The US news cycle remained fixed on Donald Trump’s ICE crackdown in Minnesota on Monday as outrage and calls for accountability mount following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents.
While there is no sign the aggressive tactics used by immigration enforcement are coming to an end, Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis said the administration will begin to scale back the number of federal agents in Minneapolis starting on Tuesday, as the president and his team soften their harsh rhetoric about the incident.
Trump said earlier on Monday that his administration was reviewing the shooting of Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse, and that he would send “border czar” Tom Homan to Minnesota. Frey said he planned to meet with Homan on Tuesday to “further discuss next steps”.
That marks a departure in the White House’s vehement claims about protesters in Minnesota, including Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE agent earlier this month as she attempted to drive away from federal officers.
A federal judge also heard arguments on Monday about whether to end the federal officer surge in Minneapolis, but a ruling was not expected imminently.
Trump’s ICE crackdown faces reckoning in wake of Alex Pretti shooting
The Trump administration is facing criticism from all sides over the shootings and upscaled enforcement. The NRA attacked the suggestion by a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor that armed protest creates “a high likelihood” that federal agents “will be legally justified” to shoot protesters. Walz described comments from the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, the senior border patrol official Greg Bovino and other officials about the shooting as “lies”.
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Iranian government braces for possible attack as US navy arrives in region
US officials announced that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group has now deployed key assets to the region.
It is thought that Washington has the firepower in conjunction with Israeli aircraft to mount an attack designed to topple the government accused of brutally suppressing protests and killing thousands of Iranians.
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Cruz reportedly says Trump yelled and cursed over warning of midterm election ‘bloodbath’
Ted Cruz warned Donald Trump, his fellow Republican, that he would face a “bloodbath” in the November midterm elections if prices continued to rise, prompting the president to respond, “fuck you, Ted,” the US senator told donors, according to a secret recording of the private conversation obtained by Axios.
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Trump moved to cut funding for ICE body cameras and reduced oversight
Donald Trump’s administration opposed efforts to expand the use of body cameras by immigration officers and sharply cut oversight staffing as it surged officers into US cities, including Minneapolis, where agents have fatally shot two US citizen protesters in January.
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Trump says he will impose new tariffs on South Korea, sending shares in carmakers tumbling
Donald Trump has said he is raising tariffs on South Korean goods including automobiles, lumber and pharmaceuticals, accusing the country of not living up to a trade deal struck last year and sending shares in Korean carmakers tumbling.
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US families face ‘impossible choices’ as White House pushes to freeze childcare funding
US families are facing “impossible choices” as the Trump administration pushes to freeze federal funds for childcare and family assistance in five states over claims of potential fraud and misuse of taxpayer funds.
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Critics slam Pam Bondi’s demand for Minnesota voter rolls amid ICE surge
The request for voter rolls stood out because it has nothing to do with immigration enforcement – the Trump administration has not presented evidence of widespread voter fraud by non-citizens in Minnesota or elsewhere.
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What else happened today:
Catching up? Here’s what happened on Sunday 25 January.
