NPR News: 01-29-2026 6PM EST
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This week on the NPR Politics Podcast. For months, the president's immigration strategy has been on full display. Now some Republicans are having a hard time defending it.
What immigration strategy is President Trump currently implementing?
Yeah, I think that's a good weather vane for where the politics are headed in all of this. Cracks in the MAGA coalition. This week on the NPR Politics Podcast. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. President Trump's border czar says immigration enforcement could reduce the number of officers in Minnesota, but Tom Homan says a drawdown will only happen after cooperation from state officials.
We are not surrendering to President's mission in immigration enforcement. Let's make that clear. Prioritization of criminal aliens doesn't mean that we forget about everybody else. That's just simply ridiculous. But when you have a criminal standing here and a non-criminal standing there, that criminal always should be targeted for it because he's a significant concern to the safety and security of the community.
Holman says local jails need to alert immigration officials about inmates who are eligible to be deported. Trump sent Holman to Minnesota following last weekend's fatal shooting of protester Alex Preddy. Republican Senator Susan Collins says enhanced operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Maine have ended. From Maine Public, Erwin Gratz reports.
In a news release, Collins says Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told her the surge of ICE agents that began recently is over and the agency will continue normal operations. Collins had asked Noem earlier to pause its surge in Maine and Minnesota. Collins told Maine Public she received multiple calls from constituents expressing fear and anger about the ICE operation. Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills, in a statement, writes ending the ICE surge, quote, does not end the pain and suffering they've inflicted on communities across our state, unquote. Lewiston, Maine, Mayor Carl Scheline, whose city was a target of the enhanced immigration crackdown, called the Collins announcement good news.
He added, quote, ICE operations in Maine have failed to improve public safety, unquote. For NPR News, I'm Erwin Gratz in Portland, Maine.
Amid tensions over the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, the Senate has failed to advance a funding package. NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports this brings the federal government one step closer to a partial shutdown.
Senate Democrats are refusing to back the package in its current form. They want to see major changes to the Department of Homeland Security's ongoing immigration enforcement actions. The measure needs 60 votes to advance, which means Democrats are critical for any future passage. Republicans have urged Democrats to negotiate directly with the White House, but neither side has committed to a path forward. Democrats are calling for broad changes to the way DHS agents are carrying out their work. This includes barring them from wearing masks, requiring body cameras, and creating a uniform code of conduct and use of force rules. Agencies will run out of funding after Friday. Barbara Sprint, NPR News, Washington.
Applications for unemployment benefits inched down modestly last week, remaining at historically healthy levels despite recent high-profile layoff announcements. Applications for unemployment benefits are seen as representative of U.S. layoffs. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. President Trump says he told Venezuela's acting president that he'll open up the country's commercial airspace, and he says Americans will soon be able to visit. American Airlines says they'll reinstate nonstop service from the U.S. in the coming months. Earlier this week, the Trump administration told Congress it was taking steps to possibly reopen the shuttered U.S. embassy in Venezuela. The Library of Congress has announced the latest additions to the National Film Registry.
As NPR's Netta Ulaby reports, the library picks 25 films every year to be preserved for posterity.
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