President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that federal immigration agents are staying in Minnesota while his border czar, Tom Homan, outlined a plan to “draw down” agents.
Homan was sent to Minnesota earlier in the week following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, which saw Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino stand down earlier this week.
He made the argument on Thursday that if federal agents were given better access to local jails to arrest undocumented immigrants, then they would need “less agents in the street.”
"This is common-sense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here. Yes, I said it: draw down the number of people here because we have the efficiency, the safety of the jails and the prisons,” Homan said.
But when Trump was later asked whether he was pulling Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents out of Minnesota, the president said, “No, no. Not at all.”
Homan’s involvement in Minnesota comes amid ongoing backlash over the Trump administration’s handling of the second fatal shooting of an American at the hands of federal agents.
Key Points
- New video angles show federal agents shooting gas and fleeing after first Alex Pretti confrontation
- Trump says he's 'not' pulling ICE agents out of Minnesota 'at all'
- Trump hails deal with Democrats to avoid shutdown and fund DHS
- Noem confronted about 'domestic terrorism' comments
Recap of Minnesota events so far
04:42 , Mike BediganIt’s been a busy day so far, so here’s a recap of things you should know about the ongoing situation in Minnesota:
- Trump border czar Tom Homan has arrived in Minneapolis to take control of immigration enforcement efforts following the backlash to the deaths of protesters Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
- Homan admitted that “no agency is perfect,” following the two fatal shootings by federal agents, but said he would not be “surrendering the president’s mission.”
- Governor Tim Walz said he has spoken to Homan face-to-face, describing him as “professional.”
- Donald Trump concluded his first cabinet meeting of the year after almost 90 minutes without mentioning the situation in Minnesota once or taking questions.
- Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was not called on to give remarks in the meeting, following backlash against her handling of the situation in Minneapolis.
- Federal assault charges against Anthony Kazmierczak, the man who attacked Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar earlier this week, have been revealed. He faces one count for having “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and officer and employee of the United States.”
Hochul suggests Noem is delusional for Fox News comments
05:00 , Rachel DobkinNew York Governor Kathy Hochul has suggested Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is delusional after she went on Fox News and said “radicals” were “attacking” her for doing her job.
“These radicals are attacking me, but I’m just doing my job. I’m following the law, enforcing the laws like President Trump promised that he would do,” Noem told host Sean Hannity Thursday night.
Hochul’s press office responded to a clip of Noem’s comments on social media with the definition of the word delusion.
https://t.co/8IY90oIXMI pic.twitter.com/XY7R6X0jOy
— Governor Hochul Press Office (@NYGovPress) January 30, 2026
The New York governor has called for Noem to resign, arguing she has “forfeited her right to lead” after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in two separate incidents Min inneapolis this month.
Read on...
New York governor calls on Kristi Noem to resign as Homeland Security Secretary
Another anti-ICE protest in Minnesota will take place Friday
04:30 , Rachel DobkinAnother economic blackout will take place in Minnesota on Friday to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the state.
But, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune, it won’t have as big a turnout as the strike last Friday, which saw hundreds of businesses temporarily close.
Senate will not vote tonight on funding bills after Trump said a deal was struck
04:00 , Rachel DobkinThe Senate will not vote tonight on funding bills to keep the government open, according to congressional reporters.
Trump announced on Truth Social earlier Thursday, “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).
“Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.”
The Senate previously failed to advance a six-bill government funding package that the House already passed, as Democrats refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security following the two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month.
Trump calls border czar Tom Homan 'terrific'
03:30 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump called his border czar, Tom Homan, “terrific” at a screening for Melania Trump’s new film.
“I think he’s terrific, but we have to get rid of the criminals. We have to take criminals out of our country — so from that standpoint nothing’s going to change,” the president said Thursday.
Trump sent Homan to Minnesota after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in two separate incidents in Minneapolis this month.
At a press conference in Minneapolis earlier Thursday, Homan said he’d be “staying ‘til the problem’s gone.”
When asked about her 'domestic terrorism' comments, Noem shifts blame to Biden
03:00 , Rachel DobkinWhen Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was asked by Fox News’ Sean Hannity Thursday night about her accusing Renee Good and Alex Pretti of “domestic terrorism,” she dodged the question and shifted blame to former President Joe Biden.
“People seem to be upset over the term domestic terrorism. Why do you believe that’s appropriate, because you used it in both cases?” Hannity said.
Noem replied, “We’re continuing to gather information, and the FBI leading this investigation is important to make sure that we talk about both these situations appropriately.”
“We’ll continue to get to the truth of all of this, but we can’t distract from the fact of how we got here,” Noem added. “We got here because we had a Biden administration that allowed an invasion over our southern border and allowed millions of people to come into our country unvetted.”
Good and Pretti, both U.S. citizens, were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in two separate incidents in Minneapolis this month. No evidence has been provided to the public to back Noem’s claims that Good and Pretti were domestic terrorists.
Kristi Noem defends comments on Alex Pretti shooting
02:40 , Rachel DobkinHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has defended the information she shared about Alex Pretti immediately after the fatal shooting.
When asked by Fox News’ Sean Hannity Thursday night whether her comments were premature, Noem said she shared the “best information we had at the time.”
The secretary added that she was trying to be “transparent with the American people.”
In an X post last Saturday, the day Pretti was killed by Border Patrol agents on the streets of Minneapolis, Noem said a person approached federal officers with a gun and that one of the agents fired “defensive shots” because he feared for his life.
Footage of the incident appeared to show an agent pulling a gun from Pretti’s waistband before any officer fired shots at him.
Melania wants to see the ‘pushback’ stop against her husband, the president
02:20 , Rachel DobkinFirst lady Melania Trump wants to see the “pushback” against her husband stop as President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown causes tensions to rise across the country.
Melania went on Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria to promote her new documentary, a film about the days leading up to her husband’s second inauguration, which comes out Friday.
Speaking to host Maria Bartiromo, Melania defended Trump, touting his job on immigration enforcement and saying that his critics simply aren’t listening to him.
“I saw one part of the film where you tell the president, ‘Be a unifier.’ We have such division in this country. What do you want him to do, in terms of being a unifier? How can he unite the country?” Bartiromo asked.
Melania replied, “I give him my advice, and we talk about that, and we could see that the country it’s divided and it’s very hard. No matter what he says, they don’t like to listen. And what’s going on in our country now, I feel that it’s a lot of pushback, and I hope it stops.”
Read on...
Melania wants to see the ‘pushback’ stop against her husband, the president
White House and Democrats strike deal to prevent government shutdown
02:00 , Associated PressA provisional agreement has been struck between Democrats and the White House to avert a partial government shutdown, temporarily funding the Department of Homeland Security as negotiations intensify over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement.
The deal emerges as the nation grapples with the deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis, reportedly at the hands of federal agents. The two sides have agreed to separate homeland security funding from the broader legislative package, providing two weeks of funding for the DHS.
This temporary measure allows for continued debate over Democratic demands for curbs on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, following their vote to block DHS funding legislation on Thursday.
President Donald Trump stated in a social media post that "Republicans and Democrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September," while extending current funding for Homeland Security. He urged members of both parties to cast a "much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ vote."
Read on...
White House and Democrats strike deal to prevent government shutdown
Trump says he's 'not' pulling ICE agents out of Minnesota 'at all'
01:44 , Rachel DobkinWhen Donald Trump was asked at a film screening for his wife Melania’s new documentary whether he was pulling Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents out of Minnesota, the president said, “No, no. Not at all.”
Photos of Minneapolis today
01:20 , Rachel Dobkin
Kristi Noem thanks Trump for signing Laken Riley Act one year ago today
01:00 , Rachel DobkinDepartment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has thanked President Donald Trump for signing the Laken Riley Act one year ago today.
“Thank you, President Trump, for signing the Laken Riley Act. President Trump has empowered us to arrest and remove the millions of violent criminal illegal aliens unleashed on the United States by the previous administration,” Noem wrote on X Thursday. “Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed from our country.”
Thank you, President Trump, for signing the Laken Riley Act. President Trump has empowered us to arrest and remove the millions of violent criminal illegal aliens unleashed on the United States by the previous administration. Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 30, 2026
“We can never bring Laken back, but we can do everything in our power to bring these heinous criminals to justice. I am so proud of what our brave men and women of ICE have done to remove these criminals from America’s streets,” Noem added.
The bill — named after a University of Georgia student who was killed in 2024 by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant — requires the federal detention of undocumented immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a police officer or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury.
‘No agency is perfect’: Tom Homan admits failures after Minneapolis killings
00:45 , Mike BediganICE reportedly backs down on its threat to patrol the Super Bowl
00:31 , Mike BediganImmigration and Customs Enforcement appears to be backing off its threat to patrol the Super Bowl later this year.
Unnamed sources speaking to TMZ reportedly told the outlet that the Department of Homeland Security will not be sending federal agents to conduct immigration operations at Super Bowl LX, which will take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on February 8.
Full story from Graig Graziosi here:
ICE reportedly backs down on its threat to patrol the Super Bowl
Analysis: Judges are struggling to hold ICE accountable for dozens of violations. If they can’t, who can?
00:17 , Mike BediganFederal judges are calling on their colleagues to “draw and hold” the line while courtrooms are overwhelmed with cases with immigrants’ freedoms at stake, Alex Woodward writes.
Read the full analysis here:
Judges are struggling with ICE in court. Can they hold it accountable?
Watch: Batman puts Bay Area city council on blast over ICE at the upcoming Super Bowl
00:02 , Mike BediganTrump hails deal with Democrats to avoid shutdown and fund DHS
Thursday 29 January 2026 23:45 , Mike BediganDonald Trump has hailed a potential deal with Senate Democrats to avoid a government shutdown and provide temporary funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
“America is setting Records in every way, and our Growth Numbers are among the best ever. The only thing that can slow our Country down is another long and damaging Government Shutdown,” the president wrote on Truth Social Thursday evening.
“I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the Government, without delay. 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).
“Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan “YES” Vote. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Trump again ends press briefing with no questions
Thursday 29 January 2026 23:24 , Mike BediganDonald Trump ended his second public event of the day without taking questions from reporters, despite the situation in Minneapolis remaining high on the news agenda.
The president spoke about addiction at an event in the Oval Office Thursday evening, along with Doug Burgum and his wife Kathryn, who speaks publicly about addiction, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy JR and Dr. Mehmet Oz.
After the event concluded, reporters were ushered out swiftly, with no time to quiz the president, according to pool reporters who were present.
Trump also did not take questions earlier Thursday at his first full cabinet meeting of the New Year.
Democrats and White House reach a deal to avert government shutdown and temporarily fund DHS
Thursday 29 January 2026 23:24 , Mike BediganDemocrats Democrats and White House have reached a tentative deal to avert government shutdown and temporarily fund Homeland Security.
The news Thursday evening comes in the wake of the death of protesters Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.
Irate Senate Democrats previously laid out a list of demands on Wednesday, including that officers take off their masks and identify themselves and obtain warrants for arrest.
Lawyer says Alex Pretti was 'violently assaulted' by ICE 11 days before his death
Thursday 29 January 2026 23:10 , Mike BediganSteve Schleicher, an attorney for Alex Pretti’s family, has said the 37-year-old was “violently assaulted” during an incident 11 days before his death.
“A week before Alex was gunned down in the street – despite posing no threat to anyone – he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents,” Schleicher said in a previous statement to The Independent.
“Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24.”
New footage of the incident, obtained by The Independent, emerged on Thursday. Watch it below:
White House responds to Bruce Springsteen's Minneapolis protest song
Thursday 29 January 2026 22:56 , Mike BediganThe White House has responded to a new Minneapolis protest song written and released by Bruce Springsteen.
"The Trump administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement officers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities — not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information,” a spokesperson told The Independent.
“The media should cover how Democrats have refused to work with the Administration, and instead, opted to provide sanctuary for these criminal illegals."
The Boss, one of the staunchest Trump critics in music dedicated the new song to Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were both killed in Minneapolis by federal agents.
In “Streets of Minneapolis,” Springsteen hurls insults at Trump and his ICE agents’ ongoing invasion of the Minnesota city with pointed lyrics about “King Trump” and his “private army.”
Stephen Miller not at cabinet meeting, report
Thursday 29 January 2026 22:44 , Mike BediganStephen Miller was not present at Donald Trump’s first full cabinet meeting of the New Year, according to pool reports.
It comes after the senior White House advisor suggested that Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, was a “would-be assassin,” sparking intense backlash.
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment about Miller’s reported absence from the meeting.
Jeffiries on Noem: 'She's gotta go'
Thursday 29 January 2026 22:10 , Mike BediganNEW: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem:
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 29, 2026
“She’s got to be put on ice permanently.” pic.twitter.com/peWEv4nYIg
Bovino addresses federal agents from Mt. Rushmore after removal
Thursday 29 January 2026 22:02 , Mike BediganBorder Patrol commander Gregory Bovino has sent a heartfelt message to the federal immigration agents he oversaw in Minnesota, praising them and sending them love in a video filmed in front of Mount Rushmore.
Bovino, who was recently demoted from his role leading the aggressive deportation operation in Minnesota, made a pit stop Thursday in South Dakota as he makes his way back to his original post in California.
Ariana Baio has more:
Greg Bovino breaks his silence from Mt. Rushmore and addresses federal agents
New video shows Alex Pretti tackled by federal agents after kicking car 11 days before fatal shooting
Thursday 29 January 2026 21:52 , Mike BediganCongressional Hispanic Caucus calls on DHS to 'bring Liam home'
Thursday 29 January 2026 21:40 , Rachel DobkinThe Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called on the Department of Homeland Security to release five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father after the pair was taken into federal custody outside their Minnesota home last week.
A 5-year-old child should be going home after preschool, not sleeping in detention. We are calling on DHS to release Liam and his father now. #BringLiamHome pic.twitter.com/ms0UdSdT6y
— Congressional Hispanic Caucus (@HispanicCaucus) January 29, 2026
The preschooler and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, are currently in a detention center in Texas.
Hakeem Jeffries spars with Fox News host over immigration crackdown
Thursday 29 January 2026 21:20 , Rachel DobkinHouse Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sparred with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum Thursday over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Earlier Thursday, the Senate failed to advance a six-bill government funding package that the House previously passed, as Democrats refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security following the two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month.
“These six bills were signed as part of the hangover from the last [government] shutdown, and they were all agreed to before what happened in Minneapolis, which was very tragic,” MacCallum said.
Jeffries: We believe there should be a prohibition on ICE deporting or detaining American citizens. We believe that ICE should conduct itself like every other law enforcement agency in the country, that they should not run around with masks, that they should have body cameras,… pic.twitter.com/wpgIfCII6r
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 29, 2026
Jeffries tried to interject, but the host continued, “But Minneapolis is a unique situation.”
“Well, let me just address the statement that you just made because that’s inaccurate. The Homeland Security funding bill was...prior to the cold-blooded killing of Alex Pretti. And the overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted against it,” Jeffries said.
ICE has Hispanic people so afraid of being arrested they are drinking less, tequila maker claims
Thursday 29 January 2026 21:00 , Graig GraziosiThe world's largest tequila maker is blaming President Donald Trump's heavy-handed immigration crackdowns on its slumping sales.
Proximo Spirits — the U.S. distribution arm for Becle, which owns Jose Cuervo tequila — said that fear in the Hispanic community has kept some at home rather than going out and having drinks.
“The tension of the immigration policies has created a very difficult atmosphere with consumers, especially with immigrants, with Hispanics, [who] obviously make up a big portion of our particular business,” Lander Otegui, Proximo Spirits' head of marketing, told The Financial Times.
Read more...
New details about the face recognition app that federal agents use to speed up arrests
Thursday 29 January 2026 20:36 , Rachel DobkinNew details have emerged about the face recognition app that federal immigration agents use to identify people and speed up arrests.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s use of Mobile Fortify has already been reported on, but the Department of Homeland Security’s 2025 AI Use Case Inventory released Wednesday gave new insight into the technology that agents are using to carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts.
Customs and Border Protection said the app became “operational” in early May 2025, and ICE got access to it later that month, according to Wired.
Read more about Mobile Fortify:
ICE is using Border Patrol mobile facial recognition technology to speed up arrests
Chuck Schumer meeting with Minneapolis mayor this afternoon
Thursday 29 January 2026 20:21 , Rachel DobkinSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is meeting with fellow Democrat, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, this afternoon, according to Semafor.
Sen. Schumer is meeting with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey this afternoon @Eleanor_Mueller
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 29, 2026
Schumer has demanded reforms to the Department of Homeland Security amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, which has left two U.S. citizens fatally shot this month.
New video angles shows federal agents shooting gas and fleeing after their first confrontation with Alex Pretti
Thursday 29 January 2026 20:16 , Bel Trew and Rhian LubinNew footage obtained by The Independent shows the aftermath of the January 13 confrontation between federal agents and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, where they tackled the intensive care nurse to the ground and sprayed gas at protesters.
The video, which offers a different angle than others released in recent days, shows the moments following the heated altercation where Pretti kicked a government vehicle taillight, prompting a group of agents to wrestle him to the pavement on a Minneapolis street.
The incident took place 11 days before Pretti, 37, was fatally shot in the street by two Border Patrol agents. His death sparked protests and outrage as calls for ICE to tone down its tactics in Minnesota continue to grow.
Read on...
New video shows aftermath of first confrontation between Pretti and federal agents
Recap: Who is Tom Homan?
Thursday 29 January 2026 20:12 , Mike Bedigan
Who is Tom Homan? Trump’s border czar heading to Minneapolis amid protests
Ilhan Omar responds to claims her attack was staged
Thursday 29 January 2026 19:59 , Mike BediganIlhan Omar has responded to accusations online that a recent incident in Minnesota, in which she was attacked by a man with a syringe, was staged.
One online user called out her reaction to being sprayed with an unknown substance, saying she had not followed the advice of Poison Control following the attack.
“I didn’t do any of those things because I fear losing my dignity more than I fear losing my life,” Omar replied on X.
“Something you coward losers will never understand. So f*** off.”
I didn’t do any of those things because I fear losing my dignity more than I fear losing my life. Something you coward losers will never understand. So fuck off. https://t.co/dVrhvI46Xd
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 29, 2026
Greg Bovino gives first public statement since leaving Minneapolis
Thursday 29 January 2026 19:40 , Mike BediganGreg Bovino has given his first public remarks since leaving Minneapolis, praising other members of Customs and Border Patrol who he referred to as the “mean green machine.”
It comes after the “commander at large” was stood down from the city in the wake of the two fatal shootings by federal agents. Two CBP officers involved in the death of Alex Pretti have been placed on administrative leave.
“I want you to know: I’ve got your back, now and always—I love you, I support you, and I salute you,” Bovino said, in a video stood in front of Mount Rushmore, posted by right-wing influencer Nick Sotor.
“The team, behind me are a few individuals… the original turn and burn—the folks that helped make America,” he said.
“But you know what? I'm very proud of what you, the mean green machine, are doing in Minneapolis right now, just like you've done it across the United States over these past tough nine months.”
“And I want you to know that you are the modern day equivalent of turn and burn. It makes me very proud.”
“Turn and burn” is an expression coined by Bovino that refers to the mass deportation efforts made by CBP and ICE agents.
🚨 BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Greg Bovino traveled to Mt. Rushmore to deliver a message to his men after being removed from Minneapolis, and agents being put on leave
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 29, 2026
“I want you to know: I’ve got your back, now and always—I love you, I support you, and I salute you.”
Bovino coined… pic.twitter.com/xnOR6xFHUP
Ilhan Omar’s attacker charged with assault by DOJ as new details revealed on substance he was carrying
Thursday 29 January 2026 19:36 , Mike BediganFederal assault charges against Anthony Kazmierczak, the man who attacked Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar earlier this week, have been revealed.
He faces one count for having “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and officer and employee of the United States.”
Alex Woodward has the full story here:
DOJ charges Ilhan Omar’s attacker with assault and reveals new details on syringe
ICYMI: ‘No agency is perfect’: Tom Homan admits failures after Minneapolis killings
Thursday 29 January 2026 19:22 , Mike BediganTrump hears updates from his Cabinet... but skips right over embattled Noem
Thursday 29 January 2026 19:15 , Mike BediganThe Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg gives a run down of Trump’s first cabinet meeting of the year.
As usual, the president gave a round up of the “unprecedented” successes of his administration within the first 12 months.
However he failed to touch at all about the ongoing volatile situation in Minnesota, or hear from embattled DHS Sec Kristi Noem...
Read more here:
Kristi Noem is iced out of Trump’s suspiciously brief cabinet meeting
ICE resistance is a 'part time job' say patrollers
Thursday 29 January 2026 19:08 , Mike BediganMore dispatches from Bel Trew, live from the scene in Minneapolis.
After we lose the federal agents at a red light, Will says this is not about immigration but about “deep ideological belief that places like Minneapolis have to be brutalized and our non white neighbors have to be taken away.”
Later in north east Minneapolis, another “commuter” who goes by the code name Blue Flame, explains that her role is stationary patrol. She parks near a mobile home park where there have been several instances of ICE detaining people.
Another volunteer, someone she has never met but who answered the same call, drives up and says he will cover the neighboring area. They sit as a deterrent - hundreds doing the same.
“This didn’t happen overnight. There were warning signs. I believe we are in an authoritarian regime,” she tells me, visibly emotional.
Like Will, she believes this is not about immigration but about racism and retaliation against Minneapolis. And it is not going to end soon. “We need to think of ICE resistance as a part time job.”
Volunteer observers threatened by federal agents
Thursday 29 January 2026 19:00 , Mike BediganVolunteer observers are threatened by federal agents, writes Bel Trew, from the scene.
Thousands of people are out on “ICE patrol.” It is a decentralised network.
“At any given moment just in my neighbourhood there are around 20 people in car patrols and hundreds watching from the street,” civil rights lawyer Will Stancil says.
The car Will is following stops and border patrol agents, armed and wearing body armour and balaclavas, get out and approach.
“If you keep following us, you are going to be arrested,” one of says repeatedly.
“This is going to be your last warning. You’re impeding our cooperation and our operation.”
Will calmly responses: “I have a constitutional right to follow you, “”I am not impeding traffic.”
Dispatches from an 'ICE patrol' in Minneapolis
Thursday 29 January 2026 18:52 , Mike BediganMore from Bel Trew, live and on “ICE patrol” in Minneapolis:
One patrol vehicle is flagged a few metres from where we are driving. Will Stancil, 40, a civil rights lawyer, speeds after it. What appears to be an otherwise innocuous silver compact SUV with two ICE agents wearing masks in the front.
As the car turns the corner, a foot patrol of civilians in high visibility vests, who have received the same information, begin alerting the neighbourhood with their whistles. Random cars driving past start honking their horns. Someone shouts “ICE”.
They are particularly concerned because the car is near an elementary school. It is around school drop off time, and a separate group of volunteers - also with whistles and high visibility vests - are stationed outside to protect children.
Will explains that there have been instances of immigrant parents being detained while taking their children to school, leaving many families too afraid to make the journey.
“I’ve been doing this for 21 days, but we have to keep going” he tells me. “It does seems to be acting as a deterrent to them. They clearly seem frustrated.”
Dispatches from Minneapolis
Thursday 29 January 2026 18:44 , Mike BediganDispatch from The Independent’s Bel Trew, who is on the ground in Minneapolis:
On the “rapid response line”, like a kind of communal radio, the voices of volunteers chatter away, identifying cars they believe are being driven by ICE agents and where they are heading.
These are the “ICE commuters”, a volunteer network of ordinary citizens who, instead of going to work or between their shifts and school drop offs, patrol neighborhood streets to monitor the behavior of the federal law enforcement agency.
Most of them have no idea who the others are and use code names, fearful of retribution.
They want to document detentions, or “abductions” as they are called here, in case of violence, and to inform families so that people taken do not simply disappear. They also want “to frustrate their efforts and demoralize them”, explains one volunteer.
Trump holds cabinet meeting but doesn't mention Minnesota once
Thursday 29 January 2026 18:05 , Mike BediganDonald Trump concluded his first cabinet meeting of the year after almost 90 minutes without mentioning the situation in Minnesota once.
The president uncharacteristically did not allow questions from reporters after sharing updates on the economy and other areas of foreign policy.
Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was also not called upon to give remarks at the meeting.
Picture shows syringe used during Ilhan Omar attack
Thursday 29 January 2026 17:59 , Mike BediganAs part of a federal lawsuit against Anthony Kazmierczak, the man who attacked Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar earlier this week, prosecutors included a picture of a syringe it is alleged he brandished at the congresswoman.
According to an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department, a Hazmat Specialist with the North Metro Chemical Assessment Team field tested the substance from the syringe and determined it was actually water and apple cider vinegar.
Kazmierczak reportedly told officers "I squirted vinegar" as he was being arrested.
Omar was unhurt in the incident, and continued her remarks following the attack.
Charges against man who attacked Ilhan Omar revealed
Thursday 29 January 2026 17:52 , Mike BediganFederal assault charges against Anthony Kazmierczak, the man who attacked Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar earlier this week, have been revealed.
Kazmierczak faces one count for having “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and officer and employee of the United States.”
The affidavit, obtained by The Independent, alleges he once told someone that “somebody should kill that bitch.”
Omar was speaking at a public meeting in which she called for the abolishment of ICE and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign when Kazmierczak got up from the front row and sprayed her with an unknown substance.
ICE claims Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis was ‘not clearly marked’ when officers tried to enter
Thursday 29 January 2026 17:35 , Mike BediganFederal immigration officers nearly triggered an international incident this week after trying to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis without permission, what the country’s foreign ministry called an “attempted intrusion” that sparked a formal complaint to U.S. authorities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement claims that officers were tracking down an Ecuadorian immigrant who ran into the building, which an agency spokesperson claims was “not clearly marked” as the consulate.
Alex Woodward has the full story:
ICE claims Ecuadorian consulate was ‘not clearly marked’ when officers tried to enter
The Trump admin’s ‘F* Around and Find Out’ ethos was never a joke — and Minnesota paid the price
Thursday 29 January 2026 17:15 , Mike BediganYears of Trump-era bravado turned civilian policing into ideological combat, writes Holly Baxter. Now MAGA is discovering what happens when FAFO meets constitutional rights.
Read more here:
Trump admin’s ‘FAFO’ ethos was never a joke — and Minnesota paid the price
Trump boasts of administration's achievements in year one
Thursday 29 January 2026 16:55 , Mike BediganTrump has been monologuing for a while but nothing on the Minnesota situation just yet.
So far we’ve had comments about falling gas prices, plastic eggs and the fact that nobody uses the word “affordability” any more.
Watch along live: Trump cabinet meeting
Thursday 29 January 2026 16:47 , Mike BediganPresident Trump Participates in a Cabinet Meeting, Jan. 29, 2026 https://t.co/mqcycTICRY
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 29, 2026
Trump holds first cabinet meeting of 2026
Thursday 29 January 2026 16:42 , Mike BediganDonald Trump is holding his first full cabinet meeting of 2026.
“Tremendous progress has been made. I want to thank my entire cabinet for 12 months of unprecedented achievements,” the president said, kicking off proceedings.
The situation in Minneapolis is expected to be top of the agenda at the meeting, as well as ongoing tensions in Iran.
Watch: Lawmakers demand release of Liam Conejo Ramos
Thursday 29 January 2026 16:13 , Mike BediganLawmakers have demanded the release of Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old boy who was detained by federal agents earlier this week.
Images of the child being taken by agents while wearing a blue rabbit hat and a Spider-Man backpack, after returning home from pre-school, have gone viral and sparked outrage.
Watch below:
Homan: 'I didn't come here for photo ops or headlines'
Thursday 29 January 2026 16:05 , Mike BediganTrump border czar told reporters he was not in Minnesota “for photo ops or headlines” but to seek solutions.
“I've heard many people want to know why we're talking to people who they don't consider friends to the administration,” Homan told reporters Thursday morning from Minneapolis.
“The bottom line is you can't fix problems if you don't have discussions. I didn't come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines. You haven't seen me. I came here to seek solutions.”
Governor Tim Walz praised his first face-to-face meeting with Homan, calling him “professional.”
“The thing we said is, we're very clear about this, that we need these folks out of Minnesota. I think it's that's that's progress,” Walz said.
“But they started this fire, so we're not giving anybody credit for putting it out.”
Judge blocks ICE arrests of Minnesota refugees who were ‘subjected to terror’
Thursday 29 January 2026 15:48 , Mike BediganA federal judge in Minnesota has blocked immigration officers from arresting and detaining recently resettled refugees in the state after a lawsuit accused agents of “hunting” them down and sending them to a detention center in Texas.
The order from Minnesota District Judge John Tunheim also commands the administration to immediately release any detained refugees and return them to their homes in Minnesota.
Alex Woodward had more:
Judge blocks ICE arrests of Minnesota refugees who were ‘subjected to terror’
Watch: 'No agency is perfect' says Homan
Thursday 29 January 2026 15:20 , Mike BediganBruce Springsteen slams ‘King Trump’ and ‘federal thugs’ in new Minneapolis protest song
Thursday 29 January 2026 15:05 , Joe SommerladThe Boss, one of the staunchest Trump critics in music, has released a new song dedicated to Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
In “Streets of Minneapolis,” Springsteen hurls insults at Trump and his ICE agents’ ongoing invasion of the Minnesota city with pointed lyrics about “King Trump” and his “private army.”
Caitlin Hornik reports.
Bruce Springsteen slams ‘King Trump’ and ‘federal thugs’ in Minneapolis protest song
Melania Trump insists her husband is a ‘unifier’
Thursday 29 January 2026 14:45 , Joe SommerladThe first lady has been speaking to Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business this morning, attempting to promote her new Amazon film at a very inopportune political moment, and had this to say about her husband.
Melania Trump: "He would like to have a country where all of the people can walk down the street and not be harassed or murdered or women raped" pic.twitter.com/2IPkX7yVAW
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2026
Democratic attorneys general fire back at Bondi’s ‘threatening’ letter to Minnesota
Thursday 29 January 2026 14:25 , Joe SommerladTwenty-two Democratic attorneys general have blasted Attorney General Pam Bondi in a letter demanding the Trump administration stop what they call an effort to “exploit” the Minnesota chaos with a voter suppression campaign.
“The federal government is asking us to accept a belated justification for its unlawful actions in Minnesota,” said New York Attorney General James.
“We refuse to be intimidated by these threats, and we reject their unlawful demands that infringe on Minnesota’s fundamental sovereignty.
“My fellow attorneys general and I will continue to stand firm in defense of the rule of law and Americans’ rights.”
In the letter, the attorneys general sadid Bondi’s demands for voter data and SNAP and Medicaid data is “inconsistent with fundamental principles of our federal system.”
Her demands amount to an attempt to “terrify the people of Minnesota and coerce the state into abandoning” its residents, they wrote.
Homan concludes his remarks
Thursday 29 January 2026 14:04 , Joe SommerladThe official steps away from the lectern and departs after a gruff and low energy performance.
Homan sought to offer a dramatic tonal shift compared to what we’ve seen lately from the likes of Kristi Noem and Greg Bovino, who preferred to keep things combative.
Homan blames Biden administration for failing to secure border
Thursday 29 January 2026 13:50 , Joe SommerladNow taking questions from the press, the official works hard to blame President Joe Biden for four years of alleged complacency at the southern border, arguing Donald Trump inherited a problem he had to address.
Watch: Homan delivers first press conference as ICE lead in Minneapolis
Thursday 29 January 2026 13:47 , Joe SommerladHere are a few highlights from what we’ve heard so far.
Homan: "I'm not here because the federal government has carried out its mission perfectly. I do not want to hear that everything that has been done here has been perfect." pic.twitter.com/U8zIY6Cutd
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2026
Homan: "I begged for the last two months on TV for the rhetoric to stop. I said in March -- if the rhetoric doesn't stop, there is gonna be bloodshed. And there has been. I wish I wasn't right. I don't want to see anybody die." pic.twitter.com/l8R2lIMHa1
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2026
Homan: "The withdrawal of law enforcement resources here is dependent upon cooperation ... as we see that cooperation happen, then the redeployment will happen" pic.twitter.com/J5L2bre3rl
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2026
Homan: "We are not surrendering our mission at all. We are just doing it smarter." pic.twitter.com/rL2UnsWqJF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2026
Homan reminds public that ICE agents are ‘mothers and fathers too’
Thursday 29 January 2026 13:38 , Joe SommerladInvoking his own experience as an immigration officer, Tom Homan appeals for greater understanding for the pressures his forces are under, against asking for an end to the “rhetoric.”
He insists ICE operates within the law and adds, “if you don’t like a certain law, take it up with Congress.”
He also acknowledges the public’s right to protest under the First Amendment but urges Minnesotans to “keep it peaceful.”
Homan: ‘No agency is perfect – we have recognised certain improvements could and should be made’
Thursday 29 January 2026 13:33 , Joe SommerladThe official offers a mea culpa on behalf of the administration but insists “we are not surrendering the president’s mission.”
