. Those concerns were dismissed as baseless by Italy’s interior minister on Tuesday. ICE and Border Patrol agents have come under heavy criticism in the United States over their enforcement of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, which resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens last month in Minneapolis. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and under ICE, will have a small presence at the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) joint operations center in Milan focused on information sharing. DSS will provide protection for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Secret Service will protect Vice President JD Vance, both of whom arrived in Milan on Thursday. Another "ICE OUT" protest was planned for Friday in Milan. Deal blamed the backlash on "misinformation and assumptions.” "I think when it comes to securing major events, a lot of people don’t know what the capacities and capabilities and resource that are needed, so there’s a lot of misinformation and assumptions that are made," she said. "I think this inaccuracy that ICE is here on the ground securing the Games was one of those. So I’m glad we were able to set the record straight and provide on the ground truth that ICE is not part of the Team USA delegation.”

Reported similarly:
USA Today [2/5/2026 8:31 AM, Jordan Mendoza, 70643K]

US News & World Report [2/5/2026 5:14 AM, Keith Weir and Giselda Vagon, 16072K] reports U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha flew into Milan on Thursday on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and Vance said he would be "rooting for" Team USA. Vance will meet with the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, according to the vice president’s office. Vance, wearing a blue zip-up jacket with a U.S. flag on his ⁠arm, was greeted by Tilman Fertitta, the ambassador to Italy, on the tarmac at Malpensa Airport. Usha Vance was also dressed casually in a white fleece with the Stars and Stripes on the back, as well as the five-ring Olympic logo. TV footage showed the couple being welcomed at the airport with a round of applause from a few dozen athletes. "The whole country — Democrat, Republican, ‌Independent — we’re all rooting for you, we’re ⁠cheering for you, and we know you’re going to make us proud," Vance said. Making a joke, he added that although his wife, the Second Lady, is not usually a sports fan, she becomes completely absorbed in the Olympics every two years and insists they watch together. Vance said she had been that way since they first started dating, noting that the Games’ ability to captivate someone not usually interested ​in sports shows how uniquely unifying they are for the country. The couple was then joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was wearing a blue suit and a red pullover. They posed for a family photo before departing. The Vice President and Secretary of State Rubio are expected to attend the opening ceremony in the San Siro soccer stadium on Friday evening. The International Olympic Committee is hoping the ceremony will not be marred by jeers against Americans, and will be a show of respect for athletes from around the world. There are concerns spectators could boo the American team or politicians after news of the presence of analysts from a department that falls under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sparked anger in Italy. ICE officials will not conduct any policing on Italian streets, Italy’s interior minister Matteo Piantedosi said on Wednesday, dismissing political outrage over their presence for the February 6-22 Games as baseless.

FOX News [2/5/2026 6:02 PM, Emma Bussey, Alexandra Koch, 37576K] reports officials have seen an increase in domestic partners using chemical and biological toxins to harm or kill victims over the past five years, according to a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence bulletin distributed to law enforcement and public safety partners. The January assessment, prepared by the DHS Intelligence Division within the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, identifies the worrying trend officials say makes it challenging for detection, investigation and prosecution because symptoms can mimic natural illness. DHS said in the bulletin it has "moderate confidence" that domestic partners are increasingly using chemical and biological toxins — including cyanide and ricin — to harm or kill spouses or partners, based on reporting over the last five years. The judgment is supported by law enforcement reporting, medical center data and documented cases spanning multiple states and years. The intelligence bulletin also highlights recent incidents showing the threat posed by the domestic use of chemical and biological toxins. The document states that similar incidents involving toxic substances in domestic settings have been reported in other states, underscoring persistent public safety risks and challenges for first responders. According to DHS, domestic partner attacks involving chemical or biological toxins show a pattern in the choice of substances used to harm victims. Substances used most include antifreeze, eye drops containing tetrahydrozoline, fentanyl, cyanide, thallium, colchicine, veterinary barbiturates and insulin. The bulletin also says these are often chosen for their accessibility and their ability to mimic natural illness, complicating detection and investigation. The report also warns that the intentional or accidental use of chemical or biological toxins in homes or public spaces can pose risks beyond the intended target. DHS has called for increased coordination, awareness and improved detection and response capabilities to address this evolving form of domestic partner violence.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [2/5/2026 7:18 PM, Sophie Brams, 18170K]
NBC News [2/5/2026 11:27 AM, Minyvonne Burke, 42967K]

Washington Examiner [2/5/2026 10:22 AM, Claire Carter, 1147K] reports President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would accept the results of the 2026 midterm elections, provided they are fair. "I will, if the elections are honest," the president said when asked if he would accept election results if Republicans lost their majorities in the House and Senate. During an interview with NBC’s Tom Llamas on Wednesday, Trump spoke broadly about the midterm elections, but stopped short of offering an unconditional commitment to accept the results. Trump persisted that the 2020 elections were corrupt and backed the FBI investigation into Fulton County election facilities, which he said he had no involvement in. He pointed to "cheating" in 2020 as the reason for his weariness over the midterm elections. Trump also expanded on his proposal to nationalize elections in certain jurisdictions, though he denied using the phrase "nationalize.” "I didn’t say nationalize. I said there are some areas in our country that are extremely corrupt," Trump said. During an appearance on former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino’s podcast on Monday, Trump floated the idea of changing the voting process. "The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked," he said. Elections are primarily administered by states and local governments, with federal oversight provided through laws such as the Voting Rights Act. Trump has argued that the decentralized system leads to inconsistent standards. Nationalizing elections would shift more authority to the federal government to set uniform rules for voter identification, ballot design, voting technology, and vote counting. Trump also briefly discussed the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, which would require voters to present proof of citizenship before casting their ballots. He noted the pushback from Democrats on the measure, but said Democratic voters would support the act.

NBC News [2/5/2026 1:50 PM, Sahil Kapur, 42967K] reports that Republicans are on the brink of an internal clash over the SAVE Act, a high priority for President Donald Trump that would overhaul election laws nationwide and require proof of citizenship to vote. The legislation has passed the House but faces a 60-vote threshold in the Senate, which the 53-seat Republican majority has no hope of achieving due to fierce Democratic opposition. So some Republicans are pushing Senate leadership to find a way to sidestep the filibuster. They recognize they don’t have the votes to abolish it, despite Trump’s wishes. But they believe they have another path: using existing rules to force Senate Democrats to engage in a "talking filibuster" on the floor, tire them out until they submit, and proceed to a vote on the bill at a simple-majority threshold. "Return to Senate tradition. Require filibustering senators to (gasp) actually speak," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a vocal proponent of the idea and chief sponsor of the legislation, said on X. "Using existing Senate rules. Pass the SAVE America Act." But it’s easier said than done, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday when asked by NBC News whether he believes the tactic can succeed to pass the SAVE Act. It would eat up a huge amount of floor time and put other priorities on ice, he warned, "and we have a lot of things we have to do," including a housing bill, a market structure bill, potentially "permitting reform," a farm bill and a highway bill, as well as sanctions on Russia. And there’s no guarantee of success.

Breitbart [2/5/2026 1:55 PM, Pam Key, 2238K] reports that Thursday on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act was “Jim Crow 2.0.” Co-host Jonathan Lemire said, “So, Leader Schumer, this talk about election security has revived discussions of the SAVE Act, which you have said you oppose, Proponents of it say that it’s, you know, to have ID, you have to prove U.S. citizenship to be able to vote. Some of the claims they make, to be clear, are overstated. We know there’s not widespread election fraud, but polling does suggest, there’s a new PewResearch poll that 95 percent of Republicans, but also 71 percent of Democrats, like this idea. So why do you not?” Schumer said, “It’s Jim Crow 2.0, and I called it Jim Crow 2.0, and the right wing went nuts all over the Internet. That’s because they know it’s true. What they’re trying to do here is the same thing that was done in the South for decades to prevent people of color from voting. For instance, if you change — you’re a woman who got married and changed your last name, you won’t be able to show ID and you’ll be discriminated against. If you can’t find a birth certificate, or a proper ID, you’ll be discriminated against. This is vicious and nasty. And I said to our Republican colleagues, it will not pass the Senate. You will not get a single Democratic vote in the Senate. We’re not reviving Jim Crow all over the country. And when the American people hear what exactly it is doing and what its intent is doing, they’re going to be against it as well.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Post [2/5/2026 2:53 PM, George F. Will, 24826K] reports that the rule of law requires a justice system that works with some speed, but America’s immigration courts are carrying massive backlogs. As Congress tries to hammer out a compromise to fund the Department of Homeland Security, this source of bipartisan frustration should be central to negotiations. The number of pending immigration cases has swelled to around 3.4 million today, up from under 500,000 a decade ago. Yet fewer than 700 judges are available across the country to hear cases, meaning many wait years to get their claims adjudicated. In the meantime, they cannot legally work, which pushes them into the underground economy. Fixing this problem would serve the interests of both parties. Republicans could more easily remove illegal immigrants from the country. Democrats could see legitimate asylum claims more quickly upheld. The GOP significantly boosted funding for the office that oversees these judges, who work inside the Justice Department, as part of last summer’s tax bill. The same law, however, imposed a cap on the number of immigration judges at 800. That measly increase will never be sufficient to close the backlog.

The Hill [2/5/2026 10:30 AM, Don Wolfensberger, 18170K] reports last Friday at midnight, the Senate walked-up to the precipice of a partial government shutdown and jumped. It was a leap of faith that there would be a safe splashdown when the House returned this week to ratify the agreement to fund five of the six remaining appropriations bills for the rest of the fiscal year, and put the sixth on temporary life support. That compromise deal had already been struck between the leaders of both parties in the Senate and President Trump. The Senate passed the package on a 71-29 vote late Friday after limiting the Department of Homeland Security division in the bill to a Feb. 13 expiration date. The next ten days are intended to allow negotiations to place new accountability constraints on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after the tragic shootings of two American citizens in Minneapolis last month. Congress brought itself to this inflection point last year when it was already running behind on enacting any of its 12 regular spending bills by the Oct. 1 fiscal year start date. It didn’t help that the entire government was then shut down for a record 43 days before reopening with a continuing appropriations resolution that expired on Jan. 30. The first three appropriations bills of the 12 were enacted in that compromise last November. Three others were signed into law on Jan. 23. That left just seven days to wrap-up the remaining six measures before last Friday’s deadline. The House Rules Committee helped expedite the final push by reporting a special rule that made it in order to consider two bills: One to include five of the remaining six (a so-called mini-bus) and the other to fund Homeland Security. The rule allowed for no amendments to the Homeland Security bill and just two Republican amendments to the mini-bus — both to placate conservative Freedom Caucus members. Both amendments were rejected on the House floor. The rule also provided that, after both bills passed the House, the Homeland Security bill would be folded into the five-bill minibus measure before being sent to the Senate. The rule squeaked by on the House floor, 214-213, and the two bills were then separately passed by similar narrow margins before being merged.

FOX News [2/5/2026 5:00 AM, Mehek Cooke, 37576K] reports the immigration debate is focused almost entirely on the border, but the real failure happens after entry, inside taxpayer-funded benefits systems that rarely demand proof. While enforcement dominates the headlines, billions of dollars quietly move through Medicaid, housing and social services with weak identity verification, inconsistent eligibility checks and little accountability. This is where the system breaks down: Americans work harder, taxpayer dollars move faster and fraud thrives in the absence of enforcement. While Democrats and much of the mainstream media obsess over ICE enforcement and border encounters, a far more serious failure is unfolding inside Medicaid offices, housing authorities and social services agencies nationwide. Federal data show that Medicaid improper payments of our tax dollars reached $37.4 billion in fiscal year 2025, with error rates climbing above 6%, up from $31.1 billion the year before. Across federal healthcare programs, improper payments now approach $95.5 billion. They are the taxpayer dollars of hardworking Americans paid out without adequate documentation, verified eligibility or proof that payments met program rules. Federal auditors report that over 77% of improper payments stem from documentation gaps unsubstantiated by administrators. While not every improper payment constitutes fraud, weak identity verification and minimal oversight create incentives for abuse by both providers and recipients. States lacking robust verification systems are far more likely to issue improper or fraudulent payments, a risk repeatedly flagged by federal watchdogs. This is the predictable outcome of systems that prioritize rapid enrollment over verification, expansion over accountability and optics over enforcement. Minnesota has become ground zero for an epic collapse in benefits oversight. Since 2018, approximately half of $18 billion in federally funded social service spending has come under scrutiny amid allegations of fraud tied to Medicaid, housing stabilization services and disability care programs. Prosecutors allege schemes involving billing for services were never provided, shell providers approved with minimal vetting and even after red flags were raised, state agencies continued payments. The Feeding Our Future case alone resulted in more than 50 federal convictions and hundreds of millions in fraudulent claims, making it one of the largest nonprofit fraud prosecutions in U.S. history. This is the predictable result of ignored audits and failed oversight. California is another stark example of taxpayer fraud when verification is optional. A federal Office of Inspector General audit found the state improperly claimed more than $52 million in federal Medicaid reimbursements for illegal aliens because California failed to check eligibility and enforce basic verification. That same breakdown appears in homelessness spending, where federal auditors warned that hundreds of millions of dollars were at risk given weak controls, a warning recently highlighted by a federal criminal complaint alleging a California nonprofit fraudulently obtained $23 million in federal homelessness funds. Instead of proving eligibility, the system assumed eligibility and taxpayers paid the price.

Daily Caller [2/5/2026 10:36 AM, Sen. John Cornyn, 803K] reports last January, Katie Abraham and Chloe Polzin, two college students in Illinois, were killed in a hit-and-run crash by Julio Cucul-Bol, an illegal alien from Guatemala who was driving drunk. Katie was just 20 years old. Her dad described her as "intelligent," "so funny, so witty," and someone who "had this way of bringing people in and making them feel seen." Because of Julio Cucul-Bol, Mr. Abraham will never be able to walk his daughter down the aisle. Nearly the same age, Chloe celebrated her 21st birthday just one week before the fatal crash. An avid swimmer who competed in the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics, she had a zeal for travel and enjoyed volunteering. As an organ donor, Chloe was able to save five lives, and I hope it’s a comfort to her family knowing that Chloe’s heart beats on. Across our country, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters are having to bury family, friends, and loved ones who’ve died at the hands of criminal aliens who never should have been allowed in our country in the first place. It doesn’t have to be this way. That is why I introduced the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act to help keep Americans safe while driving on our roads. My bill would ensure that aliens who drive drunk and kill or seriously maim someone can be arrested, detained, and removed from the United States as aggravated felons. Specifically, any illegal alien who is convicted of a DWI or DUI that results in death or serious bodily injury of another individual would face mandatory detention and could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison for attempting illegal re-entry into the United States.

Washington Post [2/5/2026 1:23 PM, Staff, 24826K] reports that Marc A. Thiessen’s Jan. 30 op-ed, “The left is badly misreading the politics of illegal immigration,” was 100 percent on point. As a staunchly Democratic voter, it horrifies me to start hearing the “defund ICE” chant resonating within my party. Americans crave law and order. Under President Joe Biden, we were deprived of it through policies that seemed to let criminals do as they pleased. Now, Americans are also seeing a lack of respect for law and order through President Donald Trump’s own actions. Democrats should embrace the true, fair application of law for everyone if they want to start winning elections. Jeremy Siegel, Brentwood. I’m conservative at heart and believe that we, the people, have not focused enough on immigration policy over the past few decades. The Trump administration is trying to make up for that lack of focus in one year, by making crossing our borders harder and gathering up those who have not entered our country legally and sending them back where they came from. The execution of deportation policy, however, has been absolutely horrible across the board. This is from a national public relations standpoint as well as because of the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in local communities.

NBC News [2/5/2026 12:51 PM, Laura Strickler, Julia Ainsley, 42967K] reports Department of Homeland Security plans to purchase and operate mega warehouses to use as immigration detention centers are raising concerns among lawmakers, local residents and government contractors. The proposed centers are so large that some could house as many as 8,000 detainees at once, according to a DHS spreadsheet of more than 20 potential locations that was verified by NBC News. The largest federal prison in the U.S., for example, has roughly 4,000 inmates. At least two facilities have already been secured. One is outside Phoenix, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement paid $70 million for a building the size of seven football fields, according to NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix. ICE purchased the 418,000-square-foot warehouse in an industrial park in Surprise. Surprise city officials said in a statement that they were not aware of the purchase, that they had not been notified of it and that they had not been contacted by DHS or any other federal agency. The other is outside Philadelphia, where ICE bought a warehouse for $87.4 million last month for possible conversion into an immigration detention center, according to NBC Philadelphia. President Donald Trump said in an interview with NBC News on Wednesday that his administration could use a "softer touch" on immigration enforcement after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens last month in Minneapolis. But Trump also said he hopes to push his immigration crackdown into five more cities. And as the administration’s expanding plans for mass immigrant detention, which NBC News first reported in November, are coming into sharper focus, concerns are only growing. Pro-immigrant community groups in Colorado, Mississippi and Arizona have already voiced opposition, and Arizona lawmakers said they worry the purchase of the massive building would mean aggressive immigration enforcement was coming to their area, KPNX reported. In Hutchins, Texas, on Wednesday night, the League of United Latin American Citizens and state officials demonstrated against a proposed ICE facility. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a statement Wednesday that he strongly opposed the possibility of a detention center near Byhalia, Mississippi. "I am all for immigration enforcement, but this site was meant for economic development and job creation," he posted on X, along with a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "We cannot suddenly flood Byhalia with an influx of up to 10,000 detainees.”

Reuters [2/5/2026 4:47 PM, Nandita Bose, 38315K] reports President Donald Trump has not discussed "formal plans" to deploy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling sites at November’s midterm elections, the White House said on Thursday, while declining to rule out their presence near voting locations. Trump said on Monday that Republicans should "nationalize" and "take over" voting in at least 15 unspecified locations, repeating his false claims that U.S. elections are plagued by widespread fraud. Asked about Bannon’s comments, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "I can’t guarantee that an ICE agent won’t be around a polling location in November … but what I can tell you is I haven’t heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations."

Reported similarly:
USA Today [2/5/2026 4:08 PM, Joey Garrison, 70643K]

CNN [2/5/2026 7:00 AM, Phil Galewitz and Amanda Seitz, 612K] reports the Trump administration’s move to give deportation officials access to Medicaid data is putting hospitals and states in a bind as they weigh whether to alert immigrant patients that their personal information, including home addresses, could be used in efforts to remove them from the country. Warning patients could deter them from signing up for a program called Emergency Medicaid, through which the government reimburses hospitals for the cost of emergency treatment for immigrants who are ineligible for standard Medicaid coverage. But if hospitals don’t disclose that the patients’ information is shared with federal law enforcement, they might not know that their medical coverage puts them at risk of being located by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "If hospitals tell people that their Emergency Medicaid information will be shared with ICE, it is foreseeable that many immigrants would simply stop getting emergency medical treatment," said Leonardo Cuello, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families. "Half of the Emergency Medicaid cases are for the delivery of U.S. citizen babies. Do we want these mothers avoiding the hospital when they go into labor?". For more than a decade, hospitals and states have assured patients that their personal information, including their home addresses and immigration status, would not be shared with immigration enforcement officials when they apply for federal health care coverage. A 2013 ICE policy memo guaranteed the agency would not use information from health coverage applications for enforcement activities. But that changed last year, after President Donald Trump returned to the White House and ordered one of the most aggressive immigration crackdowns in recent history. His administration began funneling data from a variety of government agencies to the Department of Homeland Security, including tax information filed with the IRS. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, agreed last spring to give ICE officials direct access to a Medicaid database that includes enrollees’ addresses and citizenship status. Twenty-two states, all but one led by Democratic governors, sued to block the Medicaid data-sharing agreement, which the administration did not formally announce until a federal judge ordered it to do so last summer. The judge ruled in December that in those states, ICE could access information in the Medicaid database only about people in the country unlawfully. KFF Health News contacted more than a dozen hospitals and hospital associations in states and cities that have been targets of ICE sweeps. Many declined to comment on whether they’ve updated their disclosure policies after the ruling. Of those that responded, none said they are directly warning patients that their personal information may be shared with ICE when they apply for Medicaid coverage. "We do not provide legal advice about federal government data-sharing between agencies," Aimee Jordon, a spokesperson for M Health Fairview, a Minneapolis-based hospital system, said in an email to KFF Health News. "We encourage patients with questions about benefits or immigration-related concerns to seek guidance from appropriate state resources and qualified legal counsel.” [Editorial note: consult source link for extended commentary]

NPR [2/5/2026 4:17 PM, Alex Olgin, 28764K] Audio: HERE reports medical professionals say the Trump administration’s reversal of a policy that kept immigration enforcement from happening in or near medical facilities is having an impact on people’s health.

NBC News [2/6/2026 5:00 AM, Kevin Collier, Jared Perlo, Jean Lee, and Matt Lavietes, 43603K] reports federal immigration agents flooding U.S. streets are using a new surveillance tool kit whose increasing use on observers and bystanders is alarming civil liberties advocates, lawmakers and activists. Using smartphones loaded with sophisticated facial recognition technology, in addition to professional-grade photo equipment, agents are aggressively photographing faces of people they encounter in their daily operations, including possible enforcement targets and observers. Some of the images are being run through facial recognition software in real time. The use of these tools and tactics is setting a new standard of street-level surveillance and information collection that has little precedent in the U.S. In recent months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other Department of Homeland Security officials have photographed and scanned Americans in Minneapolis, Chicago and Portland, Maine, often without their consent. Though smartphone, surveillance and doorbell cameras make it increasingly difficult to participate in almost any aspect of modern life without being recorded, the new DHS tactic is an unprecedented escalation in how the federal government tracks people, including U.S. citizens, according to lawmakers, civil liberties advocates and activists. “The idea that law enforcement is using mobile facial recognition on the streets is shocking,” Andrew Ferguson, a professor of law at George Washington University who focuses on police technology, said of the scannings. “Largely because there was a sense that such technology was neither ready for prime time, nor acceptable in a free society,” Ferguson said. NBC News verified more than a dozen videos in which immigration officers appear to be photographing the faces of people they encounter, either with phone or professional cameras, multiple witnesses of immigration enforcement action also told NBC News that their faces were captured by federal agents. While DHS has said facial recognition scans are meant to assist with immigration enforcement, several people photographed by officers described it as an act of intimidation. In many of the cases, it’s not clear if or when facial recognition technology is immediately being used in the field, but the practice has been acknowledged by DHS and by photographers who have captured the technology’s interface on the phones of agents using it. DHS did not respond to emailed questions asking what the purpose of taking such photos is or how they will be stored or used. Some administration and immigration officials have indicated that people who protest or observe their operations can be put on a watchlist. White House border czar Tom Homan said on Fox News on Jan. 15 that “we’re going to create a database where those people that are arrested for interference, impeachment, assault; we’re going to make them famous.” In a video a Maine woman posted to social media in January, an ICE agent tells her that “we have a nice little database” and “now you’re considered a domestic terrorist.” Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, seemed to deny that in an emailed statement, in which she said “There is NO database of ‘domestic terrorists’ run by DHS.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NPR [2/5/2026 11:03 AM, Keren Landman, 28764K] reports in 2025, as immigrant arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement soared, so did the demand for health care providers to staff hastily constructed detention centers. One group tapped to meet the need is the U.S. Public Health Service, or USPHS: In the past year, nearly 400 officers have done monthlong tours helping to provide basic medical care to detainees at ICE facilities nationwide, according to a USPHS employee who reviewed a roster of staff deployments. The deployed officers include nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and other medical professionals. A growing number say these ICE assignments are not what they signed up for. Life-threatening delays in getting medicine and care to detainees, chaotic screenings, and overcrowded yet understaffed conditions have pushed some medical professionals to quit. "We have been tasked with protecting and promoting health, and instead, we are being asked to facilitate inhumane operations," said Rebekah Stewart, a nurse practitioner who left the service in October. Many Americans have never heard of the USPHS. It’s made up of around 5,000 uniformed, non-combatant officers, mostly health professionals, who work day jobs at federal agencies like the Indian Health Service, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its members often deploy to humanitarian crises affecting Americans — natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and the like. Although officers see most of those missions as just part of the job, their latest assignments are landing differently. Some officers report such severe moral distress before and during deployment to immigrant detention facilities that they’ve quit the service altogether — and some of those who’ve stayed feel deeply conflicted about continuing to serve the agency.

FOX News [2/5/2026 3:25 PM, Asra Q. Nomani, Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi, 37576K] reports early last week, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the bureau is investigating the use of the encrypted Signal messaging platform by "ICE Watch" activists to track and block federal immigration enforcement. A Fox News Digital investigation reveals these groups are part of a nationwide web of at least 200 anti-ICE organizations that are building a civilian intelligence-gathering and "rapid response" system that trains, mobilizes and activates civilians to act as on-the-ground scouts, using the SALUTE method to collect data on federal authorities they cast as the "enemy," raising serious national security concerns. Fox News Digital has established that these national operations feed data about the movements of law enforcement and immigration authorities into at least 13 sophisticated databases, storing highly sensitive information, including license plate numbers, timestamps, geolocation data, uniform details, photographs, behavior patterns and, in at least one case, the names, email addresses and phone numbers of federal authorities. The network operates through at least 18 hubs nationwide in largely Democratic states and cities, coordinating traffic, verification and reporting.

Daily Caller [2/5/2026 1:27 PM, Jack Cowhick, 803K] reports that the 50501 Movement announced the creation of a website intended to identify hotels potentially housing United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in a Jan. 31 Threads post. The group, known for organizing the national "No Kings" protests in 2025, wrote in the post that the website would "ensure ICE does not feel at home wherever they go." The announcement also states they are "encouraging businesses" to pledge not to serve ICE agents. The website provides users with tactics to "help fight ICE," including contacting hotels, booking rooms, and organizing "noise protests" to ensure "ICE doesn’t sleep" while alerting the community to their presence. Anti-ICE protesters have recently made use of "noise protests" in Minneapolis, banging pots and pans, blowing whistles and chanting anti-ICE slogans outside of hotels suspected to house federal law enforcement agents. "Make a reservation at the hotel, then cancel the reservation within the cancellation period," the website suggests. "Make sure to set a reminder for yourself to cancel within an hour before the cancellation period expires." The website also reminds users to protect personally identifiable information (PII), asking users to use "best security practices." A map of "hotel ICE sightings" is also provided on the website, although the map only has two entries as of publication time, including one in Arvada, Colorado. In the Threads post, the group also linked to a "Shut Out ICE" toolkit, which calls readers to "make preparations for a general strike."

New York Post [2/5/2026 6:00 AM, Victor Nava, 40934K] reports billboards expressing support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and calling out "liberal hypocrisy" sprung up in several swing states Wednesday as federal law enforcement officers continue to face protests and harassment from anti-ICE activists. "ICE officers are: fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends," reads one of the billboards put up by conservative nonprofit Citizens for Sanity in high-traffic commuter routes in Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan. "Let them do their jobs," reads another placard, which includes illustrations of ICE agents in tactical gear. Another billboard reminds the public that "interfering with federal law enforcement operations is a crime.” "You could go to jail," the sign warns. One of the adverts quotes remarks from former President Barack Obama’s days as senator, where he argued, "Americans are right to demand better border security and better enforcement of the immigration laws.” "Hey liberals, what’s changed?" the sign asks passersby. Would-be anti-ICE protesters are urged to "think about it" in one of the signs, which claims, "The same people who wanted you to take 10 vaccines now want you to protest ICE.” "This campaign reminds voters that enforcing the law isn’t partisan, it’s common sense," Ian Prior, the executive director of Citizens for Sanity, said in a statement. "ICE officers put their lives on the line to keep communities safe — they deserve support, not obstruction," Prior argued. The Citizens for Sanity exec further contends that Americans are "tired of chaos at the border and across the country" and that the left’s "political games" related to ICE are "are unacceptable and unwanted" by swing state voters. In his second term, President Trump has launched a series of high-profile immigration enforcement operations in Democrat-led cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis.

Daily Caller [2/5/2026 9:35 AM, Harold Hutchison, 803K] reports Panelists on "CNN NewsNight" had a collective meltdown on Wednesday after Salem Radio Network host Scott Jennings used data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to illustrate the criminal records of illegal aliens arrested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that 700 federal agents would be leaving Minneapolis, citing "unprecedented cooperation" from state and local authorities. After Jennings fact-checked former Democratic State Rep. Bakari Sellers of South Carolina, who claimed most illegal immigrants didn’t have criminal records, "The View" co-host Ana Navarro erupted. "The federal government, the Department of Homeland Security, has repeatedly published data showing that 70% of the people that have been deported had other criminal records. They have said this on the record time and again. I don’t know about the Cato Institute, but the government — but the government has repeatedly said this," Jennings said, prompting Navarro to claim, "Scott, hold on — hold on a minute. Here’s the thing, though. The thing is that you take whatever DHS says as truth, as the Bible.” "They published the list," Jennings responded. DHS issues press releases daily, detailing some of the illegal aliens with criminal records that are taken into custody. Some of the crimes the illegal aliens were convicted of include sexual conduct with a minor, domestic abuse, lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old, third-degree sex offense, voluntary manslaughter, burglary, robbery, breaking and entering, malicious punishment of a child and terroristic threats.

FOX News [2/5/2026 11:20 AM, Elizabeth Elkind, 37576K] reports House Republicans are unsure if Democrats are negotiating in good faith on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the chances of a partial shutdown growing larger by the day. Congress has until the end of Feb. 13 to produce a bipartisan plan funding DHS for the remainder of the fiscal year. A DHS funding bill will need at least some Democratic support in the Senate, where bipartisan cooperation is critical to the 60-vote threshold to advance most legislation. But in the House, which governs by a simple majority, Republicans are balking at some of the key demands made by Democratic leaders in exchange for their support. "I’m surprised that they didn’t just say the quiet part out loud, that they want to abolish [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] altogether, which is what some of the members are actually saying," Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "So I think those demands are ridiculous.” He and other conservatives have also said they do not believe Democrats are negotiating for a legitimate compromise — a lack of trust that puts any potential deal on shaky ground with only nine days until a possible DHS shutdown. "We had four years of anything but good faith, and they really put our country into a really bad situation," Pfluger said.

NewsMax [2/5/2026 8:37 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports Democrats’ latest immigration demands are "dead on arrival," arguing that if federal agents are being pressured to unmask and display identification, then protesters should be held to the same standard, Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Thursday. Appearing on Newsmax’s "Wake Up America" with co-hosts Marc Lotter and Sharla McBride, Fine weighed in as Congress remains deadlocked over funding for immigration enforcement and border security, with a Department of Homeland Security shutdown looming within days. Democrats have proposed a list of demands that includes barring Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks and requiring them to display identification. Fine pushed back, saying the standards Democrats want to impose on ICE should apply across the board. "If ICE agents can’t be masked, how about all these protesters who wear masks to hide who they are?" Fine said. "No masks. If ICE agents have to wear name badges, then protesters who are paid should have to disclose who pays them.” Fine argued the demands reveal what he called Democrats’ true objective: protecting illegal migrants at the expense of American citizens. He accused Democrats of repeatedly threatening government shutdowns to advance what he described as a push for amnesty. "This can go both ways," Fine said, adding that local governments should be required to cooperate with ICE by turning over criminal illegal migrants already in custody instead of obstructing enforcement. The discussion also turned to voter ID laws, with Fine highlighting what he called a glaring contradiction. Democrats, he noted, want immigration agents to prove who they are but strongly oppose requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. Fine criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s criticism of the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote, calling claims that voter ID laws are discriminatory "the most racist argument I’ve ever heard.” "The idea that minorities and women aren’t smart enough to get driver’s licenses is insane," Fine said. "They should be offended by that.” Fine said Republicans plan to push forward with legislation requiring photo ID for voting, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., announcing a vote as soon as next week. Fine challenged Democrats to explain their opposition to measures he said are common-sense election safeguards. On immigration policy, Fine rejected proposals such as the so-called Dignity Act, which would offer legal status to certain long-term illegal migrants who pay back taxes and pass background checks. He was unequivocal in his stance. "Every illegal immigrant needs to go home, without exception," Fine said. "No amnesty. Deport them all.”

Washington Post [2/6/2026 5:01 AM, Amy Brittain, Robert Klemko, and Maria Sacchetti, 24149K] reports an undocumented immigrant is seeking $1 million in damages after he says he was riding his bike in Melrose Park, Illinois, when a U.S. Border Patrol agent suddenly tackled him, placed him in a chokehold and punched his head. A Chicago resident says that federal agents caused $30,000 worth of property damage when they broke a lock on his wrought-iron gate and scaled a wooden fence to chase after construction workers repairing his Victorian-era home. A Columbia University student and activist who spent 104 days in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center is demanding $20 million over what he says was a false arrest. All three should expect a long and difficult fight under the current legal landscape, lawyers warn. These and scores of other claims expected to arise out of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration are winding through a bureaucratic process mandated under the Federal Tort Claims Act. It is the primary legal recourse for people seeking compensation for property damage, injuries and even deaths allegedly caused by federal agencies and their employees. First, individuals must fill out a form and submit it for review by the agency that they say caused the harm. Agencies such as ICE and Customs and Border Protection have six months to deny a claim, offer a settlement or not respond at all. Only then can people sue in court under the Federal Tort Claims Act. But these cases are different from civil rights lawsuits. Judges, not juries, decide the outcome. Awarded damages are likely to be much lower. And individual officers can’t be named as defendants. An ICE spokesperson said the agency received about 400 tort claims in fiscal 2025, which ended Sept. 30, but did not provide a breakdown of how many resulted in settlements or denials. “Despite facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them, 8,000% increase in death threats, and a 3,200% increase in vehicle rammings, the men and women of ICE continue working around the clock” to arrest and remove “the worst of the worst criminal aliens from the United States,” ICE said in an emailed statement. The Washington Post could not independently verify these numbers. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson declined to provide data about the number of tort claims the agency received last year. “Rioters and agitators have created an extraordinary amount of damage to public and private property, not to mention the harm they have put our officers and the public in,” a CBP spokesperson said in a statement. “We expect these agitators will be held responsible for their actions.” Spokespeople for ICE and CBP declined to comment on individual claims described in this story. They broadly said their agencies adhere to the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Washington Examiner [2/5/2026 3:57 PM, Jack Birle, 1147K] reports a federal appeals court grilled a lawyer for churches suing over the Department of Homeland Security’s end to the "sensitive locations" policy for immigration enforcement over claims that the threat of deportation decreased service attendance. The coalition of churches and other religious institutions sued the Trump administration over its decision to revoke a previous DHS policy that prohibited immigration enforcement activities at "sensitive" places, including churches and schools. During Thursday’s hearing before a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, questioning centered on the coalition’s claims that the threat of immigration enforcement led to attendance drops, and whether that is enough for the churches to sue over the January 2025 policy change. Kelsi Corkran, lawyer for the group of churches, argued that any drop in attendance at religious services should be sufficient to allow the lawsuit to go forward and further urged the panel to reinstate the revoked policy.

NewsMax [2/5/2026 10:56 AM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 3760K] reports a growing majority of Americans say Immigration and Customs Enforcement has gone too far in enforcing immigration laws and is making the country less safe, according to a new NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll released Thursday. About two-thirds of U.S. adults, 65%, say ICE’s actions have gone too far, up from 54% in June 2025, while 12% say the agency has not gone far enough and 22% say its actions are about right, a slight decline from last summer. Public concern also extends to safety, with 62% of Americans saying ICE’s actions are making the country somewhat less safe or much less safe, while 37% said they believe the agency is making the nation safer. Overall, 60% of respondents said they disapprove of the job ICE is doing, compared with 33% who approve. The poll highlights sharp partisan divisions. Ninety-three percent of Democrats say ICE has gone too far, up from 83% in 2025, as do 71% of independents. Among Republicans, a plurality of 45% say ICE’s actions are about right, though the share who say the agency has gone too far has risen to 27%.

CBS Boston [2/5/2026 5:10 PM, Neal Riley, 51110K] reports Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Thursday issued an executive order that she says is designed to protect residents "from unconstitutional and violent federal operations." Specifically, the order says federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement can’t use city property "as an unpermitted staging area, processing location, operations base, or any similar purpose in furtherance of civil immigration enforcement operations." It also says Boston will investigate "criminal conduct by federal officials," and release surveillance footage of violence or property damage by federal agents.

FOX News [2/5/2026 6:40 PM, Staff, 37576K] Video: HERE reports Boston Mayor Michelle Wu moves to expose ICE actions, threatens court fight.

FOX News [2/5/2026 8:41 PM, Greg Wehner, 37576K] reports Boston Mayor Michelle Wu accused federal immigration agents of conducting "unconstitutional" operations in the city and ordered the public release of surveillance and body camera footage tied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. She said the move is aimed at holding federal agents accountable for alleged acts of violence. Wu and other Massachusetts officials held a joint news conference Thursday in the blue city, slamming the Trump administration’s federal immigration enforcement and pointing specifically to ICE activity in various communities. "They are trying to do with federal agents what they have failed to do with canceled grants, sham investigations and the National Guard," Wu said. "If we experience the kind of unlawful and unconstitutional invasion we’ve all seen in other parts of the country, then Boston will see the [Trump] administration in court again.” The Democrat mayor said she signed an executive order Thursday morning aimed at holding federal officials accountable, directing city departments to protect residents and respond to any violence, property damage or criminal conduct related to immigration enforcement. Wu said the order makes clear that city first responders will prioritize de-escalation and public safety during federal immigration operations. "While the federal government hides behind masks, we will be transparent," she said. "This order directs city departments to release surveillance and body-worn camera footage of violence or property damage by federal agents, in accordance with state law. "This order also doubles down on our dedication to use city resources to keep our residents safe.” Last week, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey introduced legislation aimed at limiting ICE activity in sensitive locations, including courthouses, schools, child care programs, hospitals and churches. The proposal would also bar other states from deploying National Guard troops in Massachusetts without the governor’s approval and allow parents to arrange guardianship in advance for their children if they are detained or deported. Like a recent executive order issued by Healey, Wu’s proposal would bar federal immigration agents from using city buildings, parking lots and parks for enforcement operations and makes clear that schools, libraries, community centers and senior centers are intended for learning, gathering and public services. Wu also said the order directs the city to investigate any crimes committed in Boston, including those involving federal agents, and to make referrals to prosecutors when appropriate. She said it also instructs city officials to pursue every available legal option to challenge what she described as coercive federal actions. "In Boston, as it should across America, the rule of law applies to everyone," she said. The order adds Boston to a growing list of blue cities openly challenging the Trump administration’s immigration policies, escalating a national fight over enforcement tactics, transparency and the reach of federal power.

Bloomberg [2/5/2026 1:21 PM, Laura Nahmias and Nacha Cattan, 18082K] reports New York’s pension funds, which have exposure to $900 million of Palantir Technologies Inc. stock, are questioning the software company over its business dealings with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security. Both the city and state pension funds are invested in Palantir, with New York City’s five systems holding 2.57 million shares worth $457 million as of Dec. 31, according to a spokesperson for Comptroller Mark Levine. The state has a similar exposure, with investments valued at $437 million as of September. The holdings are through passive investments such as index funds, according to the systems. The actions come after both Levine and New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli raised questions about Palantir’s contracts with the federal government following an escalation of immigration-enforcement efforts around the US as part of the Trump administration’s push to crack down on undocumented migrants. “Recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis, as well as ICE activities more broadly, have drawn nationwide protests and intensified scrutiny of federal enforcement operations and highlighted material reputational and human rights risks to Palantir,” Levine said in a Feb. 4 letter to Alexandra Schiff, one of the company’s board members. He called for an independent review of Palantir’s work with DHS and ICE. A spokesperson for Palantir didn’t reply to a request for comment. Palantir’s shares fell 5% to $132.55 at 1:19 p.m. in New York on Thursday extending losses this year to more than 25%. The stock jumped last year by 135%, which is one reason why the holding has grown so large. Public pensions across the US wield large influence as stewards of billions in retirement funds for millions of Americans. New York City’s five pension systems have assets of over $311 billion, while the state’s fund has about $291 billion in investments. Both Democrats and Republicans have utilized that investment power as a way to drive policy. Officials in Texas, for example, prohibited certain public funds from investing in financial firms the state deemed as hostile to the oil and gas industry.

New York Times [2/5/2026 8:20 PM, Sharon Otterman and Olivia Bensimon, 148038K] reports a dozen Columbia University faculty and staff members and students were taken into custody on Thursday after blocking traffic on Broadway for nearly an hour as they protested President Trump’s immigration crackdown and demanded that Columbia provide more protections for international students. The arrests of the protesters, who sat in a crosswalk and wore matching shirts that said “Sanctuary Campus Now,” took place just before 4 p.m. after repeated warnings from police officers. The calm and deliberate police action was a marked contrast from the overwhelming show of force and rows of riot police that often met protesters outside Columbia during the past two years. Mila Rosenthal, 58, an adjunct professor of international and public affairs, was among those who chose to be arrested as an act of civil disobedience. “We’re seeing what’s happening in Minneapolis, just all of that terror that ICE is sowing there,” she said before her arrest, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. “And there’s no reason that Columbia can’t say, ‘This ends here.’” A sizable percentage of the student body at Columbia comes from outside the United States, and she said Columbia needed to do more to make those students feel safe. “This is a terrifying time to be in the United States, no matter your visa status, and they feel very vulnerable,” she said. The protest, which attracted about 150 people at its height, was organized in part by a group of faculty and staff members called CU Stands Up that has been hosting weekly vigils opposing ICE outside the Columbia gates for the past 40 weeks. Along with student activists, the group decided to escalate its tactics this week because of the violence in Minneapolis — including the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents — and around the country. As of 7 p.m. Thursday, the Police Department did not have details about the charges that the protesters were facing. Protest organizers said they were charged with refusal to disperse and blocking vehicular traffic and were released within a few hours, with instructions to appear in court on Feb. 23. “Columbia was the test case for this government strategy of kidnapping people first and then asking questions later,” Jennifer S. Hirsch, a professor of sociomedical sciences at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health who was among those arrested, said.

New York Post [2/6/2026 12:34 AM, Caitlin McCormack, 40934K] reports a substitute teacher at a Long Island high school allegedly threatened to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement while overseeing an after-school suspension class "with a lot of Hispanic kids.” A gaggle of students attending their mandated in-school suspension class at Roosevelt High School was continuing a longstanding joke of signing in under fake names when the sub overseeing them snapped, a witness told NBC 12. He allegedly stormed out of the classroom and went to grab the assistant principal. When he returned moments later, he claimed he had permission to call ICE on them because their prank was "kind of like a crime.” "I was like, ‘That’s not OK. Like, why would you say that?’ Especially in a classroom with a lot of Hispanic kids. That’s not something you should say. And then he’s like, ‘Oh no, that’s not how I meant it. But it is true, though’," Daniel Battle, who was serving suspension that day, told the outlet. The student said that he marched out of the classroom and right to the principal’s office to report the teacher’s flagrant threat. "I did the right thing to stand up for, not just myself and my peers," Battle told the outlet. His mother, Raquel Medrano, didn’t hesitate to stand by her son, who she said has been stopped by ICE before. "It’s just making the fear that they already have inside of them grow. Instead of helping make them feel safe and giving them a safe haven, it’s like, ‘Should I go to school today? What if I don’t come home?’," Medrano said. "My parents are citizens. I was born here. But we look like whatever they’re looking for, I guess," she added. Dr. Shawn Wightman, the superintendent of the Roosevelt Union Free School District, confirmed in a letter to families Thursday evening that the "substitute staff member has been removed from the after-school assignment pending the outcome of the review.” The school added that its officials "recognize that references to immigration enforcement can be deeply distressing for some students and families" and said it would be offering counseling to anyone impacted. The school district is investigating the allegations. Multiple Roosevelt High School students have been taken into ICE custody before the sub’s threat. In June, 18-year-old Alvaro Velasquez was detained weeks before he was set to graduate. Velasquez, a Guatemalan national, came to the US when he was 16 after his mother died. Wightman described him as a "student that every teacher would dream to have.” He had no criminal record, but agreed to self-deport in September, ABC 7 reported.

New York Post [2/5/2026 11:26 PM, Victor Nava and Marie Pohl, 40934K] reports Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) touted the approval of $14 million for projects in her New York district included in a funding bill she voted against and announced plans to coordinate "legal observer" trainings for wannabe anti-ICE activists at a Queens town hall Thursday. "I did not vote for this. I voted no," the "Squad" lawmaker said of the recently passed $1.2 trillion government spending bill, which funds the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for only the next two weeks. "I think we need to shut them down now, right away," Ocasio-Cortez said of the department handling President Trump’s sweeping illegal immigration crackdown. Moments later, the lefty lawmaker celebrated that the legislation she voted against provided millions in funding for her constituents. "Included in that bundling – even though I voted no – we were able to secure $14 million for different community funding projects here in New York’s 14th congressional district," she said. A slide on a monitor behind Ocasio-Cortez then boasted, "Secured $14.2 million for The Bronx and Queens!". The congresswoman later argued that controlling the disbursement of funds available to the Trump administration is the best way – and only way – Democrats can obstruct the president’s deportation agenda until after the midterm elections. "This upcoming fight on DHS is it," Ocasio-Cortez declared. "This is the moment. We have to send that message … to both of our senators in New York state.” The congresswoman later slammed the "escalation in ICE violence across the US" and urged New Yorkers to keep their "eyes peeled for any strange behavior" by federal law enforcement. To that effect, Ocasio-Cortez announced plans to host "legal observer" trainings in coordination with an anti-ICE activist group. "In the beginning of this most recent term, we did a lot of ‘know your rights’ education. That’s kind of like the 101," the congresswoman told the audience. She dubbed the next set of trainings "102" and said they would deal with legal observation of federal law enforcement. "We have upcoming teach-ins with Hands Off NYC … we will be doing that jointly in our community," Ocasio-Cortez continued. She said the trainings are aimed at people who "want to be kind of a more active observer.”

FOX News [2/5/2026 8:42 PM, Peter Pinedo, 37576K] reports the White House and conservatives are slamming New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill after she announced her administration is launching a portal to monitor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and alert people to their presence. Sherrill, a U.S. Navy veteran who entered office just a few weeks ago, encouraged New Jerseyans to film federal immigration enforcement operations when they see them, saying on a recent episode of The Daily Show, "We want documentation, and we are going to make sure we get it.” "We are going to be standing up a portal so people can upload all their cell videos and alert people," she said. "If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, we want to know.” In response, Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson for the White House, remarked, "If Sherill was as committed to tracking down criminal illegal aliens as she was ICE officers, New Jersey residents would be much safer.” Jackson told Fox News Digital "ICE officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults because of dangerous, untrue smears by elected Democrats. "Just the other day, an officer had his finger bitten off by a radical left-wing rioter," she said. "ICE officers act heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities, and local officials should work with them, not against them.” Sean Higgins, a spokesperson for Sherrill, framed the governor’s actions as protecting New Jerseyans from federal overreach. "Keeping New Jerseyans safe is Governor Sherrill’s top priority," Higgins told Fox News Digital. "In the coming days, she and acting Attorney General [Jennifer] Davenport will announce additional actions to protect New Jerseyans from federal overreach.” While speaking on the show, Sherrill cited the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in confrontations with ICE agents in Minneapolis. She accused agents of shooting Pretti "execution style," which she called "unacceptable.” "They have not been forthcoming," the governor said of ICE. "They will pick people up. They will not tell us who they are. They will not tell us if they’re here legally. They won’t check. They’ll pick up American citizens.” The White House was not the only critic of Sherrill’s announcement. New Jersey Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio ripped into the governor, saying her portal "puts everyone at risk" and continues a long trend of targeting law enforcement. "For years now, New Jersey has been moving in the wrong direction and making it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs and easier for criminals to exploit the system," DiMaio said in a statement. "This portal continues that trend by targeting the people whose job it is to protect our communities.” "Encouraging people to film and upload law enforcement activity risks escalating tensions and endangering both officers and the public," he said. DiMaio pointed to recent ICE arrests in New Jersey, which he said included arrests of sex offenders who also endangered children. "ICE has taken real criminals off our streets — offenders convicted of serious crimes against children and violent acts that put innocent lives at risk," DiMaio said. "At a time when leaders should be lowering the temperature, this piles on. It sends a message that enforcing the law is something to be shamed instead of respected.”

FOX News [2/5/2026 10:00 AM, Andrew Mark Miller, 37576K] reports Maryland’s Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who is widely believed to have presidential ambitions, is facing a treacherous political decision as legislation is soon heading his way that will effectively ban local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE in the state. Both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly approved legislation this week that would end 287(g) agreements, contracts that currently allow eight Maryland jurisdictions to work with federal immigration authorities in detention facilities and turn individuals over to ICE, Fox 45 Baltimore reported. Moore, considered by many to be a moderate, has spoken openly about rejecting "partisan" politics and supporting law enforcement, putting him in a potentially difficult spot between the calls from the base of his party to reject ICE and the position of moderates in his party and independents who may support ICE’s core mission of deporting criminal illegal immigrants. Moore has spoken out against ICE actions in recent weeks as the Trump administration faces mounting criticism for its immigration efforts following the deaths of two Minnesota residents after altercations with federal immigration authorities. Moore spokesperson Rhyan Lake told Fox News Digital that the governor is "gravely concerned about ICE’s actions in Maryland and across the country under the Trump-Vance administration.” Lake added, "Instead of focusing on violent offenders or public safety, the federal administration has created chaos and made communities less safe. The governor has made crystal clear: Maryland has no place for agents who are untrained, unqualified and unaccountable. As with any bill, he will review legislation as it comes to his desk.”

Blaze [2/5/2026 1:15 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1556K] reports that a newly elected blue-state governor took steps on Wednesday to terminate state and local law enforcement agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), a former federal law enforcement officer, issued an executive order establishing new state law enforcement policies based on "principles and policies that have long served as the north star for Virginia law enforcement." A press release from Spanberger’s office contended that law enforcement "exists to preserve human life" and emphasized that "public trust is a prerequisite to effective policing." "Virginia law enforcement does not engage in fear-based policing, enforcement theater, or actions that create barriers to people seeking assistance in their time of need," it read. As such, Spanberger’s administration stated that it will review all of law enforcement’s current policies and training to ensure they align with these standards. "As a former federal law enforcement officer and the daughter of a career law enforcement officer, I know that effective policing is built on trust. Like so many of Virginia’s law enforcement officers, I have serious concerns that chaotic federal law enforcement actions across the country are eroding years of trust built by our officers within the communities they serve," Spanberger stated. "When state and local law enforcement are pulled away from investigating crimes and upholding our Virginia laws to do the job of federal agents, it weakens their ability to deepen trust within their communities. This contributes to a culture of fear and distrust that makes it harder for officers to do their jobs."

CBS News [2/5/2026 2:50 PM, Dan Raby, 51110K] reports that a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding center for detainees in a small Georgia town could be open as early as April, despite city officials pushing back against the plan. In December, the Washington Post reported on a draft solicitation by ICE that would use "large-scale warehouses holding 5,000 to 10,000 each" before deportation. Social Circle was one of seven cities named as being the proposed site for one of those warehouses. Social Circle leaders have called the plan unfeasible, saying that it could overwhelm the city’s resources and more than triple its population. On Wednesday, the city leadership took to Facebook to say they had participated in a call with Georgia Rep. Mike Collins and his staff about the plan. According to the city, they learned during that meeting that a PNK property currently in escrow was "moving toward final purchase by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security." "The site was initially considered as an alternative location; however, certain operational metrics ultimately aligned, resulting in the property being identified as a preferred site," the post reads, in part. Along with Social Circle, the ICE draft mentions one possible site in Jefferson, Georgia, as well as others located in Virginia, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, and Missouri.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [2/5/2026 2:03 PM, Irene Wright, 70643K]

USA Today [2/5/2026 2:54 PM, Irene Wright, 70643K] reports that the spotlight is on the United States as tensions continue to rise over immigration enforcement operations. The controversial tactics that led to the death of two American citizens in Minneapolis have followed Americans across the ocean, as Team USA security officials assured members of the media and local officials that there were no ICE agents as part of their delegation in Milan for the Winter Olympics. But this summer, millions of people from around the world will be coming to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and many have raised concerns about ICE presence at matches in U.S. cities. Eight matches will be played in Atlanta beginning in June, including five group stage matches and three from later in the tournament. ICE has increased its presence in Atlanta, and a new ICE detention center is slated for construction and operation in Social Circle, Georgia, about 45 miles east of Atlanta. On Feb. 3, Dickens and the City of Atlanta announced coordinated resources for small businesses to help during "major global events," notably the World Cup. "Small businesses are the backbone of our neighborhoods and our economy," Dickens said in a statement. "As Atlanta steps onto the global stage, we are focused on making sure our entrepreneurs have access to the tools, information, and partnerships they need to succeed, during these major events and well beyond them."

(B) NBC News Daily [2/5/2026 2:53 PM, Staff] reports Senator Roger Wicker is voicing opposition to a proposal that would turn a north Mississippi warehouse into an ICE detention facility. He sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urging her not to pursue the plan. The proposal calls for ICE to purchase a building in Byhalia and convert it into a detention center for people arrested by ICE agents. Senator Wicker says the building was constructed for economic development and that using it for a detention center would strain the local infrastructure.

Univision [2/5/2026 6:12 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports Orange County will limit the number of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at its local jail and will end the practice of taking detainees out and re-entering them to restart the 72-hour civil detention count, Mayor Jerry Demings announced. According to the announcement, the county jail will accept a maximum of 66 men and 64 women detained by ICE without local criminal charges. Furthermore, each person will be allowed to remain for a single continuous period of up to 72 hours for immigration reasons, with no clock resets. The new operating guidelines will come into effect on March 1, 2026. The county explained that the decision was due to limitations in capacity, staffing, and resources. Under the current intergovernmental agreement, the daily projection was approximately 94 men and 20 women detained by ICE; however, in recent weeks, higher numbers have been recorded, with dozens of people being held without local charges, increasing the strain on the jail’s operations. County officials indicated that the measure does not end cooperation with the federal government, but rather seeks to adjust it to the limits stipulated in the agreement and the actual capacity of the facilities.

Breitbart [2/5/2026 3:12 PM, Neil Munro, 2238K] reports four more Americans have been killed by a migrant trucker who was admitted by the open-borders policies supported by President Joe Biden, many Democratic politicians, and many anti-ICE activists. The four Americans in Jay, Indiana, were killed when a Kyrgyzstan native, Bekzhan Beishekeev, allegedly smashed into their vehicle. On Tuesday afternoon, a 30-year-old truck driver from Philadelphia named Bekzhan Beishekeev failed to stop for slowed traffic on State Road 67 in Jay County, Indiana. He swerved into oncoming traffic and killed four Amish men from the Bryant community: Henry Eicher, 58, his sons Menno, 33, and Paul, 31, and Simon Schwartz, 22. The driver has reportedly been detained by ICE. Beishekeev was reportedly allowed into the United States and given a work permit under Mayorkas’s quasi-legal "CBP One" program which was loudly supported by Democrats and business interests. The Daily Wire [2/5/2026 8:20 AM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports "Not only was Bekzhan Beishekeev released into our country by the Biden administration using the CBP One app, but he was also given a commercial driver’s license by [Democratic] Governor [Josh] Shapiro’s Pennsylvania. These decisions have had deadly consequences and led to the death of four innocent people in Indiana on Tuesday," Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Thursday. The CBP One app, which the Biden administration used to allow roughly 900,000 migrants to enter the United States, was terminated by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day. Trump later converted the app into a platform to schedule self-deportations. "It is incredibly dangerous for illegal aliens, who often don’t know our traffic laws or even English, to be operating semi-trucks on America’s roads. These sanctuary governors must stop giving illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses before another American gets killed," McLaughlin added. The National News Desk [2/5/2026 5:40 PM, Elaine Mallon] reports four people are dead after an illegal immigrant operating a semi-truck drove into oncoming traffic in Indiana on Tuesday, garnering sharp rebuke from the White House over the Biden-era CBP One app. Bekzhan Beishekeev, an illegal immigrant from Kyrgyzstan, failed to brake while driving on an Indiana highway when a semi-truck in front of him slowed down. Beishekeev, who was issued a commercial driver’s license by Pennsylvania in July last year, swerved and struck a vehicle with 15 people inside, many of whom were members of the Amish community. He is now being held at Jay County Jail, and ICE has issued an immigration detainer against Beishekeev. Beishekeev first entered the United States on December 19, 2024 via the Biden-era CBP One app and was later paroled by the Biden administration.Tuesday’s fatal crash is just the latest of semi-truck car crashes caused by illegal immigrants. Last October, four Americans were killed over the span of nine days between two big-rig car crashes caused by illegal immigrants with CDL licenses. The uptick in crashes has prompted Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to take a hard-lined approach to how states are issuing CDLs, announcing a national audit just days before the most recent crash. “The open borders policies of the last administration allowed millions to flood our country – leading to serious allegations that the trucking licensing system is being exploited. Today, we are launching a nationwide audit to get to the bottom of this,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Our audit is about protecting the safety of families on the road and upholding the integrity of CDLs held by America’s truckers. Every state must follow federal regulations, and ensure only qualified, properly documented drivers are getting behind the wheel of a truck.”

FOX News [2/5/2026 2:38 PM, Greg Norman-Diamond and Bill Melugin, 37576K] reports that the driver of a semi-truck at the center of a multi-vehicle crash that left four dead in Indiana is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a detainer was placed on him. Indiana State Police said the fatal crash happened Tuesday around 4 p.m. in the area of State Road 67 and County Road 550 East in Jay County, where the truck collided with a van. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News that driver Bekzhan Beishekeev is a Kyrgyzstani national who entered the U.S. via the Biden-era CBP One cell phone app on Dec. 19, 2024, at the Nogales, Ariz., port of entry, and he was released into the U.S. via parole by the Biden administration. "ICE issued an immigration detainer against Beishekeev with the Jay County Jail on Feb. 4. And, because the state of Indiana cooperates with ICE, we were able to take him into custody on the morning of February 5," DHS said in a statement. "He will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings." "Not only was Bekzhan Beishekeev released into our country by the Biden administration using the CBP One app, but he was also given a commercial driver’s license by Governor Shapiro’s Pennsylvania. These decisions have had deadly consequences and led to the death of four innocent people in Indiana on Tuesday," added DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. "It is incredibly dangerous for illegal aliens, who often don’t know our traffic laws or even English, to be operating semi-trucks on America’s roads. These sanctuary governors must stop giving illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses before another American gets killed."

CBS News [2/5/2026 3:01 PM, Melissa Quinn, 51110K] reports a Minnesota activist was arrested Thursday and charged with threatening to assault and kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the Justice Department said. Prosecutors allege that Kyle Wagner, 37, shared comments and videos to Facebook and Instagram last month that encouraged his followers to attack federal immigration officers, who he called the "gestapo" and "murderers." He is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday. Photos taken Thursday appear to show Wagner being led out of a residential building in Minneapolis by agents with Homeland Security Investigations, part of the Department of Homeland Security, wearing a sweatshirt that says "I’M ANTIFA!" Antifa is short for "anti-fascist" and is a loosely organized left-wing movement or ideology. In one now-deleted video posted on Jan. 8, Wagner allegedly threatened ICE agents, stating, "we’re f**king coming for you," according to the Justice Department. The following day, he allegedly encouraged followers to harass immigration officers and said "we should cripple them.” "Anywhere we have an opportunity to get our hands on them, we need to put our hands on them," he said, according to prosecutors. Wagner’s social media profiles appear to have been deleted as of Thursday. It was not immediately clear if he has an attorney. Wagner also allegedly pushed others to "hunt" immigration officers and said his goal is to "unmask and identify" the agents. In a social media post on Jan. 13, he allegedly said Minnesota is "where ICE has come to die.” "We want to know who they are. We will identify every single one of them and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law," he said, according to prosecutors. "If it has to be done at the barrel of a gun, then let us have a little f**king fun.” Wagner also is accused of promoting violence against ICE officers, including by urging others to "get your f**king guns and stop these f**king people" in a video posted to Facebook on Jan. 24.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [2/5/2026 3:21 PM, Chris Nesi, 40934K]
AP [2/5/2026 5:31 PM, Steve Karnowski, 35287K]
ABC News [2/5/2026 5:52 PM, Jack Date and Bill Hutchinson, 34146K]
NewsMax [2/5/2026 12:01 PM, Staff, 3760K]
Daily Caller [2/5/2026 12:35 PM, Hudson Crozier, 803K]

AP [2/4/2026 3:42 PM, Michael Kunzelman, Alanna Durkin Richer, 35287K] reports aA government lawyer who told a judge that her job “sucks” during a court hearing stemming from the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota has been removed from her Justice Department post, according to a person familiar with the matter. Julie Le had been working for the Justice Department on a detail, but the U.S. attorney in Minnesota ended her assignment after her comments in court on Tuesday, the person said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. She had been working for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before the temporary assignment. At a hearing Tuesday in St. Paul, Minnesota, for several immigration cases, Le told U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell that she wishes he could hold her in contempt of court “so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep.” “What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks. And I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need,” Le said, according to a transcript. Le’s extraordinary remarks reflect the intense strain that has been placed on the federal court system since President Donald Trump returned to the White House a year ago with a promise to carry out mass deportations. ICE officials have said the surge in Minnesota has become its largest-ever immigration operation since ramping up in early January. Several prosecutors have left the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota amid frustration with the immigration enforcement surge and the Justice Department’s response to fatal shootings of two civilians by federal agents. Le was assigned at least 88 cases in less than a month, according to online court records. Blackwell told Le that the volume of cases isn’t an excuse for disregarding court orders. He expressed concern that people arrested in immigration enforcement operations are routinely jailed for days after judges have ordered their release from custody. “And I hear the concerns about all the energy that this is causing the DOJ to expend, but, with respect, some of it is of your own making by not complying with orders,” the judge told Le. Le said she was working for the Department of Homeland Security as an ICE attorney in immigration court before she “stupidly” volunteered to work the detail in Minnesota. Le told the judge that she wasn’t properly trained for the assignment. She said she wanted to resign from the job but couldn’t get a replacement. “Fixing a system, a broken system, I don’t have a magic button to do it. I don’t have the power or the voice to do it,” she said. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Le was a probationary attorney. “This conduct is unprofessional and unbecoming of an ICE attorney in abandoning her obligation to act with commitment, dedication, and zeal to the interests of the United States Government,” McLaughlin said in a statement.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [2/5/2026 3:33 PM, Natalie Neysa Alund, 70643K]

NBC News [2/5/2026 6:38 AM, Staff, 42967K] reports Minnesota Rep. describes ‘disturbing’ DHS facility. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NBC News [2/6/2026 1:02 AM, Alicia Victoria Lozano, 42967K] reports the 5-year-old boy who spent nearly two weeks detained by immigration authorities now wakes up crying during the night, terrified his family could be separated again, his father told Noticias Telemundo. The pair returned to Minneapolis on Saturday after a federal judge ordered they be released pending their asylum cases. Liam Conejo Ramos, who was born in Ecuador, continued to relive the moments immigration officers appeared and handcuffed his father, Adrián Alexander Conejo Arias, while his mother cried inside the family’s home, Conejo told Telemundo’s Julio Vaqueiro on Thursday. "He hasn’t been the same since this all happened," he said. "He calls me when he wakes up and says, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’ so I have to go to him.” Jan. 20 had started much like any other day for the family, Conejo said. He had just pulled into his driveway after having picked up Liam from preschool when immigration agents descended on his property, he said. He told his wife, who is pregnant with the couple’s third child, to stay inside. He worried that if she were detained, her health could suffer or their oldest child would be left without a parent to care for him, Conejo said. He remembers one agent suggesting that Liam could knock on the front door to get whoever was inside the house out, Conejo said. Witnesses, including an employee from Liam’s school district, would later recall hearing similar discussions among the agents, leading to accusations that they were using the young boy as "bait.” The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly denied using Ramos as "bait," saying instead that Liam’s father ran off without him to evade capture and that his mother refused to take custody of him. "For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias," DHS said in a previous statement. Liam’s mother, Erika Ramos, sobbed as she watched in horror from the window, she said last week. "I felt very helpless not being able to do anything, seeing all this, seeing my son crying, trembling and not knowing what was happening — a child of only 5 years old in the middle of so many ICE agents," Conejo said. Liam and his father were taken into custody after the ordeal. The incident became a flash point in ongoing debates over whether immigration officials had gone too far in detaining a young boy. An attorney for the family has said Liam and Conejo were following all "established protocols" for pursuing asylum and should never have been detained. Their detention came between the high-profile killings of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37 and both U.S citizens. Liam and his father returned home Saturday from a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, where two measles infections have since been confirmed.

FOX News [2/5/2026 12:25 PM, Marc Tamasco, 37576K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said The New York Times "should be embarrassed" after publishing a video report Wednesday titled "Pregnant Women in Minneapolis Hiding From ICE Face Impossible Choice," which alleged ICE has been targeting hospitals for deportation operations. DHS posted a statement on its X account rebuking the outlet’s claim that federal immigration officers are targeting healthcare centers in Minneapolis. "The @nytimes should be embarrassed with this attempt to smear DHS law enforcement," the department wrote. "ICE does not conduct enforcement at hospitals — period. We would only go into a hospital if there were an active danger to public safety. If anyone is impeding Minnesotans from making appointments or picking up prescriptions, its violent agitators who are blocking roadways." "Furthermore, pregnancy in ICE detention is exceedingly rare — making up 0.133% of all illegal aliens in custody. Pregnant women receive regular prenatal visits, mental health services, nutritional support, and accommodations aligned with community standards of care. This is the best healthcare many of these individuals have received in their entire lives," the statement concluded. In response to the DHS’s post, the Times’ public relations account on X responded with the following statement: "The Times’s video accurately documents expectant mothers who say they are skipping medical care because of aggressive D.H.S. activity at medical centers. The report also notes that the agency did not address specific questions about its policy on the detention of pregnant women."

Washington Post [2/5/2026 7:20 PM, Daniel Wu, 24826K] reports the elementary school principal in suburban Minneapolis feared the worst when he lost contact with one of his fifth-grade students in early January as the Trump administration began surging federal immigration officers to the area. The girl stopped coming to class and her family didn’t answer the phone, said Jason Kuhlman, who oversees Valley View Elementary School in Columbia Heights. The family’s landlord went to the house but found no one, Kuhlman said. The girl’s school-issued Chromebook laptop was still there. It took a month, and a chance encounter more than 1,000 miles away, for Kuhlman to learn that the missing girl, along with her family, was being held by immigration authorities in a Texas detention center. Two of her Valley View classmates — brothers in second grade and fifth grade who had also been sent to Texas with their mother — recognized her in the detention center cafeteria, Kuhlman said. The boys told Kuhlman about the girl after they and their mother were released on a judge’s order and returned to Minnesota on Wednesday, he said. The school district declined to share the names of the students. “It was surreal,” Kuhlman told The Washington Post. “It was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I wonder ... how many kids are MIA?” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the department cannot verify the detention of the students without their names. “No one in ICE custody is missing” as detainees are searchable online and can contact their families by phone, she said, and ICE does not target children or schools. “Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates,” McLaughlin said. “This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement.”

Univision [2/6/2026 12:42 AM, Staff, 4937K] reports a Hispanic family experienced moments of panic and confusion after alleged ICE agents violently broke into their home without presenting an arrest warrant, according to the testimony of those affected. The incident, which occurred on Thursday morning, was captured on video and has gone viral locally and nationally. According to the family’s account, it all began with a traffic stop carried out by officers in unmarked vehicles, who then followed the occupants to their home. The woman identified as Graciela claimed that during the arrest, the officers broke the windows of her truck even though she was trying to show documents proving her U.S. citizenship. "They wanted us to roll down the window completely. I rolled it down just a little and showed them my ID," he said. The family claims that after arriving at the home, the officers forced their way in, knocked down the door, and broke windows, claiming they were looking for an alleged child molester. However, the residents said the photograph shown by the officers did not match anyone living in the house. No arrests were made. Inside the home were also Víctor Marroquín and his wife, Maggie Guillén, who were having lunch with their three-year-old son when the agents entered with their weapons drawn. According to witnesses, the officers said they were from the FBI, although the families suspect they were immigration agents, as they arrived in vans without logos and some of their faces were covered. So far, no federal agency has officially claimed responsibility for the operation. The families say that, after the incident, they decided to leave their home out of fear and are currently staying with relatives. They also confirmed that they already have legal representation and plan to take legal action. N+ Univision San Antonio requested a response from federal authorities regarding this operation. However, at the time of publication, no official response had been received. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Univision [2/5/2026 8:24 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham today signed the Immigrant Security Act, also known as House Bill 9, rejecting her involvement in the federal system of mass detention and deportation of President Donald Trump administration. The new law prohibits state and local governments from entering into agreements to detain people for civil immigration violations, further avoiding the use of public land for immigration detention and eliminating agreements that turn local law enforcement into immigration agents. With the governor’s signature, New Mexico joins eight states and dozens of localities that have comprehensively rejected their involvement in a system that, according to human rights defenders, is marked by violence, abuse and death. The context of the legislation comes at a time when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recorded an alarming number of deaths of people in its custody. According to figures from the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico (ACLU), in the custody of federal elements there have been 32 deaths, in 2025 alone, and other cases more reported in 2026. New Mexico authorities have documented abuses at the three detention centers within the state, such as excessive use of solitary confinement, inadequate medical care, lack of safe drinking water and adequate food, with at least five deaths in custody over recent years.

Los Angeles Times [2/5/2026 5:58 PM, Ruben Vives, 12718K] reports U.S. Reps. Norma Torres (D-Pomona) and Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) conducted a congressional oversight inspection of the ICE detention facility in downtown Los Angeles amid reports of a previously undisclosed holding area for immigrant families. The visit followed a federal judge’s temporary restraining order blocking a DHS policy that required members of Congress to give seven days notice before visiting immigration detention facilities. Torres, Gomez, and other lawmakers had previously sued DHS over the policy, winning in December; they challenged it again after Security Secretary Kristi Noem allegedly reinstated the rule without notice. U.S. Representatives Norma Torres and Jimmy Gomez conducted a congressional oversight inspection of the ICE facility in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday amid reports of an undisclosed holding area for immigrant families. The visits comes three days after a federal court judge granted the lawmakers and others a temporary restraining order, blocking the Trump administration and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from enforcing a policy requiring members of Congress to provide a week’s notice before visiting immigration detention facilities. Torres (D-Pomona) and Gomez (D-Los Angeles) and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit last year challenging the DHS policy. They won the lawsuit in December but are challenging it once more after Noem "secretly reimposed" the seven-day-notice requirement.

Daily Wire [2/5/2026 1:22 PM, Cameron Arcand, 2314K] reports a Nicaraguan national illegally in the United States, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for allegedly assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration, The Daily Wire has first learned. Darwin Alexander Davila-Perez, 33, came to the U.S. through the Paso Del Norte bridge in Texas on Dec. 2, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire. During his arrest on Dec. 17 by ICE in a "targeted vehicle stop," he allegedly "forcefully resisted, including backing his vehicle into a law enforcement vehicle with an officer still inside, fleeing his vehicle, elbowing an officer in the face, attempting to unholster an officer’s service weapon, biting an officer’s arm, and striking an officer in the forehead with a swinging handcuff," according to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and DHS. The operation was triggered by Davila-Perez’s effort to illegally obtain a firearm from a federal firearms licensee by pretending to be an American citizen. The purchase was ultimately rejected due to his illegal status, according to the DOJ, which announced his indictment on Wednesday. Officers walked away from the incident with "contusions, abrasions, and a bite mark." If convicted, Davila-Perez could face up to a $250,000 fine and 20 years behind bars. "Davila-Perez not only chose to break our nation’s immigration laws, but he also lied in an attempt to illegally purchase a gun and then brutally assaulted law enforcement. These are the dangerous situations our officers are facing every day in the field," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Thursday. "Thanks to rhetoric by sanctuary politicians and encouragement of illegal aliens to evade arrest, our officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. Secretary Noem has been clear: anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," she continued.

SFGate [2/5/2026 9:40 AM, Staff, 10094K] reports Santa Clara city officials have reaffirmed their support for immigrant communities ahead of Super Bowl 60 this weekend. The Santa Clara City Council unanimously approved a statement emphasizing its support for immigrants ahead of the Feb. 8 game at Levi’s Stadium, in case of increased activity from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other federal agencies. The council also passed a policy prohibiting the use of city property, such as parking lots or open spaces, for immigration enforcement. Residents erupted into applause after the council’s vote. City Manager Jovan Grogan said the policy will take effect immediately and city employees will begin installing signs at applicable public spaces. The city will also have template signs for private property owners, businesses and residents who want to impose similar restrictions. Councilmember Kevin Park introduced the policy at the council’s Jan. 27 meeting. He said residents have raised concerns about possible ICE action at the NFL championship game for months. He said it would be irresponsible for the city to do nothing about those concerns. "People have told me that we are the host city, and as the host city, we will probably get more scrutiny ... therefore we should lie low," Park told San Jose Spotlight. "But to be honest, it’s precisely for those reasons, because we are the host city, because people will be looking at us, that we should say something." Santa Clara’s new policy is largely based on one passed by the San Jose City Council earlier this year banning ICE from using city property. Grogan and City Attorney Glen Googins stressed that the policy wasn’t completely tailored to Santa Clara’s needs due to time constraints. Grogan affirmed city employees will hold a presentation about "lessons learned" from the Super Bowl ahead of the six FIFA World Cup games this summer, so the policy may be revised. The council’s actions come amid conflicting information about ICE deployment to the game and mounting tensions against immigration enforcement activities. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and NFL security personnel said at a news conference Tuesday there will be no ICE agents at the game. However, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in October that ICE will be "all over" the Super Bowl, and one San Jose councilmember said he’s seen plans for dozens of agents to be deployed to Levi’s Stadium and the surrounding areas before the weekend.

FOX News [2/5/2026 12:41 PM, Stephen Sorace, 37576K] reports that a single tip about a quiet suburban home in California exploded into a massive human trafficking takedown that rescued nearly 20 children, uncovered residential brothels and netted more than 600 arrests statewide, authorities said Tuesday. The week-long operation, dubbed Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, involved dozens of agencies and led to the rescue of 12 adults and five children in Los Angeles County alone, officials said during a news conference. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the entire investigation began with a single citizen complaint about a suspicious home in Walnut. That tip led to months of surveillance and the discovery of multiple trafficking locations in nearby suburban neighborhoods. Among the 611 total arrests were suspected traffickers and hundreds of sex buyers, though authorities have not yet said how many will face felony human trafficking charges versus lesser solicitation offenses. Officials said some of the victims rescued came from as far away as Illinois, Oklahoma and Missouri, underscoring the scope of the human trafficking ring. "We have traffickers that are putting barely teenage girls on the streets of Los Angeles to be victimized, repeatedly, over and over again," said LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton. "These children did not come from one place. They came from Chicago, from Oklahoma, from Missouri, tribal lands... and from communities right here in the state of California."

San Francisco Chronicle [2/5/2026 8:12 PM, Annie Vainshtein, 3833K] reports San Francisco prosecutors charged two men in connection with separate cases of alleged human trafficking, district attorney’s officials said Thursday. Junior Anthony Williams, 22, allegedly coerced a woman into engaging in sex work for him and created and posted advertisements online for the victim. Ramon Watkins, 37, is charged with pimping, pandering by procuring, evading an officer and resisting an officer. Williams pleaded not guilty to charges of human trafficking, pimping, pandering by encouraging, domestic violence, evading an officer and possession of a controlled substance. Watkins is charged with pimping, pandering by procuring, evading an officer and resisting an officer — but was not able to enter a plea because the public defender’s office twice declared itself unavailable, prosecutors said. Both men remain in custody, with Watkins’ bail set at $100,000.

Federalist [2/5/2026 7:33 AM, Matt Lamb, 540K] reports universities across the country are using the H-1B program to hire foreigners instead of Americans — with more than 16,000 such visas issued for the last two semesters. While the foreign worker program is ostensibly meant to fill highly specialized roles on a temporary basis, it instead has turned into a privileged hiring initiative for colleges and universities. To illustrate the issue, consider Purdue University, which says it must use the H-1B visa program if it wants to find someone to teach quantitative methods for $200,000 per year. The claim was deemed "implausible" by Kevin Lynn, the founder of U.S. Tech Workers and the executive director of the Institute for Sound Public Policy. Worse yet, the university has targeted non-Americans for hiring nearly 1,000 times in just the past few years. The Big Ten college ranks in the top 50 among universities for hiring foreign workers in the current fiscal year, beating out Northwestern University, Georgia Tech, and even Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The public university in Indiana recently posted a "notice of intent to hire H-1B," as required by law, for an "assistant professor" in the department of quantitative methods. The job will last for one year. It is not clear Purdue officials took any significant steps to find Americans to fill the role, despite the university’s supposed status as a hub for STEM education and innovation. There are a dozen STEM jobs currently listed by Purdue, including computer science teaching roles paying up to $145,000 per year. One problem is there is no actual requirement the school make even a halfhearted attempt to hire domestically. Rather, the "notice of filing" is a mere formality, according to Lynn. Universities in particular benefit from the visa program than other employers, Lynn said. He told me that universities, including Purdue, can be exempt from limits on hiring. They also will often sponsor foreigners who are currently in the country on visas. "Roughly half of post-docs are foreigners on employment visas," Lynn said. But hiring so many foreign professors can create problems, especially when the content is specific to America. A business professor must have "familiarity with American laws, norms, markets, and business culture," Lynn said. He doubts there are not enough qualified Americans to fill these roles. The university’s quantitative methods department, housed inside the Mitch Daniels School of Business, did not respond to requests for comment. I asked Chair Thanh Nguyen and a department assistant twice in the past two weeks about specific steps the department took to advertise this role, how many H-1B workers the department hired in the past five years, and any plans he has to increase the number of American applicants for professor jobs.

NPR [2/5/2026 11:07 AM, Hansi Lo Wang, 28764K] reports participants in this year’s field test of the 2030 census may be asked about their U.S. citizenship status, the Trump administration revealed Thursday. The proposal, which is part of a regulatory filing for the test, comes months after President Trump — in the middle of a redistricting push for new voting maps that could help Republicans keep control of the U.S. House of Representatives — put out a call on social media for a "new" census that would, for the first time in U.S. history, exclude millions of people living in the country without legal status. In Congress, a growing number of Republican lawmakers are backing similar controversial proposals to leave out some or all non-U.S. citizens from a set of census numbers used to determine each state’s share of congressional seats and Electoral College votes. According to the 14th Amendment, those census apportionment counts must include the "whole number of persons in each state.” And in federal court, multiple GOP-led states have filed lawsuits seeking to force the bureau to subtract from those counts residents without legal status and those with nonimmigrant visas, such as international college students and diplomats living in the United States. Missouri’s case goes further by calling for their exclusion from all census counts, including those for distributing federal dollars for public services in local communities. Results from the 2026 test are not expected to be used to redistribute political representation. Instead, the test is designed to inform preparations for the next once-a-decade head count in 2030, which include a report on the planned question topics that is due to Congress in 2027. The planned questionnaire for the test comes from an annual U.S. Census Bureau survey that is much longer than recent forms for the national tally. It’s not clear why the bureau is using the American Community Survey to test methods for the census. Spokespeople for the bureau and its parent agency, the Commerce Department, did not immediately respond to NPR’s requests for comment. In addition to citizenship status, the form asks about people’s sources of income, whether their home has a bathtub or shower, and whether the home is connected to a public sewer, among other questions. The form, however, does not reflect changes to racial and ethnic categories that the Biden administration approved for the 2030 census and other federal surveys, including new checkboxes for "Middle Eastern or North African" and "Hispanic or Latino." A White House agency official said in December that the Trump administration is considering rolling back those changes.

The Hill [2/5/2026 6:45 PM, Max Rego, 18170K] reports Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) defended Haitians under temporary protected status (TPS) who reside in his state, three days after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking such status from hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Caribbean country. “If they lose temporary protected status and they no longer can work and the companies can’t employ them, that’s a blow to the economy, that’s a blow to the state,” DeWine told host Dana Bash Thursday on CNN’s “Inside Politics.” On Monday, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes implemented a stay on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s order halting TPS for Haitians in the U.S., which was scheduled to go into effect Tuesday. The order is on hold pending the result of a lawsuit five Haitian TPS holders filed against the Trump administration last July. Noem announced in November that TPS status for Haitians would expire this month, after an initial order last summer was delayed due to the lawsuit. In a scathing 83-page memorandum opinion, Reyes wrote that the Homeland Security secretary did not consult with appropriate agencies before issuing the order — as required by federal law — and it seems “substantially likely” she “preordained her termination decision and did so because of hostility to nonwhite immigrants.” She also noted that while the administration contends that “the harms to Haitian TPS holders are speculative,” the State Department issued a travel advisory on July 15 that individuals should not travel to Haiti “due to kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, and limited healthcare.” “‘Do not travel to Haiti for any reason’ does not exactly scream, as Secretary Noem concluded, suitable for return,” wrote Reyes, an appointee of former President Biden.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [2/5/2026 10:01 PM, Jim Thomas, 3760K]

FOX News [2/5/2026 1:05 PM, Preston Mizell and Rachel Wolf, 37576K] reports that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem deployed to the northern and southern borders in a single day this week as the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement across the country. Despite increased criticism following the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota, Noem told Fox News Digital that the department would not be deterred by sanctuary politicians from doing the work of getting dangerous illegal aliens off the streets. "I think people would want less conflict," Noem told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview in Nogales, Ariz., this week. "They also want to know that we’re enforcing our laws and that we are going after dangerous criminals. And they don’t want them to be released on the streets to perpetuate more crimes. So we’re going to continue to do our work and follow through on what President Trump promised." "We won’t be deterred by local elected officials that just want to create conflict," the secretary added. "We’re going to continue to protect the American people and make sure that we have the opportunity to go after those dangerous illegal aliens and remove them."

NewsNation [2/5/2026 1:36 PM, Charles Clifford, 4464K] reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is cracking down on fake merchandise ahead of Super Bowl LX. The agency seized more than 78 million counterfeit items in 2025 with an estimated value of $7.4 billion. That includes approximately 300,000 fake NFL items valued at $33 million. Federal officials warn consumers that these illicit goods pose health and safety risks, threaten American jobs and could be connected to criminal organizations. “Counterfeit merchandise may look like a bargain but it comes with real risks: unsafe materials, poor quality, it hurts local vendors, it threatens American jobs, exposes fans to unsafe and substandard products, and even links to criminal activity,” said Eric Batt with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. There are also safety concerns for fans, as substandard products can expose consumers to materials that do not meet safety regulations. The agency recommends that shoppers remain vigilant against these substandard products as they look for souvenirs to remember the game. The 2025 enforcement data shows a wide variety of counterfeit NFL items entering the market. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say the seized goods include fake hats, shirts, jerseys and even championship rings.

Washington Times [2/5/2026 12:42 PM, Brad Matthews, 1323K] reports that since Jan. 4, Customs and Border Protection has seized $119,178 in unreported money from people who traveled abroad via Washington Dulles International Airport. Travelers are legally required to report cash amounts greater than $10,000 to the Treasury Department, U.S. customs officials said Wednesday. In each case, customs agents found amounts above $10,000 in the possession of travelers who reported carrying less than that amount. On Jan. 4, customs agents at Dulles took $62,063 from a naturalized citizen who planned to go to Ghana while claiming to be carrying only $60, while on Jan. 17, agents seized $18,700 from a Bangladeshi arriving from that country. On Jan. 20, agents took $20,800 from an Uzbekistan national headed to Turkey via Dulles and $17,655 from a Chinese who arrived at Dulles from Sweden, U.S. customs officials said. Currency seizure is commonplace for customs agents, with an average daily confiscation of $152,418 at America’s borders during fiscal 2024. “We know that some travelers won’t report all of their currency because the bulk currency may be proceeds of illegal activity, such as financial fraud or money scams that target our society’s most vulnerable, or illicit revenue from criminal enterprises, such as drug, weapons, or human trafficking,” said Area Port of Washington Director Christine Waugh in a statement.

CBS News [2/5/2026 9:59 AM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports During a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem praised the Trump administration’s immigration policies, claiming that it has delivered the "most secure border" in U.S. history. Her visit comes amid heightened scrutiny on the agency in wake of two fatal Minneapolis shootings. Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more.

NewsNation [2/5/2026 6:02 PM, Ali Bradley, 4464K] reports in this episode of Bradley on the Border, Ali is on the ground in Arizona where Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem delivered a news conference at the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Noem praised border agents and delivered updates on the construction of the border wall. Border Czar Tom Homan delivered a press conference in Minneapolis, where he announced 700 officers would be removed from the city amid ongoing tensions. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Daily Wire [2/5/2026 6:44 PM, Michael Knowles, 2314K] reports Liberals in Minnesota have had it with ICE raids and Border Patrol, so they’ve decided to take matters into their own hands with a novel plan to keep the people they don’t want out of their communities. They are, quite literally, creating a system to control who comes and goes. In the middle of the road at 32nd and Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, activists erected a makeshift roadblock, turning the intersection into a roundabout. Cars slowed as drivers noticed. Some honked, others asked questions. One man even brought food for the people standing watch. When asked how it felt to see a community checkpoint in his neighborhood, one local shrugged it off. It felt "fine," he said. He didn’t have any trouble with people "helping out.” Wade Haynes has been standing at that corner twice a day for one reason: to stand up against ICE activity and "keep his community safe." He chose that corner. Others chose other intersections. He found it inspiring. "Wow," he said. "We’ve got folks out there who are kind of taking care of us, looking out for us.” Some might say policing their communities. And the way they’re doing it is by erecting structures in the street on the corners — stopping points. Some might even call them "borders," staffed by people who check to make sure that only the right people get into the community, and that the people they don’t want stay out. Many people, including some on the Right, have questioned President Trump’s tactics in Minneapolis. But you can’t argue with results — and the results of the Minneapolis raids are that Trump got anti-ICE liberals to invent Border Patrol. That’s the beautiful part.

Univision [2/5/2026 6:51 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said the new TSA ConfirmID alternative identity verification system was successfully implemented at its airports. According to early reports, between 95% and 99% of travelers present their REAL ID or other valid identification documents in airport security checkpoints, which represents an improvement in regulatory compliance. TSA ConfirmID allows people who do not have a valid Real ID or other document, such as U.S. passport, green card, reliable traveler credentials, or enhanced licenses, to prove their identity through additional electronic and biometric verification. Passengers without acceptable identification could access this alternative service by paying 45 dollars for a valid verification period for up to 10 days, which can be used to travel several times within that period.

CBS Pittsburgh [2/5/2026 7:09 PM, Ross Guidotti, 51110K] Video: HERE reports six years ago, a woman made headlines when the Transportation Security Administration seized thousands of dollars in cash from her while she traveled through the Pittsburgh International Airport. She said it was her father’s life savings, but the feds thought it was money from a crime. Rebecca Brown is now part of a class action lawsuit. A federal judge heard arguments in that suit on Thursday in Pittsburgh. Attorneys for three people suing the government after making arguments in federal court walked out Thursday confident they made their point in front of a federal judge. "We think there is no dispute of material facts that the TSA unlawfully and unconstitutionally stops and seizes travelers with cash at the airport, even though it admits it poses no threat to transportation security," said Dan Alban with the Institute for Justice, which represents the plaintiffs. The class action lawsuit claims the TSA confiscated cash from travelers because they suspected it may have been gained by potentially illegal means. "I do think that this was unconstitutional, what the TSA did to me," Brown said. Brown is a party to the suit. She claims the TSA stopped her at Pittsburgh International Airport, and the Drug Enforcement Agency confiscated $82,000 from her as she was heading from Pittsburgh to Boston in the summer of 2019. The money was Brown’s father’s life savings. He had asked Brown to take it and open an account in Boston for him. It took more than half a year to get the money back after the feds determined it was clean money.

(B) GMA3 [2/5/2026 3:26 PM, Staff] reports that cleanup efforts are underway after oil leaked into the marina in Wilmington. This morning, the US Coast Guard says a mixture of oil and water got into the channel after a pipe ruptured. Crews managed to contain the leak but issued evacuations for people who live on boats at the docks. Officials say no animals were affected by the oil. A private company will continue the cleanup of this situation.

CyberScoop [2/5/2026 3:25 PM, Tim Starks, 122K] reports a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency order published Thursday directs federal agencies to stop using “edge devices” like firewalls and routers that their manufacturers no longer support. It’s a stab at tackling one of the most persistent and difficult-to-manage avenues of attack for hackers, a vector that has factored into some of the most consequential and most common types of exploits in recent years. New edge-device vulnerabilities surface frequently. Under the binding operational directive CISA released Thursday, federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) agencies must inventory edge devices in their systems that vendors no longer support within three months, and replace those on a dedicated list with supported devices within one year. “Unsupported devices pose a serious risk to federal systems and should never remain on enterprise networks,” said CISA Acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala. “When the threat landscape demands decisive action, CISA will direct FCEB agencies to strengthen cyber resilience and build a stronger, safer digital infrastructure for America’s future. CISA strongly encourages non-federal organizations to adopt similar actions to strengthen the security of their edge devices.”

Reported similarly:
Federal News Network [2/5/2026 3:46 PM, Justin Doubleday, 1297K]

Bloomberg [2/5/2026 6:00 AM, Jake Bleiberg and Jane Lanhee Lee, 18082K] reports an Asian cyber-espionage group has spent the past year breaking into computer systems belonging to governments and critical infrastructure organizations in more than 37 countries, according to the cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, Inc. The state-aligned attackers have infiltrated networks of 70 organizations, including five national law enforcement and border control agencies, according to a new research report from the company. They have also breached three ministries of finance, one country’s parliament and a senior elected official in another, the report states. The Santa Clara, California-based firm declined to identify the hackers’ country of origin. The spying operation was unusually vast and allowed the hackers to hoover up sensitive information in apparent coordination with geopolitical events, such as diplomatic missions, trade negotiations, political unrest and military actions, according to the report. Both the hacking campaign and Palo Alto Networks’ report on it are unusual. The hackers did digital reconnaissance on targets around the globe and, according to the report, actually broke into sensitive networks of governments on most continents. In a sign of its significance to cybersecurity professionals who see lots of serious breaches, the Palo Alto Networks researchers disclosed an unusual level of detail, naming some victims along with the technical details for digital defenders common in such reports. The findings detail how the hackers used their illicit access to spy on emails, financial dealings and communications about military and police operations. The hackers also stole information about diplomatic issues, lurking undetected in some systems for months. “They use highly-targeted and tailored fake emails and known, unpatched security flaws to gain access to these networks,” said Pete Renals, director of national security programs with Unit 42, the threat intelligence division of Palo Alto Networks. “Espionage appears to be the main motivation behind these attacks as the actors frequently seek access to email communications and other sensitive data.” The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said it was aware of the campaign. The agency is working with its partners to stop hackers from exploiting any of the vulnerabilities identified in the report, said Nick Andersen, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity. Representatives of the FBI and CIA declined to comment. The NSA didn’t respond to a request for comment.

FOX News [2/5/2026 8:11 AM, Kurt Knutsson, 37576K] reports a popular mobile app called Chat & Ask AI has more than 50 million users across the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Now, an independent security researcher says the app exposed hundreds of millions of private chatbot conversations online. The exposed messages reportedly included deeply personal and disturbing requests. Users asked questions like how to painlessly kill themselves, how to write suicide notes, how to make meth and how to hack other apps. These were not harmless prompts. They were full chat histories tied to real users. The issue was discovered by a security researcher who goes by Harry. He found that Chat & Ask AI had a misconfigured backend using Google Firebase, a popular mobile app development platform. Because of that misconfiguration, it was easy for outsiders to gain authenticated access to the app’s database. Harry says he was able to access roughly 300 million messages tied to more than 25 million users. He analyzed a smaller sample of about 60,000 users and more than one million messages to confirm the scope. That matters because many users treat AI chats like private journals, therapists or brainstorming partners. Chat & Ask AI is not a standalone artificial intelligence model. It acts as a wrapper that lets users talk to large language models built by bigger companies. Users could choose between models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. While those companies operate the underlying models, Chat & Ask AI handles the storage. That is where things went wrong. Cybersecurity experts say this type of Firebase misconfiguration is a well-known weakness. It is also easy to find if someone knows what to look for. We reached out to Codeway, which publishes the Chat & Ask AI app, for comment, but did not receive a response before publication. Many people assume their chats with AI tools are private. They type things they would never post publicly or even say out loud. When an app stores that data insecurely, it becomes a gold mine for attackers. Even without names attached, chat histories can reveal mental health struggles, illegal behavior, work secrets and personal relationships. Once exposed, that data can be copied, scraped and shared forever. You do not need to stop using AI tools to protect yourself. A few informed choices can lower your risk while still letting you use these apps when they are helpful. AI chats can feel private, especially when you are stressed, curious or looking for answers. However, not all apps handle conversations securely. Before sharing deeply personal struggles, medical concerns, financial details or questions that could create legal risk if exposed, take time to understand how the app stores protects your data. If those protections are unclear, consider safer alternatives such as trusted professionals or services with stronger privacy controls.

NewsMax [2/5/2026 8:02 AM, All Israel News, 3760K] reports the man accused of murdering Israeli embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside the Capital Jewish Museum last May now faces terrorism charges, according to a new indictment unsealed on Wednesday. The suspected killer, Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, was previously indicted on charges of murder and hate crime in the May 21, 2025, killing of Lischinsky and Milgrim, while attending an event for diplomats and young professionals hosted by the American Jewish Committee. Two additional employees of the embassy were reported wounded in the shooting. Yaron Lischinsky, 30, an Israeli citizen, and Milgrim, 26, a U.S. citizen, both employees at the embassy, were planning to announce their engagement to their families on a trip to Israel to visit the Lischinsky family, planned for the following week. Yaron Lischinsky was the younger brother of Hanan Lischinsky, News Desk Manager at All Israel News. In addition to the four new terrorism charges, Rodriguez was previously charged with the "murder of a foreign official, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, two federal counts of hate crime resulting in death, and two counts each of first-degree premeditated murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed under the D.C. criminal code." "My office will not rest in our efforts to hold Elias Rodriguez accountable for this horrific, and targeted act of terror against Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Milgrim and our Jewish community," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement Wednesday. "These additional terrorism-related charges carry a mandatory life sentence under D.C. Code, while also reflecting the reality that this act was in fact an act of terror." Several of the charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or death. In January, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the Justice Department would seek the death penalty for Rodriguez while addressing the Israeli-American Council (IAC) National Summit in Hollywood, Florida. Prosecutors accuse Rodriguez of opening fire on a group of people leaving the event at the Capital Jewish Museum, which Yaron Lischinsky and Milgrim had both attended. According to the prosecutors, Rodriguez fired around 20 rounds from a semi-automatic handgun. Witnesses at the scene said that Rodriguez shouted, "Free Palestine" immediately after the shooting, and took out a red keffiyeh while waiting for police to arrive. He also was reported to have said, "I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza." FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office agreed with the new terrorism charges.

Breitbart [2/5/2026 9:28 AM, Awr Hawkins, 2238K] reports a 14-year-old with satanic affiliations was arrested Saturday in Wimauma, Florida, and charged with terrorist threats and the possession of child pornography. The teen’s name is Jose Pagan, Jr. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office made clear the terrorist threats consisted of a "written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism." HCSO noted that Pagan "had access to weapons and was planning to conduct a mass shooting at a church near his home in Wimauma.” FOX 13 News pointed out that HCSO also indicated Pagan "was linked to a nationally recognized neo-Nazi satanic hate group known as the ‘Temple of Love.’". By subscribing, you agree to our terms of use & privacy policy. You will receive email marketing messages from Breitbart News Network to the email you provide. You may unsubscribe at any time. Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister commented, "Don’t let the age of this suspect diminish the seriousness of these crimes he committed. There’s no such thing as being a helicopter parent. There’s no such thing as over-parenting. Make sure you’re monitoring your child’s online activity — who they’re associating with and who they’re talking to.” The Florida state attorney’s office must decide whether Pagan will charged as an adult.

CBS News [2/5/2026 7:01 AM, Steven Yablonski, Morgan Rynor, 51110K] reports of an armed person at Christopher Columbus High School in southwest Miami-Dade prompted a massive police response on Wednesday, and now investigators are working to identify who made the call. The tense situation began to unfold just after 10:30 a.m. when someone called 911 to report someone was on campus with a weapon. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, along with first responders from surrounding communities, raced to the scene to investigate. The school was placed on lockdown, as were other schools adjacent to where the situation was unfolding. No active shooter was found and no shots were fired. However, the sheriff’s office said two students were injured while they were running away from the scene. The lockdowns were lifted after the massive investigation concluded, and students at Christopher Columbus High School were dismissed early. Now, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has a message to whoever made the call, even if it was a hoax. – there will be consequences, and there could be an arrest. Cellphone video recorded inside the school during the chaotic situation showed deputies from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office sweeping the school with guns drawn. "My son called me and he said, ‘Yes. There’s somebody with a gun.’ And I said, ‘Oh my God,’" a man named Roberto said. One student said he called his mom twice during the incident. "It was scary," he told CBS News Miami. A parent of a student at nearby St. Brendan, which was also locked down, said her son was in the cafeteria when the situation began. "I have a son who was at St. Brendan Elementary, he’s in third grade. He was in the cafeteria when everything happened. And they locked the doors, they turned off all the lights, had them sit on the floor and he waited it out," Ana Feliciano said. The sheriff’s office said that situations like these is what they train for every day. In addition to making sure they checked every area of the school, they also focused on making sure parents were calm and informed. The investigation is ongoing.

Reuters [2/5/2026 6:17 PM, Kanishka Singh, 38315K] reports U.S. Secretary of State and national security adviser Marco Rubio is no longer the acting archivist of the United States, a spokesman of the National Archives and Records Administration said on Thursday. The national archivist is responsible for overseeing government records and heads the National Archives, an agency Trump used to criticize after it alerted the Justice Department to his handling of classified documents in 2022. Within weeks of taking office last year, Trump fired then-U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan and appointed Rubio as acting head of the archives, one of many hats he has worn in the administration. Rubio’s many roles, which have sparked jokes and spawned internet memes, underscore the trust Trump has in him, even though the two exchanged insults a decade ago when running against each other for the Republican presidential nomination. He has been central to Trump’s push for U.S. oversight of Venezuela after the seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the president’s crackdown against pro-Palestinian protesters through revocations of visas and green cards. Rubio stepped back from the National Archives job in compliance with the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which limits how long officials can serve in Senate-confirmed roles in an acting capacity, NARA General Counsel Matt Dummermuth said in an email. Rubio has delegated his authority at the National Archives to James Byron, who was a senior adviser to the archivist, Dummermuth said.

Reuters [2/5/2026 7:04 AM, Echo Wang and Joey Roulette, 38315K] reports Democratic U.S. senators on Thursday urged the Pentagon to conduct an immediate review of SpaceX amid allegations that Chinese investors have secretly acquired stakes in the closely held rocket maker, citing potential national security risks, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, expressing concern that Chinese investment in SpaceX could present "a national security threat, potentially jeopardizing key military, intelligence, and civilian infrastructure.” The lawmakers cited media reports and court testimony suggesting that investors with ties to China routed funds through entities in the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands to mask purchases of SpaceX shares. Founded by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, SpaceX plays a central role in U.S. national security infrastructure, launching military and intelligence satellites and operating its Starlink communications network, which is used by the Pentagon and to support Ukraine’s defense. The senators warned that any Chinese ownership could trigger U.S. rules governing foreign ownership, control or influence, known as FOCI, given the potential exposure of sensitive information or technologies. The letter asks the Department of Defense to disclose the extent of any Chinese ownership, assess whether SpaceX is subject to FOCI mitigation requirements, and determine whether foreign investments should be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The senators requested a response by February 20. SpaceX’s recent acquisition of xAI, which Musk has described as "the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile communications, and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform," adds to the immediacy of questions about Chinese investment in the company, the senators argue.

Federal News Network [2/5/2026 6:57 PM, Anastasia Obis, 1297K] reports the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense system could cost taxpayers as much as $3.6 trillion over the next 20 years — far exceeding the White House’s $175 billion estimate — and still fail to deliver on its central promise to protect the United States from nuclear threats. In a new report, Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog organization, argues that some of the technological challenges for the project are likely "insurmountable.” "If Golden Dome could guarantee our security for nuclear weapons, one could argue that these astronomical costs would be worth it, but from all these viability problems and the history of failed attempts, it’s very clear that it won’t," Gabe Murphy, a policy analyst at Taxpayers for Common Sense, told Federal News Network. Decades of investment in missile defense have yet to produce a system capable of reliably intercepting an intercontinental ballistic missile — the United States has spent more than $450 billion pursuing that goal and yet no system has demonstrated the ability to stop even a single ICBM. Nuclear warheads are relatively small targets — about three meters long — and they can reach speeds of up to 15,000 miles per hour. Defending the entire country could require hundreds or even thousands of interceptors for each missile launched by an adversary. "That creates a cost effectiveness problem right out of the gate," Murphy said. Adversaries can further undermine missile defense systems through various countermeasures, including radar jamming, decoys that mimic the appearance of warheads, or balloon-like objects that conceal warheads. "Those are really complex problems to overcome," Murphy said.

FOX News [2/5/2026 8:05 PM, Emma Bussey Fox, 37576K] reports President Donald Trump has warned that the U.S. could use military force to secure the Diego Garcia air base in the Chagos Islands if any future deal threatens access to the joint U.S.-U.K. installation. Trump made the comments Thursday in a Truth Social post while also signaling his willingness to move past tensions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after what he described as "very productive discussions" about the Indian Ocean base. Emphasizing the base’s strategic importance, Trump said the role of Diego Garcia was essential to U.S. national security. "It is the site of a major U.S. military base, strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and, therefore, of great importance to the national security of the United States," Trump wrote. Trump also acknowledged that the U.K. struck what he called "the best deal he could make" under a controversial agreement to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia back for at least 99 years. "However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our base, I retain the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia," Trump warned. "Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense.” The comments marked a slight shift in tone from Trump, who in January criticized the U.K.-Mauritius deal as an "act of great stupidity" and an "act of total weakness," accusing Britain of surrendering a critical military asset. Diego Garcia serves as a hub for long-range bombers, logistics, intelligence collection and military communications across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and Africa, hosting around 2,500 U.S. and military and civilian personnel. The island base has been used for long-range U.S. operations such as in Afghanistan and in Yemen. According to Reuters, Downing Street had confirmed Trump and Starmer discussed Diego Garcia during a recent call and agreed to safeguard the base’s continued operation. "Turning to Diego Garcia, and the deal the U.K. has secured to maintain control of the U.S.-U.K. military base to protect national security, the leaders recognized its strategic importance," a No. 10 spokeswoman said.

AP [2/6/2026 10:44 PM, Isabel Debre, 28764K] reports Argentina and the United States agreed Thursday to ease restrictions on each other’s goods in an expansive trade deal that boosts a drive by President Javier Milei to open up Argentina’s protectionist economy and a push by the Trump administration to reduce food prices for Americans. The deal, which slashes hundreds of reciprocal tariffs between the countries, also reflects the importance of Milei’s ideological loyalty to U.S. President Donald Trump, even as the chronically distressed South American nation long isolated from the global economy has little to offer Washington in the way of economic reward or geopolitical clout. Argentina’s radical libertarian leader has gone to dramatic lengths to prove his devotion to Trump, reshaping his country’s foreign policy to align with the U.S. and championing Trump’s increasingly aggressive interventions in the Western Hemisphere. Milei has traveled to the U.S. at least a dozen times since entering office and plans to visit Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago club in Florida again next week. The efforts have paid off. Last year as market turmoil threatened to derail Milei’s free-market overhaul and drain Argentina’s foreign currency reserves ahead of a crucial midterm election, Trump offered his ally a $20 billion credit line. Milei avoided a currency devaluation and won a decisive victory in the election that sent markets rallying. On Thursday Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said they signed the trade and investment agreement in Washington. After imposing sweeping tariffs on its trading partners, the Trump administration changed its tune last November in announcing framework deals with four Latin American countries, including Argentina. The White House argued that the reduction of tariffs on Argentine beef and Ecuadorian bananas, among other imports, would improve the ability of American firms to sell products abroad and relieve rising prices for American consumers. The announcement also came as Trump’s steep tariffs drew scrutiny from the Supreme Court.

Argentina on Thursday became the first of the four countries to finalize its agreement with Washington. Quirno hailed it as a milestone not only in Argentina’s alliance with the U.S., but also in Milei’s campaign to rebuild the serial defaulter’s reputation. “Today Argentina sent a clear signal to the world,” he wrote on social media. “We are a reliable partner, open to trade and committed to clear rules, predictability and strategic cooperation.” Argentina will scrap trade barriers on more than 200 categories of goods from the U.S., including chemicals, machinery and medical devices, its foreign ministry said. More politically sensitive imports, like vehicles, live cattle and dairy products, will enter the country tariff-free under government quotas. Those are key concessions as Argentine industries long protected by steep tariffs fret about their ability to compete with American manufacturers. Already domestic producers have seen their sales drop as Milei opens the economy to an onslaught of cheap Chinese products. Washington, for its part, will eliminate reciprocal tariffs on 1,675 Argentine products, Argentina’s Foreign Ministry said, increasing government export revenue by over $1 billion. The exact product list remained unclear but the White House said it included “unavailable natural resources” and ingredients for pharmaceutical goods, after Argentina agreed to improve its patchwork intellectual property protections. The U.S. also promised to review its 50% taxes on Argentine steel and aluminum imports — a disappointment to manufacturers in Argentina who expected the trade agreement to eliminate the crippling tariff outright. The deal also shows the U.S. quadrupling the current amount of Argentine beef it imports at a lower tariff rate to 100,000 tons per year.

Breitbart [2/5/2026 8:19 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports President Donald Trump wants a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia and China instead of extending the New START nuclear arms treaty with Russia that expired on Wednesday. The New START treaty was a "badly negotiated deal" that Russia continually violated, and Trump wants to negotiate a new deal, he said in a Truth Social post made on Thursday. "Rather than extend ‘New START,’ we should have our nuclear experts work on a new, improved and modernized treaty that can last long into the future," Trump said. The president did not elaborate on how Russia violated the treaty’s terms and said he wants China to be part of any new strategic arms treaty with Russia. The New START treaty stands for New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and limited the number of ballistic missiles, heavy bombers and warheads within the respective U.S. and Russian nuclear arms arsenals. It limited the United States and Russia to no more than a combination of 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers that are equipped for nuclear arms. It also limited the total number of warheads to no more than 1,550 among each nation’s ballistic missiles and heavy bombers, with heavy bombers being counted as a single warhead. President Barack Obama’s administration negotiated the treaty, which took effect in 2011 and was extended for another five years in 2021 by the Biden administration. House Democrats Gregory Meeks, Adam Smith and Jim Himes acknowledged the New START treaty was flawed and that Russia violated its terms in a joint statement issued on Thursday. "Nevertheless, the treaty directly advanced U.S. foreign policy and national security interests: it reduced the number of nuclear weapons, helped prevent a dangerous arms race and provided U.S. national security agencies [with] reliable, verifiable insights into Russia’s arsenal," they said.

US News & World Report [2/5/2026 5:07 AM, Dmitry Antonov, 16072K] reports the Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia would continue taking a responsible approach to strategic nuclear stability, despite the expiry of the last nuclear arms control treaty between Moscow and Washington. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the New START treaty, which set limits on each side’s missiles, launchers and strategic warheads, would lapse at the end of Thursday. Arms control experts had previously said their assumption was that it expired at the end of Wednesday. "Today the day will end, and it (the treaty) will cease to have any effect," Peskov told reporters. Russia had suggested both sides voluntarily extend the terms of the agreement for one year to provide time to discuss a successor treaty, a proposal which it said the United States had never formally answered. "The agreement is coming to an end. We view this negatively and express our regret," said Peskov, who said the matter had come up in a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping a day earlier. "What happens next depends on how events unfold. In any case, the Russian Federation will maintain its responsible and attentive approach to the issue of strategic stability in the field of nuclear weapons and, of course, as always, will be guided first and foremost by its national interests."

CBS News [2/5/2026 12:54 PM, Omar Abdulkader, 51110K] reports the U.S. military is in the process of transferring nearly 7,000 ISIS suspects from prisons and jails in northeast Syria to detention facilities across the border into Iraq. The operation comes amid concerns over security, following a mass escape from at least one prison in Syria, but it is also raising concern over the detainees’ fate. An Iraqi security source told CBS News that as of Thursday, nearly 2,000 detainees had been transferred into the country. Iraq has vowed to put the prisoners on trial, and many could face terrorism charges in an opaque justice system that, just seven years ago, saw alleged ISIS militants, including European nationals, convicted and sentenced to death. At the end of January, Syria’s Ministry of Defense announced a 15 day extension of a ceasefire that largely ended clashes between government troops and Kurdish forces in the country’s northeast. Those clashes had led to chaos around prisons holding ISIS detainees in the region long controlled by the U.S.-allied Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The mayhem included a Jan. 20 mass-escape from one facility. The defense ministry said the ceasefire extension was intended to enable the U.S.-led military coalition to complete the transfer of the ISIS suspects to Iraq. From the start of the U.S.-led war against ISIS in 2014, the SDF played a decisive role in defeating the terrorist group and forcing it to abandon its self-declared Islamic caliphate in 2019. ISIS, while no longer holding significant territory, still poses a threat, and the SDF has continued working alongside coalition forces to carry out joint operations aimed at preventing its reemergence.

FOX News [2/6/2026 3:24 AM, Emma Bussey, 40934K] reports Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday, accusing them of smuggling fuel and detaining 15 foreign crew members ahead of high-stakes U.S.–Iran talks Friday in Oman. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said it intercepted the two ships near Farsi Island, claiming they were carrying about 1 million liters of smuggled fuel, Reuters reported. The crews, made up of 15 foreign nationals, were taken into custody and referred to Iran’s judicial authorities, according to Iranian state media. The IRGC alleged the vessels were part of an organized fuel-smuggling network that had been operating in the region for several months. Iranian officials said the ships were identified through intelligence monitoring and seized during coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf, a vital artery for global energy markets. According to The Jerusalem Post, Iranian authorities framed the operation as a significant blow to illegal fuel trafficking, though they did not immediately disclose the vessels’ nationalities or destinations. The seizures come as Iranian rhetoric toward the U.S. has grown hostile. Ezzatollah Zarghami, a former Iranian minister and ex–state broadcaster chief, issued a warning, threatening violence in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and petroleum product consumption passes. "I am sure that the Strait of Hormuz will be the place of massacre and hell for the U.S.," Zarghami said Thursday. "Iran will show that the Strait of Hormuz has historically belonged to Iran. The only thing the Americans can think of is playing with their vessels and moving them from one place to another." Zarghami later repeated the threat, calling the Strait a potential "killing field" for American forces and signaling Iran’s willingness to escalate amid mounting regional pressure. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman Friday. The pair are traveling from Abu Dhabi after two days of talks related to Russia and Ukraine. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Friday’s talks were still on, stating "diplomacy is always [Trump’s] first option." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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