Good evening, everyone. A lot of news broke this afternoon. Here are a few top lines.
Greg Bovino and senior CBP officials have been removed from Minnesota and are preparing to leave the state, as the Trump administration appears to be urgently searching for an off-ramp. At the same time, Republicans on Capitol Hill are demanding answers from Secretary Noem, while Democrats are pushing for her immediate impeachment. It is becoming increasingly clear that Noem does not currently have the support needed to remain in her role.
I want to pause for just a moment to share something important. Over the past 48 hours, our coverage has reached tens of millions of people around the world. That matters, especially given the volume of misinformation coming from the administration. We broke through. We made sure the truth was seen and heard. We did that together.
Thank you for your support over the past several days. I know I’ve sent a lot of updates, but I’ve also seen so many of your messages and words of encouragement. A special thank you to everyone who has subscribed to support this work. I truly could not do this without you. If you’re able, please consider subscribing today.
Here’s the news:
- Facing mounting backlash after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents, the Trump White House is moving to de-escalate its immigration crackdown in Minneapolis by sending border czar Tom Homan to take direct control, pulling Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino from the city, and signaling a possible reduction in federal presence, as Republicans warn the strategy is backfiring politically, polling shows slipping support on immigration, and shutdown threats loom over DHS funding.
- Donald Trump is taking the off ramp this afternoon. Trump said “lots of progress” was made after speaking with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, with further talks planned as Frey said he’s open to constructive dialogue but wary of escalating tensions.
- Meanwhile, CNN has confirmed that Greg Bovino, the border patrol official German media likened to a Nazi, is expected to leave Minneapolis tomorrow, and federal officials say the agency plans to scale back the number of agents in the city later this week. This is what House Homeland Security Democrats said in response to Bovino’s departure:
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said some federal immigration agents will begin leaving the city Tuesday after a call with Trump, who claimed “lots of progress,” as outrage and legal battles intensify over the murder of Alex Pretti and broader opposition grows to the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
- A federal judge is considering whether to extend an order blocking the Trump administration from destroying or altering evidence in the lawsuit over the murder of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent, with the DOJ saying evidence is already being preserved but state lawyers pointing to “serious irregularities,” including limited access for local investigators, disputed handling of body-cam footage and conflicting narratives about the shooting.
- House Democrats are increasingly calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or be impeached (with an impeachment resolution reaching 140 Democratic cosponsors, and Schumer saying she “must be fired”), while several Republicans are also breaking with the administration by demanding a transparent, independent investigation and summoning immigration agency leaders to testify. I spoke with Congressman Robert Garcia who confirmed that an impeachment inquiry will be launched:
- Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul has summoned the heads of ICE, U.S. Border Patrol (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to an open hearing on Feb. 12 as part of congressional oversight of immigration enforcement funding and operations.
- Utah Senator John Curtis, a Republican deeply aligned with the Trump Administration, came out against Kristi Noem today:
- Federal agents used teargas to disperse protesters outside a Minneapolis hotel where demonstrators believed ICE agents were staying, after a protest broke out following the murder of Alex Pretti, further intensifying backlash against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in the city.
- Seven of the eight Senate Democrats who last year voted with Republicans to reopen the government are now opposing a funding package if it includes Homeland Security Department money, arguing they won’t support it without reforms in immigration enforcement; Senator John Fetterman is the only one not joining that stance.
- Cardinal Joseph Tobin, a close U.S. ally of Pope Leo XIV, condemned ICE as a “lawless organization” and urged Congress to vote against funding it, marking the strongest call yet by a U.S. cardinal to defund a federal agency and highlighting a growing moral rift between the Catholic Church and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement.
- Trump announced he is raising tariffs on South Korean imports from 15% to 25%, blaming Seoul’s legislature for failing to implement a trade deal finalized last year, a move that could hit a major U.S. trading partner and further fuel inflation concerns at home.
- Lindsey Halligan, a Trump loyalist with no prosecutorial experience, is no longer employed by the Justice Department after stepping down as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, following court rulings that she was unlawfully appointed and had improperly “masqueraded” as the district’s top prosecutor.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned European leaders that Europe “can’t” defend itself without the United States, arguing that talk of a separate European NATO “pillar” or European army would duplicate NATO and please Putin, while urging the EU to let Ukraine use part of its €90bn loan to buy U.S. weapons since Europe can’t yet supply enough, and saying replacing America’s role (including the nuclear deterrent) would require far higher spending than even NATO’s 5% target.
- Iran is bracing for a possible U.S.- and Israeli-backed military strike after the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group moved into striking range, amid escalating regional tensions, stalled diplomacy, economic turmoil, and fears Washington could pursue regime change rather than nuclear deterrence.
- A new study warns that if global warming reaches 2°C, the number of people exposed to extreme heat will more than double by 2050 to nearly 3.8 billion, with no region spared and major implications for health, energy demand, and global inequality.
- The Guardian has confirmed that the wife of Avtandil Kalandadze, captain of the Venezuela-linked, Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera, has sought a judicial review in Scotland claiming he has been unlawfully detained by U.S. forces since the ship was seized in UK waters, with a Scottish judge issuing an interim order preventing the captain and crew from being removed while the case proceeds.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
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