A Nicaraguan national illegally in the United States, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for allegedly assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration, The Daily Wire has first learned.
Darwin Alexander Davila-Perez, 33, came to the U.S. through the Paso Del Norte bridge in Texas on Dec. 2, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire.
During his arrest on Dec. 17 by ICE in a “targeted vehicle stop,” he allegedly “forcefully resisted, including backing his vehicle into a law enforcement vehicle with an officer still inside, fleeing his vehicle, elbowing an officer in the face, attempting to unholster an officer’s service weapon, biting an officer’s arm, and striking an officer in the forehead with a swinging handcuff,” according to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/nicaragua-national-who-unlawfully-attempted-purchase-firearm-indicted-assault-ice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice (DOJ)</a> and DHS.
The operation was triggered by Davila-Perez’s effort to illegally obtain a firearm from a federal firearms licensee by pretending to be an American citizen. The purchase was ultimately rejected due to his illegal status, according to the DOJ, which announced his indictment on Wednesday.
Officers walked away from the incident with “contusions, abrasions, and a bite mark.” If convicted, Davila-Perez could face up to a $250,000 fine and 20 years behind bars.
<div id="attachment_1039685" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1039685" class="size-medium wp-image-1039685" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Image-300x270.png" alt="Darwin Alexander Davila-Perez" width="300" height="270" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Image-300x270.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Image.png 420w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Mugshot of Darwin Alexander Davila-Perez, first obtained by The Daily Wire. (Department of Homeland Security)</div>
“Davila-Perez not only chose to break our nation’s immigration laws, but he also lied in an attempt to illegally  purchase a gun and then brutally assaulted law enforcement. These are the dangerous situations our officers are facing every day in the field,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Thursday.
“Thanks to rhetoric by sanctuary politicians and encouragement of illegal aliens to evade arrest, our officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. Secretary Noem has been clear: anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she continued.
The indictment comes as ICE continues enforcement operations throughout the United States, as Congress will attempt negotiations on enforcement tactics following recent tensions in Minnesota between federal officers and anti-ICE protesters.
DHS funding is set to run out on Feb. 13, as Democrats have released a long list of demands fundamentally changing the way immigration enforcement is currently conducted. However, much of the key funding for ICE’s goals was provided through the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” last year.
The government dealt with a brief shutdown that ended Tuesday, as the House had to go back and pass amended appropriations bills after the White House and Senate Democrats agreed to split DHS funding from the rest of the federal government’s funding.
The push for the funding split came after the Alex Pretti shooting in Minneapolis, which resulted in numerous other changes made in how the Trump administration approached the end of Operation Metro Surge in the region, leading to the arrests of thousands of people in the country illegally. White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced on Wednesday that 700 agents are headed out as part of a “drawdown” effort.

Kristi Noem

Illegal Alien Indicted In Major ICE Assault Case Released Into Country Under Biden Admin

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Pennsylvania

Tom Homan

U.S.

The so-called consensus surrounding “gender transitions” for minors begins to unravel, border czar Tom Homan announces a &#8220;drawdown&#8221; of federal immigration officers from Minneapolis, and talks teeter between Washington and Tehran while tensions with Beijing appear to be calming.
It’s Thursday, February 5, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Medical Groups Walk Back Support For Child Trans Surgeries</h2>
In the wake of a landmark detransitioner verdict, the support of transgender surgeries for minors appears to be crumbling. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the largest association of plastic surgeons in the world, said that available evidence does not support trans surgeries for gender-confused kids, and also said there was “insufficient” evidence for placing children on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. The statement was unique among major medical groups and associations. Essentially, all support these surgeries and treatments for minors despite <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shocking-details-emerge-in-landmark-2-million-trans-malpractice-judgment?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Shocking+Details+Emerge+In+Landmark+%242+Million+%E2%80%98Trans%E2%80%99+Malpractice+Judgment">mounting</a> evidence that shows them to be harmful and irreversible. Following the ASPS, the American Medical Association, which wields major influence as the nation’s largest medical association, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-major-medical-group-reverses-course-on-trans-surgeries-for-minors?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+Major+Medical+Group+Reverses+Course+On+Trans+Surgeries+For+Minors">reversed</a> course, too. The AMA told National Review that it “agrees” with the ASPS that “surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood.” The statement is a huge shift for the AMA.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Minneapolis Drawdown</h2>
Border czar Tom Homan has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homan-strikes-deal-in-minnesota-yanks-hundreds-of-immigration-officers">announced</a> a “drawdown” of hundreds of federal immigration officers from Minneapolis. Seven hundred federal immigration officers and agents left the Twin Cities area on Wednesday. Homan said the force reduction is the result of deals with “an unprecedented number of counties” to “allow ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets.” The reduction will leave 2,000 federal immigration agents in Minnesota, along with the teams working on fraud investigations. Homan insisted that the Trump administration isn’t “surrendering” its mass deportation campaign. “This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement. This is safer for the community, safer for the officers, and safer for the alien,” said Homan.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Iran Talks Teeter On Scope Of Negotiations</h2>
Talks between Washington and Tehran may be on the verge of collapse after Iranian attacks on U.S. ships. Washington and Tehran are still on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule?author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+U.S.+Shoots+Down+Iranian+Drone+That+Threatened+Aircraft+Carrier">track</a> for a meeting on Friday. But it’s been a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-shoots-down-iranian-drone-after-it-aggressively-approached-uss-abraham-lincoln">messy</a> ride. The two sides were supposed to meet in Turkey, but Iran’s foreign minister said Wednesday that talks will now take place in Oman. There are also significant questions over the scope of the negotiations. Iran wants to focus on its nuclear program. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/02/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-at-a-press-availability/">told</a> reporters on Wednesday that in order for talks to “lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things” – such as Iran’s nuclear program, but also ballistic missiles, Iran’s sponsorship of terror groups across the region, and the treatment of the Iranian people.

MRN_260205_V1

Morning Brief: Doctors Pull Back On Trans Kids, Minnesota ICE ‘Drawdown,’ & Iran Talks Teeter

American Medical Association

Iran

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Morning Wire

Transgender

United States

President Donald Trump admitted that his immigration enforcement efforts may need a &#8220;softer touch&#8221; following the two recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
Trump made the statement during a Wednesday interview with NBC News&#8217; Tom Llamas, who asked what the president learned from the situation in Minneapolis.
“I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;But you still have to be tough. These are criminals. We’re dealing with really hard criminals.&#8221;
&#8220;But look, I’ve called the people. I’ve called the governor. I’ve called the mayor, spoke to him, had great conversations with him, and then I see them ranting and raving out there, literally, as though a call wasn’t made,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Tom <a href="https://twitter.com/LlamasNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LlamasNBC</a>: “Mr. President, speaking of Minneapolis, what did you learn?”
Trump: “I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough. These are criminals. We’re dealing with really hard criminals. But look, I’ve called the people.… <a href="https://t.co/7316884uBM">pic.twitter.com/7316884uBM</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/2019144618093293796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Trump sent his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minneapolis last week to replace then-Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who was known for his aggressive and showy approach to immigration raids. Bovino has since returned to his role as the Border Patrol chief of the El Centro sector in California.
Homan took over the operation after the fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Homan has implemented a more targeted approach to enforcement by prioritizing the arrests of the worst criminals. While that&#8217;s the new focus in Minneapolis, the former ICE chief said during a press conference Wednesday that it doesn&#8217;t mean anyone whose sole crime is being in the country illegally is off the table.
Homan also announced a &#8220;draw down&#8221; of 700 federal immigration authorities from the Twin Cities following the brokering of a deal between an &#8220;unprecedented&#8221; number of local jurisdictions to allow ICE into jails.
“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’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,” Homan said.
“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,” he said.
The &#8220;draw down,&#8221; he said, doesn&#8217;t mean the Trump administration is “surrendering” its mass deportation campaign.

Untitled design – 2026-02-04T162912.279

Trump Says Mass Deportation Campaign Could Use ‘Softer Touch’ After Minneapolis Shootings

Donald Trump

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

Tim Walz

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

Trump Administration

President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats agree to a deal as Friday&#8217;s midnight deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown approaches, border czar Tom Homan puts anti-ICE activists on notice, and a federal minority contracting program bans more than a thousand companies after they refuse to prove they did any work.
It’s Friday, January 30, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Government Shutdown Averted?</h2>
The White House and Senate Democrats say they’ve <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-and-senate-dems-strike-deal-ahead-of-government-shutdown">reached</a> a deal to avert a government shutdown as the Friday deadline inches closer. The deal would fund most government departments through September 30 and, in the short term, fund the Department of Homeland Security through a continuing resolution that expires after two weeks. In those two weeks, lawmakers are expected to negotiate over reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. President Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday evening, saying, “I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the Government, without delay.” He went on to say that he hopes “both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.” The deal hit a snag on Thursday night as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/29/shutdown-spending-deal-trump-00756372">reportedly</a> blocked a vote over &#8220;a House-passed provision undoing a law that allows senators to receive cash payouts if they had their phone records seized by former special counsel Jack Smith,&#8221; according to POLITICO.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Homan Vows Activist Crackdown</h2>
Border czar Tom Homan is putting anti-ICE activists on notice that they will be held accountable for obstructing law enforcement. Homan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homans-presser-sheds-light-on-trump-admins-shift-on-minneapolis-immigration-raids">took</a> the podium on Thursday for his first significant public remarks since being sent to clean up the mess in Minnesota. And he seemed to have a two-fold message. First, to make it clear that law and order are going to be restored. He pledged to remain on the ground “until the problem’s gone.” Then Homan also made it clear that despite the bad press coming from the shooting deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti, he’s not going to be deterred from investigating activist networks. Meanwhile, Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is entering the race for governor. She first filed papers a week ago, but the incredibly bad optics of the chaos on the ground in Minneapolis again – the city was ground zero for Black Lives Matter unrest in 2020 – gives Klobuchar a chance to showcase herself as a moderate who will restore order.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Government Contracting Fraud Exposed</h2>
One thousand companies were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-quarter-of-minority-contracting-firms-banned-after-refusing-anti-fraud-check?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=A+Quarter+Of+%E2%80%98Minority+Contracting%E2%80%99+Firms+Banned+After+Refusing+Anti-Fraud+Check">banned</a> from the federal minority contracting program on Wednesday after they declined to provide records showing whether they were actually performing the work or simply keeping a cut while passing the contract to a larger company. The program is known as 8(a). Last month, Kelly Loeffler, the head of the Small Business Administration, which issues <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-military-gave-a-homeless-lesbians-minority-contracting-firm-19-million">8(a)</a> status, demanded that all firms provide bank statements and payroll records. It would have been a lot of work for the SBA to go through all those records. But the agency didn’t need to look at many at all, because a lot of fraudsters may have self-identified by choosing not to turn over records that would incriminate them. A quarter of all 8(a) firms, collectively receiving $5 billion over the last four years, didn’t turn anything in.

MRN_260130_V1

Morning Brief: Homan Puts Anti-ICE Activists On Notice & Government Shutdown Averted?

Government Shutdown

Kelly Loeffler

Senate

Small Business Administration

White House

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

Chaos persists in Minnesota as state officials continue to defy federal authorities in a high-stakes showdown, President Donald Trump publicly warns Iran to “come to the table” as U.S. warships arrive in the region, and new data shows the American population growth fell dramatically last year.
It’s Thursday, January 29, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Minnesota Chaos Continues</h2>
Chaos continues in Minnesota as state officials continue to defy the White House in a high-stakes showdown over ICE operations. Fingers on both sides of the aisle are pointing at Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey for fanning the flames. Around 200 activists stormed into the Minnesota Capitol on Tuesday. They were angry that Governor Tim Walz met with border czar Tom Homan. They demanded charges against the agents who shot protesters Alex Pretti and Renee Good. The activists went into Walz&#8217;s office in what they called a “slow march” for immigration justice, shouting slogans like “ICE out now!” and “No one is illegal,” “Abolish ICE,” and other statements. The White House has attempted to negotiate with Minnesota’s elected officials. Homan met with top officials, including Mayor Frey. But Frey, who continues to uphold Minneapolis&#8217;s sanctuary city policies, has insisted that local police will not cooperate with ICE and will not give them access to their jails. Frey said bluntly that Minneapolis “does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Threatens Iran And Rubio Testifies In Senate</h2>
On Wednesday, President Trump publicly warned Iran to “come to the table” after U.S. warships arrived in the region. And on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the president’s foreign policy to skeptical lawmakers. Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran needs to make a deal or risk “major destruction,” far worse than Operation Midnight Hammer in June. Rubio testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and gave an additional rationale for moving more military assets into the Middle East. “We have 30,000 to 40,000 American troops stationed across 8 or 9 facilities in that region. … All are within the reach of an array of thousands of Iranian one-way UAVs and Iranian short-term ballistic missiles,” <a href="https://x.com/StateDept/status/2016575448499569001">said</a> Rubio. “We have to have enough force and power in the region just on a baseline to defend against that possibility.” Rubio also defended the Trump administration’s Venezuela policy, saying it is seeking progress toward democratic elections in the country, but without risking regional destabilization.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">U.S. Population Growth Plummets</h2>
Amid President Trump’s border crackdown and mass deportation effort, new data shows the United States population growth fell dramatically last year. This week, the Census Bureau released new data showing that last year, the U.S. population grew by just 1.8 million, or 0.5%. With the exception of 2021, when COVID was at its peak, last year saw the slowest population growth in the history of the United States. The previous year, the United States grew by 3.3 million people, so roughly a 50% decline in one year. These numbers run from July 2024 to July 2025, so President Trump was only in office for half of that time. If the current pace holds, it’ll be an even more dramatic dip this coming year.

MRN_260129_V1

Morning Brief: Minnesota ICE Showdown Escalates, Trump Warns Iran & U.S. Population Growth Collapses

Census Bureau

Marco Rubio

White House border czar Tom Homan&#8217;s arrival in Minneapolis has already led to discussions about making changes to which illegal immigrants federal authorities should be targeting.
Homan arrived in the Twin Cities on Monday after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. Behind closed doors, the former ICE chief has already been critical of the strategy Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her ally, El Centro sector Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, have employed to increase the number of arrests rather than to focus on the quality of arrests in nabbing the worst criminals, sources within the federal government recently told The Daily Wire.
President Donald Trump sent Homan to Minneapolis, replacing Bovino, who was commanding arrests in the region with more aggressive and showy tactics. Bovino has since been reassigned to the border.
Homeland Security sources on the ground told The Daily Wire that Homan&#8217;s arrival has already brought about changes to their target lists, but noted that nothing is final. The sources were granted anonymity to speak because they&#8217;re not authorized to do so publicly.
&#8220;Targeting is changing strategies,&#8221; one source said.
Another source said they&#8217;ve &#8220;been told strictly target packages for now until they decide how to designate targets and collateral.&#8221; Collaterals are illegal immigrants that federal agents find near their criminal targets.
The source noted that on Tuesday, &#8220;the policy changed three times in the matter of four hours.&#8221;
Senior DHS officials are currently in discussions about what arrests will look like going forward, sources said.
On Monday, federal immigration agents arrested illegal immigrants in Minnesota who carried convictions for kidnapping, child rape, assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, assault, and possession of fraudulent documents, according to DHS.
A White House official told The Daily Wire that Minnesota immigration raids &#8220;should be targeted enforcement operations,&#8221; adding that &#8220;when a target is located, if there are others with them that are illegally present, these individuals should absolutely be arrested.&#8221;
&#8220;No one has directed an end to collateral arrests,&#8221; the official said.
A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said that &#8220;no such order was given&#8221; to change arrests.
“CBP will continue to enforce the law in Minneapolis, just as they do across the country,&#8221; the spokesperson said.
While in Minneapolis, Homan has also met with Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in an attempt to negotiate better cooperation from local police.
Frey, however, appears to be digging in his heels and said the city &#8220;does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws.&#8221;
Trump fired back at the sanctuary city mayor, saying he was &#8220;playing with fire.&#8221;

Tom Homan Joins White House Press Briefing

Homan’s Arrival In Minneapolis Could Change Who Feds Arrest In Immigration Raids

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Two Border Patrol agents who were involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday have been placed on administrative leave, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told The Daily Wire.
The agents initially continued working but were assigned to different operations. Preliminary findings from a federal investigation <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-federal-agents-fired-their-weapons-during-alex-pretti-shooting-report-congress-says/">determined</a> that two Border Patrol agents fired their weapons during their confrontation with Pretti.
The CBP spokesperson cited &#8220;standard protocol&#8221; as the reason the agents were placed on leave. Border Patrol&#8217;s Gregory Bovino stated during a Sunday press conference that the agents were still on the job.
The Department of Homeland Security contradicted that claim, telling The Daily Wire Wednesday that the agents have been on administrative leave since Saturday.
The initial findings from the internal Customs and Border Protection review stated that Border Patrol agents were working to make an arrest in Minneapolis on Saturday morning when an agent was &#8220;confronted by two female civilians blowing whistles.&#8221; The agent issued a verbal command to the women to &#8220;move out of the roadway&#8221; when they made contact with Pretti.
&#8220;The [CBP officer] pushed them both away and one of the females ran to a male, later identified as 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a US citizen,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;The [CBP officer] attempted to move the woman and Pretti out of the roadway. The woman and Pretti did not move. The [CBP officer] deployed his oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray towards both Pretti and the woman.&#8221;
According to the report, the agents &#8220;attempted to take Pretti into custody,&#8221; but &#8220;Pretti resisted CBP personnel&#8217;s efforts and a struggle ensued.&#8221;
&#8220;During the struggle, a [Border Patrol agent] yelled, &#8216;He&#8217;s got a gun!&#8217; multiple times,&#8221; the report said.
&#8220;Approximately five seconds later, a [Border Patrol agent] discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a [CBP officer] also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti. After the shooting, a BPA [Border Patrol agent] advised he had possession of Pretti&#8217;s firearm,&#8221; CBP added. &#8220;The BPA subsequently cleared and secured Pretti&#8217;s firearm in his vehicle.&#8221;
Following the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Pretti a &#8220;domestic terrorist&#8221; who arrived on scene &#8220;to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.” She has since faced backlash for getting ahead of multiple ongoing federal investigations.
“It was a horrible response,” a federal government source recently told The Daily Wire. “Many people I’ve heard from say it was unprofessional. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis was among the growing number of congressional Republicans to condemn Noem and has since called on President Donald Trump to fire her.
Tillis, who announced last year that he would not seek re-election, told reporters Tuesday that Noem “has proven to be way out of her depth,&#8221; adding that her &#8220;amateurish&#8221; handling of the latest fatal shooting &#8220;should be disqualifying.&#8221;
&#8220;She should be out of a job,&#8221; he said.

Border Patrol agent

Border Patrol Agents Involved In Alex Pretti Fatal Shooting Placed On Administrative Leave

Shooting

As large-scale protests against federal immigration authorities intensified in Minneapolis, federal agents say they arrested a host of criminal illegal aliens with convictions for child sex crimes, drug possession, and more.
The latest detainees bring the Department of Homeland Security&#8217;s Operation Metro Surge arrest total to 3,500, according to a memo first shared with The Daily Wire. Among those nabbed were Chue Moua, a criminal illegal alien from Laos who was convicted of using a “computer to facilitate child sex crimes.” Also arrested was Bandia Solano, a Guinean national who was convicted of domestic assault, possession of drugs, theft, providing false name and birthdate to a peace officer, financial transaction card fraud, driving while intoxicated, and possession of shoplifting gear.
In total, DHS arrested five illegal immigrants convicted of domestic violence, four convicted of driving under the influence, and three perpetrators of fraud. Most of those arrested had multiple offenses. Their countries of origin included Mexico, Ukraine, Laos, Honduras, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guinea, and Vietnam.
Recent arrests also included Son Ngoc Tran, a criminal alien from Vietnam convicted of criminal sexual conduct, felony burglary, and driving while impaired. Mexican illegal alien Juan Antonio Pena-Perez was convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity and possession of a firearm.
The Department of Homeland Security also confirmed the arrests of at least five violent illegal immigrants around the nation to The Daily Wire on Monday. Their crimes include murder and child cruelty. ICE has maintained that 70% of those arrested have been charged or convicted of a crime.
“President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens. Yesterday, ICE arrested murderers, child abusers, and violent assailants,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesman said. “These are the type of thugs we are getting off the streets and out of country every single day.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Monday’s arrests included: 
<ul>
<li>Christian Mayorga-Rodriguez, an illegal alien from Mexico, convicted of murder in Los Angeles County, California.</li>
<li>Jose Garcia-Mendoza, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, convicted of child cruelty in Santa Maria, California.</li>
<li>Hector Romero-Vanegas, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, convicted of assault in Riverhead, New York.</li>
<li>Juan Perez-Diaz, an illegal alien from Mexico convicted of battery in Tampa, Florida.</li>
<li>Carlos Alonzo-Coc, an illegal alien from Guatemala, convicted of five driving under the influence charges in Nebraska.</li>
</ul>
These nationwide arrests come as the Trump administration is facing increased scrutiny over its illegal immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
Federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis have faced growing opposition since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renee Good earlier this month. Protests in the city intensified days ago when a Customs and Border Protection agent shot and killed Alex Pretti, an incident that has deepened fissures in the Trump administration over how to handle deportation efforts, The Daily Wire <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" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“We are in Minneapolis to protect Minnesotans from criminal illegal aliens and get these criminals out of their neighborhoods,&#8221; a Homeland Security spokesman told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Our recent arrests on Friday and over the weekend included sexual predators, domestic abusers, perpetrators of fraud, robbers, and violent assailants.”
The DHS spokesman acknowledged this opposition, but stressed that protests would not prevent agents from discharging their duties.
&#8220;Instead of thanking our law enforcement, sanctuary politicians have repeatedly villainized and dehumanized our law enforcement — even comparing them to the Nazi Gestapo,&#8221; the spokesman said. &#8220;Despite these smears, our law enforcement continue to risk their lives in the face of unprecedented violence and threats against them to get criminal illegal aliens off the streets.&#8221;
The Department of Homeland Security reports that ICE agents have a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them and their families since the Trump administration&#8217;s deportation efforts began.
President Donald Trump announced Monday that he was dispatching Border Czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis, and that Homan would report directly to him. Shortly after this announcement, Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/border-patrol-commander-greg-bovino-relieved-of-post-amid-minnesota-scandal?author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Border+Patrol+Commander+Greg+Bovino+Relieved+Of+Post+Amid+Minnesota+Scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relieved</a> of his high-profile duties and returned to his previous post as a California sector chief.
Bovino and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have come under fire for their response to Pretti&#8217;s death. Homan&#8217;s return to the scene has fueled speculation that the president may soon sideline Noem and her allies in an attempt to relieve tensions around Minneapolis.

Screenshot 2025-12-27 at 2.35.41 PM

While Anti-ICE Protests Raged, Feds Say They Nabbed Rapists And Murderers In Minneapolis

Department of Homeland Security

President Donald Trump met with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for nearly two hours in the Oval Office on Monday evening, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/noem-trump-meeting-minneapolis-ice.html">reported</a>. Trump and Noem met shortly after the president sent his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minneapolis in an apparent shakeup of immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
The Oval Office meeting was requested by Noem, according to two people who spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity. Corey Lewandowski, a top Trump adviser and temporary government employee, was also in the meeting. During the meeting, Trump did not suggest that Noem&#8217;s job was at risk, the Times reported. The Daily Wire reached out to the White House for comment.
Noem and Lewandowski are on one side of a growing divide in the Trump administration over how it handles immigration operations, while Homan and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons are on the other side, The Daily Wire <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> on Monday. Homan and Lyons have opposed some of Noem&#8217;s theatrical tactics and would rather focus on arresting violent, illegal immigrant criminals.
Trump&#8217;s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Communications Director Steven Cheung were also in the meeting on Monday evening.
On Monday, the administration reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/border-patrol-commander-greg-bovino-relieved-of-post-amid-minnesota-scandal?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Border+Patrol+Commander+Greg+Bovino+Relieved+Of+Post+Amid+Minnesota+Scandal">relieved</a> Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino of his duties of overseeing operations across the country. Bovino, who had been in Minneapolis, will now head back to the El Centro sector of the California border. Bovino has sided with Noem and against Homan over how to handle immigration operations. After he was relieved of his duties on Monday, Bovino was also locked out of his official social media accounts, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/26/politics/gregory-bovino-minnneapolis-exit-ice">reported</a>. Bovino and some Customs and Border Protection agents are expected to leave Minneapolis on Tuesday.
The shakeup comes shortly after an armed Minneapolis resident was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday. The resident, Alex Pretti, was shot around 10 times in five seconds during an alleged confrontation with federal agents during an immigration operation. The shooting and the Department of Homeland Security&#8217;s response sparked backlash, even among some Republicans.
After the shooting, Secretary Noem called Pretti a &#8220;domestic terrorist&#8221; and suggested that carrying a firearm at a protest meant he was there &#8220;to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.” So far, there is no evidence that Pretti planned on using his firearm against federal agents, and video appears to show that he was disarmed before he was shot. An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
Sources inside Noem&#8217;s department <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">told</a> Daily Wire reporter Jennie Taer that the Homeland Security secretary&#8217;s comment &#8220;was a horrible response.&#8221;
“It was a horrible response,” said one official. “Many people I’ve heard from say it was unprofessional. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
“The people in DHS are frustrated with Secretary Noem and the way DHS is handling the media,” the official added. “The employees want a more professional response, not memes and one-liners.”
Leavitt said on Monday that Homan taking the point in Minneapolis does not mean Noem&#8217;s job is in jeopardy, adding that Noem &#8220;will continue to lead the Department of Homeland Security with the full trust and confidence of the president.&#8221;
“Tom Homan is uniquely positioned to drop everything and focus solely on Minnesota to solve the problems that have been created by the lack of cooperation from state and local officials,&#8221; Leavitt added.

Donald Trump/Kristi Noem

Trump Holds Lengthy Meeting With Kristi Noem After Minnesota Immigration Enforcement Shakeup

Corey Lewandowski

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