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  • Border czar says ICE could drawdown in Minnesota as shutdown deadline looms

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    *** partial government shutdown is not inevitable at this point. Lawmakers are still negotiating. Immigration enforcement, however, has emerged as the flashpoint in these talks with Minnesota driving the standoff. White House border czar Tom Homan spoke for the first time since taking over immigration operations in Minnesota after federal agents killed two Americans. I’m not here because of The federal government has carried its mission out perfectly, Homan said. The administration will continue its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, but also said federal immigration authorities are working on *** plan that would remove agents from the state if local officials agree to cooperate with immigration enforcement. This is common sense cooperation that allows us to draw down. On the number of people we have here. Following those remarks, Minneapolis’ mayor pressed for the immigration operation to end immediately. It is less safe when we have roving bands of agents marching down the street just looking for somebody who might be concerned, and I’ve got to tell you, everybody is concerned when you have that kind of occupation on Capitol Hill, *** partial government shutdown inches closer, and Senate Democrats are making their own demands of immigration enforcement. What ICE is doing. Outside the law is state sanctioned thuggery, and it must stop. The Senate has until Friday to pass 6 spending bills, including for Homeland Security. The motion is not agreed to. *** failed vote on the package Thursday sets up *** potential last minute effort before the weekend. The president says his administration is speaking with lawmakers. Hopefully we won’t have *** shutdown. We’re working on that right now. I think we’re getting close. The Democrats, I don’t believe, want to see it either. Senator Schumer says they may vote to pass the other appropriations bills that do not include funding for Homeland Security. In Washington, I’m Christopher Sales.

    Border czar says ICE could drawdown in Minnesota as shutdown deadline looms

    Immigration enforcement in Minnesota has become a focal point in the ongoing negotiations to prevent a partial government shutdown, with Democrats demanding changes following recent deaths.

    Updated: 3:41 PM PST Jan 29, 2026

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    White House Correspondent

    White House border czar Tom Homan spoke for the first time since taking over immigration operations in Minnesota after two Americans were killed by federal agents.”I’m not here because the federal government has carried its mission out perfectly,” Homan said. “I do not want to hear that everything that’s been done here has been perfect. Nothing’s ever perfect.”He stated that the administration will continue its immigration crackdown in Minnesota but is working on a plan to remove agents if state and local officials agree to cooperate with immigration enforcement.”This is common sense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here,” Homan said.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called for an immediate end to the immigration operation. “It is less safe when we have roving bands of agents marching down the street just looking for somebody who might be concerned. And I got to tell you, everybody is concerned when you have that kind of occupation,” Frey said.On Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats are making demands regarding immigration enforcement. “What ICE is doing, outside the law, is state-sanctioned thuggery and it must stop,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader. As Congress faces a deadline to pass six appropriations bills, including funding for Homeland Security, immigration enforcement in Minnesota has become a central issue in the negotiations to prevent a partial government shutdown.The Senate has until Friday to pass six spending bills, including one for Homeland Security. A failed vote on the package Thursday sets up a potential last-minute vote before the weekend.Democrats have stated they will not support Homeland Security funding unless immigration enforcement changes, including requiring agents to identify themselves, obtain warrants for arrests, coordinate more closely with local law enforcement, and face stricter accountability when rules are violated. They argue these changes are necessary following the deaths in Minnesota.President Donald Trump expressed optimism about avoiding a shutdown. “Hopefully we won’t have a shutdown. We’re working on that right now, I think we’re getting close,” Trump said.Even a partial shutdown could have immediate impacts, with travelers potentially facing airport delays, hundreds of thousands of federal workers missing paychecks or working without pay, some federal loans being delayed, and key economic data like the monthly jobs report being put on hold.

    WASHINGTON —

    White House border czar Tom Homan spoke for the first time since taking over immigration operations in Minnesota after two Americans were killed by federal agents.

    “I’m not here because the federal government has carried its mission out perfectly,” Homan said. “I do not want to hear that everything that’s been done here has been perfect. Nothing’s ever perfect.”

    He stated that the administration will continue its immigration crackdown in Minnesota but is working on a plan to remove agents if state and local officials agree to cooperate with immigration enforcement.

    “This is common sense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here,” Homan said.

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called for an immediate end to the immigration operation. “It is less safe when we have roving bands of agents marching down the street just looking for somebody who might be concerned. And I got to tell you, everybody is concerned when you have that kind of occupation,” Frey said.

    On Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats are making demands regarding immigration enforcement. “What ICE is doing, outside the law, is state-sanctioned thuggery and it must stop,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader.

    As Congress faces a deadline to pass six appropriations bills, including funding for Homeland Security, immigration enforcement in Minnesota has become a central issue in the negotiations to prevent a partial government shutdown.

    The Senate has until Friday to pass six spending bills, including one for Homeland Security. A failed vote on the package Thursday sets up a potential last-minute vote before the weekend.

    Democrats have stated they will not support Homeland Security funding unless immigration enforcement changes, including requiring agents to identify themselves, obtain warrants for arrests, coordinate more closely with local law enforcement, and face stricter accountability when rules are violated. They argue these changes are necessary following the deaths in Minnesota.

    President Donald Trump expressed optimism about avoiding a shutdown. “Hopefully we won’t have a shutdown. We’re working on that right now, I think we’re getting close,” Trump said.

    Even a partial shutdown could have immediate impacts, with travelers potentially facing airport delays, hundreds of thousands of federal workers missing paychecks or working without pay, some federal loans being delayed, and key economic data like the monthly jobs report being put on hold.

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  • Donald Trump Reacts to Senate Deal on DHS To Avoid Looming Shutdown

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    President Donald Trump has welcomed a new Senate deal on the Department of Homeland Security funding which will avoid another government shutdown.

    “Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security (including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before,” Trump said on Truth Social.

    The deal will separate the DHS funds from the main government funding package, which includes five bipartisan bills and a two-week temporary spending bill for DHS. The deal was made Thursday after Democrats and eight Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, blocked the original bill in the Senate.

    This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow. 

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  • Democrats poised to trigger government shutdown if White House won’t meet demands for ICE reform

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    Senate Democrats are threatening to block legislation that would fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies Thursday, potentially bringing the government a step closer to a partial shutdown if Republicans and the White House do not agree to new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.As the country reels from the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, irate Senate Democrats laid out a list of demands ahead of a Thursday morning test vote, including that officers take off their masks and identify themselves and obtain warrants for arrest. If those are not met, Democrats say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill, denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it and triggering a shutdown at midnight on Friday.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Democrats won’t provide needed votes until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “reined in and overhauled.”“The American people support law enforcement, they support border security, they do not support ICE terrorizing our streets and killing American citizens,” Schumer said.There were some signs of possible progress as the White House has appeared open to trying to strike a deal with Democrats to avert a shutdown. The two sides were talking as of Wednesday evening, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who requested anonymity to speak about the private talks. One possible option discussed would be to strip the funding for the Homeland Security Department from the larger bill, as Schumer has requested, and extend it for a short period to allow time for negotiations, the person said. The rest of the bill would fund government agencies until September.Still, with no agreement yet and an uncertain path ahead, the standoff threatened to plunge the country into another shutdown just two months after Democrats blocked a spending bill over expiring federal health care subsidies, a dispute that closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate.That shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats broke away to strike a deal with Republicans, but Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents.Democrats lay out their demandsThere’s a lot of “unanimity and shared purpose” within the Democratic caucus, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said after a lunch meeting Wednesday.“Boil it all down, what we are talking about is that these lawless ICE agents should be following the same rules that your local police department does,” Smith said. “There has to be accountability.”Amid the administration’s immigration crackdown, Schumer said Democrats are asking the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities and coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, including requiring tighter rules for warrants.Democrats also want an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules. Schumer said agents should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.The Democratic caucus is united in those “common sense reforms” and the burden is on Republicans to accept them, Schumer said, as he has pushed for the Homeland spending to be separated out to avoid a broader shutdown.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has indicated that he might be open to considering some of the Democrats’ demands, but he encouraged Democrats and the White House to talk and find agreement.Many obstacles to a dealAs the two sides negotiated, it was still unclear whether they could agree on anything that would satisfy Democrats who want Trump’s aggressive crackdown to end.The White House had invited some Democrats for a discussion to better understand their positions and avoid a partial government shutdown, a senior White House official said, but the meeting did not happen. The official requested anonymity to discuss the private invitation.The House passed the six remaining funding bills last week and sent them to the Senate as a package, making it more difficult to strip out the homeland security portion as Democrats have demanded. Republicans could break the package apart with the consent of all 100 senators or through a series of votes that would extend past the Friday deadline.Even if the Senate can resolve the issue, House Republicans have said they do not want any changes to the bill they have passed. In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, the conservative House Freedom Caucus wrote that its members stand with the president and ICE.“The package will not come back through the House without funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” according to the letter.Republican oppositionSeveral Republican senators have said they would be fine with Democrats’ request to separate the Homeland Security funds for further debate and pass the other bills in the package. But it might be more difficult to for Democrats to find broad GOP support for their demands on ICE.North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he’s OK with separating the bills, but is opposed to the Democrats’ proposal to require the immigration enforcement officers to unmask and show their faces, even as he blamed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for decisions that he said are “tarnishing” the agency’s reputation.“You know, there’s a lot of vicious people out there, and they’ll take a picture of your face, and the next thing you know, your children or your wife or your husband are being threatened at home,” Tillis said. “And that’s just the reality of the world that we’re in.”Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said that “what happened over the weekend is a tragedy,” but Democrats shouldn’t punish Americans with a shutdown and a “political stunt.”Democrats say they won’t back down.“It is truly a moral moment,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “I think we need to take a stand.”___Associated Press writer Michelle Price in Washington contributed to this report.

    WASHINGTON —

    Senate Democrats are threatening to block legislation that would fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies Thursday, potentially bringing the government a step closer to a partial shutdown if Republicans and the White House do not agree to new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.

    As the country reels from the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, irate Senate Democrats laid out a list of demands ahead of a Thursday morning test vote, including that officers take off their masks and identify themselves and obtain warrants for arrest. If those are not met, Democrats say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill, denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it and triggering a shutdown at midnight on Friday.

    Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Democrats won’t provide needed votes until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “reined in and overhauled.”

    “The American people support law enforcement, they support border security, they do not support ICE terrorizing our streets and killing American citizens,” Schumer said.

    There were some signs of possible progress as the White House has appeared open to trying to strike a deal with Democrats to avert a shutdown. The two sides were talking as of Wednesday evening, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who requested anonymity to speak about the private talks. One possible option discussed would be to strip the funding for the Homeland Security Department from the larger bill, as Schumer has requested, and extend it for a short period to allow time for negotiations, the person said. The rest of the bill would fund government agencies until September.

    Still, with no agreement yet and an uncertain path ahead, the standoff threatened to plunge the country into another shutdown just two months after Democrats blocked a spending bill over expiring federal health care subsidies, a dispute that closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate.

    That shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats broke away to strike a deal with Republicans, but Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents.

    Democrats lay out their demands

    There’s a lot of “unanimity and shared purpose” within the Democratic caucus, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said after a lunch meeting Wednesday.

    “Boil it all down, what we are talking about is that these lawless ICE agents should be following the same rules that your local police department does,” Smith said. “There has to be accountability.”

    Amid the administration’s immigration crackdown, Schumer said Democrats are asking the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities and coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, including requiring tighter rules for warrants.

    Democrats also want an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules. Schumer said agents should be required to have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in most law enforcement agencies.

    The Democratic caucus is united in those “common sense reforms” and the burden is on Republicans to accept them, Schumer said, as he has pushed for the Homeland spending to be separated out to avoid a broader shutdown.

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has indicated that he might be open to considering some of the Democrats’ demands, but he encouraged Democrats and the White House to talk and find agreement.

    Many obstacles to a deal

    As the two sides negotiated, it was still unclear whether they could agree on anything that would satisfy Democrats who want Trump’s aggressive crackdown to end.

    The White House had invited some Democrats for a discussion to better understand their positions and avoid a partial government shutdown, a senior White House official said, but the meeting did not happen. The official requested anonymity to discuss the private invitation.

    The House passed the six remaining funding bills last week and sent them to the Senate as a package, making it more difficult to strip out the homeland security portion as Democrats have demanded. Republicans could break the package apart with the consent of all 100 senators or through a series of votes that would extend past the Friday deadline.

    Even if the Senate can resolve the issue, House Republicans have said they do not want any changes to the bill they have passed. In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, the conservative House Freedom Caucus wrote that its members stand with the president and ICE.

    “The package will not come back through the House without funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” according to the letter.

    Republican opposition

    Several Republican senators have said they would be fine with Democrats’ request to separate the Homeland Security funds for further debate and pass the other bills in the package. But it might be more difficult to for Democrats to find broad GOP support for their demands on ICE.

    North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he’s OK with separating the bills, but is opposed to the Democrats’ proposal to require the immigration enforcement officers to unmask and show their faces, even as he blamed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for decisions that he said are “tarnishing” the agency’s reputation.

    “You know, there’s a lot of vicious people out there, and they’ll take a picture of your face, and the next thing you know, your children or your wife or your husband are being threatened at home,” Tillis said. “And that’s just the reality of the world that we’re in.”

    Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said that “what happened over the weekend is a tragedy,” but Democrats shouldn’t punish Americans with a shutdown and a “political stunt.”

    Democrats say they won’t back down.

    “It is truly a moral moment,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “I think we need to take a stand.”

    ___

    Associated Press writer Michelle Price in Washington contributed to this report.

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  • Doctors warn frostbite risk rising as dangerous cold grips the DC region – WTOP News

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    As extreme cold grips the D.C. region, doctors warn the risk of frostbite is rising.

    As extreme cold grips the D.C. region, doctors warn the risk of frostbite is rising.

    Frostbite is more than a skin injury. It affects blood flow and the body’s blood vessels, according to Dr. Adam Friedman, chair of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

    “(When) we think about frostbite, this is not just about skin, it’s about blood flow. It’s about our blood vessels,” he said.

    Friedman said the extreme cold can constrict blood vessels, reduce oxygen flow and allow ice crystals to form, damaging the skin and deeper tissues.

    What to do if frostbite is suspected

    Signs can develop quickly, sometimes during routine winter tasks such as scraping ice or shoveling for long periods of time.

    “Early on, patients may feel intense cold, tingling or burning that ultimately gives way to numbness,” Friedman said.

    People may also notice their fingers losing feeling or turning pale.

    “The skin may look red at first, but then it often turns maybe pale or white and has this kind of waxy or firm feel to it,” he said.

    If frostbite is suspected, rewarming should be done gently indoors.

    “Rapid rewarming is key, ideally in warm, not scalding hot water, because often when you lose sensation, you can burn yourself,” he said.

    Rewarming should usually last 20 to 30 minutes. He also said rubbing the area should be avoided.

    “Addressing it early is going to be essential to preventing long term damage,” he said.

    How to prevent frostbite

    Friedman said the most effective protection is limiting time in the cold.

    “Limit exposure, check skin sites often and rewarm early if numbness or pain sets in,” Friedman said.

    He advised dressing in layers, keeping your skin dry, blocking out the wind and avoiding tight clothing that can restrict circulation.

    “It’s all about preparation with respect to protecting as much as the exposed sites as possible, dressing in layers, making sure that you’re wearing clothing that maybe can wet wick or isn’t wet or damp to begin with, as that can lead to additional injury,” he said

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    Mike Murillo

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  • DC officials acknowledge challenge of ‘snowcrete,’ say progress has been made – WTOP News

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    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday that following Sunday’s winter storm, the city’s government agencies have been making progress in clearing the hardened snow from city streets.

    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday that following Sunday’s winter storm, the city’s government agencies have been making progress in clearing the hardened snow from city streets.

    “I want to just really start by giving a big thank you to the many people who have been working day and night, the last five days in the lead up to this storm and responding to this storm,” Bowser said at a news conference. “Our approach, our values when we go into these responses are very simple: how do we keep people safe and how do we get open?”

    The mayor also made it clear that when the city reports roads are passable, that doesn’t mean cars are dug out or you can easily cross the street.

    “We do need people to continue to focus on their sidewalks — businesses and residents,” Bowser said.

    D.C. residents voiced frustrations on social media about uncleared crosswalks and unplowed streets days after the storm and questioned the city’s now response.

    D.C. Public Schools is one of the few school districts in the region that will open Thursday, operating on a 2-hour delay both Thursday and Friday. Buses from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and Metro will be helping get students to school.

    Though Metrorail service operated on a weekend schedule Wednesday, Metro CEO and General Manager Randy Clarke said 122 of the region’s 126 bus routes are now operational, and continue to open day after day.

    “I’m happy to announce we will run normal, 100% weekday service out on the system,” he said. “We believe by close of business today, we actually will have transported a million customers since the storm on Sunday.”

    D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said the school system’s decision to close from Monday through Wednesday gave them ample time to prepare school campuses and adjacent streets for when they reopened.

    “We feel very confident in all the assessments that we’ve done over the past three days to ensure that our campuses are ready,” he said.

    Clint Osborn, the director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, called the snowstorm “exceptionally dangerous” because of the amount of snow that was covered in a “very thick layer of ice,” causing what he called “snowcrete.”

    A cold weather advisory is in effect for most of the region as temperatures overnight into Thursday are expected to be in the single digits.

    Agency leaders reiterated how the frigid temperatures contributed to the “snowcrete,” making it difficult to traverse and remove, and impacting their response to it.

    Anthony Crispino, the interim director of the D.C. Department of Public Works, said clearing roads has been challenging due to extremely low temperatures and layers of ice, but crews have been working with 311 to identify service calls.

    “We are going to … start moving in new heavy machinery on some of the more problematic streets to break up the hard pack, or the snowcrete, and then get it out of the way so that it’s passable, with the goal of making sure that everybody can navigate the streets safely,” Crispino said.

    Crews have been hauling snow to the former RFK Stadium site, where a snow field is developing for storage, Crispino said.

    The city is also suspending fines for residents and businesses that have not cleared sidewalks within the first eight hours after a storm due to the hard, packed-down nature of the snow.

    D.C. Department of Transportation Director Sharon Kershbaum added that they’re hoping to soon allow cars to park in areas marked as “no parking on snow emergency.”

    “Getting the snow out is critical, and I think you’re going to start to see over the next few days, big changes,” Kershbaum said.

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    Ciara Wells

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  • Is There Now a Crack in the Wall Between Cannabis Use and Gun Rights

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    Has Minneapolis upended politics and is there now a crack in the wall between cannabis sue and gun rights? There is pressure on the administration.

    For decades, the relationship between cannabis use and gun ownership in the United States has been shaped by conflicting legal frameworks and cultural trends. Since the Gun Control Act of 1968, federal law has prohibited individuals who are “unlawful users” of controlled substances from possessing or purchasing firearms, a rule that historically included cannabis because it remained classified as a Schedule I drug. As more states have moved to legalize medical and recreational marijuana use, this federal prohibition has produced a legal disconnect: people who legally use cannabis under state law can be barred from firearm rights under federal law, while gun ownership, protected by the Second Amendment and upheld in key Supreme Court decisions like District of Columbia v. Heller, has remained a deeply entrenched individual right.

    RELATED: What The Polymarket Says About Cannabis Rescheduling And More

    Recent events in Minnesota have intensified national conversations about gun use, public safety, and federal regulation. The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent sparked widespread protest and media attention, thrusting discussions about when and how guns should be carried into the spotlight. The current administration’s response — including comments from national leaders suggesting that certain forms of gun carry at protests may be inappropriate — has prompted debate and scrutiny from both sides of the political aisle, especially in a state with permissive carry laws. The President’s remarks Good “should not have been carrying a gun,” despite Minnesota’s legal provisions for open and concealed carry, have underscored a broader willingness among federal officials to reconsider how guns are used in public spaces and under what circumstances.

    Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks

    Cannabis use and gun rights have intersected not just legally but culturally. While states such as Minnesota grapple with questions of public safety following high-profile shootings, federal courts are taking up cases that challenge the application of firearm prohibitions to marijuana users. Several appellate courts have ruled barring state-sanctioned cannabis consumers from owning guns could violate the Second Amendment, creating legal pressure that may culminate in a decisive Supreme Court ruling. Advocates argue these challenges underscore the outdated nature of federal cannabis policy in a nation where a majority of states have embraced some form of legalization.

    That uncertainty has also been visible inside the administration itself. In recent press briefings, the White House press secretary struggled to clearly articulate a definitive position on gun control, particularly when pressed on how new restrictions might apply to lawful gun owners versus criminal misuse. Repeated attempts to clarify whether the administration favors broader limits on public carry, enforcement changes, or legislative reform yielded cautious, and at times contradictory, responses. The moment underscored the administration’s difficulty in balancing public safety concerns with constitutional protections, revealing a lack of consensus on how far any restructuring of gun policy should go.

    Amid these legal and political tensions, leaders in the current administration have repeatedly appeared on national news outlets discussing the need to rethink how guns are carried and used by average citizens. Some administration figures have indicated that the nation should consider stricter guidelines for public gun carry, citing recent violence and demanding a reevaluation of existing policies. This shift has sparked sharp disagreements with traditional gun rights advocates.

    RELATED: Is CBD Next On The Fed’s Hit List

    The National Rifle Association, for example, publicly criticized comments from federal officials seemed to question the rights of lawful gun owners, calling such statements “dangerous and wrong” and stressing law-abiding citizens deserve their full Second Amendment protections.

    At the same time, the broader national dialogue remains unsettled. With public opinion sharply divided, legal challenges pending in the courts, and political leaders offering competing visions for the future of gun policy, it is far from clear where the balance will ultimately fall. As lawmakers, judges, and citizens continue to hash out these issues, the evolving conversation about cannabis use, gun ownership, and public safety highlights lingering tensions in American law and society.

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    Terry Hacienda

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  • Why is ICE in Minneapolis? JD Vance wrong on reason

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    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security surged 3,000 federal immigration agents to Minnesota — a state more than a thousand miles from the southern border that’s not known for having a sizable population of immigrants in the U.S. illegally — calling it the largest such operation ever. Many people have wondered: Why Minnesota?

    Vice President JD Vance, who visited Minneapolis on Jan. 22 to defend federal immigration enforcement, gave a misleading answer.

    “Right now, we’re focused on Minneapolis because that’s where we have the highest concentration of people who have violated our immigration laws, and that’s also, frankly, where we see the most assault of our law enforcement officers,” Vance said during a press conference.

    The vice president’s visit to Minneapolis came after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7 but before a Border Patrol agent fatally shot Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. Both were U.S. citizens.

    PolitiFact asked spokespersons for the White House and Homeland Security for Vance’s evidence about Minneapolis having the “highest concentration of people who have violated our immigration laws” and received no response. (We did not examine data on assault of officers by jurisdiction.)

    Dozens of other U.S. metro areas have a higher concentration of immigrants in the U.S. illegally compared with the Minneapolis metro area. 

    Immigrant populations by metro area 

    There are about 130,000 immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally in Minnesota, according to 2023 Pew Research Center data, the most recent year available.

    They represent about 2% of the state’s population and about 1% of the unauthorized population nationwide. 

    The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan group, estimated a slightly smaller number for Minnesota of about 100,000 immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

    Government officials and nonpartisan groups that track immigration data do not have data showing the number of immigrants the U.S. illegally exclusively in the city of Minneapolis. Instead, they use metro area data; Pew Research Center uses a 15-county area that includes Minneapolis and St. Paul.

    Jeffrey Passel, a Pew Research Center demographer, said the overall U.S. population of immigrants in the country illegally was probably slightly larger in 2025 than the 2023 data reflects, but there was not a large influx in the Minneapolis metro area.

    Pew estimated about 90,000 unauthorized immigrants in the Minneapolis metro area. Dozens of other metro areas have larger numbers, Passel said.

    Immigrants in the country illegally represent about 2.4% of the Minneapolis metro area’s population. That’s smaller than the 4.1% nationally, Passel said. In major metro areas such as Miami and Houston, the share of immigrants in the U.S. illegally was at least four times as big as the share in Minneapolis. Metro areas such as Provo, Utah; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Hartford, Connecticut; and Tulsa, Oklahoma, had higher percentages than the Minneapolis metro area.

    Somalis are a small percentage of the Minnesota population

    President Donald Trump has said the Minnesota focus is because of a fraud scandal involving dozens of Somalis. Somalis represent about 2% of Minnesota’s population. Somalis came to Minnesota starting in the 1990s fleeing a civil war, some as refugees while others were sponsored by family members or moved from other states. Most are U.S. citizens, either through naturalization or birth.

    Since 2022, federal prosecutors have charged about 98 people with defrauding the federal government. The majority have been convicted while many cases remain pending.

    Our ruling

    Vance said, “Right now we’re focused on Minneapolis because that’s where we have the highest concentration of people who have violated our immigration laws.” 

    Vance provided no evidence to back up his statement.

    Immigrants in the country illegally represent about 2.4% of the Minneapolis metro area’s population. Dozens of metro areas have larger numbers of immigrants in the U.S. illegally than the Minneapolis metro area, including smaller metro areas across the country. 

    We rate this statement False. 

    Chief Correspondent Louis Jacobson contributed to this fact-check.

    RELATED: In Context: What did Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey say about police fighting ICE?

    RELATED: Fact-check: Trump officials’ statements about Alex Pretti’s fatal shooting by Border Patrol agent

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  • Md. Senate panel advances bills to ban agreements with ICE, face coverings for law enforcement – WTOP News

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    The Maryland Senate could be taking up bills as early as this week to ban agreements between local police and federal immigration authorities and to prohibit masks on law enforcement agents

    This article was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.

    The Maryland Senate could be taking up bills as early as this week to ban agreements between local police and federal immigration authorities and to prohibit masks on law enforcement agents, after the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee approved both Tuesday.

    The committee vote came less than a week after hours of testimony on the two bills, and the same day that the House Judiciary Committee was holding its own combative hearing on a companion bill to do away with the so-called 287(g) agreements between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local sheriff’s departments. Nine Maryland counties have entered into such agreements, that require their jails to hold undocumented suspects to hand over to ICE for deportation proceedings.

    Both the House and Senate committee hearings took place against the backdrop of increased scrutiny of increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement, after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, 37 in Minnesota. That shooting came weeks after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in Minneapolis.

    The Trump administration policies were never far from the discussion in Annapolis Tuesday.

    “We need to just get out of this business right now,” said Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery), chair of Judicial Proceedings and lead sponsor of Senate Bill 245, which would ban 287(g) agreements.

    The committee voted 8-3, on party lines, to approve the bill that would prohibit local police or any “agent of the state” from entering into an agreement with the federal government to enforce civil immigration law.

    The vote came after the committee rejected an amendment from Sen. Mary-Dulany James (D-Harford) that would not have banned the agreements, but would have would have prohibited certain immigration enforcement activities by local police “unless an individual has been charged with or convicted of a felony.” Her amendment would also have required correctional facilities to report that and other information to the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy.

    “I have a sheriff who I have a lot of respect for who’s been running a 287(g) jail-based program, as have some other jurisdictions in Maryland,” James said. “I’m impressed with how it’s run. They [ICE agents] are nothing like the people that I’m seeing on the [TV] screen in the streets.”

    But Smith urged the committee to reject the amendment because of how the immigration enforcement is being handled by federal agents.

    After about 30 minutes of debate, the committee rejected James’ amendment by a 7-4, with all three committee Republicans – Sens. William G. Folden of Frederick County, Chris West of Baltimore and Carroll counties and Mike McWay of Western Maryland – joined James in support.

    During a briefing with reporters Tuesday morning, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) defended Smith’s bill, calling the operations of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration “unconstitutional and unlawful.”

    “I’m very cognizant that we could see something happen in Maryland, and we want to make sure that we’re prepared as possible for whatever surge could happen,” he said. “The partnership with an organization that’s operating with the procedures that it has right now is undermining faith in law enforcement.”

    If approved, Maryland would join several Democratic-led states including Delaware, Illinois and New Jersey to ban such agreements. California legislature is working to also approve limits on the agreements.

    ‘Storm troopers’

    The Judicial Proceedings Committee spent about 70 minutes on the face-covering legislation sponsored by Sen. Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George’s) before voting 7-4, with James joining the three Republicans, to move the bill to the full Senate.

    Senate Bill 1 would prohibit face coverings on law enforcement officials working in the state, including ICE agents who are typically masked. The bill would ban items such as a balaclava, ski mask or neck gaiter for officers on duty. Exceptions would be made for officers “actively engaged in an undercover operation,” someone wearing a motorcycle helmet, a garment worn for religious purposes or when health-related matters are involved.

    The committee approved a couple of amendments, to require that the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission develop a uniform policy prohibiting face coverings, versus a model policy. Violations would now be civil offenses, not criminal ones, and the penalty would be a fine up to $1,500 instead of up to $2,000 and possible two years imprisonment.

    Even with those amendments, opponents were not completely satisfied.

    West said he agrees that law enforcement officers should not be wearing masks resembling “storm troopers in Star Wars,” but he said there could be future conflicts between state officers trying to enforce the law on federal officers doing their duties under federal law.

    “The local officers are going to say, ‘Well, then you are obstructing justice. I’m putting you under arrest.’ And the ICE officers are going to respond by saying, ‘You’re obstructing federal officers, I’m putting you under arrest,’” West said. “Each trying to put the other squadron under arrest. This is bad. It’s not going to end happily.”

    Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery), vice chair of the committee, said after the voting session that the committee “made a statement today that the actions of the federal government are unacceptable to our Maryland values, and we as a legislature have a duty to respond. The committee had a legitimate debate, both on the underlying policies and the constitutionality of those policies, and we sent it to the floor of the Senate to continue that conversation.”

    Ferguson said both measures could be debated on the Senate floor as early as Thursday.

    287(g) in the House

    About two hours before the Senate committee’s vote on its 287(g) bill, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a House version sponsored by Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George’s).

    Williams said ICE isn’t providing public safety in communities, even in those Maryland jurisdictions that have signed on to them.

    One day after Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano (R) testified against the Senate version of the bill last week, she announced on social media Friday that the county signed a 287(g) agreement, the ninth in Maryland to do so.

    “Officials who signed these agreements claim that there are means of enhancing public safety, but that’s false,” Williams said. “These agreements drain taxpayer dollars from the real work of local law enforcement, and while ICE does provide training equipment and some oversight, it offers no reimbursement for the staff and overtime required by these additional responsibilities.”

    Del. Lauren Arikan (R-Harford), whose county has the state’s second-longest 287(g) agreement, asked Williams if she’s prepared to push a bill to have President Donald Trump (R) send ICE teams to the state to replace the eliminated 287(g) agreements.

    “There will be blood on the hands of people that move this when folks die, because there’s no longer a jail model in place. So are you ready to do that?” Arikan said.

    “First of all, ICE shouldn’t be randomly engaging in shooting individuals,” said Williams, who summarized there have been federal agents and ICE activity in her legislative district where there’s no 287(g) in place.

    Del. Susan McComas (R-Harford) said it should be up to individual jurisdictions whether they want ICE or not.

    “That’s the fair way to do this,” she said. “If the community wants ICE, then let them have it.”

    When Del. Nino Mangione (R-Baltimore County) asked why a legal immigrant be worried about immigration enforcement, several people in the audience laughed.

    “Really? I would say basically every news story for the past 12 months would make the case for why legal immigrants, undocumented immigrants would be worried about interacting with ICE,” Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D) said. “Many people are under threat by ICE right now. I think that legal, documented immigrants also have a reasonable fear of interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

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    Will Vitka

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  • Tim Cook Wants ‘Deescalation’ in Minneapolis

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    Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook gifted President Donald Trump a plaque with a base made of 24-karat gold, and attended a White House dinner at which he addressed the room for two minutes, and in that time he repeated the words “thank you” to Trump nine times.

    This past Saturday night, he again met with Trump, this time at a screening of a flattering documentary about First Lady Melania Trump. No, Apple didn’t make or even license the movie. Its competitor did, but Cook attended the screening anyway.

    This might lead one to worry that Cook doesn’t recognize the gravity of what federal agents are doing in Minneapolis right now. No matter one’s politics, the horrifying deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal troops are pretty easy to speak about in at least somewhat human terms. Even Ted Cruz managed to talk about Good at one point without sounding like a total monster. 

    Tim Cook’s oddly timed movie attendance, might, if I didn’t know better, be a hint that he’s not reading the room super well, and that me may lack the insight into political events of, say, the increasing number of his fellow Trump-friendly figures willing to speak frankly about the obvious violent overreach happening amid the ICE crackdown in Minneapolis. 

    But fortunately, Cook has issued a statement to Apple employees in which he says “This is a time for deescalation.” Don’t you feel better already?

    Oddly enough, Trump used similar language earlier today, saying “We’re gonna deescalate a little bit.”

    Cook’s statement doesn’t mention ICE, or other federal agencies, or the names of anyone who has died, or specify anything beyond the word “Minneapolis.” But that doesn’t mean it’s pure fluff meant to pat his employees on their heads and nothing more. After all, Cook says he had “a good conversation with the president this week where I shared my views.” So we can all rest easy that Trump is finally chastened.

    Here’s the full statement (originally leaked to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Tuesday night):

    Team,

    I’m heartbroken by the events in Minneapolis, and my prayers and deepest sympathies are with the families, with the communities, and with everyone that’s been affected.

    This is a time for deescalation. I believe America is strongest when we live up to our highest ideals, when we treat everyone with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where they’re from, and when we embrace our shared humanity. This is something Apple has always advocated for. I had a good conversation with the president this week where I shared my views, and I appreciate his openness to engaging on issues that matter to us all.

    I know this is very emotional and challenging for so many. I am proud of how deeply our teams care about the world beyond our walls. That empathy is one of Apple’s greatest strengths and it is something I believe we all cherish.

    Thank you for all that you do.
    Tim

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    Mike Pearl

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  • Miami-area councilman launches expletive-laced rant against ICE from dais

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    A screenshot from the Jan. 22 Village of El Portal, Florida, Planning and Zoning meeting video shows Councilman Anders Urbom closing one eye and miming a gun-aiming ‘wink’ as he repeatedly uses the N-word, while Councilperson Anna E. Lightfoot-Ward, seated beside him, looks down. This came after Urbom launched into a diatribe from the dais against ICE and Customs and Border Protection.

    A screenshot from the Jan. 22 Village of El Portal, Florida, Planning and Zoning meeting video shows Councilman Anders Urbom closing one eye and miming a gun-aiming ‘wink’ as he repeatedly uses the N-word, while Councilperson Anna E. Lightfoot-Ward, seated beside him, looks down. This came after Urbom launched into a diatribe from the dais against ICE and Customs and Border Protection.

    Screengrab from Village of El Portal meeting video

    An El Portal meeting quickly devolved after a councilman launched an expletive-filled attack on ICE and U.S Customs and Border Protection, using a racial epithet in his rant.

    The incident began when Councilman Anders Urbom, speaking during the Village’s Jan. 22 Planning and Zoning committee meeting, described witnessing a traffic stop on Biscayne Boulevard by Border Protection agents.

    Urbom told the committee members, who are the village council members, and attendees he had been traveling north on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami when he saw a Border Protection agent in a parking lot conducting a traffic stop.

    “It just seemed odd that a CBP officer was doing a traffic stop,” Urbom said, adding that he pulled into a nearby KFC parking lot and began filming.

    Urbom described the encounter as civil, saying the agent did not handcuff the person being detained and allowed the person to keep his cellphone. Urbom said the federal agent ultimately left with one of two men, while the other remained with the vehicle.

    After the agent departed, Urbom said he approached the man who stayed behind and asked why they were stopped. Urbom claimed the agent used something minor as an excuse, pointing to the multiple registration stickers many Miami-Dade drivers place on their license plates.

    Urbom’s remarks, captured on the village’s meeting video, then spiraled.

    He said “every white person in this country who voted for Trump” is racist, using the N word in his rant. He then mimed holding a gun, and later raised his arms as though holding a long gun, the video shows. He unleashed profanities at ICE and CBP, including “motherf——” and “f— ICE.”

    Urbom is the newest member of the Village Council, elected in 2019. Mayor Omarr C. Nickerson put the brakes on the outburst to which Urbom responded, “It’s over, it’s over,” the recording shows.

    Vice Mayor Darian Martin, who is Black, condemned Urbom’s use of the racial epithet.

    “I do think it is horribly offensive for that word to be mentioned in any context,” Martin said. “I do say that as a white man you [Urbom] should not be saying the N word in any context and I take great offense to it and I think that you owe us an apology,” he added, drawing applause.

    Urbom replied that he would apologize, but said he meant no offense to anyone other than “the white Christians who voted for Trump,” according to the video. Urbom’s remarks came during the “Good and Welfare” portion toward the end of the meeting, an agenda slot typically reserved for informal, non-voting comments and general community updates.

    Urbom did not reply to an email asking about the incident. His online bio on the Village’s website says “his main priorities are public safety, public works (including tree trimming, swales, and septic-to-sewer), and traffic plus pedestrian/cyclist safety.”

    The next El Portal City Council meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Village Hall, 500 NE 87th St. Residents who want to weigh in can do so during public comment.

    Joan Chrissos

    Miami Herald

    Joan Chrissos is a longtime editor at the Herald who occasionally writes stories off the news and food, travel and features stories. She has a master’s from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

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    Theo Karantsalis

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  • Letters: One-time wealth tax won’t provide a long-term fix

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    Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.

    One-time tax won’t provide long-term fix

    Re: “High-stakes wealth tax proposal roils uber rich” (Page A1, Jan. 25).

    The proposed Billionaire Tax Act, imposing a one-time 5% tax on the total wealth of Californians whose net worth is $1 billion or more, needs reconsideration.

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  • US late night TV addresses Alex Pretti shooting: “Guns are the problem?”

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    A number of hosts of late-night TV shows have been reacting to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis, tearing into the administration for its response to the incident.

    On Monday, The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart questioned the assertions made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other officials that the fact that Pretti, a lawful gun owner, had a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun on his person at a protest was an indication that he was not there peacefully.

    “Are you saying that the problem is the guy had a gun?” Stewart said. “Are you saying that the guns are the problem? Is everyone on the right coming together to say carrying a legal firearm was the problem?”

    Newsweek reached out to DHS via email for comment.

    Why It Matters

    Pretti, 37, was an intensive care nurse who worked at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis and was shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Saturday.

    DHS has said the Border Patrol agent fired in self-defense, saying that Pretti had a handgun and resisted law enforcement; however, other accounts say that the released video footage instead shows Pretti having his gun taken from him before he was shot and that all he had in his hands was his cellphone.

    Some reports have said that Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino was expected to be removed from his role in Minneapolis following the incident, but DHS has said the claims are not true and that Bovino “has not been relieved of his duties.”

    What To Know

    On his show on Monday evening, during a segment on the shooting of Pretti, Stewart also showed a clip of Bovino at a press conference that was reportedly cut short after only two questions.

    Stewart said that he had a lot of questions, like “who’s going to investigate this horrific killing by the Department of Homeland Security that the Department of Homeland Security has clearly misrepresented?”

    In a reference to O.J. Simpson, the former NFL star who was accused of killing his ex-wife, Stewart added: “Oh, good luck finding the real killer, O.J. We’re rooting for ya.” Simpson’s case is often described as the “Trial of the Century,” and while he was found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife and her friend, he was later found liable for the deaths in a lawsuit.

    “And pardon me for not trusting that the administration is going to do a fair and free investigation, when they are already going out on TV, moving the goalposts on why the shooting was justified, whether he was brandishing the weapon or not,” Stewart said.

    Stewart said Bovino was the “Border Patrol commander-in-short,” while Jimmy Kimmel said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday that Bovino was Trump’s “number one icehole.”

    In Monday’s show, Stewart played a clip of Bovino saying that politicians, community leaders and some journalists had been calling law enforcement “names like Gestapo.” The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany, who were known to wear long trench coats.

    Stewart then showed a photo of Bovino wearing a dark trench coat. Stewart said, “It is slightly terrifying to Americans that you seem to be dressing for the job you want.”

    Kimmel also said during his show on Monday, while discussing Pretti’s death, that the Trump administration “won’t even admit that it was a mistake.”

    “They say the Honda SUV that Renee Good was driving was weaponized, they say the gun Alex Pretti had a license to carry in an open carry state…a gun that Alex Pretti did not even draw, did not touch, a gun that was taken from him by one of the agents before he was shot dead by the other ones,” Kimmel said. “They fired 10 times on an ICU nurse. They’re telling us, well, it was justified.”

    “Is that the law and order you voted for, if you voted for this?” Kimmel asked.

    What People Are Saying

    Jimmy Kimmel said on Monday’s show: “Can we agree that peaceful protesters, including moms driving SUVs on their way back after dropping their 6-year-old off at school, and a nurse who stepped in to protect a woman from harm, don’t deserve to be shot dead in the street by the people we are paying to protect us?”

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday: “Mr. Bovino is a wonderful man and he’s a great professional. He is very much going to continue CBP throughout and across the country. Mr. Homan will be the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis.”

    DNC Communications Director Rosemary Boeglin said on Monday: “Greg Bovino’s firing should be the first, not the last. An American citizen was murdered this weekend at the hands of federal agents. Donald Trump can hide away at movie screenings of ‘Melania,’ but the American people know he’s behind this campaign of terror and violence. And they won’t forget that in the immediate wake of a tragic murder, Trump, JD Vance and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem took to the airwaves to slander the victim and spread lies. Trump and Vance should immediately fire Noem, Stephen Miller, and Corey Lewandowski — or else they are sending a clear message to voters that getting murdered for exercising your constitutional rights is acceptable in Trump’s America.”

    In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.

    When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.

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  • One Democrat who helped pump $10 billion into ICE now regrets it — because siding with Donald Trump comes with a price | The Mary Sue

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    Last week, seven Democrats defied their party and voted with the Republicans to help them pass a $ 64.4 billion bill that will fund the Department of Homeland Security. The same also allocates about $10 billion for the U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The individuals who voted for this include Representatives Henry Cuellar (Texas), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington), Jared Golden (Maine), Laura Gillen (New York), Don Davis (North Carolina), Tom Suozzi (New York) and Vicente Gonzalez (Texas).

    Since the aforementioned individuals decided to vote for funding the DHS and ICE, many of them have come forward with their own justifications for their decision, with a majority of them highlighting that other provisions mentioned in the bill were important for the people of the United States. For context, the same bill is also designed to fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the U.S. Secret Service, and the Disaster Relief Fund, among others. However, ever since the recent shooting and killing of Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse in Minneapolis, by ICE agents, one of the seven Democrats has seemingly distanced himself from his decision on the DHS and ICE funding bill. Representative Tom Suozzi from New York, on January 26, 2026, shared on his Facebook account via a post update that he had “failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis.” He also said:

    I hear the anger from my constituents, and I take responsibility for that. I have long been critical of ICE’s unlawful behavior and I must do a better job demonstrating that.”

    Additionally, he condoned the killing of Alex Pretty and urged Trump to end “Operation Metro Surge” and ICE’s occupation of Minneapolis. He said:

    The senseless and tragic murder of Alex Pretti underscores what happens when untrained federal agents operate without accountability. President Trump must immediately end “Operation Metro Surge” and ICE’s occupation of Minneapolis that has sown chaos, led to tragedy, and undermined experienced local law enforcement.”

    Suozzi received a massive response to his post, with most criticising his behaviour. Many made scathing remarks against him, suggesting that his apologies over the matter were too late. Others vowed not to vote for Suozzi in the upcoming elections as a sign of revolt. A few of them, predominantly MAGA and Republican, extended their support to Suozzi and thanked him for his commitment “to doing better” for his constituents.

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

    Image of Sanchari Ghosh

    Sanchari Ghosh

    Sanchari Ghosh is a political writer for The Mary Sue who enjoys keeping up with what’s going on in the world and sometimes reminding everyone what they should be talking about. She’s been around for a few years, but still gets excited whenever she disentangles a complicated story. When she’s not writing, she’s likely sleeping, eating, daydreaming, or just hanging out with friends. Politics is her passion, but so is an amazing nap.

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    Sanchari Ghosh

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  • Health care workers join Oakland vigil to protest ICE fatal shooting of Minneapolis ICU nurse

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    Registered nurse Silvia Lu was working the day shift at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland when she read about the shooting death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was protesting the ICE immigration crackdown on the streets of Minneapolis.

    On a day shift in the emergency department Saturday, where Lu often cares for children recovering from heart surgeries and car crashes, she struggled to hold back her emotions.

    “I held my tears back the whole day,” she said.

    She carried that pent-up grief outside the hospital Monday evening, where she joined about 200 others, mostly nurses, in a candlelight vigil to remember the 37-year-old Minnesota nurse whose death has become the latest flashpoint in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge.

    Just weeks earlier, videos circulating online showed an ICE officer shooting and killing Renee Good, another Minnesota protester and mother of three, as she attempted to drive away during a separate enforcement operation, according to media reports.

    “I just felt I needed to do something. I needed to stand up for this and to just make myself present to the horrendous things that are going on in this country,” said Mary Dhont, a nurse in the hospital’s outpatient infusion clinic who joined the vigil organized by the California Nurses Association. “This is just the latest in a string. But it was horrible. The fact that he was a nurse just brought it closer to home.”

    Registered nurse Hannah Pelletier, center, friend Tim McNamara, left, and others attend a protest outside of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Healthcare professionals and others are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran’s Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)l 

    The nurses’ vigil came after a weekend of scattered protests in San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland over Pretti’s death.

    So far, the Bay Area has been spared the kind of sweeping federal operation underway in Minneapolis. There, videos and news reports have shown ICE agents pulling people from their vehicles and detaining children during enforcement actions. Separate bystander videos captured the shootings of both Pretti and Good.

    In October, after President Donald Trump sent 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, he threatened to deploy them to San Francisco as well to clean up the city’s “mess.” But the president backed off after appeals from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech executives, including Marc Benioff, the Salesforce CEO whose family name is attached to the Oakland children’s hospital.

    Benioff initially suggested Trump deploy the troops during his Dreamforce convention but later reversed course and apologized.

    On Monday, in a petition circulating online, a group of tech workers urged Silicon Valley executives to flex their political muscle again and “cancel all company contracts with ICE.”

    “This cannot continue, and we know the tech industry can make a difference,” they wrote. “Today, we’re calling on our CEOs to pick up the phone again.”

    At the vigil, many attendees expressed concern that the Bay Area — home to nearly 500,000 undocumented immigrants, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates — could be the next target of intensified enforcement.

    Nurses said they were especially worried about the families of their young patients.

    Registered nurse Michelle Trautman, center, and others attend a protest outside of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Protesters are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran's Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)l
    Registered nurse Michelle Trautman, center, and others attend a protest outside of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Protesters are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran’s Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)l 

    “We take care of a lot of families, immigrant families, patients that may not have the ability to afford care otherwise,” said nurse Michelle Trautman. “And I’m concerned that they’re going to try and take advantage of that vulnerability to grab some of our patients and send them away when they obviously need care.”

    In the hours after Pretti’s death, Trump administration officials said the shooting was justified, arguing that because Pretti carried a legally registered handgun in his waistband, he posed a threat to officers and intended a “massacre.” Trump adviser Stephen Miller called Pretti an “assassin.”

    Those characterizations outraged his family and Democratic politicians, who pointed to bystander videos showing Pretti helping a woman who had been pushed by an ICE agent and holding only his camera.

    He was pinned to the ground by multiple ICE agents, the videos show, and his gun had already been pulled from his waistband by an agent when he was shot several times.

    The Bay Area’s Democratic congressional delegation has responded by voting against a Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that would provide additional funding for ICE.

    Healthcare professionals and community members attend a protest outside of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Healthcare professionals and others are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran's Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)l
    Healthcare professionals and community members attend a protest outside of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Healthcare professionals and others are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran’s Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)l 

    “I cannot and will not continue to fund lawlessness or federal agencies that terrorize families in their own neighborhoods and criminalize people for seeking opportunity and refuge,” U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Oakland, said in a statement. “What we’re witnessing is cruel, immoral, and completely at odds with the promise of the American dream.”

    U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, San Jose’s former mayor, also voted against further funding.

    “ICE has abandoned its mission of removing violent criminals in favor of detaining children, shooting Americans, and terrorizing our communities,” he said in a statement.

    At the busy intersection of 52nd Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way on Monday evening, streams of cars honked and waved as they passed nurses and other supporters holding signs reading “Melt ICE” and “Justice for Alex Pretti.”

    Aaron Cortez, of Oakland, attends a protest outside of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Healthcare professionals and others are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran's Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)l
    Aaron Cortez, of Oakland, attends a protest outside of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Healthcare professionals and others are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran’s Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)l 

    Aaron Cortez, 28, of Alameda, said fear drove him to attend the vigil.

    His family has lived in California for generations, with relatives who served in the U.S. military, but he still worries about a potential ICE raid.

    “They just see me by the color of my skin, and that worries me,” said Cortez, who cares for ailing relatives at home. “And so I decided to come out because I had to, I needed to show that we’re all here together, that no matter what happens, we will all protect each other.”

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Former San Francisco city attorney Nancy Tavernit, right, attends a protest at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Healthcare professionals and others are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran’s Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

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Julia Prodis Sulek

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  • Crews rescue dog from frozen creek in Maryland

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    I’M KATE AMARA WBAL TV 11 NEWS. THANK YOU. A CHOCOLATE LAB IS RECOVERING AFTER A BITTER COLD BRUSH WITH DANGER EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS LAB NAMED GIZMO GOT STUCK ON A FROZEN CREEK FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER HE SLID DOWN A HILL WHILE GOING FOR HIS MORNING POTTY BREAK. FIRST RESPONDERS WERE ABLE TO GET GIZMO BACK ON LAND BY USING A SPECIALIZED BASKET. THEY SAY HE WAS HYPOTHERMIC, BUT WAS ABLE TO EAT AND GOT TREATED IN THE AMBULANCE. GIZMO WA

    Crews were called to a frozen creek in Maryland to help rescue a dog that was trapped on the ice. According to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Monday morning, crews from their department, along with the Annapolis Fire Department, were called to Luce Creek for a reported chocolate lab stuck on the ice in Parole, Maryland, which is outside Annapolis and is around 27 miles from Baltimore.Crews arrived at the area and were able to locate the dog. They carefully went on the ice and used a Stokes basket in order to rescue the dog. Officials remind the public that the ice on area waterways is dangerously thin. Stay off the ice and if a person or pet falls through the ice, do not attempt a rescue on their own.

    Crews were called to a frozen creek in Maryland to help rescue a dog that was trapped on the ice.

    According to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Monday morning, crews from their department, along with the Annapolis Fire Department, were called to Luce Creek for a reported chocolate lab stuck on the ice in Parole, Maryland, which is outside Annapolis and is around 27 miles from Baltimore.

    Crews arrived at the area and were able to locate the dog. They carefully went on the ice and used a Stokes basket in order to rescue the dog. Officials remind the public that the ice on area waterways is dangerously thin. Stay off the ice and if a person or pet falls through the ice, do not attempt a rescue on their own.

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  • There isn’t evidence that Minnesota protesters are paid

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    With throngs of people in Minnesota protesting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge, President Donald Trump and some of his allies repeatedly described the protesters as paid.

    “The thugs that are protesting include many highly paid professional agitators and anarchists,” he said Jan. 18 on Truth Social.

    “They’re paid agitators and insurrectionists,” Trump said at a Jan. 20 press conference.

    The next day in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said the “fake” protests were “done by agitators and professional insurrectionists. … They’re professional troublemakers.”

    He added, “We are looking very strong at the money, too, in Minnesota and other places.”

    We asked the White House for Trump’s evidence about “paid” protesters and received no response. Although some people on social media have provided what they said is evidence of such activity, we found none of the claims held up to scrutiny.

    Yet Trump’s claim has become a talking point among his leaders and supporters. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on CBS “Face the Nation” that Minneapolis is distinct from other cities, where she said officials didn’t see “funded protesters.” 

    Vice President JD Vance at a Jan. 8 White House press briefing asked, “When somebody throws a brick at an ICE agent or somebody tries to run over an ICE agent, who paid for the brick?” (Bricks are commonly falsely described as evidence of organized, paid protests.)

    Interviewed Jan. 13 on CNN’s “The Source” about Renee Good’s fatal shooting by an ICE officer, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., called for an investigation of “paid protesters, and who’s paying them to obstruct federal officers from doing their job.”

    Minnesotans have responded to immigration agents’ presence in their communities for weeks. The protests have been widely covered and there’s no evidence any of it is staged. None of these politicians explained who they believed was underwriting the protests.

    Experts told us that the majority of protesters are locals showing their dissent. We found a large volunteer protest movement in the Twin Cities.

    Yohuru Williams, a historian and director of the Racial Justice Initiative at Minnesota’s University of St. Thomas, told PolitiFact in an email that “most protesters are residents of the state who are concerned not only about the presence of ICE in the state but also the President’s usurpation of power.”

    People participate in a protest and noise demonstration calling for an end to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city, Jan. 9, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP)

    How Minnesotans are protesting immigration action

    The Twin Cities have a long tradition of community organizing among civic groups and institutions. Labor unions, faith-based groups and immigrant organizations have played roles in resisting the federal immigration operation in Minnesota. Groups have staged high school walkouts, marches and sign-waving demonstrations. 

    The group Singing Resistance holds peaceful vigils with singing. Volunteers have donated to food drives and delivered groceries to families scared to leave their homes. The Smitten Kitten, a Minnesota shop that sells sex products, has collected food, diapers and other necessities for immigrants staying at home. St. Paul’s Mischief Toy Store distributed free whistles for people to alert others to ICE activity. Restaurants offered special menu items such as “f— ICE cold brew” to raise money for an immigrant rights group.

    Jillian Hiscock, owner of the women’s sports-themed A Bar of Their Own, told PolitiFact the protesters are not paid. 

    “We’ve had folks from literally every walk of life stopping in to make posters and grab whistles — families with small children, bundled up seniors with walking canes that we helped create a necklace for their sign so they wouldn’t have to hold onto anything, and everything in between,” Hiscock said in an email.

    Hiscock said she has heard many people who are protesting now say they never took action in the past, and the descriptions of “paid protesters” aim to undermine their voices.

    “I truly think it’s a made-up sentiment to try to minimize the groundswell of the movement here on the ground,” Hiscock said.

    Neighbors joined Signal chats to alert each other to immigration enforcement actions nearby and take action. The Monarca Movement has held “upstander” trainings to teach people how to record video of immigration agents or how to respond if agents leave behind a child or abandon a car during an arrest.

    On Jan. 23, thousands of people marched in downtown Minneapolis in subzero temperatures before rallying at the Target Center. Earlier in the day, about 100 clergy members were arrested in an airport protest. Hundreds of businesses closed Jan. 23 for the “ICE Out of Minnesota Day of Truth and Freedom” event.

    Describing the weather that day on air, Minnesota Vikings radio announcer Paul Allen joked about protesters getting “hazard pay.” Three days later, he apologized after backlash, calling it “a cheap one-liner” and “insensitive and poorly timed,” and said he would take a few days off.

    Danielle K. Brown, a Michigan State University journalism professor who formerly worked at the University of Minnesota, told PolitiFact in an email, “There is no evidence of philanthropic efforts funding expansive civilian protest efforts.”

    Professional community organizers have been involved in the protests, which is normal for all protests, Brown said. Groups with different ideologies routinely speak at such events.

    However, “The majority of protesters are still locals who do not get paid to engage in protest and resistance work,” Brown said.

    Generally, it’s not uncommon for groups to distribute signs. 

    Timothy Zick, a First Amendment expert and William & Mary law professor, said residents of the community were protesting “what they view as lawless misconduct by ICE agents.” He said the Trump administration’s descriptions of paid protesters are “baseless” and aim to diminish and dismiss dissent.

    Critics of 2024’s Israel-Gaza campus protests and 2025’s anti-Trump “Hands Off” protests in Washington, D.C., also used the term “outside agitators” or other terms, but our reporting found the claims lacked merit. Zick previously told PolitiFact the description has been used throughout history to discredit large historical movements, regardless of how peaceful they were.

    Attendees hold signs during a rally against federal immigration enforcement at Target Center on Jan. 23, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP)

    These videos aren’t evidence protesters are getting paid 

    Social media users amplified allegations that professional protesters or agitators are in Minnesota to make money. When we reviewed their posts’ evidence, we found they were generated with artificial intelligence or recycled content from years ago.

    In one example, an artificial intelligence-generated video shared on TikTok claimed to show conservative influencer Nick Shirley interviewing a protester in Minneapolis, who says he’s jobless but is getting $20 an hour to protest. The video has a watermark for Sora, OpenAI’s video-generating platform. It came from an account which has shared many other AI-generated videos.

    (Screenshot of TikTok post showing Sora watermark.)

    In another example, an X post shared photos of documents it said were contract paperwork for paid protesters. “This is 100% proof that NONE of the Democrat protests are organic,” the Jan. 20 post said. “They can all be IGNORED because they are FAKE.”

    The same images were shared in previous years, including in a 2018 blog post claiming to show proof that protesters were paid to plan the 2015 Baltimore riots; in 2020 to claim people protesting George Floyd’s murder were following a manual; and in 2024 by Shirley to falsely claim paid protesters were marching outside of the Democratic National Convention to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. 

    (Screenshot of page of a fake contract for paid protesters.)

    One Fox News video was shared widely as if it showed one protester’s admission she had been paid. In it, Fox News host Laura Ingraham stood in the streets of Minneapolis questioning a protester who was shouting, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” in front of the camera. “Do you have a job?” Ingraham asked the woman, whose face was partially covered by a scarf. “I’m getting paid right now,” the protester answered. Ingraham flashed a thumbs up to the camera. PolitiFact couldn’t confirm the protester’s identity or motives and we found no further reporting on the incident.   

    Our ruling

    Trump said protesters against the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota are conducting “fake protests done by agitators and professional insurrectionists. …They’re professional troublemakers.” 

    Minnesotans have been protesting immigration agents in their communities for weeks. Some professional community organizers are involved in the protests but evidence shows a large volunteer protest movement in the Twin Cities.The accusation that protesters are “paid” is a frequent talking point to dismiss the legitimacy of grassroots activism and criticism of the government. 

    The social media posts we found that claimed to show evidence of paid protesters were either AI-generated, recycled conspiracy theories or unsubstantiated.

    We rate this statement False.

    RELATED: In Context: What did Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey say about police fighting ICE?

    RELATED: Fact-checking Sen. Mark Warner that Trump shortened ICE agent training to 47 days

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  • Here’s the tech powering ICE’s deportation crackdown  | TechCrunch

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    President Donald Trump said he would make countering immigration one of his flagship policies during his second term in The White House, promising an unprecedented number of deportations. 

    A year in, data shows that deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection have surpassed at least 350,000 people. 

    ICE has taken center stage in Trump’s mass removal campaign, raiding homes, workplaces, and public parks in search of undocumented people, prompting widespread protests and resistance from communities across the United States. 

    ICE uses several technologies to identify and surveil individuals. Homeland Security has also used the shadow of Trump’s deportations to challenge long-standing legal norms, including forcibly entering homes to arrest people without a judicial warrant, a move that legal experts say violates the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. 

    Here are some of the technologies that ICE is relying on.

    Cell-site simulators

    ICE has a technology known as cell-site simulators to snoop on cellphones. These surveillance devices, as the name suggests, are designed to appear as a cellphone tower, tricking nearby phones to connect to them. Once that happens, the law enforcement authorities who are using the cell-site simulators can locate and identify the phones in their vicinity, and potentially intercept calls, text messages, and internet traffic.  

    Cell-site simulators are also known as “stingrays,” based on the brand name of one of the earliest versions of the technology, which was made by U.S. defense contractor Harris (now L3Harris); or IMSI catchers, a technology that can capture a nearby cell phone’s unique identifier which law enforcement can use for identifying the phone’s owner.  

    In the last two years, ICE has signed contracts for more than $1.5 million with a company called TechOps Specialty Vehicles (TOSV), which produces customized vans for law enforcement. 

    A contract worth more than $800,000 dated May 8, 2025 said TOSV will provide “Cell Site Simulator (CSS) Vehicles to support the Homeland Security Technical Operations program.”  

    TOSV president Jon Brianas told TechCrunch that the company does not manufacture the cell-site simulators, but rather integrates them “into our overall design of the vehicle.” 

    Cell-site simulators have long been controversial for several reasons.  

    These devices are designed to trick all nearby phones to connect to them, which means that by design they gather the data of many innocent people. Also, authorities have sometimes deployed them without first obtaining a warrant.  

    Authorities have also tried to keep their use of the technology secret in court, withholding information, and even accepting plea deals and dropping cases rather than disclose information about their use of cell-site simulators. In a court case in 2019 in Baltimore, it was revealed that prosecutors were instructed to drop cases rather than violate a non-disclosure agreement with the company that makes the devices.  

    Facial recognition

    Clearview AI is perhaps the most well-known facial-recognition company today. For years, the company promised to be able to identify any face by searching through a large database of photos it had scraped from the internet. 

    On Monday, 404 Media reported that ICE has signed a contract with the company to support its law enforcement arm Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), “with capabilities of identifying victims and offenders in child sexual exploitation cases and assaults against law enforcement officers.” 

    According to a government procurement database, the contract signed last week is worth $3.75 million. 

    ICE has had other contracts with Clearview AI in the last couple of years. In September 2024, the agency purchased “forensic software” from the company, a deal worth $1.1 million. The year before, ICE paid Clearview AI nearly $800,000 for “facial recognition enterprise licenses.”

    Clearview AI did not respond to a request for comment. 

    ICE is also using a facial recognition app called Mobile Fortify, which federal agents use to identify people on the street. The app relies on scanning a person’s driver’s license photo against 200 million photos, much of the data sourced from state driver’s license databases.

    Paragon phone spyware

    Contact Us

    Do you have more information about ICE and the technology it uses? We would love to learn how this affects you. From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email. You also can contact TechCrunch via SecureDrop.

    In September 2024, ICE signed a contract worth $2 million with Israeli spyware maker Paragon Solutions. Almost immediately, the Biden administration issued a “stop work order,” putting the contract under review to make sure it complied with an executive order on the government’s use of commercial spyware. 

    Because of that order, for nearly a year, the contract remained in limbo. Then, last week, the Trump administration lifted the stop work order, effectively reactivating the contract. 

    At this point, the status of Paragon’s relationship with ICE in practice is unclear.  

    The records entry from last week said that the contract with Paragon is for “a fully configured proprietary solution including license, hardware, warranty, maintenance, and training.” Practically speaking, unless the hardware installation and training were done last year, it may take some time for ICE to have Paragon’s system up and running.

    It’s also unclear if the spyware will be used by ICE or HSI, an agency whose investigations are not limited to immigration, but also cover online child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud, and more.

    Paragon has long tried to portray itself as an “ethical” and responsible spyware maker, and now has to decide if it’s ethical to work with Trump’s ICE. A lot has happened to Paragon in the last year. In December, American private equity giant AE Industrial purchased Paragon, with a plan to merge it with cybersecurity company RedLattice, according to Israeli tech news site Calcalist.

    In a sign that the merger may have taken place, when TechCrunch reached out to Paragon for comment on the reactivation of the ICE contract last week, we were referred to RedLattice’s new vice president of marketing and communications Jennifer Iras. 

    RedLattice’s Iras did not respond to a request for comment for this article, nor for last week’s article.

    In the last few months, Paragon has been ensnared in a spyware scandal in Italy, where the government has been accused of spying on journalists and immigration activists. In response, Paragon cut ties with Italy’s intelligence agencies. 

    Phone hacking and unlocking technology

    In mid-September, ICE’s law enforcement arm Homeland Security Investigations signed a contract with Magnet Forensics for $3 million.

    This contract is specifically for software licenses so that HSI agents can “recover digital evidence, process multiple devices,” and “generate forensic reports,” according to the contract description.

    Magnet is the current maker of the phone hacking and unlocking devices known as Graykey. These devices essentially give law enforcement agents the ability to connect a locked phone to them and unlock them and access the data inside of them. 

    Magnet Forensics, which merged with Graykey makers Grayshift in 2023, did not respond to a request for comment.

    Cellphone location data 

    At the end of September, 404 Media reported that ICE bought access to “an “all-in-one” surveillance tool that allows the agency to search through databases of historical cellphone location data, as well as social media information.  

    The tool appears to be made of two products called Tangles and Webloc, which are made by a company called Penlink. One of the tools promises to leverage “a proprietary data platform to compile, process, and validate billions of daily location signals from hundreds of millions of mobile devices, providing both forensic and predictive analytics,” according to a redacted contract found by 404 Media.  

    The redacted contract does not identify which one of the tools makes that promise, but given its description, it’s likely Webloc. Forbes previously cited a case study that said Webloc can search a given location to “monitor trends of mobile devices that have given data at those locations and how often they have been there.”  

    This type of cellphone location data is harvested by companies around the world using software development kits (SDKs) embedded in regular smartphone apps, or with an online advertising process called real-time bidding (RTB) where companies bid in real-time to place an ad on the screen of a cellphone user based on their demographic or location data. The latter process has the by-product of giving ad tech companies that kind of personal data.  

    Once collected, this mass of location data is transferred to a data broker who then sells it to government agencies. Thanks to this layered process, authorities have used this type of data without getting a warrant by simply purchasing access to the data. 

    The other tool, Tangles, is an “AI-powered open-source intelligence” tool that automates “the search and analysis of data from the open, deep, and the dark web,” according to Penlink’s official site.  

    Forbes reported in September that ICE spent $5 million on Penlink’s two tools.  

    Penlink did not respond to a request for comment.  

    License plate readers

    ICE relies on automated license plate reader (ALPR) companies to follow drivers across a large swath of the U.S., such as where people go and when.

    ICE also leans on its connections with local law enforcement agencies, which have contracts with ALPR providers, like surveillance company Flock Safety, to obtain immigration data by the backdoor. Flock is one of the largest ALPR providers, with over 40,000 license plate scanners around the United States, and only getting larger with its partnerships with other companies, such as video surveillance company Ring.

    Efforts by ICE to informally request data from local law enforcement has prompted some police departments to cut off federal agencies from their access.

    Border Patrol runs its own surveillance network of ALPR cameras, the Associated Press reported.

    For years, ICE has used the legal research and public records data broker LexisNexis to support its investigations. 

    In 2022, two non-profits obtained documents via Freedom of Information Act requests, which revealed that ICE performed more than 1.2 million searches over seven months using a tool called Accurint Virtual Crime Center. ICE used the tool to check the background information of migrants.   

    A year later, The Intercept revealed that ICE was using LexisNexis to detect suspicious activity and investigate migrants before they even committed a crime, a program that a critic said enabled “mass surveillance.”

    According to public records, LexisNexis currently provides ICE “with a law enforcement investigative database subscription (LEIDS) which allows access to public records and commercial data to support criminal investigations.” 

    This year, ICE has paid $4.7 million to subscribe to the service. 

    LexisNexis spokesperson Jennifer Richman told TechCrunch that ICE has used the company’s product “data and analytics solutions for decades, across several administrations.”

    “Our commitment is to support the responsible and ethical use of data, in full compliance with laws and regulations, and for the protection of all residents of the United States,” said Richman, who added that LexisNexis “partners with more than 7,500 federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies across the United States to advance public safety and security.” 

    Surveillance giant Palantir

    Data analytics and surveillance technology giant Palantir has signed several contracts with ICE in the last year. The biggest contract, worth $18.5 million from September 2024, is for a database system called “Investigative Case Management,” or ICM.

    The contract for ICM goes back to 2022, when Palantir signed a $95.9 million deal with ICE. The Peter Thiel-founded company’s relationship with ICE dates back to the early 2010s. 

    Earlier this year, 404 Media, which has reported extensively on the technology powering Trump’s deportation efforts, and particularly Palantir’s relationship with ICE, revealed details of how the ICM database works. The tech news site reported that it saw a recent version of the database, which allows ICE to filter people based on their immigration status, physical characteristics, criminal affiliation, location data, and more. 

    According to 404 Media, “a source familiar with the database” said it is made up of ‘tables upon tables’ of data and that it can build reports that show, for example, people who are on a specific type of visa who came into the country at a specific port of entry, who came from a specific country, and who have a specific hair color (or any number of hundreds of data points).” 

    The tool, and Palantir’s relationship with ICE, was controversial enough that sources within the company leaked to 404 Media an internal wiki where Palantir justifies working with Trump’s ICE. 

    Palantir is also developing a tool called “ImmigrationOS,” according to a contract worth $30 million revealed by Business Insider. 

    ImmigrationOS is said to be designed to streamline the “selection and apprehension operations of illegal aliens,” give “near real-time visibility” into self-deportations, and track people overstaying their visa, according to a document first reported on by Wired.

    First published on September 13, 2025 and updated on September 18, 2025 to include Magnet Forensics’ new contract, again on October 8, 2025 to include cell-site simulators and location data, and again on January 26, 2026 to include license plate readers.

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    Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, Zack Whittaker

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  • Another shutdown likely after ICE killings in Minnesota prompt revolt by Democrats

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    WASHINGTON — The killing of a second U.S. citizen by federal agents in Minneapolis is deeply complicating efforts to avert another government shutdown in Washington as Democrats — and some Republicans — view the episode as a tipping point in the debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

    Senate Democrats pledged to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless changes are made to rein in the federal agency’s operations following the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse.

    The Democratic defections threaten to derail passage of a broad spending package that also includes funding for the State Department and the Pentagon, as well as education, health, labor and transportation agencies. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) released a statement Monday calling on Republican Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to avert another shutdown by separating funding for DHS from the full appropriations package.

    “Senate Democrats have made clear we are ready to quickly advance the five appropriations bills separately from the DHS funding bill before the January 30th deadline. The responsibility to prevent a partial government shutdown is on Leader Thune and Senate Republicans,” Schumer said.

    The standoff also revealed fractures among GOP lawmakers, who called for a federal and state investigation into the shooting and congressional hearings for federal officials to explain their tactics — demands that have put unusual pressure on the Trump administration.

    Senate Republicans must secure 60 votes to advance the spending measure in the chamber — a threshold they cannot reach on their own with their 53 seats. The job is further complicated by a time crunch: Lawmakers have until midnight Friday to reach a compromise or face a partial government shutdown.

    Senate Democrats already expressed reservations about supporting the Homeland Security funding after Renee Good, a mother of three, was shot and killed this month by federal agents in Minneapolis. But Pretti’s killing led Democrats to be more forceful in their opposition.

    Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday he would oppose funding for the agencies involved in the Minneapolis operations, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

    “I’m not giving ICE or Border Patrol another dime given how these agencies are operating. Democrats are not going to fund that,” he said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I think anyone who votes to give them more money to do this will share in the responsibility and see more Americans die in our cities as a result.”

    Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said in a statement last week that he would not “give more money to CBP and ICE to continue terrorizing our communities and breaking the law.” He reiterated his stance hours after Pretti’s killing.

    “I will vote against any additional funding for Trump’s ICE and CBP while they act with such reckless disregard for life, safety and the Constitution,” Padilla wrote on social media.

    While Senate Republicans largely intend to support the funding measure, some are publicly raising concerns about the Trump administration’s training requirements for ICE agents and calling for congressional oversight hearings.

    “A comprehensive, independent investigation of the shooting must be conducted in order to rebuild trust and Congressional committees need to hold hearings and do their oversight work,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wrote on social media. “ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties.”

    Similar demands are being made by House Republicans.

    Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, formally sought testimony from leaders at ICE, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, saying his “top priority remains keeping Americans safe.”

    Homeland Security has not yet provided a public confirmation that it will attend the hearing, though Garbarino told reporters Saturday he has been “in touch with the department” and anticipates a full investigation.

    Many Republican lawmakers expressed concern over federal officials saying Pretti’s killing was in part because of him having a loaded firearm. Pretti had a permit to carry, according to the Minneapolis police chief, and videos show him holding a cellphone, not brandishing a gun, before officers pushed him to the ground.

    “Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a constitutionally protected God-given right, and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement of government,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) wrote on social media.

    Following pushback from the GOP, President Trump appears to be seeking ways to tone down the tensions. The president said Monday he had a “very good call” with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat he clashed with in recent weeks, and that they “seemed to be on a similar wavelength” on next steps.

    If Democrats are successful in striking down the Homeland Security spending package, some hinted at comprehensive immigration reforms to follow.

    California Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) detailed the plan on social media over the weekend, calling on Congress to repeal the $75 billion in supplemental funding for ICE in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year. The allocation roughly tripled the budget for immigration enforcement.

    The shooting came as a slate of progressives renewed demands to “abolish ICE” and replace it with an agency that has congressional oversight.

    Congress must “tear down and replace ICE with an agency that has oversight,” Khanna said. “We owe that to nurse Pretti and the hundreds of thousands on the streets risking their lives to stand up for our freedoms.”

    Democrats also are focusing on removing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. This month Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) introduced a measure to impeach Noem, saying she brought a “reign of terror to Minneapolis.” At least 120 House Democrats supported the measure, according to Kelly’s office.

    Party leaders recently called for an end to controversial “Kavanaugh stops,” which became central to ICE procedure following a September decision in Noem vs. Vasquez Perdomo by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. It allows for agents to stop people based on perceived race or for engaging in activities “associated with undocumented people,” like speaking a foreign language.

    Progressives also have endorsed the reversal of qualified immunity protections, which shield agents from misconduct lawsuits.

    Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) backed the agenda and called for ICE and Border Patrol agents to “leave Minnesota immediately.”

    “Voting NO on the DHS funding bill is the bare minimum. Backing Kristi Noem’s impeachment is the bare minimum. Holding law-breaking ICE agents legally accountable is the bare minimum. ICE is beyond reform. Abolish it,” she wrote Sunday on social media.

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    Ana Ceballos, Gavin J. Quinton

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  • Fact-check: Trump officials’ Alex Pretti claims vs. video

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    Video footage of the fatal shooting of Minnesota resident Alex Pretti by a federal immigration officer contradicts Trump administration officials’ claims about the event.

    Since Pretti’s Jan. 24 killing in Minneapolis, the federal government has provided no evidence to substantiate early statements and shared no details about what happened before the confrontation and in the moments leading to a Border Patrol officer firing his gun.

    Pretti, 37, was a U.S. citizen who worked as an Intensive Care Unit nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti was “brandishing” a handgun and “attacked” officers. Social media videos verified by multiple news organizations show Pretti, who had a concealed carry permit, holding a cell phone as he directed traffic and tried to help a woman pushed to the ground by an officer.

    White House senior adviser Stephen Miller called Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” the same term some Trump officials used to describe Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis woman killed Jan. 7 by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

    Noem, Miller and Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino said that because Pretti was carrying a handgun and ammunition, he planned to assassinate law enforcement — statements that incensed some Republicans who support Second Amendment rights. 

    “The suspect put himself in that situation,” Bovino said. “The victims are the Border Patrol agents there.”

    Pretti’s parents called their son a “kindhearted soul” and said Trump officials were not telling the truth. “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” their Jan. 25 press statement said.

    With many questions remaining unanswered, here’s how Trump administration officials’ explanations conflict with available information.

    Video does not show Pretti approaching immigration agents with handgun

    Noem said Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.” 

    Bovino said, “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

    News outlets’ analysis of videos of the incident from several angles do not show Pretti approaching immigration officials with a handgun. 

    Videos analyzed by The New York Times, CNN, NPR, ABC, Reuters and Bellingcat show Pretti holding a cellphone horizontally in his right hand. 

    In the footage, Pretti stands between an officer and two civilians. The officer disperses pepper spray at Pretti and the people standing behind him. A still image from bystander video shows Pretti holding up his left arm in reaction.

    Several agents tackle Pretti to the ground. One officer appears to remove a gun from Pretti’s hip and walk across the street away from the group. Quickly after another officer fires several shots at Pretti as he is restrained by agents.

    “What the videos depict is that this guy did not walk up to anybody from (Customs and Border Protection) in a threatening manner,” former acting DHS undersecretary for intelligence John Cohen told ABC News. “For (DHS) to construe that he arrived at that location with the intent to shoot those border patrol officers, there’s nothing in the video evidence that we’ve seen thus far that would support that.”

    CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan asked Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara if he had seen any evidence that Pretti was “brandishing” a gun, as Noem said.

    “You have a Second Amendment right in the United States to possess a firearm. And there are some restrictions around that in Minnesota,” O’Hara said Jan. 25 on “Face the Nation.” “And everything that we see that we are aware of shows that he did not violate any of those restrictions.”

    Trump administration officials called Pretti a ‘domestic terrorist’

    Miller described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” who “tried to assassinate federal law enforcement.”

    In a press conference after the shooting, Noem said Pretti “came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers.” She said Pretti “committed an act of domestic terrorism. That’s the facts.”

    “When you perpetuate violence against a government because of ideological reasons and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism,” Noem said.

    It’s the second time in a month that Noem said a person shot and killed by immigration officers was a domestic terrorist, before any investigation had taken place.

    The FBI defines domestic terrorism as acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state criminal laws and appear intended to intimidate or coerce civilians; influence government policy by intimidation or coercion; or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping. 

    Legal experts questioned the characterization of Good as a domestic terrorist, telling PolitiFact the label was prejudicial and an attempt to malign her.

    Editor’s note: This story will be updated with additional statements and analysis. Check back later Jan. 26.

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  • Warriors’ Steve Kerr voices support for Minneapolis amid ICE occupation, protests

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    MINNEAPOLIS — As thousands of people marched shoulder to shoulder through the streets of downtown Minneapolis Sunday afternoon, demanding that the federal immigration crackdown in their city end, Steve Kerr did not want to discuss basketball before the Warriors’ 111-85 victory over the Timberwolves. 

    A little over 24 hours after a federal immigration agent shot and killed Alex Pretti amid protests a few miles away from Target Center, causing the postponement of Saturday’s game between the visiting Warriors and the Wolves, the longtime Golden State coach gave his first public statements on the situation. 

    “I love the city of Minneapolis, and people here are wonderful. And it’s very sad, what’s happening, and I feel for the city,” Kerr said. “There’s a pall that has been cast over the city. You can feel it, and a lot of people are suffering. Obviously, loss of life is the No. 1 concern. Those families will never get their family members back. And you know, when all the unrest settles down, whenever that is, those family members won’t be returning home, and that’s devastating.”

    Kerr said Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy alerted him Saturday morning that the league was considering postponing the game.

    He also received calls from both Wolves coach Chris Finch and veteran forward Joe Ingles, who let Kerr know that the Wolves players were “feeling really uneasy” about the situation. 

    “I told Chris and Joe, ‘We trust you guys. We trust the league, whatever makes the most sense,’” Kerr said. “So ultimately, obviously, the game was postponed. I totally agree with the decision. Everything should be about safety and concern for not only the players and the fans, but everybody here in Minneapolis with what’s going on.”

    BCA officers stand near the scene of a fatal shooting that took place yesterday, in Minneapolis, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Gray) 

    Ultimately, the NBA postponed the game just under three hours before tipoff. Kerr’s teams have previously gone through sudden postponements.

    The Warriors coach was just a rookie on the Phoenix Suns when his team had its game cancelled in Miami during the riots of 1989. Over three decades later, the Warriors’ games against the Jazz and Mavericks were postponed after the sudden death of Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojević.

    The Warriors arrived in Minneapolis on Friday afternoon and watched as tens of thousands of people marched down the streets to protest the protracted presence of federal immigration officers in the city. 

    Though protests did not break out near the arena on Saturday, they were in full force a few hours before tipoff on Sunday afternoon. Hundreds held signs expressing displeasure at Immigration and Customs Enforcement being in the city, and chants rang through the crowded streets. 

    Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters on Saturday that a 37-year-old man was killed on Saturday morning but did not identify him, citing limited information about what led up to the shooting. The man was identified by his parents as Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse.

    Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrate after Conley scores during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
    Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrate after Conley scores during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) 

    The protests continued inside the arena.

    During a moment of silence held in honor of Pretti, several fans could be heard yelling “(expletive) ICE,” although no physical signs or written messages in opposition to immigration personnel were seen in the lower bowl. 

    During a break in the action with about five minutes left in the first half, chants of “ICE out” were heard while De’Anthony Melton was shooting free throws. In the third quarter, several members of the Target Center’s dunk crew entertainment team were seen wearing “ICE OUT” shirts.

    When the game was being played, neither team was very sharp. The Timberwolves, understandably, appeared to lack focus during the first half, turning the ball over 16 times in the first 24 minutes.

    The Warriors led 47-46 at halftime as both sides seemed to just go through the motions, and Golden State pulled away in the third quarter after outscoring the home team 38-17. The Warriors (26-21) snapped a two-game skid, which was the same number of games the team had played without Jimmy Butler, who was lost for the season on Monday with a torn ACL.

    Steph Curry scored 26 points, passing John Havlicek and tying with another Celtic great, Paul Pierce (26,397), for 19th on the all-time scoring list.

    Teammate Moses Moody scored 19, while Brandin Podziemski put in 12 points. Anthony Edwards poured in 30 points for the Timberwolves, while former Warrior Donte DiVincenzo scored 22.

    The teams will play again here on Monday at 6:30 PT.

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    Joseph Dycus

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