Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
US reporter

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Events in Minnesota continue to dominate the headlines following the deaths of two US citizens this month, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were fatally shot by US immigration enforcement agents.

Two officers involved in the altercation that led to Pretti's shooting have now been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

"Border tsar" Tom Homan arrived in Minneapolis on Wednesday to run immigration enforcement operations after the departure of Greg Bovino, who was commanding border patrol agents before the death of Pretti. Homan will hold a press conference on Thursday morning.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi also arrived in the city on Wednesday, announcing that 16 people have been arrested charged with allegedly assaulting federal officers and impeding on federal immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, a federal judge in Minneapolis ordered the government to release all refugees who have been arrested by immigration agents while awaiting their permanent residency documents.

In a strongly-worded ruling, Judge John Tunheim said refugees "are not committing crimes on our streets, nor did they illegally cross the border," adding that the US had been "a haven of individual liberties".

"We abandon that ideal when we subject our neighbors to fear and chaos," he said. He ordered that refugees taken out of Minnesota be returned to the state.

Opposition to the Trump administration's policies has not been confined to Minnesota. In Texas, clashes erupted between protesters and state and federal officers outside a detention facility where some of those detained in Minnesota has been taken.

Democrats in Congress are demanding immediate reforms to immigration enforcement and for the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. They plan to press ahead with impeachment proceedings against Noem if she doesn't resign or isn't sacked by Trump.

The fallout from the government's handling of Good and Pretti's killings also adds to the possibility of a federal shutdown as key Democrats have signalled they will not support a new spending package that increases funding for ICE.

We are pausing our coverage here but our reporting on the situation in Minnesota will continue.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington

A press release sent out on behalf of "Trump endorsed" Pennsylvania Republican congressional candidate Marty Young that calls for de-escalation in Minnesota is a reminder that November's midterm elections are just around the corner -- and are having an impact.

"Public safety cannot be improvised," Young said in a statement. "What is urgently needed is a deescalation from all parties—federal, state, local, and community leaders—to reset the conditions, reassess protocols, and ensure operations are conducted properly and professionally moving forward."

In the initial aftermath after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, key figures in the Trump administration quickly jumped to the agents' defence, pushing the blame towards Pretti. But growing public outcry and a flood of damaging video evidence from the incident has shifted political winds.

Not only has the White House swapped the on-the-ground immigration leadership in Minnesota, but an increasing number of Republicans are becoming openly critical.

Republican Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas wrote on X: "I am deeply troubled by the shootings in Minneapolis involving federal agents."

Republican congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky said "carrying a firearm is not a death sentence", in reference to the gun agents retrieved from Pretti before he was shot; and Texas Republican congressman Michael McCaul said he was "troubled by the events that have unfolded".

Chris Madel, a Republican who was running for Minnesota governor, ended his bid on Monday. He cited the administration's immigration crackdown in the state as an "unmitigated disaster."

As her press conferences draws to a close, Congresswoman Omar is asked about last night's incident in which a man attacked her.

"My presence here should tell you, the fear and intimidation doesn't work on me," she says to applause from supporters.

The Minnesota lawmaker then says President Trump is to blame for increases in threats against her.

"Every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket," she says.

"Last night, the man that attacked me was specifically upset that Trump's order to deport Somalis was not yielding enough deportations," she adds. "So he wanted to come get the person he thought was protecting the Somalis. Well, we are protected by the Constitution."

Omar is the first Somali-American member of Congress.

Here's the moment Omar was attacked on Tuesday night:

Representative Ilhan Omar's news conference has begun at Karmel Mall in Minneapolis.

She is thanking local Somali business owners for showcasing the vibrant community. She says they have seen a rapid decline in business because of the ICE operations and the president's "reprehensible rhetoric".

She goes on to say that constitutional rights are being trampled in the Trump administration's operations in Minneapolis.

Omar says Trump's immigration agenda is not about law enforcement but about making people feel they do not belong, but Minnesotans have shown love instead of fear.

She pays tribute to Renee Good and Alex Pretti and says their deaths were avoidable.

"No immigration enforcement agent should ever be allowed to act as the judge, jury and executioner on our streets," she says.

Omar made no mention of the attempt to attack her on Tuesday night at a town hall.

Omar is joined by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts.

She is repeating calls by Democrats for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be impeached and growing calls for the abolishment of ICE.

Image source, EPA

The Trump administration's "border tsar" Tom Homan will hold a news conference in Minneapolis at 07:00 CT (13:00 GMT) on Thursday.

It will be his first since taking over ground operations for immigration enforcement in Minnesota in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

Minnesota State Patrol troopers have used a powerful sound system first used by the military to communicate with and disperse protesters, the BBC's US partner CBS reports.

A Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) was used outside the Maple Grove in Minnesota after protesters were making noise outside the hotel where they believed the Border Patrol commander was staying.

The device is similar to a loudspeaker but focuses sound using a narrow cone to make it extremely loud, retired Marine Colonel Mark Cancian told CBS.

"It sounds like the voice of God is speaking to you," he explained.

A 34-year-old man has been charged with assault and other federal crimes after US prosecutors says he shot at a helicopter being used by Customs and Border Patrol agents in the southern US state of Arizona.

Patrick Gary Schlegel was being pursued by federal agents on suspicion of human trafficking when he fired at the agents. "A Border Patrol agent on the ground then engaged and shot at the suspect," the US Attorney's Office in Arizona says in a news release.

“There is no ambiguity here, shooting at any law enforcement officer—including federal agents—is a violent felony that attacks the rule of law and undermines universal American values," U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine says.

Schlegel is charged with assault of a federal officer, prohibited possession of a firearm, and transportation of an illegal alien.

Having reviewed court documents, it is not immediately clear if Schlegel has a lawyer representing him.

Image source, Reuters

US House Representative Ilhan Omar is about to hold a news conference, a day after she was attacked by a man during a town hall meeting with residents in her Minneapolis district.

On Tuesday night, the man ran toward the Minnesota Democrat and sprayed an unidentified substance in her direction before being tackled by security and removed.

He has since been charged with third degree assault. The FBI has taken over investigations into the incident.

We will be watching what the congresswoman has to say about the attack and the ongoing immigration enforcement operations in the city and will report on any significant developments.

Stick with us.

Representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett, both Texas Democrats, are visiting 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias at the Texas detention centre where they're being held.

ICE officers detained the father and son in an immigration operation in Minneapolis last week. The Department of Homeland Security says his dad Conejo Arias is an undocumented immigrant.

"I demanded his release and told him how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him," Castro wrote on social media, alongside a photo of the pre-schooler asleep in his father's arms.

Crockett also posted about the visit on social media, writing, "My heart absolutely breaks for Liam, his family, and every person being wrongfully detained."

"We assured them that we are doing everything in our power to reunite them with their families and that those responsible for this cruelty will be held accountable," Crockett continued.

Community organisers marched to the detention facility today to protest federal immigration operations happening in Minnesota and around the country.

Crockett is also speaking to the crowd gathered outside.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Protesters have clashed with federal agents and state troopers outside a family migrant detention centre in south-central Texas, according to video from US media.

Community organisers, unions, and faith leaders from across Texas marched to the facility after holding a vigil nearby "to amplify the voices and protests of children and families held in detention against their will," the organisers said in a press release.

"We gather because our conscience demands it. From inside the detention center, children and parents are chanting 'Libertad!' — Freedom Now," the organisers said.

The detention facility is currently holding a 5-year-old boy and his father who were detained and taken from Minneapolis last week by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

Critics of ICE accused officers of kidnapping the child and using him as bait to lure out his father. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said ICE did not target the child, but was conducting an operation against his father, an "illegal alien" who "abandoned" his son when approached.

Outside the Texas facility, a clip from CNN shows officers holding a line against protesters, and one officer can be seen throwing something into the crowd, after which a thump is heard. A smoke device also appears to go off into the crowd as protesters continue yelling, blowing whistles, and honking.

Texas Congressman Chip Roy, a Republican, is hitting back at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who recently released a list of action points Democrats want before they will approve a spending bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

"I have my own list if DHS is opened back up. Beginning with no sanctuary city funding…….," Roy wrote on X.

For context: The term "sanctuary city" has been popular in the US for more than a decade to describe places that limit their assistance to federal immigration authorities. It is not a legal term, and cities have taken a variety of approaches to becoming "sanctuaries", such as setting policies in laws or simply changing local policing practices.

Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has just been speaking to reporters in the US Capitol. He says Democrats are united in their demands for reform of federal immigration enforcement.

Here are the three main changes Democrats want:

• An end to roving patrols by federal agents
• Enforce accountability with a uniform code of conduct for federal agents
• "We want masks off and body-cameras on," Schumer says. "No more anonymous agents, no more secret operatives"

Schumer says if Republicans refuse to support these proposals, "they are choosing chaos over order."

Image source, Getty Images

American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen has released a song he says he wrote over the weekend in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

He posted it on social media earlier today.

"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," he writes, adding that he dedicates the song to the people of Minneapolis as well as Good and Pretti.

The song, written in Springsteen's signature folk style, takes direct aim at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House adviser Steven Miller, and what he calls their "dirty lies". He also directly names the two deceased.

He calls ICE "King Trump's private army from the DHS", condemns deportations and praises those protesting.

"We'll take our stand for this land," he sings, continuing, "We'll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis."

The most powerful Democrat in the US Senate is ratcheting up pressure to oust both the Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, and one of Donald Trump's closest advisers, Stephen Miller, the lead White House official on the president's massive immigration crackdown.

In a series of lunchtime posts on-line, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also pressed Trump to pull ICE agents out of Minnesota.

"It's outrageous that Kristi Noem still has a job in the administration after federal officers murdered two American citizens in just two weeks," Schumer said, referring to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. "Noem is incompetent and she must go. And her boss Stephen Miller must be removed as well."

Schumer warned a spending package to prevent another federal shutdown would be at risk without changes to immigration enforcement operations.

"Let me be clear: Until ICE is properly reined in and overhauled, the DHS funding bill won’t have the votes to pass the Senate," he said.

On Minnesota, Schumer said that, while Trump has called for de-escalation,he has not followed up with meaningful action.

"If Trump was serious, he would remove all of ICE from Minnesota now," he said.

Image source, Getty Images

Republican Senator Thom Tillis says he is "thrilled" after President Trump labelled him a "loser" for his stance on immigration operations in Minnesota.

"They're discrediting what I consider to be a very well organised operation," he told reporters today at the US Capitol. "They're discrediting even these officers, they're gonna make their job more difficult and more dangerous with this incompetence that I'm seeing out of (Homeland Security Secretary Kristi) Noem and out of (WH adviser) Stephen Miller."

His comments have drawn the ire of Trump, and one reporter asked Tillis about the president calling him a "loser".

"I am thrilled about that," he said. "That makes me qualified to be Homeland Security secretary and senior adviser to the president."

"They’re terrible Senators," Trump said of Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis in the ABC News interview on Tuesday night in which he called them losers.

Murkowski of Alaska and Tillis of North Carolina were the first two Republicans in Congress to call on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign in the wake of the fatal shootings.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington

Senators return to Capitol Hill this week looking to resolve disagreements over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as they work to avoid a partial government shutdown.

A funding package has already passed the House of Representatives and now needs to be passed by Friday to avoid funds being cut off from many critical agencies.

Only a few Democrats approved the package in the House, with most protesting the inclusion of money for DHS. Once Alex Pretti was shot and killed by DHS agents in Minnesota this weekend, almost all Democrats in the Senate said they would refuse to vote for the legislation.

The most powerful Democrat in the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, wrote on X: "The DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no."

"Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included," he continued in a post shared on Saturday.

Backlash from the Minneapolis shooting has also grown to include Republicans, including Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Now Senators are openly discussing passing a funding bill that would not include DHS, but would have money for the other agencies.

Congress, though, is up against two challenges doing that: the weather and the clock. The Senate already had to delay votes earlier this week due to a major snowstorm in Washington and there is a chance the capital will be hit by another storm in coming days. Meanwhile, a reworked bill would have to go back to the House for approval and that chamber is set to return after Friday.

Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Democrats in the US House of Representatives say they are planning to start impeachment processes against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, even without Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress.

The top Democrat on the House's Judiciary Committee, Jamie Raskin, says its Republican chairman, Jim Jordan, should start the process.

If Jordan refuses to do so, then Raskin said he will work with the lead Democrats on the Homeland Security and Oversight committees "to immediately launch a complete oversight and impeachment inquiry into all potential constitutional crimes committed by Secretary Noem".

The calls for Noem's impeachment have been supported by other senior Democrats including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Some Republicans are calling for Noem's resignation, as well.

Impeachment moves against Noem began before Alex Pretti's killing last weekend by people working in her department. More than a week earlier, a group of Democrats introduced a resolution to remove her, which gained momentum once Noem accused Pretti of "domestic terrorism."

To successfully impeach her in the House, Democrats would need three Republicans to join them. Then the matter would go to the Senate, where it would face the steeper challenge of needing two-thirds of the votes.

Attorney General Pam Bondi is now in Minneapolis, where she says several protesters have been arrested.

"Federal agents have arrested 16 Minnesota rioters for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement - people who have been resisting and impeding our federal law enforcement agents," she wrote on X a few minutes ago.

She said more arrests can be expected.

"I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law," she added.

She followed with posts providing the names and photos of those detained.

Bondi oversees the Department of Justice, which does not direct the immigration operations in Minnesota, but is responsible for federal prosecutions. The DOJ for example has issued subpoenas to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to provide testimony to grand juries, for example.

The DOJ also houses the Federal Bureau of Investigations. As tensions rise in Minnesota, FBI Director Kash Patel has said the agency "is chasing down every last person responsible for attacking, impeding, or threatening federal law enforcement doing their jobs".

Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

The FBI is now leading the investigation into the attack Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minneapolis police spokesperson told local outlet The Minnesota Star Tribune.

While Omar, a Democrat who represents Minneapolis and some of its suburbs in Congress, was speaking at a town hall event on Tuesday, a man used a syringe to spray an unidentified liquid on her shirt.

The man has been charged with third degree assault. Omar was not injured.