Support slipping for Trump immigration push as majority say crackdown ‘goes too far’: poll
President Donald Trump‘s approval ratings on tackling illegal immigration dropped to a new low as a majority of Americans say the crackdown by federal agents has gone too far, according to a new national poll. The survey, by Reuters/Ipsos, was conducted Friday through Sunday, both before and after federal immigration agents fatally shot a second U.S. citizen who was protesting enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The poll is the latest national survey to spotlight the deterioration of Trump’s approval on immigration and flagging support for aggressive enforcement operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Thirty-nine percent of adults nationwide questioned in the poll said they approve of the job the president’s doing on immigration, with 53% disapproving. TRUMP IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IGNITES BACKLASH The president’s approval on the issue stands at its lowest level in Reuters/Ipsos polling since Trump returned to the White House a year ago. In February of last year, weeks after his second inauguration as president, Trump stood at 50% approval and 41% disapproval on immigration, as he quickly shut down the flow of migrants across the nation’s southern border with Mexico. Illegal immigration, with Trump promising a massive surge in deportations of undocumented migrants, was a key issue that boosted Trump and the GOP to decisive ballot box victories in 2024, as they won back the White House and Senate and successfully defended their razor-thin House majority. WHY A MINNESOTA REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE DROPPED HIS BID FOR GOVERNOR AFTER SECOND FATAL SHOOTING But the fatal shootings of Renee Good, a mother of three, earlier this month, and nurse Alex Pretti this past weekend, as they protested aggressive actions by masked federal agents carrying out immigration operations, sparked national debate and demonstrations, further inflaming political tensions over Trump’s mass deportation push. “The approval for Donald Trump on an issue that worked for him, immigration, is down and going down further,” University of Minnesota public affairs professor Larry Jacobs told Fox News Digital. Jacobs said that the “cracking down on illegal immigration, the conduct of ICE, has squandered the advantage” in public opinion that Trump once enjoyed. A veteran Republican strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News Digital that “the missteps have turned a plus into either a neutral issue or a net negative at best. People don’t like illegal immigration, but they are also troubled by the tactics that they’re seeing.” REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR BELIEVES TRUMP IS GETTING ‘BAD ADVICE’ ON IMMIGRATION AMID OUTRAGE OVER ICE SHOOTING Pretti was shot and killed on Saturday by Border Patrol agents while recording federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials initially said Pretti, who was legally armed with a handgun, was threatening agents, who they say fired in self-defense. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem labeled the actions of Pretti as “domestic terrorism” and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called him a “would-be assassin.” Videos of the shooting depict Pretti, an ICU nurse at a VA Hospital, appearing to attend to a woman agents had knocked down when he was sprayed with an irritant, pushed to the ground and beaten. On the ground, bystanders said he was brandishing a cell phone rather than his weapon, and an agent was seen pulling Pretti’s gun from his waistband before other agents fired several shots and killed him. “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” Pretti’s family wrote in a statement obtained by the AP. “Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.” Fifty-eight percent of poll respondents said federal immigration agents have gone “too far” in their crackdown, with 12% saying they had not gone far enough and 26% said the agents’ efforts were “about right.” There was an expected wide partisan divide, with roughly nine in 10 Democrats and six in 10 independents saying the agents have gone too far, compared to just two in 10 Republicans. Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Trump’s 401(k) housing pitch collapses into reality check as economists say supply is the real crisis
The Trump administration’s quick about-face, pitching 401(k) retirement plans as a path to homeownership, was never likely to work because it ignores the deeper forces driving the housing crunch, some economists are now arguing. Experts pointed to two key factors doing the most damage: restrictive zoning and regulatory policies that have choked supply, pushing home prices out of reach. Restrictive zoning controls what gets built; regulatory policies determine how hard it is to make it happen. Ben Harris, vice president and director of economic studies at the Brookings Institution, said policies that don’t directly increase housing supply are unlikely to lower prices. “Anything that doesn’t answer the question, ‘Are we going to have more homes at the end of this?’ is going to be an insufficient response,” Harris told Fox News Digital. HASSETT REVEALS TRUMP HOUSING PLAN WOULD LET AMERICANS TAP 401(K)S FOR DOWN PAYMENTS Harris noted that while cities in the South, for example, once saw rapid homebuilding — including places like Houston, metro areas in Florida and Phoenix — new construction has slowed sharply in recent years, contributing to rising prices. That resistance to new construction, experts say, is why restrictive zoning and regulatory barriers sit at the top of the list of forces driving America’s housing crisis. “There are just many, many ways to halt and stop development,” explained Joseph Gyourko, a professor of real estate and finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. “And we’ve gotten very, very good at it in the United States.” Jim Tobin, president and CEO of the National Association of Home Builders, added that the cost of regulations alone plays a massive role in housing affordability. Tobin explained that roughly $94,000 of the cost of a new, single-family home is inflated by regulations at “all three levels of local, state and federal government.” He added that some local governments intentionally restrict growth, adding time, uncertainty and cost to the process. THE PRICE OF BUILDING A HOME KEEPS CLIMBING — AND UNCERTAINTY ISN’T HELPING “Time is money in real estate,” he said. “You own the land, you’re paying taxes and, while you wait for local approvals, costs keep rising. Then many communities require developers to install sewer, water, roads and electrical infrastructure and all of that gets folded into the final price of the home.” Those mounting costs on builders, economists say, ultimately get passed on to buyers, pricing many out of the market. California offers one of the clearest examples of how those pressures play out, where strict zoning and environmental review laws have severely limited new construction. TRUMP’S 50-YEAR MORTGAGE MAY BURDEN AMERICANS WITH MORE DEBT, EXPERTS SAY Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow in business and economics at the Pacific Research Institute, told Fox News Digital that the state’s regulatory framework has created an enormous housing shortfall. In practical terms, economists say that when housing construction fails to keep pace with population growth and demand, buyers end up competing for a limited number of homes, driving prices higher. Winegarden said that California’s strict zoning laws make it more difficult to build homes, like the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a five-decade-old law that requires builders to “look before they leap,” according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. The framework requires environmental reviews that can significantly delay development and raise costs. “And we have what is a million-home shortage, something just astronomical like that,” Winegarden said. “That’s just basic economics. When supply is inadequate to demand, prices go up. And now the median home price in California is roughly twice the median in the United States.”
Fetterman demands Trump fire Noem after deadly Minnesota shootings
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has called upon President Donald Trump to fire Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In a Tuesday post on X, the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania accused Noem of “betraying” the department’s central mission. Tagging the @POTUS and @realDonaldTrump accounts on X, Fetterman declared, “I make a direct appeal to immediately fire @Sec_Noem.” FETTERMAN URGES MINNEAPOLIS ICE OP TO STAND DOWN AS CITY SPIRALS TO ‘UNGOVERNABLE AND DANGEROUS’ LEVELS “Americans have died. She is betraying DHS’s core mission and trashing your border security legacy. DO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary,” the senator warned. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House regarding Fetterman’s new plea and was referred to comments made by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday. “Secretary Noem still has the utmost confidence and trust of the president of the United States,” Leavitt said. Noem is “continuing to oversee the entire Department of Homeland Security and all of the immigration enforcement that’s taking place across the whole entire country,” Leavitt added. “Of course, Secretary Noem is also in charge of FEMA and we are in the wake of a brutal winter storm where hundreds of thousands of Americans have been impacted by that.” Unlike other Democratic senators, Fetterman typically takes a more pragmatic stance toward Trump and the broader GOP on issues including immigration and border security. In recent weeks, Fetterman had encouraged his party to avoid calls to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). FETTERMAN OPPOSES SHUTDOWN EFFORTS AS DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES MOVE TO BLOCK ICE FUNDING BILL As the Trump administration has been having federal authorities crack down on illegal immigrants around the U.S., the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota have sparked controversy this month. “Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti should still be alive. My family grieves for theirs,” Fetterman said in a statement on Monday. MORE THAN HALF OF HOUSE DEMOCRATS BACK IMPEACHMENT PUSH AGAINST DHS CHIEF KRISTI NOEM “The operation in Minneapolis should stand down and immediately end. It has become an ungovernable and dangerous urban theatre for civilians and law enforcement that is incompatible with the American spirit,” he noted. “As a very pro-immigration Democrat and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Border Management, I believe our nation deserves a secured border and that we should deport all criminal migrants. I also believe there needs to be a path to citizenship for those hardworking families who are here,” Fetterman said in the statement. But he also reiterated that he opposes the idea of abolishing ICE. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I reject the calls to defund or abolish ICE. I strongly disagree with many strategies and practices ICE deployed in Minneapolis, and believe that must change,” he said in the statement.
Republicans appeal judge’s decision rejecting New York City GOP district lines
The Republican Party is appealing a New York judge’s decision to throw out the congressional lines for a GOP-held district in New York City on Monday. The judge ruled that the current map for Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ district, which lies in Staten Island and Brooklyn, dilutes the power of its Black and Hispanic voters. The state’s Independent Redistricting Commission has now been tasked with creating a new map by February 6. Republicans filed appeals to the ruling in two separate courts, including a mid-level appeals court and the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals previously ruled against a Democrat-favored map in 2024. It has not announced a date for when it will take up the case for Malliotakis’ district. REDISTRICTING BATTLES BREWING ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PARTIES COMPETE FOR POWER AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS The case is the latest battleground in a war over congressional maps being waged across the country ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas and California have pursued redistricting maps that would grant roughly five seats to the GOP and Democrats respectively. Meanwhile, the Virginia State Senate on Friday greenlit a constitutional amendment that would clear the way for the Democrat-controlled legislature to redraw the state’s House maps in time for midterms. DOJ URGES SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK CALIFORNIA MAP, CALLS NEWSOM-BACKED PLAN A RACIAL GERRYMANDER If the ballot measure is approved this spring, the legislature, rather than the current non-partisan commission, would redraw the state’s congressional maps through 2030. Virginia Democrats, who currently control six of the state’s 11 districts, are aiming to draw up to four additional left-leaning seats. Republicans are defending their razor-thin House majority in the midterms, and Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to win back control of the chamber. Republican-controlled Missouri and Ohio, and swing state North Carolina, where the GOP dominates the legislature, have drawn new maps as part of President Donald Trump‘s midterm push. Florida Republicans, in a move pushed by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers, are also hoping to pick up an additional three to five seats through a redistricting push during a special legislative session in April. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Conservative immigration experts split on whether Trump is ‘backing down’ in MN ICE fight
Conservative immigration experts were split on whether President Donald Trump was “backing down” after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the president told him he was considering reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota after they went into the state to enforce immigration law. In addition to reported plans to retreat from Minnesota, the top Border Patrol official leading deportation operations around the country, including in Minnesota, will be reassigned back to his former duties as chief of Border Patrol in the El Centro, California sector as of currently, Fox News’ Bill Melugin reported. “If the Trump Administration accedes to Minnesota’s unreasonable, unlawful demands, it will have surrendered the rule of law to thugs and brigands. Lawlessness is a choice, and it’s not a choice that the Trump administration should make, or support in any way,” Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Executive Director Dale Wilcox told Fox News Digital. “FAIR believes that Congress charged ICE with enforcing the immigration laws of the United States. And that is exactly what ICE should do. The Supreme Court has opined that the power to enforce immigration law belongs exclusively to the federal government. The mere fact that irresponsible state and local leaders in Minnesota have mistakenly led their citizens to believe that they are free to interfere with federal government operations, and have thereby incited civil unrest, is not a valid reason to keep ICE from doing its job.” BORDER PATROL COMMANDER GREGORY BOVINO TO LEAVE MINNESOTA, AS TOM HOMAN TAKES OVER But, Executive Director at the Center for Immigration Studies Mark Krikorian clapped back at the idea that Trump was “backing down.” “I didn’t think that’s what Trump is saying – rather, based on his Truth Social post, he was saying ICE won’t have to do at-large arrests if Minnesota changes its sanctuary policies and allows ICE into the jails and prisons to take custody of illegals once the locals have finished with them,” Krikorian told Fox News Digital. “That’s not ending enforcement – that’s returning enforcement to the ways it’s always been done and the way it’s being done even now in non-sanctuary jurisdictions.” On Monday, President Trump said that “Tim Walz called [him] with the request to work together,” calling it a “very good call” in a post on his platform Truth social. “I told Governor Walz that I would have Tom Homan call him, and that what we are looking for are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession. The Governor, very respectfully, understood that, and I will be speaking to him in the near future. He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I!” Trump continued in his post, writing, “We have had such tremendous SUCCESS in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually every other place that we have ‘touched’ and, even in Minnesota, Crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better!” Walz subsequently indicated that President Trump had agreed during the call to consider pulling out some federal agents from Minnesota, so long as Minnesota leaders follow federal immigration detainers and ensure criminal illegal aliens in state custody are transferred to federal officials. Trump’s reported consideration to pull ICE officials out of Minnesota comes after Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey used harsh language, and sometimes expletives, to tell ICE to “get the f— out” of their city and state. ANIT-ICE MOBS BANKROLLED BY ‘SHADOWY INTERESTS’ PUTTING LAW ENFORCEMENT IN DANGER, CEO WARNS Minnesota’s leaders, in particular those at the state’s Department of Corrections, have been going back-and-forth with the Trump administration over whether it adheres to federal immigration detainers for illegal immigrants caught by police committing crimes. The Trump administration has claimed Minnesota officials’ do not adhere to federal immigration detainers, leading to illegal alien criminals being released back onto the streets, but the state’s Department of Corrections has challenged that assertion, arguing it does adhere to ICE detainers. Fox News Digital reached out to Homeland Security for comment about concerns the Trump administration was “backing down” and was referred to the White House. “The Trump Administration remains committed to removing the worst of the worst from American streets – including in Minnesota – and President Trump wants to work with local leaders to get public safety threats out of their communities,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. “Democrat leaders must stop inflaming tensions and providing sanctuary to dangerous criminal illegal aliens. The Trump Administration will always enforce the law and do what’s best for the American people.” Numerous congressional lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were also contacted, asking whether they thought Trump’s potential decision to pull federal agents from Minnesota was “backing down” and whether it might embolden the left in other cities, but none returned comment in time for publication. “If I were President Trump, I would almost think about, OK, if the mayor and governor are going put our ICE officials in harm’s way and there’s a chance of losing more innocent lives, or whatever, then maybe go to another city and let the people of Minneapolis decide: Do we want to continue to have all of these illegals?” Rep. James Comer, R- Ky., said on Sunday. Amid news of federal agents potentially pulling out of Minnesota, questions began swirling about the status of top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovion, who was tapped by the Trump administration to lead Border Patrol’s large-scale operations like the one occurring in Minnesota. “Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties. As press secretary Leavitt stated from the White House podium, Gregory Bovino is a key part of the President’s team and a great American,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Monday. But multiple federal sources confirmed to Fox News’ Bil Melugin that Bovino’s position called “Commander of at large operations” has now ended for him. He will now return to his prior duties leading border security efforts in California’s
Mamdani’s early moves as mayor clash with affordability pledge: ‘Ripple effects are significant’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ran on a message of making the Big Apple more affordable for everyday Americans, but some of his actions in the first few weeks of his tenure have served to undercut that reality. In the early days of his time as mayor, Mamdani has already shown a penchant for vehemently defending low-wage, unskilled delivery-app workers in a manner that industry executives and business experts think will hit consumers’ pocketbooks. He sued a delivery app startup earlier this month for allegedly violating the city’s worker-rights laws, and warned the broader range of delivery app companies operating in the city to abide by ramped up worker rights being imposed at the end of the month, or else. At a press conference announcing the lawsuit and accompanying demand letters issued to delivery app companies warning them to follow the updated worker protections, Mamdani also accused the delivery-app startup, MotoClick, of stealing workers’ tips. Among the reforms Mamdani has signaled he plans to vigorously enforce is a mandated tipping framework that estimates show could push more than half-a-billion in additional costs on consumers annually. The updated protections will also add more delivery-app companies, such as those that deliver groceries, to the list that must follow the delivery-app worker rights laws, including a mandated minimum wage higher than what some emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the city make. ‘ZOHRANOMICS’: NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST MATH DOESN’T ADD UP “We know affordability is not just about the cost of goods — it’s about the dignity of work,” Mamdani’s Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Sam Levine told companies including DoorDash, GrubHub and Uber. “Today’s lawsuit against Motoclick is not just an action against one company, it’s a warning to every app-based company from this Administration. You cannot treat workers like they are expendable and get away with it. We will seek full back pay and damages. We will seek full accountability.” Mamdani pointed to a recent report put out by Levine, which showed disobeying city mandates going into effect later this month, requiring apps to give the opportunity for customers to tip before or at the same time that an order has been placed, significantly impacts the amount of incoming tip revenue. Levine’s report that Mamdani touted estimates alternative tipping frameworks, such as only allowing tips upon completion of a delivery, have altered tipping revenue by an estimated $550 million per year. Mamdani also stood by in tacit agreement during the press conference as delivery-app worker advocates called for an increase to their already mandated minimum wage they have that is approximately $4.50 higher for delivery-app drivers than the city’s base minimum wage of $17 per hour. The workers said they wanted a mandate that they get paid $35 per hour, to which Mamdani replied: “closed mouths don’t get fed.” Mamdani campaigned on raising the base minimum wage to $30 per hour for all New Yorkers by 2030. Meanwhile, his eager enforcement to protect delivery-app drivers will include making sure a wider breadth of delivery-app companies, such as those who deliver groceries like InstaCart and Shipt, abide by New York City’s extended minimum wage laws for their workers – plus the other mandates related to the tipping structure and more. DCWP has indicated plans to set a minimum pay rate for all delivery apps by early 2027. HOURS AFTER TAKING OFFICE, NYC MAYOR MAMDANI TARGETS LANDLORDS, MOVES TO INTERVENE IN PRIVATE BANKRUPTCY CASE “The challenges facing delivery workers, small businesses, and consumers are real, and deeply interconnected. That’s why this issue cannot be reduced to a single policy lever or viewed in isolation,” a spokesperson for the Bronx Chamber of Commerce told Fox News Digital. “Small businesses across the Bronx and throughout New York City are already under extraordinary pressure. When additional costs are layered on without a full economic analysis, those costs are predictably passed down to consumers or absorbed through reduced hours, reduced staffing, or closures. When businesses close, communities lose jobs, services, and economic anchors, and the ripple effects are significant.” The Chamber of Commerce spokesperson added that Mamdani has an opportunity “to lead by tackling affordability in a holistic way,” which they said would require “comprehensive cost analysis and coordinated solutions that support workers while ensuring the small business ecosystem and consumer affordability are not unintentionally harmed.” When reached for comment about the discrepancy between Mamdani’s message of making New York City more affordable for everyone, versus his push to protect delivery-app worker rights that could impact consumer pricing, a New York City Hall spokesperson argued that “the insinuation that putting more money in the pockets of delivery workers undercuts affordability is absurd.” “Delivery Workers are important members of our city’s economy, and deserve to be paid fairly – anything less is unacceptable,” the spokesperson added. “As Mayor Mamdani continues to stand up for everyday New Yorkers and actualize his ambitious agenda to make New York City truly livable for families. Affordability has been, and will continue to be, a guiding light.” But DoorDash’s head of public policy for North America, John Horton, said that ensuring delivery-app workers “earn double what many first responders in the city make” is not a policy solution they believe will make New York City more affordable. Currently, a local fire technician and emergency medical services union in the city is in the midst of a public awareness campaign to raise their wages because they make less than delivery-app drivers at $18.94 per hour. “A thriving New York will take a partnership between elected officials, the business community and workers to ensure we are all working in the best interests of New Yorkers in the midst of the city’s affordability crisis,” Horton added. Fox News Digital followed up with Mamdani’s campaign to inquire about the complaint that EMS and some firemen in the city are making less than delivery-app workers, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Trump admin wins court victory freeing ICE agents from Minnesota protest restrictions
A federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration Monday in a ruling that blocks restrictions on tactics being used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while dealing with anti-ICE agitators in Minnesota. The ruling by the three-judge panel 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals put a stay on a lower court ruling that prevented officers from arresting, detaining, pepper-spraying or retaliating against protesters in Minneapolis without probable cause as anti-ICE agitators continue to confront authorities carrying out enforcement operations. “We accessed and viewed the same videos the district court did,” the appeals court said in the ruling. “What they show is observers and protesters engaging in a wide range of conduct, some of it peaceful but much of it not. They also show federal agents responding in various ways.” GO BIG, THEN GO SMART: TRUMP, ICE AND THE LAW. HOW TO SKIP THE LEFT’S PR TRAP The lawsuit alleged that federal authorities violated the civil rights of six protesters. Last week, the court temporarily lifted restrictions on ICE agents’ use of force against protesters in Minnesota. Monday’s ruling grants a “FULL STAY,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said. WHITE HOUSE BLAMES DEMOCRATS FOR ICE VIOLENCE AS MINNEAPOLIS ERUPTS, INSURRECTION ACT THREAT LOOMS “Liberal judges tried to handcuff our federal law enforcement officers, restrict their actions, and put their safety at risk when responding to violent agitators,” she wrote on X. “The DOJ went to court. We got a temporary stay. NOW, the 8th Circuit has fully agreed that this reckless attempt to undermine law enforcement cannot stand.” In a Jan. 16 ruling, U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez sided with the protesters and issued the preliminary injunction. The plaintiffs sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE over their treatment during immigration enforcement operations. In her ruling, Menendez found the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on claims that federal agents violated their First and Fourth Amendment rights during protests and observation of ICE activity tied to Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities. She cited incidents in which ICE agents allegedly used pepper spray, pointed weapons, made arrests and conducted traffic stops against individuals who were peacefully observing or protesting immigration enforcement. Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Trump has ‘very good’ call with Minneapolis Mayor Frey, announces border czar Homan meeting
President Donald Trump said he had a “very good” call with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and announced that border czar Tom Homan will meet with him, as riots continue to erupt in the city amid a federal immigration enforcement operation. Trump shared the update in a post on Truth Social, signaling increased federal engagement with city leaders as authorities respond to the unrest. “I just had a very good telephone conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey, of Minneapolis,” the president 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!” Frey offered his own account of the call later Monday, outlining his position on the federal immigration enforcement operation and the conditions under which the city will continue cooperating with state and federal authorities. JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM ‘DESTROYING OR ALTERING’ EVIDENCE IN DEADLY MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING “I spoke with President Trump today and appreciated the conversation. I expressed how much Minneapolis has benefited from our immigrant communities and was clear that my main ask is that Operation Metro Surge needs to end,” Frey wrote. “The president agreed the present situation can’t continue. “Some federal agents will begin leaving the area tomorrow, and I will continue pushing for the rest involved in this operation to go,” he continued. “Minneapolis will continue to cooperate with state and federal law enforcement on real criminal investigations — but we will not participate in unconstitutional arrests of our neighbors or enforce federal immigration law.” Frey said violent criminals should be held accountable for the crimes they commit, not based on where they are from. ICE SAYS VIOLENT MOB HELPED CRIMINAL ESCAPE AND LEFT ICE AGENT PERMANENTLY MAIMED “I will continue working with all levels of government to keep our communities safe, keep crime down, and put Minneapolis residents first,” he wrote, confirming he also plans to meet with Homan on Tuesday to discuss next steps. The social media posts came hours after Trump spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz about the unrest gripping Minneapolis in the wake of federal immigration enforcement actions. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the call during her Monday briefing, saying Trump wants to “let cops be cops” as authorities respond to the unrest. TRUMP DEPLOYS BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN TO MINNESOTA AS ICE OPERATIONS FACE VIOLENT CHAOS She criticized Walz and Frey for what she described as encouraging anti-ICE agitators, which she argued contributed to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by law enforcement this month. Leavitt said Trump wants the unrest to end immediately and outlined what she called a clear path to restoring law and order in Minnesota, beginning with a demand that state and local officials turn over illegal aliens who are incarcerated or have active warrants or known criminal histories. Trump is also calling on local law enforcement to assist federal authorities by transferring custody of arrested illegal aliens and helping locate suspects wanted for crimes. “We want to let cops be cops,” Leavitt said.
GOP senator demands DHS immigration chiefs testify after fatal shootings in Minnesota
A top Senate Republican is demanding that the heads of several immigration-focused units at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) testify publicly before the Senate. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., called on the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS) to come before his panel, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, next month. In three separate letters to acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, Paul noted that DHS had received “an exceptional amount of funding to secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws.” THUNE STEAMROLLS DEMS’ DHS REVOLT AS FETTERMAN DEFECTS, SCHUMER UNDER PRESSURE “Congress has an obligation to conduct oversight of those tax dollars and ensure the funding is used to accomplish the mission, provide proper support for our law enforcement, and, most importantly, protect the American people,” Paul wrote. “I write to request your testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs at an open hearing by February 12, 2026,” he continued. “Please provide your availability to appear before the Committee by the close of business on January 28, 2026.” SENATE DEMOCRATS THREATEN SHUTDOWN BY BLOCKING DHS FUNDING AFTER MINNESOTA ICE SHOOTING Paul’s request comes on the heels of the second fatal shooting involving a border patrol agent and U.S. citizen in the last month since the Trump administration ordered DHS to enter Minnesota. Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good were both fatally shot by border patrol agents, which has prompted pushback from Senate Democrats and some Republicans on the Trump administration’s activity in the state. KEY SENATOR WON’T FUND DHS AS ICE, FEDERAL AGENTS ENTER HIS STATE But Paul’s request is more focused on the funding element of the situation. Senate Democrats are gearing up to block the upcoming DHS funding bill, which could thrust the government into another shutdown. And Paul wants to know how the billion already allocated to the agency, likely through President Donald Trump’s “one, big beautiful bill,” are being used. Paul’s request also comes as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is set to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in early March after several months of not responding to a pair of requests from Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
Chicago teacher placed on leave after Facebook post supporting ICE sparks outrage from activists
FIRST ON FOX: A Chicago area teacher is on administrative leave and facing calls to lose his job over a Facebook post last week offering support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “GO ICE,” the teacher at West Chicago’s Gary Elementary School, posted on Facebook last week. Shortly after the post was made, activists in the predominantly Hispanic community quickly began sharing the post and calling for action to be taken against the teacher, who Fox News Digital is not naming due to safety concerns. “Imagine working as a teacher in an elementary school in West Chicago where the Latino community is highly populated and promoting ICE, sick AF,” one social media post said. Another commenter called the teacher a “f****** piece of s***.” GOT A SCOOP ON CAMPUS? SEND US A TIP HERE Activists began circulating a flyer online, with a Change.org petition, calling for the employee’s job and for students to stay home from school in protest, saying, “the casual way in which he publicly promoted the actions of ICE in our area is inappropriate and unsuitable for an educator.” “The best way to show our district that we need action to be taken – is to show them that keeping this teacher will disrupt the emotional welfare and therefore, the education of our students,” the flyer said. Fox News Digital could not independently locate the employee’s comment or the Facebook post that the employee was responding to and his account appears to have been deleted. The Change.org petition described the comment as being “in response to a community article.” Local leaders also got involved, including Karina Villa, an Illinois state Senator representing the 25th District, who posted a message saying she stands in “unwavering solidarity” with families upset about the “disturbing comments reportedly made by an educator.” SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS OVER ‘DERANGED’ TEACHER MOCKING CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH IN ‘NO KINGS’ VIRAL VIDEO Villa went on to acknowledge that freedom of speech is a “protected right” but “as educators we have the responsibility to our students and their families to create a safe and welcoming environment for all.” In an email sent to parents by the district’s superintendent, Kristina Davis, and obtained by Fox News Digital, the district explains that “the employee submitted a written resignation” on Friday before an investigation could take place, but the employee then withdrew that resignation before the board could approve it, therefore allowing him to come to work on Monday. “The district has obtained legal counsel to conduct an investigation beginning on Monday,” Davis wrote. “The district will share additional information as appropriate. District 33 remains committed to providing safe, caring, and inclusive learning environments for all students. Thank you for your continued partnership.” Fox News Digital reached out to West Chicago Elementary School District 33 for comment and specifics on what, if any rule, the teacher violated by posting support for law enforcement on Facebook. The city of West Chicago held a “listening session” on Monday at the request of Mayor Daniel Bovey, that included a Spanish translator, where a variety of parents and locals expressed concerns about the post, including a woman who said “kids do not feel safe” as a result of the post and another woman who said the post was “cruel.” On Monday afternoon, a district spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that the teacher had been placed on leave after a Monday meeting. “On Thursday, January 22, 2026, the District learned of concerns regarding a disruptive social media comment made by a District employee on his personal account,” the statement said. “The teacher initially submitted his resignation. Later that day, he withdrew his resignation before the Board had an opportunity to take action.” The statement continued, “Following a meeting with District administration today, the employee involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation and will not be permitted on any District property while on leave.” “We understand that this situation has raised concerns and caused disruption for students, families, and staff. We want to ensure our schools are safe spaces, and we look forward to seeing all students back in school tomorrow. Thank you for your patience, trust, and partnership during the ongoing investigation.” The spokesperson did not respond when asked by Fox News Digital what specific policies the teacher had potentially violated by supporting law enforcement on Facebook.