Trump Changes Course in Minneapolis, and Social Media Giants Face Big Tobacco-Style Lawsuits
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I'm Julian Barnes. I'm an intelligence reporter at The New York Times. I try to find out what the U.S. government is keeping secret. It takes a lot of time to find people willing to talk about those secrets. It requires talking to a lot of people to make sure that we're not misled and that we give a complete story to our readers. If The New York Times was not reporting these stories, some of them might never come to light. If you want to support this kind of work, you can do that by subscribing to The New York Times.
From The New York Times, it's The Headlines. I'm Will Jarvis, in for Tracy Mumford. Today's Tuesday, January 27th. Here's what we're covering.
Well, look, this has obviously been a very fluid and fast-moving situation throughout the weekend. As for President Trump, whom I speak for, he has said that he wants to let the investigation continue and let the facts lead in this case.
The White House is trying to change course in the face of outrage over the killing of Alex Preddy by federal agents in Minneapolis. Administration officials initially claimed Preddy was a dangerous threat, even as videos showed he was pinned down and unarmed when agents shot him.
Stephen Miller labeled Preddy a domestic terrorist. Does the president agree with them? Look, as I've said, I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Preddy in that way. However, I have heard the president say he wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself. Was he alarmed to hear his top officials referring to him in that way, rushing to that judgment? Danny, go ahead. Thanks, Caroline.
Yesterday, Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt did not defend or repeat those statements. And in a pivot on the ground, the White House says it has sent Borders R. Tom Homan to oversee operations in Minnesota. President Trump said Homan will report directly to him.
And I know that he's catching a plane in just a few hours to do just that at the request of the president.
With Homan going in, the administration is pulling Gregory Bovino out. The outspoken senior Border Patrol official had become the face of the aggressive tactics federal agents had used in the state. At the same time, Trump has also backed off his attacks on Minnesota's governor, Tim Walz. After the two talked on the phone yesterday, he went from blaming Walls for the violence in his state to saying they, quote, seem to be on the same wavelength.
First of all, I ask that we have a fair and independent investigation into the murder of both Renee Good and Alex.
Walls described the phone call to Minnesota Public Radio. He said he told the president how the current surge of ICE agents has made people afraid to go outside and afraid for their lives.
I told him that this is unsustainable. And I said, quite honestly, you know, no one wants this. And I hope that's true. No one wants this.
Meanwhile, The Times has been learning new details about what's happened to some of the Minnesota residents who've been caught up in the administration's immigration operations. According to lawyers, family members, and faith leaders, more than 100 refugees with no criminal record have been arrested there in recent weeks and flown to detention centers in Texas. Unlike asylum seekers who arrive at the U.S. border and try and make a case to stay, people with refugee status have often had extensive vetting and arrived in the country on flights coordinated with the federal government. But the administration announced earlier this month that it would begin reexamining many of their cases with new background checks, starting with the roughly 5,500 refugees in Minnesota.
Some of them have described a frightening and confusing process of being picked up without warning and flown to detention centers in Texas for interviews without lawyers.
What recent events prompted Trump to change his stance in Minneapolis?
Some said their wallets, IDs, and other documents have been confiscated and that after multiple days in custody, they've been released to find their own way back to Minnesota. Family and friends have scrambled to buy them plane and bus tickets home.
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