Gov. Tim Walz says the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota could end soon. He spoke with top Trump administration officials, including border czar Tom Homan and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Walz said Tuesday that he anticipates hearing more from the administration soon about the operation's future. Walz emphasized a "trust but verify" approach, as the situation could change. Walz also hopes for cooperation on joint investigations into the shooting deaths of two Minnesotans by federal officers. The crackdown has impacted local businesses, with employees and customers staying away out of fear.
A Minneapolis man is accused of cyberstalking and making online threats against a person who federal prosecutors say supported immigration officers. A criminal complaint in the case says Kyle Wagner doxed the person in Michigan by sharing personal information online. The complaint also details several online posts in which prosecutors say Wagner threatened immigration officers amid the federal crackdown in Minneapolis. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says such conduct won’t go unpunished.
The men in charge of the agencies carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda delivered a staunch defense of immigration enforcement operations in a three-hour testimony to Congress. Acting ICE director Todd Lyons faced the bulk of the highly charged questioning, with Democrats scrutinizing him and Republicans offering broad support. Lyons stood behind ICE’s tactics, refusing to apologize for the actions of his officers despite criticism that the enforcement operations have trampled on the rights of both immigrants and American protesters. The hearing was called after federal officers killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Democratic leaders say a proposal from the White House is “incomplete and insufficient” as they are demanding new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and threatening a shutdown of the Homeland Security Department. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement late Monday that a White House counterproposal to the list of demands they transmitted over the weekend “included neither details nor legislative text” and does not address “the concerns Americans have about ICE’s lawless conduct.” The White House proposal was not released publicly.
The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is defending his officers, saying they won't be intimidated while carrying out President Donald Trump's deportation agenda. Todd Lyons, along with other agency leaders, faced tough questions from Democrats during a congressional hearing Tuesday. Lyons blames elected officials for rhetoric that endangers officers. The hearing follows recent scrutiny after two protesters were shot and killed by Homeland Security officers in Minneapolis. Democrats criticize the administration's immigration policies, while officials argue their actions make the country safer. The hearing marks the first time these leaders have appeared in Congress since receiving increased funding.
Maine’s Republican Sen. Susan Collins has announced her reelection bid, entering a closely watched race that Democrats have targeted in their effort to retake the Senate majority in Congress in this year’s midterm elections. Collins has defended the seat for decades, casting herself as a reflection of Maine’s independent spirit. However, Collins has faced criticism for not condemning President Donald Trump’s immigration tactics. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner are top Democratic challengers. Platner recently outraised both Mills and Collins. Collins previously defeated Democrat Sara Gideon in 2020 despite being outspent.
Democrats have begun tentative talks with the White House on their demands for “dramatic” new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The talks come just days before funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Democrats have sent Republicans their list of demands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies. Among the demands are a requirement for judicial warrants, better identification of DHS officers, new use-of-force standards and a stop to racial profiling. Homeland Security funding expires Saturday.
Federal authorities have denied trying to expedite an end to asylum claims for the family of a 5-year-old boy who was detained with his father during the immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis area. Images of Liam Conejo Ramos wearing a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack surrounded by immigration officers stirred outrage. Danielle Molliver, a lawyer for the boy and his father, told The New York Times that the government maybe be trying to retaliate by expediting his deportation proceedings. Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin denied this, saying the family faces “regular removal proceedings.” A spokeswoman for Liam's school district says they're being sequestered until their next hearing on Friday.
Lawmakers have tried to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, but the former girlfriend and confidante of Jeffrey Epstein invoked her Fifth Amendment rights to avoid answering questions that would be incriminating. Maxwell was questioned Monday during a video call to the federal prison camp in Texas where she’s serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. She’s come under new scrutiny as lawmakers try to investigate how Epstein, a well-connected financier, was able to sexually abuse underage girls for years. The deposition came on the same day that the Department of Justice has begun allowing members of Congress to review unredacted files related to Epstein files.
Boy who appeared in Bad Bunny's Super Bowl show is not the 5-year-old detained by ICE in Minneapolis
Social media users incorrectly identified a young boy who was part of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday as Liam Conejo Ramos. He's the 5-year-old who, along with his father, was detained by immigration officials in Minnesota and held at an ICE facility in Texas. The boy in the halftime show was actually Lincoln Fox Ramadan, a child actor from Costa Mesa, California, who is also 5 years old, according to his Instagram profile.