Following the brokering of &#8220;unprecedented&#8221; cooperation with local authorities in Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced a massive &#8220;drawdown&#8221; of federal immigration agents during a press conference on Wednesday morning.
Starting Wednesday, 700 federal immigration officers and agents will be leaving the Twin Cities area, Homan said. The personnel change comes after Homan said he secured deals with &#8220;an unprecedented number of counties&#8221; that have agreed to &#8220;allow ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets.&#8221;
That will leave 2,000 federal immigration agents in Minnesota, along with all the teams working on fraud investigations, Homan said.
The former ICE chief also met with Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with local police chiefs, last week.
&#8220;We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets, unprecedented cooperation. And I&#8217;ll say it again, this is efficient, it requires only one or two officers to assume custody of a criminal alien target rather than eight or ten officers going into the community and arresting that public safety threat,&#8221; Homan said.
&#8220;More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails, means less officers on the street doing criminal operations. This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement. This is safer for the community, safer for the officers, and safer for the alien,&#8221; he said.
Homan insisted that the Trump administration isn&#8217;t &#8220;surrendering&#8221; its mass deportation campaign.
Going forward, Border Patrol and ICE will now work together &#8220;under one unified command&#8221; rather than the separate &#8220;chains of command&#8221; they were previously operating under, according to Homan.
&#8220;Any large amount of force, an operation I’ve ever been involved with, there’s one chain of command,&#8221; he said.
Homan also clarified that while arrest operations will be &#8220;targeted,&#8221; focusing on nabbing the worst illegal immigrant criminals first, anyone who is in the country illegally is still on the table.
President Donald Trump sent Homan to Minneapolis last week, replacing Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who was known for his aggressive and made-for-TV raids. Bovino&#8217;s tactics also included more sweeping patrols.
Bovino has since returned to his duties as the Border Patrol chief of California&#8217;s El Centro sector.
The leadership change came after two anti-ICE protesters were shot and killed by federal immigration agents.
To prevent further bloodshed, Homan said he&#8217;s asked local police chiefs to respond when federal immigration agents are up against violent protesters.
&#8220;Every chief I talked to, every one of them promised to respond to any public safety issue when our officers are out doing their sworn duty and people start crossing the line and they start impeding and interfering,&#8221; Homan said.
&#8220;There&#8217;s still more sheriffs we are in discussions with and are talking to, but I have not heard the word no,&#8221; he added.
Minnesota Sheriffs Association executive director James Stuart told The Daily Wire that the &#8220;vast majority&#8221; of sheriffs in the state want better communication with ICE, while also advocating for a draw down of federal agents.
Stuart said the deals with ICE and local sheriffs are not yet complete, adding that it&#8217;s &#8220;a work in progress&#8221; that could take weeks or months.
In an effort to increase transparency, the Trump administration will deploy body-worn cameras for all federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.

US-IMMIGRATION-ICE-SHOOTING

Homan Strikes Deal In Minnesota, Yanks Hundreds Of Immigration Officers

jacob frey

Minneapolis

Tim Walz

Tom Homan

Minneapolis Live Blog

LIVE UPDATES: Tom Homan Announces Drawdown Of 700 Law Enforcement Officers In Minnesota

Donald Trump

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Minnesota

Trump Administration

Every federal immigration officer on the ground in Minneapolis will now have a body camera following two recent fatal shootings of anti-ICE agitators.
The decision comes after President Donald Trump replaced Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino with his border czar, Tom Homan, who took command of immigration operations in Minneapolis last week.
Homan&#8217;s arrival was sparked by the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent and came just weeks after an ICE agent fired fatal shots at Renee Good after she appeared to hit him with her car. It has also led to a more targeted approach for arrests, with agents prioritizing the worst criminals first.
The officer who shot Good recorded the interaction on his phone.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
I just spoke with <a href="https://twitter.com/RealTomHoman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealTomHoman</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ICEDirector?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICEDirector</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBPCommissioner?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBPCommissioner</a>. Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis.
As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide. We will rapidly acquire and deploy body…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2018435428932538861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the latest policy change following a conversation with Homan, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, she said in an X post on Monday.
&#8220;Effective immediately, we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis,&#8221; Noem said.
She added that the program &#8220;will be expanded nationwide&#8221; &#8220;as funding is available.&#8221;
&#8220;We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;The most transparent administration in American history—thank you @POTUS Trump. Make America Safe Again,&#8221; she added.
When Daily Wire White House reporter Mary Margaret Olohan asked the president about Noem&#8217;s announcement, he didn&#8217;t appear to have prior knowledge of the decision.
Still, he said he supports it.
&#8220;It wasn&#8217;t my decision; I leave it to her. They generally tend to be good for law enforcement because people can&#8217;t lie about what&#8217;s happening,&#8221; Trump said during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office on Monday.
&#8220;If she wants to do the camera thing, that&#8217;s ok with me,&#8221; Trump said.
Body-worn cameras for federal immigration agents have become a centerpiece of Congress&#8217; latest battle to fund the Department of Homeland Security since the recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
Just days before Pretti was shot, footage originally published by The News Movement showed him kicking in the taillight of a vehicle driven by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.
The video also showed Pretti spitting on an officer and raising his middle finger to the vehicle before one agent gets out of the vehicle and quickly wrestles him to the ground.
The agents eventually let him go, and he was reportedly left with a broken rib. Pretti appeared to have a gun in his waistband as he walked away.
“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,” attorney Steve Schleicher, who represents Pretti’s family, told the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/bystander-video-reveals-confrontation-between-alex-pretti-and-federal-agents-11-days-before-killing/601572009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota Star Tribune</a> after reviewing the footage.

Trump Admin ‘Deploying Body Cameras To Every’ Federal Immigration Agent In Minneapolis

Border Patrol

Executive

Kristi Noem

U.S.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery has ordered the release of Adrian Conejo Arias, an illegal alien who was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, and his five-year-old son Liam Conejo Ramos.
Biery, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/judge-orders-5-year-old-liam-conejo-ramos-dad-detained-minnesota-released-ice-detention-texas/18516884/">issued a ruling</a> on Saturday that focused almost entirely on the child — who was being held in a San Antonio detention center with his father, at his father&#8217;s request — and blamed President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration for leaving the five-year-old &#8220;traumatized.&#8221;
In his ruling, Biery suggested that Arias had only been swept up because ICE was attempting to meet specific &#8220;quotas&#8221; for deportation, adding, &#8220;the case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.&#8221;
He went on to accuse the Trump administration of taking actions against illegal aliens that were reminiscent of the actions taken by England, driving the American founders to revolt. &#8220;Apparent also is the government&#8217;s ignorance of an American historical document called the Declaration of Independence,&#8221; he wrote.
Judge Biery included one photo in his ruling — a photo of the child with his Spiderman backpack and blue knitted bunny hat — and punctuated that by quoting the New Testament: &#8220;Jesus said, &#8216;Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'&#8221;
Biery&#8217;s ruling ordering the pair to be freed comes after they were visited by prominent Texas politicians like Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), the latter of whom is running for the U.S. Senate.
Castro even went so far as to deliver the two back to Minnesota personally.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Liam is home now and we are grateful to <a href="https://twitter.com/JoaquinCastrotx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoaquinCastrotx</a> for traveling to Minneapolis with him and his dad.
Welcome home Liam ❤️❤️ <a href="https://t.co/nqza20kLkv">https://t.co/nqza20kLkv</a> <a href="https://t.co/EPr0sLJo9g">pic.twitter.com/EPr0sLJo9g</a>
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) <a href="https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/2017994107168112940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The two have been in the headlines since the day Arias was originally detained, when photos circulated of the little boy alone with ICE officers — prompting Democrats and media to quickly claimed that ICE was detaining a child and using him as bait to draw out his mother.
The Department of Homeland Security told a very different story, however, explaining that Arias had been in a vehicle with Liam when officers approached — but had left his son behind and fled on foot. Federal officers took custody of the boy then, reportedly taking him to McDonalds, while others followed and ultimately apprehended his father.
Since they were detained in San Antonio, protesters have surrounded the facility, claiming that Liam was &#8220;stolen from preschool&#8221; and demanding his release. Biery had issued a previous ruling stating that Arias and Ramos could not be deported.

UNITED-STATES-NATIONAL-DAY-OF-TRUTH-AND-FREEDOM-RALLY-IN-NEW-YOR

Clinton-Appointed Judge Orders Illegal Released, Claims ICE ‘Traumatized’ His Son

illegal alien

Illegal Immigration

Media

Politics

Don Lemon has been arrested by federal agents.
The former CNN talking head, who went out on his own and formed his own podcast, either trailed or was involved with a protest that pretty clearly violated the FACE Act, which was designed to guarantee access to abortion clinics for people who didn&#8217;t want to go through protests, and also designed to protect churches in their actual attempts to perform their services.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/don-lemon-arrest-minnesota-church-protest.html">reported</a>: 
<blockquote>“The former CNN anchor Don Lemon and three other people have been arrested on charges that they violated federal law during a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minn., this month, lawyers and Justice Department officials said on Friday, reviving a case that was rejected last week by a magistrate judge.”</blockquote>
Lemon was arrested late Thursday night on charges that he violated federal law. The case had been rejected last week by a magistrate judge. Lemon claims that he was simply reporting as a journalist when he entered Cities Church on January 18 to observe a demonstration against immigration crackdowns in the area. The protesters then got up and disrupted the service, where an ICE official serves as a pastor, chanting ‘ICE out!’”
The Trump administration attempted to charge eight people over the episode, including Lemon. The magistrate judge approved charges against three of the eight people and rejected the evidence against Lemon and the others as insufficient. So the DOJ petitioned the federal appellate court to force the judge to issue the additional warrants they were denied.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2358-don-lemon-arrested?elementPosition=0&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Jump+Back+In&amp;rowType=Continue+Watching+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
The claim being made by the Trump administration is that when these people invaded a church and disrupted services and started shouting at the pastor in violation of the FACE act, Lemon wasn&#8217;t just a person who followed them in there with a microphone, or even a journalist who knew beforehand that he was complicit in the organization of the event. He was involved in a conspiracy to disrupt services here for political purposes, they claim.
Lemon insists he “didn&#8217;t even know they were going to this church until we followed them there.” It appears that this is not true.
Lemon said, “Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization. That&#8217;s it. That&#8217;s called journalism.”
Again, doesn’t seem particularly true. Lemon claims that once the action started, he did not join them; he was simply reporting on it. Pretty clearly, they&#8217;re blurring the lines.
To be fair to Lemon and speaking legally, there is a fine line between a journalist doing a ride-along, even with people who are committing criminal acts, and journalists being involved in the planning and commission of the crime, which is what he’s accused of.
Naturally, people are claiming that this is a crackdown on the First Amendment. They are suggesting that this is an attempt by the Trump administration to “silence people.” That seems like a stretch to me. We&#8217;ll have to see what evidence they have, particularly in terms of prior planning from Lemon and the people involved in this.
Was he involved in recommending sites they should go to? Was he involved in organizing transportation? Was he involved in determining how they should protest? Those will be the questions that come up in court.
But it&#8217;s pretty clear that Lemon was involved in some capacity. I&#8217;m not going to prejudge this case legally, but for people to claim that the federal government has no case at all, that they&#8217;re just arresting him for being a journalist on the scene, is a stretch to me.
I&#8217;m not going to assume his guilt or innocence for the alleged crime. We&#8217;ll have to see the evidence of that.
But the attempt to treat this as a violation of the First Amendment, as an attempt to destroy journalistic capability and all the rest — that’s not accurate either.

MixCollage-30-Jan-2026-03-55-PM-1994

Don Lemon Arrested. Journalist Or Co-Conspirator?

Ben Shapiro

Church

Don Lemon

FACE Act

A top aide in the Minneapolis prosecutor&#8217;s office, previously exposed by The Daily Wire for his alleged participation in an anti-ICE protest that stormed a church in St. Paul, has been arrested.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday that federal authorities arrested Jamael Lundy, along with three others, including ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon, &#8220;in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-prosecutors-aide-spouse-of-city-council-member-disrupted-church-service-in-ice-protest">The Daily Wire</a> previously spotted Lundy in footage taken of the protest.
Lundy works as an intergovernmental affairs coordinator for Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, is married to St. Paul City Council member Anika Bowie, and is currently campaigning for a seat in the state legislature as a Democrat, according to his campaign website.
Lundy&#8217;s role in Moriarty&#8217;s office involves communicating with the federal government. He has done so in an existing investigation into Moriarty, boasting that she takes into account a suspect’s “racial identity” when making charging decisions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Arrested: Jamael Lundy &#8211; works for the Hennepin County Attorney’s office and a candidate for Senate. <a href="https://t.co/Iu23Rc1qx6">pic.twitter.com/Iu23Rc1qx6</a>
— 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑠 (@chiIIum) <a href="https://twitter.com/chiIIum/status/2017244545528803744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote>
Lemon was also seen interviewing Lundy during the recent protest.
“People are fighting back and organizing, in large part without support from officials, local officials. There are some people who want to be involved, local officials, but they’re doing this all on their own, this is all grassroots,” Lemon said. Pulling a member of the crowd out at random, he asked: “Without giving out what the operation is, why are you out here?”
The man, who turned out to be Lundy, answered: “I’m here to support our community activists. I’m currently a candidate for Minnesota State Senate District 65. I feel like it’s important if you’re going to be representing people in office, that you’re out here with the people as well.”
Lemon seemingly ignored the remark and responded: “The people are organizing on their own, even without representatives or officials, and hoping that everyone gets involved. This is grassroots.”
Lundy replied, “We all we got. I’m actually married to an elected official; I work closely with elected officials, but direct action from the community, certainly within the lines of the law, is so important to show that we have one voice.”
Once inside the church, a man who appeared to be Lundy was seen raising his fist and chanting the name of the pastor the group accused of being an ICE agent, followed by “OUT, OUT,” as well as “Who shut this down? We shut this down.”
Lundy previously worked for Minnesota House Rep. Carlos Mariani, the Democratic House Caucus Campaign, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, and the state teachers union, according to his campaign website.
He also started “Black Operations Public Relations LLC,” and runs a company called “Homes for Homies Property Management LLC,” that provides &#8220;affordable housing for those struggling with credit and criminal backgrounds.”
The Homes for Homies website says: “He founded this company with the vision of improving housing access to all, but specifically to those with low income, criminal backgrounds, and people of color. Since it’s [sic] founding, home for homies [sic] has grown from a property management company with a goal of removing barriers to housing to a real estate development company centered around expanding housing affordability through expanding housing supply. As Home for Homies continues to expand, its founding values of making profit through making a difference remains [sic].”
Lundy suggests that his “profit” comes from federal Section 8 funds. On social media, he seemed to imply that he would rent homes to illegal immigrants by stating he was &#8220;open to all residents of all statuses.&#8221;
“It’s become increasingly apparent how much folks are hurting from the economic impact of the lawless federal occupation of the Twin Cities and as a result, I’m seeing the longest vacancy in my tenure as a landlord. For that reason, I am intentionally reducing the price by $300 a month for this 3/4 bedroom listing on the East Side of Saint Paul, far below the normal price I set based off of section 8 guidance. So if your [sic] looking for a deeply affordable 3-4 bedroom unit, without credit or criminal background barriers, open to all residents of all statuses, please contact me via DM,&#8221; Lundy wrote in a Facebook post.

Jamel Lundy

Feds Nab Minneapolis Prosecutor’s Top Aide Exposed By Daily Wire For Role In Anti-ICE Church Mob

Feds Nab Minneapolis Prosecutor’s Top Aide Exposed By Daily Wire For Taking Part In Anti-ICE Church 

Department of Justice

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

President Donald Trump said on Friday that video of Alex Pretti&#8217;s altercation with federal agents 11 days before he was shot and killed proves that the Minneapolis man was an &#8220;agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist.&#8221;
Trump argued that Pretti&#8217;s &#8220;stock has gone way down&#8221; after the video <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-pretti-attacked-immigration-enforcement-days-before-fatal-shooting-video-shows">shows</a> the man confronting federal agents in Minneapolis and kicking out the taillight of a federal vehicle. The video was released by The News Movement earlier this week and published by numerous news outlets.
&#8220;Agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist, Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer, and then crazily kicking in a new and very expensive government vehicle, so hard and violent, in fact, that the taillight broke off in pieces,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115982625271651077">wrote</a> in an early morning Truth Social post. &#8220;It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, not an easy thing to be under those circumstances!&#8221;
The footage shows a man yelling and spitting at federal immigration agents on January 13 before he damaged a federal vehicle as it began to drive away. Federal agents then got out of the vehicle and tackled the man to the ground. Pretti&#8217;s family confirmed that it was him in the video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Minnesota Star Tribune confirmed with Alex Pretti&#8217;s family that the man in this video is indeed Alex Pretti.
Filmed by <a href="https://twitter.com/thenewsmovement?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thenewsmovement</a> on January 13, two weeks before Pretti was shot by ICE: <a href="https://t.co/1yLKLApXvB">pic.twitter.com/1yLKLApXvB</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2016661993671811210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Pretti family&#8217;s attorney, Steve Schleicher, said the video shows Pretti getting &#8220;violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents.&#8221; Before the video was released, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/27/us/alex-pretti-protesters-minneapolis-invs">reported</a> that Pretti broke a rib during an altercation with ICE agents a week before his death. One source who spoke to Pretti after the altercation told CNN, “That day, he thought he was going to die.” Pretti was reportedly released at the scene after the confrontation.
A little over a week later, Pretti was shot and killed in the street by Border Patrol agents after confronting authorities who were conducting an immigration operation. Pretti, who was armed with a 9 mm handgun, got into an altercation with agents as they were pushing demonstrators off the road. Video shows Pretti getting pepper-sprayed before he&#8217;s taken to the ground. Pretti then resists as officers attempt to detain him. The video appears to show one agent taking Pretti&#8217;s gun while he&#8217;s on the ground before two other agents fire around 10 shots in five seconds, killing Pretti.
After the deadly shooting, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Pretti a &#8220;domestic terrorist,&#8221; a response that sparked criticism from within Noem&#8217;s department, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-trump-administrations-growing-divide-over-mass-deportation-raids?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Inside+The+Trump+Administration%E2%80%99s+Growing+Divide+Over+Mass+Deportation+Raids">reported</a>. Earlier this week, Trump said he did not believe Pretti was &#8220;acting as an assassin,&#8221; as was suggested by top officials in his administration.
“With that being said, you can’t have guns,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;You can’t walk in with guns. You just can’t. You can’t walk in with guns, you can’t do that. But it’s a very unfortunate incident.&#8221;
After another Minneapolis resident, Renee Good, was shot and killed by an ICE officer earlier this month, the Trump administration also labeled her a domestic terrorist. The president, however, later said that &#8220;under normal circumstances,&#8221; Good was likely a &#8220;very, solid wonderful person,&#8221; adding, &#8220;But, you know, her actions were pretty tough.&#8221;

Trump: Video Suggests Alex Pretti May Have Been An ‘Insurrectionist’

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday for allegedly violating the law for his role in an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church earlier this month, his attorneys say.
A statement from Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said he was arrested by federal authorities on Thursday night while covering the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell’s statement read. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”
Lemon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-ice-activists-storm-minnesota-church-with-don-lemon-doj-launches-probe?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Anti-ICE+Activists+Storm+Minnesota+Church+With+Don+Lemon%3B+DOJ+Launches+Probe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> a group of leftist rioters for a January 18 protest organized and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DToXsEEEVk2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promoted</a> by the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota. The mob targeted Cities Church in St. Paul because one of its pastors allegedly worked with ICE. Rioters have descended on the Twin Cities since the January killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent.
The group’s leader, Nekima Levy-Armstrong, told Lemon that the protest was a “clandestine operation” to “disrupt business as usual.”
“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,&#8221; Lowell, best known for defending Hunter Biden, wrote in his statement. &#8220;This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand.&#8221;
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-minnesota-church-protesters-should-be-jailed-or-thrown-out-of-the-country?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%3A+Minnesota+Church+Protesters+Should+Be+Jailed+Or+%E2%80%98Thrown+Out+Of+The+Country%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the &#8220;troublemakers&#8221; behind the protest &#8220;should be thrown in jail,&#8221; and his administration roundly rejected Lemon&#8217;s claim that his activities were protected under the First Amendment. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-vows-to-pursue-don-lemon-charges-to-the-ends-of-the-earth?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DOJ+Vows+To+Pursue+Don+Lemon+Charges+%E2%80%98To+The+Ends+Of+The+Earth%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Lemon was &#8220;not out of legal jeopardy&#8221; and vowed that the Justice Department would &#8220;pursue&#8221; Lemon to the ends of the Earth.&#8221;
A federal appeals court earlier this month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-finds-probable-cause-to-charge-don-lemon-but-rejects-dojs-bid-to-force-arrest-warrant?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Appeals+Court+Finds+Probable+Cause+To+Charge+Don+Lemon%2C+But+Rejects+DOJ%E2%80%99s+Bid+To+Force+Arrest+Warrant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> probable cause to charge Lemon. The Justice Department will likely seek to charge Lemon under the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-law-weaponized-against-pro-lifers-could-be-used-to-prosecute-anti-ice-agitators?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+The+Law+Weaponized+Against+Pro-Lifers+Could+Be+Used+To+Prosecute+Anti-ICE+Agitators" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FACE Act</a>, a law that prohibits the disruption of worship services, which the Biden administration infamously used to prosecute peaceful anti-abortion protesters.
Lemon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-claims-trump-will-go-around-a-judge-to-prosecute-him?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Don+Lemon+Claims+Trump+Will+%E2%80%98Go+Around%E2%80%99+A+Judge+To+Prosecute+Him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> the Trump administration is going to prosecute him as punishment, suggesting that the Justice Department would even violate the law to see him locked up.
“If there’s no law to fit, they will try to fit or retrofit something or go around a judge and just do it themselves,&#8221; Lemon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-claims-trump-will-go-around-a-judge-to-prosecute-him?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Don+Lemon+Claims+Trump+Will+%E2%80%98Go+Around%E2%80%99+A+Judge+To+Prosecute+Him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> fellow former CNN personality Alisyn Camerota earlier this month. &#8220;If one doesn’t work, then they try something else and that fails, and they try something else and then they just don’t give up.&#8221;
Three of the anti-ICE agitators who organized the church storming, including Armstrong, have been arrested by the FBI. William Kelly, a prominent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/career-activist-who-disrupted-minneapolis-worship-service-also-targeted-hegseths-dc-church?author=Megan+Basham&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Career+Activist+Who+Disrupted+Minneapolis+Worship+Service+Also+Targeted+Hegseth%E2%80%99s+DC+Church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">professional protester</a> who has demonstrated outside the church of War Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington, D.C., was among those who entered the sanctuary during the Sunday morning service.
The Justice Department is expected to hold a press conference on Lemon&#8217;s arrest later Friday.
This is a developing story. Please refresh this page for updates.

Don Lemon, Nekima Levy-Armstrong

Don Lemon Arrested By Feds For Role In Minnesota Church Protest

ICE has accused the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis of shielding an illegal immigrant criminal from arrest on Tuesday.
Jorge Miguel Bravo Uriles, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador whose rap sheet includes a DUI conviction from 2022, a sexual assault arrest, and two separate assaults, ran into the consulate as federal agents were attempting to nab him, an ICE spokesperson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ecuador-complains-trump-admin-alleging-ice-agent-sought-enter-minneapolis-consulate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News Digital. Bravo Uriles remains on the run.
&#8220;When ICE officers approached Bravo Urgiles and identified themselves as law enforcement, the criminal illegal alien fled into a nearby building. Unknown to the ICE officers at the time, the building housed the Consulate of Ecuador, however, the building was not clearly marked as the Ecuadorian Consulate,&#8221; the ICE spokesperson said.
&#8220;The ICE officers were focused on arresting the criminal illegal alien, their own safety, and the safety of the public. At no time did the ICE officers enter the Consulate. The Consulate employees protected this public safety threat illegal alien. He is still at large,&#8221; they continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
A staffer at the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis, Minnesota prevented an ICE agent from entering the building on Tuesday telling him, &#8220;you cannot enter here, this is a consulate.&#8221;
The ICE agent then threatened the worker who blocked the entrance with his body, saying &#8220;if you… <a href="https://t.co/VHBWmUyaml">pic.twitter.com/VHBWmUyaml</a>
— CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/2016626480663404793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
A video of the incident appears to show a man inside the consulate approaching the agents, who were standing outside a door to the building.
&#8220;This is the consulate of Ecuador, you are not allowed to enter,&#8221; the man could be heard saying.
&#8220;I did not enter. Relax &#8230; If you touch me, I will grab you,&#8221; another voice could be heard saying.
Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident an &#8220;attempted incursion.&#8221;
&#8220;Immediately, consular officials prevented the ICE officer from entering the consular headquarters, thereby guaranteeing the protection of the Ecuadorians who were at the consular headquarters at that time and activating the emergency protocols issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility,&#8221; the ministry said.
&#8220;In light of the above, the Chancellor of the Republic immediately presented a note of protest to the United States Embassy in Ecuador to ensure that acts of this nature are not repeated in any of the consular offices of Ecuador in the United States,&#8221; they added.
One witness said she &#8220;saw the officers going after two people in the street, and then those people went into the consulate and the officers tried to go in after them,&#8221; adding that the agents &#8220;weren’t able to enter the consulate, from what I could see,&#8221; <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuador-says-ice-agent-tried-enter-consulate-minneapolis-2026-01-28/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Reuters.
The incident comes as President Donald Trump&#8217;s border czar, Tom Homan, takes over the immigration arrest agenda in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homans-presser-sheds-light-on-trump-admins-shift-on-minneapolis-immigration-raids?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Homan%E2%80%99s+Presser+Sheds+Light+On+Trump+Admin%E2%80%99s+Shift+On+Minneapolis+Immigration+Raids">Homan</a> spoke to the press Thursday morning, saying that federal authorities are focusing their efforts on arresting the worst criminals first.
“All operations will be targeted, but the prioritization [is] going to be criminal aliens, public safety threats, and national security threats… we’ve got a lot of them to keep us busy… if you’re in the country illegally, you’re never off the table,” Homan said.

Untitled design – 2026-01-29T124835.309

Foreign Consulate In Minneapolis Shielded Illegal Immigrant Criminal From Arrest, ICE Says

Ecuadorian Consulate In Minneapolis Shielded Illegal Immigrant Criminal From Arrest, ICE Says

White House border czar Tom Homan arrived in Minneapolis on Monday to address the ongoing illegal immigration raids and anti-ICE protests, but did not appear publicly until Thursday morning, when he spoke at a press conference.
Homan, who has been in meetings with federal, state, and local officials since he touched down in the Twin Cities, made clear that he wasn&#8217;t there for &#8220;photo ops or headlines.&#8221;
President Donald Trump sent the former acting ICE chief to Minneapolis to replace Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who was known for parading through the city flanked by fellow agents in a more aggressive show of force.
Homan indicated that he was there to clean up a mess.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not here because the federal government has carried out its mission perfectly,&#8221; Homan said.
&#8220;I come here looking for solutions. I do not want to hear that everything&#8217;s been done here has been perfect. Nothing&#8217;s ever perfect. Anything can be improved on. And what we&#8217;ve been working on is making this operation safer, more efficient, by the book. The mission is going to improve because of the changes we&#8217;re making internally. No agency organization is perfect,&#8221; Homan said.
&#8220;President Trump and I, along with others in the administration, have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made. That&#8217;s exactly what I&#8217;m doing here,&#8221; he said.
During his meetings with local officials, Homan has already made strides. Homan met with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, all of whom have been critical of the immigration raids.
Still, they were able to agree on some things, including a loose pledge from Ellison to allow ICE into county jails and a promise from police chiefs to respond to 911 calls when agents are under assault.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve heard many people want to know why we&#8217;re talking to people who they don&#8217;t consider friends of the administration. Bottom line is you can&#8217;t fix problems if you don&#8217;t have discussions,&#8221; Homan said. &#8220;What we did agree upon is not to release public safety arrests back in the community, and they could be lawfully transferred to ICE.&#8221;
If Ellison can deliver on his word, the federal presence in the state will decrease, Homan said.
&#8220;Attorney General Ellison, and he has clarified for me that county jails may notify ICE of the release dates of criminal public safety risks so ICE can take custody of them upon the release from the jail,&#8221; Homan said.
&#8220;More agents in the jail means 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 and safety of the jails and the prison,&#8221; he said.
Homan has opposed the strategy of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Bovino, whose focus has been on meeting quotas rather than expending federal resources on hunting down the worst criminal illegal immigrants roaming Minneapolis, Homeland Security sources recently told The Daily Wire.
That all looks to be changing with Homan&#8217;s arrival in the Twin Cities.
&#8220;All operations will be targeted, but the prioritization [is] going to be criminal aliens, public safety threats, and national security threats&#8230; we&#8217;ve got a lot of them to keep us busy&#8230; if you&#8217;re in the country illegally, you&#8217;re never off the table,&#8221; Homan said.
Homan also appeared to depart from Noem&#8217;s earlier messaging regarding Saturday&#8217;s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. Hours after the shooting, Noem labeled Pretti a &#8220;domestic terrorist&#8221; who intended &#8220;to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”
Unlike Noem, Homan made clear that he wouldn&#8217;t speak on the incident until the investigation concludes. He also noted that if any agents are not adhering to their &#8220;standards of conduct &#8230; they&#8217;ll be dealt with.&#8221;
&#8220;From day one, I said on any of these shootings as a career law enforcement officer, we&#8217;ll let &#8230; the investigation play out and let it go where it goes. I&#8217;m not going to come out making any comments I think is right, wrong. Do I have an opinion? Yeah, my personal opinion, but I&#8217;m not going to share that with you. I&#8217;m going to tell you, let the investigation play out and see where it goes.&#8221;

Border Czar Tom Homan Speaks In Minneapolis During Operation Metro Surge

Homan’s Presser Sheds Light On Trump Admin’s Shift On Minneapolis Immigration Raids

Leftist rock icon Bruce Springsteen is out with a new “protest song” attacking ICE&#8217;s presence in Minneapolis, and the lyrics are just as cringeworthy as expected.
The 76-year-old New Jersey native said he wrote the song last weekend and recorded it soon after. 
“I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis,” Springsteen said in a statement, per <a href="https://variety.com/2026/music/news/bruce-springsteen-streets-of-minneapolis-ice-protest-song-1236643538/">Variety</a>. “It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free, Bruce Springsteen.”
The song, titled &#8220;Streets of Minneapolis,&#8221; is part acoustic and includes moments meant for the crowd to chime in, such as the lyric: “ICE out of Minneapolis.”
The song describes “a city aflame fought fire and ice/ &#8216;Neath an occupier&#8217;s boots/ King Trump&#8217;s private army from the DHS/ Guns belted to their coats.”
“Against smoke and rubber bullets/ In the dawn&#8217;s early light/ Citizens stood for justice,” the protest song continues. “Their voices ringing through the night/ And there were bloody footprints/ Where mercy should have stood/ And two dead, left to die on snow-filled streets/ Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”
The chorus is just as literal and full of anti-ICE propaganda. 
“Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice/ Singing through the bloody mist/ We&#8217;ll take our stand for this land/ And the stranger in our midst,” the song says. “Here in our home, they killed and roamed/ In the winter of &#8217;26/ We&#8217;ll remember the names of those who died/ On the streets of Minneapolis.”
The next stanza describes “Trump&#8217;s federal thugs” killing Alex Pretti. “Their claim was self-defense, sir/ Just don&#8217;t believe your eyes,” Springsteen’s song says.  “It&#8217;s our blood and bones/ And these whistles and phones/ Against Miller and Noem&#8217;s dirty lies.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wWKSoxG1K7w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The concluding verse discusses how “they trample on our rights/ If your skin is black or brown, my friend/ You can be questioned or deported on sight.”
Reactions to the song have been mixed on social media. While the official audio version on YouTube has several positive comments, there are many critical reactions on X.
“Bruce used to be great, focusing on the blue collar working class. Now he&#8217;s a hack desperately trying to stay relevant by inserting himself into politics,” one response <a href="https://x.com/Paul_Schatz/status/2016617091592237426">said</a>. 
“Ironic coming from the ‘Born in the USA’ guy but ok,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/floridabadboy69/status/2016639945515913355">quipped</a>.

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen Releases Cringe Protest Song About Minneapolis

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A group of protesters clashed with Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on Wednesday outside of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement family detention center, where a 5-year-old boy, who has made headlines, is being held with his suspected illegal immigrant father.
At least two protesters were arrested as troopers attempted to clear the crowd of around 150 people who were blocking a road outside of the South Texas Family Residential Center near Dilley, Texas. Law enforcement officers deployed tear gas and shoved the crowd back, a <a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/01/28/protesters-detained-hit-by-tear-gas-outside-dilley-family-detention-facility/">video</a> from ABC&#8217;s San Antonio affiliate KSAT shows.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said that it sent troopers to the facility &#8220;at the request of the City of Dilley.&#8221;
“During today’s response, after dispersal orders were given, approximately 150 demonstrators refused to leave and began to breach the established protest barrier and spit on officers,” the department said. “Despite continued orders to disperse, the group remained and DPS took less-lethal action, deploying pepper ball grenades and pepper ball projectiles to ensure officer safety and maintain order. DPS personnel arrested two individuals on various charges, including resisting arrest and interfering with public duties.”
The demonstrators showed up outside the ICE detention facility to protest federal authorities holding a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy after his father was arrested during the Trump administration&#8217;s immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. A picture of the boy standing with federal agents went viral last week, with many on the Left pointing to the incident as an example of ICE cruelty.
The Department of Homeland Security said that the young child was &#8220;abandoned&#8221; by his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, when Conejo Arias allegedly attempted to flee from federal agents.
&#8220;For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias,&#8221; Homeland Security added. &#8220;Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement.&#8221;
A Minnesota pastor told CNN that the child&#8217;s mother feared going outside to get her child because of ICE&#8217;s presence. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, however, said that federal agents &#8220;assured [the mother] she would NOT be taken into custody.&#8221;
&#8220;The alleged mother refused to accept custody of the child. The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him,&#8221; McLaughlin added.
On Tuesday, a federal judge <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-blocks-ice-from-deporting-minnesota-man-5-year-old-son">blocked</a> the Trump administration from deporting the boy and his father.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) blasted ICE and those who support the agency after the story of the 5-year-old boy went viral. Craig claimed that ICE &#8220;used&#8221; the 5-year-old to &#8220;lure his father out.&#8221;
&#8220;This is the worst of the damn worst,&#8221; Craig added. &#8220;This is not humanity in Minnesota, folks. If you can look at this 5-year-old and actually with a straight face still support [ICE] and be silent in the face of what the Trump administration and Kristi Noem [are] doing, I just can&#8217;t even believe this is America. I will not vote for a damn penny to Kristi Noem or ICE in this Congress.&#8221;
Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn, who has opposed President Donald Trump on some issues, has defended ICE in recent weeks. When addressing the Camp East Montana ICE facility in El Paso earlier this month, Cornyn said that people “are treated humanely” at the facility.
The controversy over ICE holding the 5-year-old boy has further inflamed tensions in Minnesota over Trump&#8217;s immigration enforcement in the state. Chaos erupted on the streets over the weekend after Border Patrol agents shot and killed anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti. The shooting and the political fallout resulted in President Trump making changes to his strategy in Minnesota, sending his border czar, Tom Homan, to the state to take charge of the operation.
The move effectively sidelined Homeland Security Secretary Noem, and Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino was reassigned after leading the Minnesota enforcement operation for the past month.
During a press conference on Thursday, Homan said the Trump administration was working on drafting a &#8220;drawdown plan&#8221; to reduce the number of immigration agents in Minnesota.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-ice-agent-fatally-shoots-agitator-as-chaos-erupts-in-minneapolis?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+%E2%80%98You%E2%80%99re+Never+Off+The+Table%E2%80%99%3A+Homan+Says+U.S.+Needs+To+Send+Strong+Message+To+Illegals">LIVE UPDATES: ‘You’re Never Off The Table’: Homan Says U.S. Needs To Send Strong Message To Illegals</a>
This article has updated to state that Sen. Cornyn was speaking about an ICE facility in El Paso, not the facility near Dilley, as was previously reported.

Protesters Clash With Troopers Outside Of ICE Family Detention Center Holding 5-Year-Old Boy

Protesters Clash With Troopers Outside Of ICE Family Detention Facility Where 5-Year-Old Boy Is Held

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