White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller admitted Tuesday that the federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti may not have followed “protocol.”
Miller told CNN that the White House “provided clear guidance to DHS [Department of Homeland Security] that the extra personnel that had been sent to Minnesota for force protection should be used for conducting fugitive operations to create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors.”
“We are evaluating why the CBP [Customs and Border Protection] team may not have been following that protocol,” he said.
It was also revealed that two federal agents had fired shots during the confrontation that led to Pretti’s death, according to a DHS notice obtained by multiple outlets.
President Donald Trump brushed over the 37-year-old’s death in his Iowa speech Tuesday, but expressed sympathy for him earlier.
Trump has defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying she was doing a “very good job” and would not step down despite Democratic lawmakers calling for her ousting.
After Rep. Ilhan Omar said Noem should “resign or face impeachment” at a Minneapolis town hall Tuesday night, a man sprayed a substance at her and was detained.
Key Points
- Stephen Miller says federal agents in Alex Pretti shooting 'may not have been following protocol'
- Two federal agents fired during Alex Pretti shooting: report
- Suspect detained after Rep. Ilhan Omar sprayed with unknown substance
- Trump says he will withdraw immigration enforcement if ‘appropriate’
Alex Pretti shooting witness says she still has not been contacted by the feds
05:30 , Rachel DobkinA woman who filmed the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti at the hands of Border Patrol has said she still has not been contacted by the federal government.
When asked in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper what that tells her about the situation, Stella Carlson said, “That they’re protecting themselves and they don’t care about the truth of what happened.”
Wow. The woman who recorded Alex Pretti's shooting tells @andersoncooper she has still not been contacted by anyone in the federal government as part of its investigation. pic.twitter.com/XSyMOiGQ0e
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 28, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti approached federal officers with a handgun in Minneapolis over the weekend and that, “fearing for his life,” an agent fired “defensive shots.” Footage of the incident appears to show Pretti with a phone in his hand, not a gun. A gun was tucked into his waistband, according to the footage.
DHS review doesn't say Alex Pretti brandished a gun during fatal shooting
05:15 , Rachel DobkinA review by Customs and Border Protection’s internal watchdog did not say that Alex Pretti brandished a gun during a confrontation with federal agents that resulted in his death, according to an email sent to Congress that was reviewed by The New York Times.
Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by Border Patrol in Minneapolis over the weekend.
The Department of Homeland Security said a person approached officers with a handgun during a targeted operation against an “illegal alien wanted for violent assault.” According to footage of the incident, Pretti had his gun tucked in his waistband.
Chuck Schumer calls for 'ALL of ICE out of Minnesota now'
05:00 , Rachel DobkinSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for every single Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent to leave Minnesota immediately.
“Alex Pretti did not deserve to die. Renee Nicole Good did not deserve to die,” Schumer wrote on X Tuesday, referring to the two fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this past month. “Enough is enough. ALL of ICE out of Minnesota now.”
Alex Pretti did not deserve to die.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 27, 2026
Renee Nicole Good did not deserve to die.
Enough is enough.
ALL of ICE out of Minnesota now.
Schumer has also signaled he will not support a House-passed spending bill to keep the government open because of the funding it gives to the Department of Homeland Security.
“I will vote no on any legislation that funds ICE until it is reined in and overhauled, and Senate Democrats are overwhelmingly united on this issue,” he said on the Senate floor Tuesday.
Tim Walz says he's 'glad' Ilhan Omar is 'safe' after town hall
04:40 , Rachel DobkinMinnesota Governor Tim Walz has reacted after Representative Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance at a Minneapolis town hall Tuesday night.
“I’m glad that Congresswoman Omar is safe,” Walz wrote on X. “Our state has been shattered by political violence in the last year. The cruel, inflammatory, dehumanizing rhetoric by our nation’s leaders needs to stop immediately.”
Minnesota lawmakers Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman were targeted in two separate attacks in June 2025. Vance Boelter has been accused of murdering Hortman and injuring Hoffman in the shootings.
Homan says meetings with Walz and Frey is a 'starting point'
04:20 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan has said that his meetings with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and “top law enforcement officials” on Tuesday were a “starting point” amid tensions between federal immigration agents and the city.
Today I met with Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and top law enforcement officials to discuss the issues on the ground in Minnesota. We all agree that we need to support our law enforcement officers and get criminals off the streets. While we don’t agree on everything, these meetings…
— Thomas D. Homan (@RealTomHoman) January 27, 2026
Another Republican Senate says Kristi Noem should go
04:00 , Eric GarciaSen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said Secretary Kristi Noem should go after the killing of Alex Pretti.“
As the Secretary of Homeland Security, I would not support her again, and I think it probably is time for her to step down,” she told The Independent.
“She's taken a direction that has not been helpful to the situation and I don't think that it helps the country.”
Nancy Mace is 'deeply disturbed' after Ilhan Omar was 'attacked'
03:40 , Rachel DobkinRepresentative Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican who has harshly criticized her Democratic colleague Ilhan Omar in the past, has said that she is “deeply disturbed” after the Minnesota congresswoman was sprayed with an unknown substance at a Minneapolis town hall Tuesday night.
“I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today. Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric - and I do - no elected official should face physical attacks. This is not who we are,” Mace wrote on X.
U.S. Capitol Police says man who 'decided to assault' Ilhan Omar will face 'the most serious charges possible'
03:20 , Rachel DobkinU.S. Capitol Police has said that the man who “decided to assault” Representative Ilhan Omar will face “the most serious charges possible.”
Omar was speaking at a town hall in Minneapolis Tuesday night when she was sprayed with an unknown substance. She is “okay,” according to her team.
”Tonight, a man is in custody after he decided to assault a Member of Congress - an unacceptable decision that will be met with swift justice,” Capitol Police said in a statement shared by Fox News’ Chad Pergram. “We are now working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society."
From USCP on Omar assault at town hall:
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 28, 2026
”Tonight, a man is in custody after he decided to assault a Member of Congress - an unacceptable decision that will be met with swift justice. We are grateful for the rapid response of onsite security and our local law enforcement…
Ilhan Omar reacts to town hall incident: 'I've survived war and I'm definitely going to survive intimidation'
03:00 , Rachel DobkinRepresentative Ilhan Omar has responded after getting sprayed with an unknown substance at a Minneapolis town hall Tuesday night.
“I've survived war and I'm definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think they can throw at me because I’m built that way,” the Minnesota Democrat told CNN after the incident.
Omar was born in Somalia and fled civil war with her family when she was just a girl. They later immigrated to America in the 1990s.
CNN: Are you okay?
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 28, 2026
Omar: I've survived war. And I'm definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think they can throw at me because I'm built that way. pic.twitter.com/iXo8ge8j3L
Ilhan Omar is 'okay' and continued her town hall after a man sprayed her with a substance
02:35 , Rachel DobkinDemocratic Representative Ilhan Omar is “okay” and continued her town hall in Minneapolis Tuesday night after a man sprayed her with an unknown substance, her office said.
The Office of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following statement following the incident at her town hall in North Minneapolis.
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) January 28, 2026
“During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe. Security and the Minneapolis…
Suspect detained after Rep. Ilhan Omar sprayed with unknown substance during Minneapolis town hall
02:24 , Brendan RasciusA man was tackled to the ground and detained after he sprayed an unknown substance at Rep. Ilhan Omar during a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening, video footage shows.
Omar — a Minnesota Democrat who is frequently singled out for derision by President Donald Trump — was addressing a crowded room when the incident occurred.
After she criticized the president's immigration crackdown in her state and called on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign, a man near the front rushed to the lectern. He shouted at the congresswoman and sprayed her with an unknown material.
Soon after, the man was tackled to the ground and detained.
Read on...
Suspect detained after Ilhan Omar sprayed with substance during Minneapolis town hall
Joe Biden finally comments on Minnesota ICE shootings and accuses Trump of going against nation’s ‘core values’
02:20 , Isabel KeaneFormer President Joe Biden has slammed the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, saying the shooting “betrays our most basic values as Americans.”
Biden joins fellow former Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton to decry Saturday’s fatal shooting of Pretti, as well as the January 7 killing of Renee Nicole Good, calling for “full, fair and transparent investigations” into both.
“We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street. We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights. We are not a nation that tramples the 4th Amendment and tolerates our neighbors being terrorized,” Biden wrote in a statement on X.
He continued: “The people of Minnesota have stood strong — helping community members in unimaginable circumstances, speaking out against injustice when they see it, and holding our government accountable to the people.”
Read more...
Democrat joins anti-ICE protesters in Phoenix
02:00 , Rachel DobkinCongresswoman Yassamin Ansari, an Arizona Democrat, has joined a demonstration of protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Phoenix.
“We are walking to the downtown ICE field office with hundreds of people demanding that ICE get out of Phoenix,” Ansari said in a video posted to X on Tuesday. “Yesterday, there were federal agents at Zipps across the valley, causing fear in our communities and especially after what happened in Minnesota, we cannot let that stand.”
We’re marching from the Zipps on Central to the ICE Field Office downtown. Proud of our community for showing up and demanding ICE out of our neighborhoods. pic.twitter.com/wlHTSmPaQB
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) January 27, 2026
Trump ignores Minnesota uproar and tries sticking to economy in Iowa as Republicans call for Noem’s head
01:40 , Andrew FeinbergPresident Donald Trump’s first stop on the long road to the 2026 midterm elections ended after he spoke for just over an hour with hardly any mention of the firestorm consuming his administration over the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minnesota man by a Border Patrol officer just days ago.
Speaking at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa, the president’s remarks, which he appeared to read directly from a teleprompter while eschewing the stream-of-consciousness “weave” that characterizes most of his public appearances, focused mostly on a defense of his administration’s economic record.
He claimed he’d spearheaded “the most dramatic one year turnaround of any country in history in terms of the speed” over his first year back in power while boasting that the American economy is “booming” even as surveys show American consumer confidence hitting the lowest levels in a decade and the job market cooling into a “low hire, low fire” labor environment due to continued uncertainty over the effects his policies will have over the long term.
Read on...
Trump ignores Minnesota uproar in Iowa speech as Republicans call for Noem’s head
Ilhan Omar sprayed with substance at Minneapolis town hall
01:29 , Rachel DobkinRepresentative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, was sprayed with an unknown substance at a Minneapolis town hall Tuesday.
According to video of the incident, Omar was speaking at a podium when a man lunged at her.
“ICE cannot be reformed. It cannot be rehabilitated. We must abolish ICE for good,” Omar said moments before the incident. “DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment.”
Stephen Miller says federal agents in Alex Pretti shooting 'may not have been following protocol'
01:16 , Rachel DobkinWhite House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has questioned wheather the the federal agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend were following protocol.
The immigration hardliner told CNN that the White House “provided clear guidance to DHS [Department of Homeland Security] that the extra personnel that had been sent to Minnesota for force protection should be used for conducting fugitive operations to create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors.”
“We are evaluating why the CBP [Customs and Border Protection] team may not have been following that protocol,” he said.
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Federal immigration agents were stopped from entering Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis: report
00:45 , Rachel DobkinFederal immigration agents were stopped from entering the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis, the Associated Press reported, citing the country’s foreign minister.
DHS makes clear ICE isn't going anywhere as Minneapolis mayor continues calls for agents to leave city
00:40 , Rachel DobkinThe Department of Homeland Security has made clear that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers aren’t going anywhere as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey continues his calls for federal agents to leave the city.
“Operation Metro Surge continues to remove criminal illegal aliens from the neighborhoods of Minnesota. We are putting Minnesotans FIRST and getting violent criminals out of our communities,” DHS wrote on X Tuesday night. “The brave agents of @ICEgov risk their lives every day to arrest and deport the WORST of the WORST.”
Operation Metro Surge continues to remove criminal illegal aliens from the neighborhoods of Minnesota. We are putting Minnesotans FIRST and getting violent criminals out of our communities.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 28, 2026
The brave agents of @ICEgov risk their lives every day to arrest and deport the WORST of…
Earlier Tuesday, Frey said that he met with President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, where he “reiterated that my main ask is for Operation Metro Surge to end as quickly as possible.”
Today, Chief O'Hara and I met with Border Czar Homan and had a productive conversation. I reiterated that my main ask is for Operation Metro Surge to end as quickly as possible. Public safety works best when it's built on community trust, not tactics that create fear or division.
— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) January 27, 2026
As Trump sent Homan to Minnesota, Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino was reportedly leaving Minneapolis in the wake of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
Read more...
Greg Bovino set to leave Minneapolis and could ‘retire,’ report says
Republican Senator says Kristi Noem should be out of a job
00:20 , Eric GarciaSen. Thom Tillis, a retiring Republican from North Carolina, blasted Kristi Noem and said she needed to give up her job as Secretary of Homeland Security.
“I think that what she's done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job. And I mean, really, it's just, it's just amateurish.”
Tillis told The Independent that she had squandered Trump’s goodwill on immigration and securing the border.
“I mean, there's no question that we won the election there, and now these people like Noem are squandering the opportunity to be able to codify that good policy and maybe even get to a reasonable discussion about immigration reform,” he said.
He also blasted border patrol official Greg Bovino.
“Bovino, whatever his name is, he needs to go back to California, get us retirement papers and go. These people are amateurs. They got to de-escalate there and treat these communities with some respect.”
Trump makes no mention of Alex Pretti in Iowa speech
Tuesday 27 January 2026 23:58 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump made no mention of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old U.S. citizen who was fatally shot by Border Patrol over the weekend, in his speech in Iowa Tuesday.
The speech focused on the economy, but Trump also touched on immigration, criticizing former President Joe Biden’s “open border” policies.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump did express sympathy for Pretti, but also insinuated blame on him for carrying a gun.
“You can’t walk in with guns,” Trump told reporters. “You can’t do that.” He called the shooting a “very unfortunate incident.”
Trump rages against Minnesota's Ilhan Omar again
Tuesday 27 January 2026 23:29 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has raged against Representative Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American and Minnesota Democrat, again during his speech in Iowa Tuesday.
“Nobody is able to come into our country, except for those that come in legally,” Trump said. “We need people to come in legally, but they have to show that they can love our country, not hate our country.”
Federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota has grown intensely as Trump singles out the Somali immigrant population in the state.
Minnesota saw a massive federal fraud scandal in which hundreds of millions of dollars were allegedly stolen from welfare programs. Somali Americans made up most of the defendants charged so far in the schemes.
Trump said immigrants “have to be proud, not like Ilhan Omar” to enter the country.
The president has previously called Omar “garbage,” and said that “her friends are garbage.”
Two federal agents fired during Alex Pretti shooting: report
Tuesday 27 January 2026 23:14 , Rachel DobkinTwo federal agents had fired shots during a confrontation that ended with the killing of 37-year-old U.S. citizen Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend, according to the Associated Press.
The information was shared by a Customs and Border Protection official to Congress in a notice obtained by the AP on Tuesday.
Pretti resisted as agents tried to take him into custody, according to the notice. One Border Patrol officer said, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times during the confrontation, the notice said.
According to footage of the shooting shared by media outlets, Pretti’s gun appeared to be in his waistband during the confrontation.
Trump rails against 'group of morons' in Biden administration for immigration policies
Tuesday 27 January 2026 22:55 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has railed against the “group of morons” in the Biden administration for its “open border” immigration policies.
“It's a lot of work taking criminals,” Trump said of his massive deportation efforts. “We got to get them out...We can never forget what that group of morons did to this country...That's why we've got to win the midterms. “
Trump claims ousted federal employees 'love' him after getting paid more in private sector
Tuesday 27 January 2026 22:43 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has claimed that the federal employees whose jobs his administration cut early on in his second term “love” him after getting paid more in the private sector.
“I've cut hundreds of thousands of federal jobs,” Trump said. “They hated me. They hated me. Now they love me. You know why? They all got jobs in the private sector, making twice as much money as they made from the federal government.”
Trump says economic growth is 'exploding'
Tuesday 27 January 2026 22:34 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has said that economic growth in America is “exploding.”
Inflation held steady in December at 2.7 percent, but grocery prices have remained high.
Read more about the latest inflation data:
Trump begins speech in Iowa
Tuesday 27 January 2026 22:30 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has begun his speech in Des Moines, Iowa, to tout his perceived economic achievements.
Trump began his remarks by boasting about his victories in Iowa. The president won the state in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.
Trump said, “Should we do it a fourth time?” The president has been known to float the possibility of running for president again, despite being term-limited.
LIVE: Trump speaks in Iowa after backing Kristi Noem amid Minnesota shootings
Tuesday 27 January 2026 22:22 , Rachel DobkinImmigration officials will testify to House Homeland Security Committee
Tuesday 27 January 2026 22:20 , Ariana BaioTop officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, as well as Citizenship and Immigration Services, will testify to the House Homeland Security committee on February 10, Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino announced.
“Transparency and communication are needed to turn the temperature down,” Garbarino said.
Minneapolis mayor to answer questions on CNN town hall this week
Tuesday 27 January 2026 22:00 , Ariana BaioMinneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will be featured on a CNN town hall Wednesday where he will discuss the ongoing immigration operation and take questions about possible pathways forward, the network said.
The event, called “State of Emergency: Confronting the Crisis in Minnesota,” will go live Wednesday, January 28, at 8 p.m. ET.
CNN anchors Anderson Cooper and Sara Sidner will moderate the town hall.
Trump’s DOJ accused of ‘extorting’ Minnesota for voter data: ‘It’s a shakedown’
Tuesday 27 January 2026 21:45 , Alex WoodwardHours after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested that the Trump administration could withdraw officers from Minnesota - if officials there agreed to hand over reams of voter data.
In her letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Bondi suggested he could “restore the rule of law” by complying with a list of demands, including turning over sensitive voter registration information to the Department of Justice.
Read more here:
Trump’s DOJ accused of ‘extorting’ Minnesota for voter data: ‘It’s a shakedown’
‘Bovino is an out there guy’ Trump says of Border Patrol commander
Tuesday 27 January 2026 21:40 , Ariana BaioTrump has defended his decision to remove Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino from Minnesota following the second shooting of a citizen, claiming it’s just a change-up.
“I don’t think it’s a pullback,” Trump told Fox News host Will Cain Tuesday afternoon.
“Bovino is very good, but he's a pretty out-there kind of a guy. In some cases, that's good. Maybe it wasn't good here.’
Trump says he will withdraw immigration enforcement if ‘appropriate’
Tuesday 27 January 2026 21:30 , Ariana BaioThe president did not indicate when he would remove federal agents from Minnesota but told reporters his administration would do “whatever’s appropriate.”
BREAKING: Federal judge stops deportation of 5-year-old boy and father whose arrest angered the nation
Tuesday 27 January 2026 21:20 , Alex WoodwardA federal judge has blocked Donald Trump’s administration from immediately deporting a five-year-old boy and his father after a viral image of their detention brought fresh anger to sweeping immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota.
Preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into federal custody from the driveway of his family’s home last week after officers arrested his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. They were sent to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Texas.
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked “any possible or anticipated removal or transfer” of the boy and his father, who brought a lawsuit against the Trump administration to secure his release.
Trump brushes off ‘domestic terrorism’ claim from his own administration
Tuesday 27 January 2026 21:00 , Ariana BaioWhen asked, Tuesday, if he agreed with his administration’s assessment that Alex Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” or “assassin,” Trump appeared to have no knowledge that members of his administration made the claim.
'Well, I haven't heard that, but certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun,” Trump said, reiterating his point from earlier in the day.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Pretti of engaging in domestic terrorism while White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller called Pretti an “assassin” who was targeting federal agents.
“But all of a look, bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident. Okay, everyone, unless you're a stupid person. Very, very unfortunate incident,” Trump added.
Trump defends Noem in wake of Minnesota shooting and says he will not ask her to resign
Tuesday 27 January 2026 20:50 , Andrew FeinbergPresident Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign after he was forced to reverse course on the aggressive, made-for-social-media immigration crackdown she engineered in Minnesota following the deaths of two Americans at the hands of federal agents.
Read more from Andrew Feinberg:
Trump defends Noem in wake of Minn. shooting and says he will not ask her to resign
Minneapolis mayor says he had ‘productive’ meeting with Homan
Tuesday 27 January 2026 20:30 , Ariana BaioMinneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he had a “productive” meeting with Border Czar Tom Homan Tuesday afternoon in which he reiterated his request for Operation Metro Surge to end quickly.
In a statement, Frey said he shared “the serious negative impacts” the immigration enforcement operation has had on the city and local communities as well as the strain it’s placed on local police. Frey said he told Homan he would not change the city’s “sanctuary” policies, which prohibit local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement.
“During our meeting, I reiterated that my main ask is for Operation Metro Surge to come to an end as quickly as possible. Public safety works best when it’s built on community trust – not tactics that create fear or division,” Frey said.
Minnesota rep joins calls for Noem to resign
Tuesday 27 January 2026 20:00 , Ariana BaioRep. Kelly Morrison, a Democrat representing Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district, joined the growing number of lawmakers calling on Trump to fire Secretary Kristi Noem.
“If Secretary Kristi Noem will not resign and President Trump will not remove her from office, then Congress must impeach her. And the Republican majority must join that effort,” Morrison wrote.
Hakeem Jeffries calls on Trump to fire Noem or face impeachment
Tuesday 27 January 2026 19:45 , Ariana BaioHouse Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a statement Tuesday telling President Donald Trump to fire Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem or the secretary would face impeachment proceedings.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Jeffries said in the statement.
“Dramatic changes at the Department of Homeland Security are needed. Federal agents who have broken the law must be criminally prosecuted,” Jeffries added. “The violence unleashed on the American people by the Department of Homeland Security must end forthwith. Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.”
Donald Trump must fire Kristi Noem immediately.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) January 27, 2026
Or Democrats will initiate impeachment proceedings against her in the House.
We can do this the easy way or the hard way. pic.twitter.com/8ul9jytx1h
Melania Trump just wants you to protest PEACEFULLY ... and see her new movie
Tuesday 27 January 2026 19:30 , Holly BaxterTuesday morning opened with a bang in Far-Right Messaging Land — not the bang of a masked federal agent executing a medical worker in the street, but the bang of party poppers!
Because, what with all the “shooting Renee Good in the face and then calling her a bitch” and the Alex Pretti stuff and the “locking up American citizens for a while just for looking a bit brown” thing, everyone’s sort of forgotten about Melania’s big moment. She had just 20 days before Inauguration Day to get the East Wing ready, for God’s sake!
Read more from Holly Baxter:
Melania Trump just wants you to protest PEACEFULLY ... and see her new movie
BREAKING NEWS: One person in critical condition after shooting involving a Border Patrol agent in Arizona
Tuesday 27 January 2026 19:06 , Ariana BaioA person was shot Tuesday morning during an incident involving U.S. Border Patrol in southern Arizona, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Trump defends immigration enforcement, claims it is reducing crime
Tuesday 27 January 2026 19:00 , Ariana BaioBefore departing for an event in Iowa, Trump defended his immigration enforcement agenda by asserting that the widescale operations have reduced crime by “50, 60, 70, 80.”
"Other than, I would say just to put it accurately, Minnesota, and in particular Minneapolis, because it's not all of Minnesota, every city we have gone to has been literally crime has just gone down 50, 60, 70, 80,” Trump told reporters.
"It's down in Minnesota, it's down in Minneapolis very much," Trump claimed.
Local and state leaders have argued that the heavy presence of federal law enforcement officers has increased crime.
Trump says he will be 'watching over' investigation into Pretti
Tuesday 27 January 2026 18:20 , Ariana BaioTrump told reporters Tuesday morning he would be “watching over” the “honorable” investigation into the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
"Well, you know we're doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I'm going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself,” Trump said.
When asked if he had anything to say to Pretti’s family, Trump responded, “I love everybody. I love all of our people. I love [Pretti’s] family. And it’s a very sad situation.”
Watch: Ted Cruz tells administration 'escalating the rhetoric doesn't help' after killing of Alex Pretti
Tuesday 27 January 2026 18:00 , Independent VideoTrump affirms support for Kristi Noem
Tuesday 27 January 2026 17:45 , Ariana BaioPresident Donald Trump affirmed his support for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Tuesday afternoon, saying she has done a “very good job” – even as calls mount for her resignation after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
"I think she's doing a very good job. I think she's doing a very good job. The border is totally secure, you know, you forget. We had a border that I inherited where millions of people were coming through. Now we have a border where no one is coming through,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn before departing for Iowa.
Walz and Homan met this morning: report
Tuesday 27 January 2026 17:30 , Ariana BaioMinnesota Governor Tim Walz reportedly met with Border Czar Tom Homan Tuesday morning to discuss ongoing immigration operations in the state and ensure the two have ongoing communications, Walz’s office said, according to reports.
“Governor Walz met with Tom Homan this morning and reiterated Minnesota’s priorities: impartial investigations into the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, a swift, significant reduction in the number of federal forces in Minnesota, and an end to the campaign of retribution against Minnesota,” Walz’s office said.
The Governor and Homan agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue and will continue working toward those goals, which the President also agreed to yesterday. The Governor tasked the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as the primary liaison to Homan to ensure these goals are met.”
Republican who led funding negotiations for DHS says they need to ‘pivot’
Tuesday 27 January 2026 17:00 , Ariana BaioRepublican Representative Mark Amodei, who helped lead negotiations for DHS funding, told the Nevada Independent that immigration operations need to “pivot” after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal agents this month.
Amodei, who chairs the House Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee, said investigations need to be done into the incidents but regardless of what side of immigration enforcement people are on, they need to change their methods.
“I’ll tell you this: there needs to be a pivot in the whole operation. Because regardless of what side of immigration enforcement you’re on, we are not in a good place right now,” Amodei said.
Amodei also raised concerns that officials are less confident in Secretary Kristi Noem’s ability.
“Sending Tom Homan to check in on one of Kristi Noem’s departments operating up there after the last few weeks is not a sign of confidence,” he said. “She didn’t do herself any favors when she called this guy a domestic terrorist.”
“It’s not an open and shut issue. Not that there’s anything good coming out of this, but I’m looking forward to some facts instead of, ‘Well, I saw it and it was legit,’ or ‘I saw it and it was bullshit.’ I’ll tell you this, there needs to be a pivot in the whole operation. Because regardless of what side of immigration enforcement you’re on, we are not in a good place right now.”
Jon Stewart and Anderson Cooper roast Trump’s seeming abandonment of Second Amendment after Alex Pretti shooting
Tuesday 27 January 2026 16:45 , Graig GraziosiPresident Donald Trump and other MAGA figures have been accused of abandoning the Second Amendment after seeking to pin the blame for the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis on the fact that he was carrying a concealed firearm.
CNN's Andrew Cooper and The Daily Show's Jon Stewart were quick to zero in on the administration's apparent hypocrisy when it comes to firearms and protests.
Read more here:
Trump world roasted by Jon Stewart, CNN after apparently abandoning Second Amendment
Joe Biden
Tuesday 27 January 2026 16:20 , Joe Biden says Minnesotans have ‘suffered’ at the hands of the Trump administrationFormer President Joe Biden released a statement Tuesday condemning actions by federal immigration agents in Minnesota and calling out the Trump administration for infringing on the rights of citizens as part of it’s immigration crackdown.
“We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street. We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights. We are not a nation that tramples the 4th Amendment and tolerates our neighbors being terrorized,” Biden wrote in the statement shared on X.
“Minnesotans have reminded us all what it is to be American, and they have suffered enough at the hands of this Administration. Violence and terror have no place in the United States of America, especially when it’s our own government targeting American citizens,” he added.
Biden called on the government to conduct “full, fair and transparent” investigations into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
“No single person can destroy what America stands for and believes in, not even a President, if we — all of America — stand up and speak out. We know who we are. It's time to show the world. More importantly, it's time to show ourselves.”
What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans. We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street. We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights. We are not a…
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 27, 2026
Republican candidate drops out of Minnesota governor’s race citing immigration crackdown
Tuesday 27 January 2026 16:00 , Rhian Lubin, Ariana BaioA Republican lawyer who was running for governor of Minnesota has dropped out of the race because he cannot support federal “retribution on the citizens of our state” following the second fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis.
Chris Madel, the attorney who represented the federal agent who killed Renee Good on January 7, said he “cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution on the citizens of our state” in a video statement posted Monday on social media.
In his 10-minute video statement, he said he supported the “originally stated goals” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s surge in Minnesota, but condemned the agency’s recent tactics.
“ICE has authorized its agents to raid homes using a civil warrant that need only be signed by a border patrol agent. That's unconstitutional and it's wrong,” Madel said.
Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino’s rise and fall
Tuesday 27 January 2026 15:31 , Joe SommerladBovino has become one of the faces of the Trump administration’s anti-immigration push in the last six months.
Critics of the operation on social media regularly point to photographs of the commander, with his jarhead haircut and penchant for long military coats, echoing the fascist aesthetics of the past.
Read more here:
Who is Greg Bovino? The viral star behind CBP’s tactics, now ditched by Trump
Democratic senator accuses Republicans of not watching video of Pretti’s killing
Tuesday 27 January 2026 15:08 , Ariana BaioDemocratic Senator Tammy Duckworth accused her Republican colleagues of avoiding videos that depict the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, claiming they are “uneasy.”
“I gotta be honest with you, when I talked to a few of my colleagues, they had not even seen the videos. It’s almost like they put blinders on,” Duckworth told Morning Joe Tuesday.
“They’re uneasy; they haven’t even seen the videos. The democrats, we’ve all watched every single video from every single angle.”
ICE director must appear in federal court, judge says
Tuesday 27 January 2026 14:45 , Alex WoodwardMinnesota’s chief federal judge is hauling Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, Todd Lyons, to court this week and threatening him with contempt over the agency’s repeat “violations” of court orders.
“This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result,” chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz wrote in an order late Monday.
“Respondents have continually assured the Court that they recognize their obligation to comply with Court orders, and that they have taken steps to ensure that those orders will be honored going forward. Unfortunately, though, the violations continue,” he added.
“The Court’s patience is at an end.”
Lyons must appear for a hearing at 1 p.m. CT Friday.
The judge acknowledged the “extraordinary step” of ordering a federal official to court, “but the extent ofICE’s violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have been tried and failed,” he wrote.
John Fetterman Calls on President Trump to Fire DHS Secretary Noem
Tuesday 27 January 2026 13:44 , Ariana BaioPennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is calling on President Donald Trump to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after federal agents fatally shot two people in Minnesota.
“President Trump: I make a direct appeal to immediately fire Secretary Noem. Americans have died. She is betraying DHS’s core mission and trashing your border security legacy,” Fetterman said in a statement.
“DO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary,” he added
Watch: Anti-ICE protesters gather outside Minnesota hotel after Bovino's removal from role
Tuesday 27 January 2026 13:42 , Independent VideoWatch: Melania Trump calls for unity after Alex Pretti shooting
Tuesday 27 January 2026 13:32 , Owen ScottMelania Trump has made a rare political statement in the wake of Alex Pretti’s shooting by federal agents.
The first lady urged protestors to continue demonstrating peacefully and gave a small insight into her husband’s phone call with Tim Walz.
“I’m calling for unity,” Melania said. “I know my husband, the president, had a great call with the governor and the mayor.
“And, they’re working together to make it peaceful and without riots.
“I’m against violence, so, please, if you protest, protest in peace,” she continued. “We need to unify in this time.”
ICE agents to have a role at the Winter Olympics, despite anger at their activities in Minneapolis
Tuesday 27 January 2026 13:15 , Owen Scott
ICE agents will maintain a presence at the Winter Olympics in Italy, despite growing anger in the United States at their activities.
The federal operatives will play a security role and will not run any immigration enforcement, AP sources told Sky News.
However, the news has sparked fury in Italy with Milan’s Mayor, Giuseppe Sala, telling a radio station that ICE "was not welcome in Milan, there is no doubt about it".
He also described the organization as a “militia that kills” and blasted them for allegedly entering homes without authorization, according to La Figaro.
The US Holocaust Museum slams Tim Walz for comparing Anne Frank's murder to ICE activities
Tuesday 27 January 2026 13:00 , Owen Scott
The Holocaust Museum has slammed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for suggesting that ICE’s activities in the state mimic the capture and murder of Anne Frank by the Nazis.
“Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish,” the museum wrote on X. “Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable.
“Despite tensions in Minneapolis, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges.”
DHS sources say that Bovino has been stripped of his title
Tuesday 27 January 2026 12:29 , Owen Scott
Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino has allegedly been stripped of his “commander at large” title, a source told Reuters.
The controversial federal agent was slammed after he claimed that journalists and Democrats had created the tensions that led to the shooting of Alex Pretti.
Pretti, 37, was killed by a border patrol agent supporting ICE’s brutal crackdown in Minnesota.
However, the Trump administration has pushed back on the rumours that Bovino has been stripped of his role.
“Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties,” the DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Reuters.
She also pointed to earlier comments from the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, who praised Bovino as a “key part of the president’s team and a great American”.
The UK rules out mimicking Trump's controversial ICE crackdowns
Tuesday 27 January 2026 12:22 , Owen ScottBritain, one of the U.S.’s closest allies, has ruled out copying Donald Trump’s controversial immigration crackdowns.
The country’s home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said the U.K’s approach to policing its communities “could not be more different” to the United States.
She ruled out an armed crackdown on immigration and praised the U.K’s current immigration enforcement teams.
'ICED BARBIE': Kristi Noem mocked by Trump-friendly newspaper
Tuesday 27 January 2026 12:06 , Owen Scott
Kristi Noem was branded “ICED BARBIE” by the New York Post after Border Czar Tom Homan was sent to Minneapolis to calm rising tensions in the city.
The normally Trump-friendly newspaper mocked Noem’s nickname of “ICE Barbie,” which references her enthusiasm for deporting people and her often glamorous appearance.
She reportedly met with Trump late last night in a meeting aimed at saving her job, after she claimed that 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti was gunned down when he “brandished” a fire arm. Her account has been disputed by a variety of sources.
Amid domestic tensions, US warships have arrived in the Middle East
Tuesday 27 January 2026 11:58 , Owen Scott
Amid tensions at home in the U.S., American warships have arrived in the Middle East.
The region has been holding its breath as Donald Trump weighs up strikes on Iran, following weeks of deadly protests across the country.
The massive USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers have arrived in the region, after Trump promised an “armada” was on its way.
“We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case ... I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on Thursday. “We have an armada ... heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it.”
Tensions in Iran have reached an all-time high as protestors call for an end to Ayotollah Khamenei’s regime. The Human Rights Activists News Agency told Time magazine that over 5,459 people have been confirmed dead in the uprisings.
However, two senior officials in Tehran’s health ministry told Time that the real number is closer to 30,000 deaths.
Trump held late-night talks with Kristi Noem, amid rumors her job is at risk
Tuesday 27 January 2026 11:40 , Owen Scott
Donald Trump reportedly met with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for a late-night crisis talk amid rumors that she could lose her job over the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
The alleged meeting took place in the Oval Office and lasted two hours. Sources told The New York Times that the secret discussions were organized by Noem, with Karoline Leavitt, Steven Cheung and Susie Wiles also joining the meeting.
It is unknown whether Noem will remain in-post, as tensions in Minnesota continue to build.
The controversial DHS Secretary was quick to accuse Pretti of brandishing a gun, although reports of him waving a firearm are disputed.
She was also criticized for suggesting that Renee Good, who was killed by ICE agents earlier in January, was engaged in “domestic terrorism.”
Trump and Noem’s ICE swarm in Minnesota could be falling apart, says The Independent's senior Washington correspondent
Tuesday 27 January 2026 11:21 , Owen ScottDonald Trump and Kristi Noem’s ICE crackdown in Minnesota could soon fall apart, writes Eric Garcia, The Independent’s senior Washington correspondent.
The shooting of Alex Pretti has ignited a national debate about the legality of the crackdown, worsening the president’s already dire poll ratings.
But the shooting is not just an approval ratings issue for Trump, it also comes at a crucial time for his Republican Party.
Congress needs to pass a handful of spending bills soon in order to avoid a partial shutdown, including its bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which houses ICE and CBP.
And, unlike the killing of Good by an ICE agent earlier this month, Republican senators seem to be queasy about the way Pretti’ was gunned down by CBP officials.
Eric Garcia has the full story...
The signs that Trump’s ICE swarm in Minnesota is falling apart after Pretti killing
Watch: Jimmy Kimmel breaks down in tears as he pays tribute to Alex Pretti
Tuesday 27 January 2026 11:04 , Owen ScottJimmy Kimmel broke down in tears as he paid tribute to Alex Pretti, who was killed by federal agents.
The late-night show host urged people on the right to join the opposition to Trump.
“I know it takes a lot of courage to go against your tribe, or whatever it is,” he said. “But that’s what we need.
“We need some decent people on the right to show some courage and some common sense.”
Republican Chris Madel reveals why he dropped out of Minnesota's gubernatorial race
Tuesday 27 January 2026 10:46 , Owen Scott
Republican Chris Madel dropped out of the Minnesota Gubernatorial Race in response to the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents.
In a statement, he slammed the “retribution of national Republicans against Minnesota” which he claims has taken form in the ICE crackdown.
“At the end of the day, I have to look my daughters in the eye and tell them: I believe I did what was right,” he added.
Speaking to CNN, he said that the original goals of ICE’s activities in the state have been abandoned.
“I support the beginning of Operation Metro Surge, the idea of getting out the worst of the worst,” he said. “And they did some of that.
“But it has gone so far beyond that goal, that it just got to a point where I literally just cannot support that.”
Before dropping out of the race, Madel was a frontrunner to become the GOP’s nominee for Minnesota governor. However, the state has long been a Democratic stronghold and has not had a Republican governor since 2011.
Trump says Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will meet with Tom Homan
Tuesday 27 January 2026 10:30 , Owen Scott
Donald Trump has claimed that he has spoken to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
The president took to Truth Social to break the news, bragging that “lots of progress” is being made.
“I just had a very good telephone conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey, of Minneapolis,” Trump wrote. “Lots of progress is being made!
“Tom Homan will be meeting with him tomorrow in order to continue the discussion. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP”
Katy Perry urges fans to block ICE from recieving $10 billion in extra funding
Tuesday 27 January 2026 10:11 , Owen Scott
Katy Perry has urged fans to block ICE from receiving $10 billion in extra funding, after federal agents shot Alex Pretti to death in Minneapolis.
The California Girls hitmaker took to Instagram to share a series of slides encouraging her listeners to take action.
“Who: You, the power is in your hands,” she wrote on her story, according to The Daily Mail. “We have until Friday, January 30th to block $10 billion (on top of the $75B that's already been funded) from going through to ICE.”
“Why: Because it's time to turn anger into action,” she added.
Perry, who is reportedly dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, also included a draft email for fans to use to contact their state senators.
