What we covered here
• Federal plan: White House border czar Tom Homan said he had ordered federal immigration authorities to work on a drawdown plan for law enforcement in Minnesota. Operations on the ground will be targeted, he said, adding he’s “staying ‘til the problem’s gone.”
• Focus shift: The administration is considering new guidelines for federal immigration officers in Minnesota, including plans to avoid engaging with “agitators” and only focusing on immigrants with convictions or facing criminal charges, officials told CNN.
• Alex Pretti shooting: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she was using “the best information we had at the time” when making initial statements about Pretti’s killing. Noem described the situation as “chaotic” and noted she was “being relayed information” from agents and officers on the ground.
• Ilhan Omar attacker charged: A man accused of spraying the congresswoman with a syringe of apple cider vinegar has been charged with assault and terroristic threats.
Our live coverage has ended for the day. Get the latest on Alex Pretti’s killing here.
Trump says Alex Pretti was "crazed and out of control" in video showing clash with federal agents days before he was fatally shot
President Donald Trump said Alex Pretti, the man fatally shot by Customs and Border protection agents in Minneapolis Saturday, appeared “crazed and out of control” in video of a separate confrontation with federal agents 11 days before his death.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social early Friday.
In the video that surfaced this week, Pretti is seen shouting at federal agents and kicking their vehicle’s taillight as the agents are driving away. The agents stop, exit their vehicle and tackle Pretti to the ground. The interaction in Minneapolis lasts a few seconds before Pretti gets up and the agents walk away. It is unclear what took place immediately before or after the footage.
“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!” Trump’s post reads.
Pretti suffered a broken rib during the encounter, sources told CNN.
Video of agents shooting Pretti and the Trump administration’s efforts to paint him as an “assassin” or “domestic terrorist” drew quick condemnation, including from some Republicans.
“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,” Steve Schleicher, attorney for the Pretti family, told CNN when the video was released. “Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24.”
Hennepin County Attorney says Noem should say her first comments after Pretti's killing were "inappropriate”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was quick to issue claims about Alex Pretti’s killing in the hours after the incident, many of which were either contradicted by video footage or unsupported by any evidence presented so far.
“I think she should come out and actually say her comments were inappropriate,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told CNN’s Laura Coates on Thursday night.
“Everybody knows that, especially as she describes it, that the scene was chaotic, so of course you’re getting information that may not be accurate,” Moriaty said, calling Noem’s first comments after the killing “irresponsible.”
Sen. Klobuchar says she "literally can't believe" Trump contradicted Homan on reduction of federal agents in Minnesota
US Sen. Amy Klobuchar criticized the seemingly contradictory statements from the Trump administration Thursday on the potential reduction of federal agents in the state.
Her comments came after President Donald Trump said, “No, no. Not at all,” when asked whether he will be pulling immigration enforcement agents out of Minnesota.
But hours earlier, White House border czar Tom Homan, who has taken over leadership of the Minnesota operation, said federal immigration authorities are planning an eventual drawdown of law enforcement activity there.
Klobuchar, who just announced her bid for governor of Minnesota, expressed concern over ongoing tensions, saying the presence of ICE agents is “taking such a toll” on people in the state.
“Our state has been singled out … to me, that is not how law enforcement should be handled,” she said.
“Minnesota is the center of America’s heartbreak, but I hope people also see it as the center of America’s hope and courage,” the senator added, emphasizing the need for residents to remain peaceful ahead of additional planned protests against federal enforcement.
Klobuchar also called for an “overhaul” of ICE.
Noem says she was using “best information” available when she first spoke about Alex Pretti's killing
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said tonight that she was using “the best information we had at the time” when she made her initial statements about the killing of Alex Pretti, the second person killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this month.
Noem, who was among the top officials claiming in the immediate aftermath of the shooting that ICU nurse Alex Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” who posed a threat to law enforcement, on Thursday described the situation as “chaotic” and noted she was “being relayed information from on the ground from (Customs and Border Protection) agents and officers that were there.”
Noem’s comments come as she faces increased scrutiny of her job performance and her initial statements on the circumstances around Pretti’s killing.
CNN reported earlier Thursday that President Donald Trump and his top officials have publicly and privately maintained that the president still has full confidence in Noem, even as he has moved to sideline one of his top officials on the ground, Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, putting border czar Tom Homan in charge of immigration operations in Minneapolis.
"Is everyone OK?": Witness recalls Alex Pretti's compassion following January 13 clash with federal agents
A Minneapolis man who witnessed and filmed Alex Pretti’s physical clash with federal agents 11 days before his death says the ICU nurse made sure others involved were OK immediately after the incident.
A video recorded by witness Maxwell Shapiro shows a scuffle between Pretti and federal agents, who are seen exiting a vehicle and confronting the 37-year-old before taking him to the ground in front of screaming witnesses. In a different video posted by the digital outlet The News Movement that shows the moments just before the scuffle, Pretti is seen shouting at agents and kicking their vehicle’s taillight as the agents drive away. The video also shows what appears to be a gun tucked in Pretti’s waistband, but it is unclear if the agents noticed it.
The video recorded by Shapiro shows Pretti eventually breaks free, and the agents are seen deploying some type of smoke device before driving off. A bystander is then heard asking Pretti how he is doing.
In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Shapiro recalled Pretti saying, “‘I’m OK. Are you OK? Is everyone OK? Are we safe?”
“In that moment, I just thought that was an incredible display of compassion and care for others,” said Shapiro, who learned that immigration officials were in the area through a group chat for parents in the community.
With his 4-year-old son’s school nearby, Shapiro had followed his parental instincts and went to where federal agents were reported to be when he came upon the scene with Pretti and the agents.
Two Kansans indicted for alleged threats targeting Ilhan Omar and ICE agents in separate incidents
Two Kansas men were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly threatening political violence against officials in separate and unrelated cases.
Adam Lee Osborn, 60, of Wichita, was indicted yesterday after allegedly threatening to kill Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar in a Facebook post last week, according to court documents.
Osborn, in an interview with law enforcement, also threatened New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, saying he “wouldn’t mind if they were killed,” according to the documents.
He told agents that the Facebook posts are his way of “venting,” the documents said.
Osborn was charged with making online threats to injure and threatening a federal official.
In another case, Joaquin Hernandez, 23, is accused of threatening to “assault and murder” Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Wichita.
Hernandez also faces charges of making online threats to injure and threatening federal officials. According to court documents, Hernandez posted a video to TikTok in which he said that if he saw ICE officers in the city, he would shoot them. He also said he would go to the White House and “deal with” President Donald Trump, according to court documents.
CNN has reached out to an attorney who is representing Osborn and Hernandez separately in their cases.
US Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser denounced threats of political violence, saying in a statement, they “will not be tolerated” and that “for our system of government to work, it’s vital that certain lines are not crossed when it comes to self-expression.”
The Wichita Police Department and the FBI are investigating both cases, according to the Justice Department.
Remember: Omar was attacked at a town hall in Minnesota earlier this week. The man accused of spraying the congresswoman with a syringe of apple cider vinegar was charged today.
ICE says its agents didn’t know that the building a man fled into on Tuesday was the Ecuadorian consulate
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were conducting an enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Tuesday, targeting an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador when they followed the man to a building that they did not know was the country’s consulate, the agency told CNN.
Some background: The Ecuadorian government had said an ICE agent attempted to enter its consulate, which prompted it to send a formal protest note to US authorities. The Ecuadorian foreign ministry had said consulate officials prevented the ICE officer from entering the premises, “thus ensuring the protection of the Ecuadorians who were present at the time.”
What ICE says: The man has a conviction for driving while intoxicated in 2022, along with two previous arrests for sexual assault and assault, ICE said in a statement to CNN. When agents approached him and identified themselves as law enforcement, he fled to the consulate building. He is still at large.
The Ecuadorian government said a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent attempted to enter its consulate in Minneapolis, prompting it to send a formal protest note to US authorities “so that acts of this nature are not repeated at any of Ecuador’s consular offices in the United States.” CNN has reached out to both the State Department and ICE for comment.
Trump praises Homan as “terrific” when asked how he is doing in Minnesota
President Donald Trump on Thursday evening praised border czar Tom Homan as “terrific” when asked about the job he is doing on the ground in Minnesota.
“I think he’s terrific, but we have to get rid of the criminals. We have to take criminals out of our country — so from that standpoint nothing’s going to change,” the president said from the red carpet of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary premiere.
His comments come after Homan said earlier Thursday that he has ordered federal immigration authorities to work on an eventual drawdown plan for law enforcement in Minnesota.
Operations on the ground will be targeted, Homan said, adding that he’s “staying ‘til the problem’s gone.”
Former DHS and ICE officials say Homan is the right person for de-escalating tensions
Former DHS Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli and former ICE Acting Director John Sandweg talk to CNN about White House border czar Tom Homan and efforts to de-escalate tensions in Minneapolis.
Here's the latest from Minnesota since the border czar ordered plans for drawdown of immigration agents
If you’re just tuning in, White House border czar Tom Homan said today that he has ordered federal immigration authorities to work on a “drawdown plan” for law enforcement in Minnesota following two fatal shootings. You can read a recap of Homan’s new conference here.
Since then, we’ve been tracking public reaction to his comments, the aftermath of an attack on Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar and more.
Here’s what you need to know:
• Charges against Omar attacker: A man accused of spraying Rep. Ilhan Omar with apple cider vinegar during a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday was charged today. The state charged him with one felony count of terroristic threats and one count of fifth-degree assault, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. The man already faces federal charges of assault in the incident, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in the US District Court of Minnesota.
• Minnesotans remain skeptical: After Homan announced he ordered plans for an eventual drawdown of agents, Minnesota resident Nick Kalt said it’s something where you “believe it when you see it,” adding that Minnesotans are preparing for the long haul.
• Homan urged cooperation: The key to drawing down the number of immigration agents posted in Minnesota would be increased cooperation between county jail systems and immigration authorities, Homan said. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison later said that in his meeting with Homan, he stressed on laws around sharing county jail inmate details.
CNN’s Emma Tucker, Alaa Elassar, Toni Odejimi and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.
Organizers arrested for protesting at a St. Paul church say they’ve received threats
Chauntyll Louisa Allen and Nekima Levy Armstrong, organizers of the church protest who were arrested and later released by ICE, said they have received online harassment, including death threats, since their arrests.
People have been “Calling us the B word, calling us the N word, calling us apes and monkeys and saying that we need to die, calling our phones, emailing us, dragging us across social media, but supposedly, these are people defending a church,” Levy Armstrong said during a news conference today.
The White House posted an altered photo of Levy Armstrong following her arrest, where her skin appeared darker and she looked like she was crying.
ICE agents confiscated both of the protesters’ phones during their arrest without explanation and have yet to return them, Levy Armstrong said.
CNN has reached out to DHS for comment on allegations that federal officials confiscated the protesters’ cellphones.
CNN’s Emma Tucker contributed to this report.
3 people arrested for St. Paul church protest were shackled, used in photo-ops by federal agents, they say
Three protesters who were taken into custody last week after they and several others disrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul over a pastor’s apparent role at ICE described being shackled and federal agents taking pictures with and of them while they were in federal custody.
Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and former NAACP leader, community organizer Chauntyll Louisa Allen and another protester William Kelly were charged with conspiracy to deprive rights last Thursday. Levy Armstrong’s attorney Jordan Kushner said he is filing for a motion to dismiss the charges.
At a news conference today, Levy Armstrong said federal officers used “three different sets of restraints” on her and Allen, “as if we were hardened criminals and murderers.”
Levy Armstrong and Allen were strip searched at jail and locked into cells, which had nothing but a “bed on cement and a metal toilet that doubles as a water fountain” with cameras watching their “every move,” said Levy Armstrong.
Allen said three or four groups of ICE agents kept returning to her cell and re-shackling her so they could pull her out to “take these photo shoots” with her.
Kelly said a Department of Homeland Security agent put an M-4 assault rifle in his face “with anger” even as he “peacefully surrendered.”
“They dragged me back into a cell and put me in chains… They mocked me. They took pictures of me like I was some catch of the day,” said Kelly, who described himself as an activist and “a man of peace, standing for the dignity of all Americans.”
CNN has contacted DHS for comment on the protesters’ allegations of what they experienced while in federal custody.
Man accused of spray attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar charged by state with terroristic threats, fifth-degree assault
A man accused of using a syringe to spray Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar with apple cider vinegar during a town hall in Minneapolis Tuesday has been charged today by the state with one felony count of terroristic threats and one count of fifth-degree assault, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
Anthony J. Kazmierczak, 55, already faces federal charges of assault in the incident, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in the US District Court of Minnesota. He is currently in federal custody after being released from Hennepin County jail, said Moriarty, who added her office will prosecute Kazmierczak when he is “made available to appear in Hennepin County District Court.”
Omar reported to police officers she believed Kazmierczak was “stating something to the effect of, ‘You should f**king die,’” according to the criminal complaint. Another person was “seen at the hospital due to adverse effects caused by the incident,” the complaint says.
CNN is working to determine whether Kazmierczak has obtained legal representation.
Minnesotans skeptical after Homan signals eventual drawdown of immigration agents
Minnesotans reacted with doubt and concern Thursday after White House border czar Tom Homan said federal immigration authorities are planning for an eventual drawdown of law enforcement activity in the state, even as he vowed to remain in Minneapolis until “the problem’s gone.”
Some residents said they’re bracing for a prolonged federal presence, questioning whether a drawdown will materialize at all.
Nick Kalt of Stillwater, Minnesota, described the announcement as something to “believe it when you see it,” adding that Minnesotans are preparing for the long haul. “We’re kind of prepping for a long game,” he told CNN.
In South Minneapolis, a resident named Christine said Homan’s comments don’t reflect what she’s seeing on the ground. “In fact, in my neighborhood, there are more ICE officers out today while Homan was speaking,” she said, adding that she’s called legislators to report what she sees as an escalation, not a pullback.
Christine also told CNN her daughter was arrested earlier Thursday while peacefully protesting. “We have video that shows that she was not a threat to anyone,” she said.
Others expressed fear and disbelief. Wendy, another resident, told CNN she doesn’t trust the promise of de-escalation. “I don’t believe he’s going to actually treat people with respect and dignity,” she said. “The people are going to be really scared… they’re scared for their children.”
“This feels like a absolutely a terror state,” she added.
Denise, a pastor from the South Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis, described what she’s witnessed as a broad erosion of civil liberties. “Just to see everybody’s constitutional rights run over like a train,” she said. “We’re just simply putting our hands in the air and saying, ‘please stop.’”
Ellison says he had “cordial” meeting with border czar and stressed laws on sharing county jail inmate details
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he and White House border czar Tom Homan didn’t make any deals during their meeting yesterday, but they did discuss the key points of tension between the state and the federal government, according to a statement.
He and Homan agreed that “no Minnesotan wants actual violent criminals on our streets,” but the top concern for residents right now “for their and their neighbors’ safety is the overwhelming presence and brutal tactics of federal immigration agents.”
The attorney general, who described the meeting as “cordial,” said he disagreed with the administration’s claim that the operations in the state were necessary “because of the alleged lack of cooperation from local and state officials.” One thing the Trump administration wants is access to information about who is being held in county jails.
“I did not make, and could not have made, any agreement with him about how sheriffs share with ICE information about people in their county jails,” Ellison said.
Homan said this morning that he spoke to Minnesota officials, including Ellison, who “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 their release from the jail.”
Ellison said he pointed out to Homan that an existing law requires state and local authorities to share information about non-citizens convicted of felonies, and reiterated that county jails cannot hold people beyond their release date.
Members of Congress react to border czar's comments on immigration enforcement in Minnesota
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are reacting to White House border czar Tom Homan’s comments this morning about ordering federal immigration authorities to work on an eventual drawdown plan for law enforcement in Minnesota.
Here’s what they’ve said:
• Texas Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro: “For an administration that never apologizes, never backs down, never admits to mistakes, I believe this is their way of saying that they realize that they have abused the American people, that this mass deportation machine has been vicious and brutal, and that they committed crimes. And this is a result of the American people saying enough is enough and standing up against it.”
• Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer: “I don’t agree very much with Mr. Homan — and he’s certainly not my choice for someone to lower the temperature in Minneapolis — but he’s right in saying the epicenter of change has to be Congress, not the executive branch. And change is desperately needed, because the images of masked agents beating people up in the streets and shooting American citizens in broad daylight have shocked the conscience.”
• California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla: Democratic senators will continue to push for accountability in ICE operations, he told CNN’s Dana Bash. He said Attorney General Pam Bondi’s letter asking Gov. Tim Walz to turn over Minnesota’s nonpublic voter rolls amid ICE tensions in Minneapolis is based off a “conspiracy theory” to rig midterm elections and “hold on to power.”
• Ohio Republican Sen. John Houston: “I think that represents a reset, which I think is a good thing,” Houston told CNN’s Pamela Brown. “Targeted enforcement is what they were supposed to be there doing. It escalated from that, and it’s time to reset and focus on what the mission is, which was to target violent criminals, people who are on the worst of the worst list.”
• Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley: “I applaud Tom Homan for using a commonsense cooperation approach in Minneapolis to keep residents safe Thx for ur leadership,” he wrote on X.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey gets big round of applause at US Conference of Mayors
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Thursday received a big round of applause while speaking at the US Conference of Mayors in Washington, DC.
“That is exactly the group therapy session that I needed,” Frey said. “It is heartwarming to be here with all of you.”
He said that he feels the support from across the country.
“We recognize that one great American city is experiencing an invasion. That is an invasion on our democracy, on our Republic, and on each and every one of us, and the fact that you all stand up means the world,” Frey said.
Frey spoke directly to his fellow mayors and issued a warning for “the next city” that might see a surge of federal agents as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The mayor closed by thanking his fellow leaders on behalf of the residents of Minneapolis.
“We gotta hold rock solid. We cannot back down,” Frey said. “Our cities, our mayors are what will hold this democracy together.”
This post has been updated with additional information.
Man accused of spray attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar charged with assault
A man accused of using a syringe to spray Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar with apple cider vinegar during a town hall in Minneapolis Tuesday has been charged with assault, according to a criminal complaint made public today.
Anthony J. Kazmierczak, 55, is alleged to have “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and officer and employee of the United States,” said a federal criminal complaint filed Wednesday in the US District Court of Minnesota.
The affidavit cites video posted to social media of the attack, saying it shows Kazmierczak quickly approaching Omar and spraying the apple cider vinegar just after she called on the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem to resign.
As Kazmierczak walked away, it looks like he said, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart,” according to the affidavit.
Omar was not injured in the attack, but authorities pointed out that Kazmierczak has shown animosity torward her in the past.
The affidavit said an unnamed acquaintance of Kazmierczak told investigators they were once on a phone call with him when he said someone should kill Omar.
The court document also featured a drawing Kazmierczak allegedly posted on his Facebook page criticizing the congresswoman.
The progressive lawmaker has been the subject of Republican attacks and scrutiny, as President Donald Trump’s administration focuses its attention on Minneapolis, the city she represents.
Omar has condemned federal immigration agents’ “terrorizing” tactics and “reckless and lawless” actions in the city and called on Noem to resign or be impeached.
Hennepin County jail records indicate Kazmierczak was released from local custody today, signaling his transfer to federal authorities.
No lawyer was listed in court documents as representing Kazmierczak.
Minnesota investigators "hopeful" an agreement with DHS can be reached in Pretti shooting probe
Minnesota state investigators say they are “hopeful” an agreement with federal law enforcement can be reached after initial requests to share evidence gathered from the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti were rebuffed.
“We do not have an agreement on the current cases or as we move forward,” spokesperson for Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Mike Ernster told CNN, “but discussions continue.”
An agreement between state and federal investigators would mark a turn in the state’s investigation, which was initially thwarted by federal officials who did not allow BCA agents to process the scene in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, according to the state agency.
The Department of Homeland Security’s investigative agency is leading the federal investigation and has, so far, not shared evidence gathered with state investigators, including body camera footage from officers that day or Pretti’s firearm and cellphone.
BCA officials were present during recent meetings with White House border czar Tom Homan, who was dispatched to Minnesota by President Donald Trump amid growing tension on the ground.
“We do not have an agreement on the current cases or as we move forward, but discussions continue,” Ernster said when asked if BCA had reached an agreement with federal agencies on the investigations into DHS officer-involved shootings.
