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The US Senate edged closer to a vote Friday on a funding deal to avert a government shutdown following a bitter standoff over President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.A partial government shutdown — affecting roughly three-quarters of the federal government — would be the second since Trump returned to office, threatening to furlough hundreds of thousands of public employees, interrupting government services and injecting fresh economic uncertainty just months ahead of the midterm elections.Current government funding lapses at midnight Friday.Democrats have said they are prepared to pass five of the six spending bills immediately, but have drawn a red line around funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), demanding it be stripped out and renegotiated to impose new constraints on immigration enforcement agencies.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that the White House had agreed to the demand, with Senate leaders from both parties hoping to bring the deal to the floor for a vote on Friday.Democratic backlash to Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown, sharpened by the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal agents in recent weeks, had raised the prospects of a shutdown in recent days. Democrats are pushing to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency that has rapidly expanded its ranks under Trump and now commands more funding than all other US federal law enforcement agencies combined.That anger boiled over Thursday when Senate Democrats blocked a key procedural vote on a six-bill spending package designed to keep most of the government funded.”What ICE is doing…it is state-sanctioned thuggery and it must stop. And Congress has the authority — and the moral obligation — to act,” Schumer said in a speech on the chamber floor.- All eyes on the House -Any fix, however, would still have to be approved by the House of Representatives — which is not due back from recess until Monday — making at least a weekend gap in funding inevitable.Lawmakers in both parties privately acknowledged that a brief lapse could easily stretch on if Schumer’s agreement with the White House — enthusiastically endorsed by Trump on Thursday — hits roadblocks in the lower chamber.Shutdowns temporarily freeze funding for non-essential federal operations, forcing agencies to halt services and place workers on unpaid leave or require them to work without pay. Under the current plan, departments ranging from education and transportation to housing, health and defense could be affected, while pressure would mount quickly to resolve disruptions rippling through the economy.Ironically, ICE itself would be largely unaffected, since it was allocated some $75 billion over four years in Trump’s 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act.The confrontation was triggered by events in Minnesota, where Alex Pretti, an intensive-care nurse filming Trump’s deportation efforts, was shot dead by Border Patrol agents last weekend. His killing came just weeks after another activist, Renee Good, was fatally shot blocks away during a separate immigration operation.Those deaths detonated what had appeared to be a stable bipartisan funding arrangement and refocused congressional debate on the conduct of federal officers operating under Trump’s aggressive enforcement campaign. Democrats want to see an end to roving immigration patrols, tighter warrant requirements, a universal use-of-force code, a ban on officers wearing masks, and mandates for body cameras and visible identification. Their agreement with the White House does not address any of these demands but it gives Congress an extra two weeks to thrash out a deal.  

Panama’s Supreme Court annulled on Thursday the concession allowing Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison to operate ports at the Panama Canal, a year after US President Donald Trump threatened to seize the crucial passageway claiming China controlled it.The case came after Trump threatened just days into his second term to take back the canal — built by the United States and handed to Panama in 1999 — as he said China was effectively “operating” it.The Supreme Court found the laws which allowed CK Hutchison Holdings to operate two of the five ports of the canal “unconstitutional,” according to a court statement.The CK Hutchison subsidiary concerned by the ruling rejected the judgement, saying that it “lacks legal basis”.The ruling “jeopardizes not only PPC (Panama Ports Company) and its contract, but also the well-being and stability of thousands of Panamanian families who depend directly and indirectly on port activity,” it said.The lawsuit to cancel the concession was brought before the Panamanian high court last year on allegations that it was based on unconstitutional laws and that the Hong Kong business was not paying taxes.Panama Ports Company — a CK Hutchison Holdings subsidiary — manages the ports of Cristobal on the canal’s Atlantic entrance and Balboa on the Pacific side.The concession was automatically renewed in 2021 for another 25 years.Shares in CK Hutchison declined more than 4 percent in morning trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Friday.CK Hutchison Holdings is one of Hong Kong’s largest conglomerates, spanning finance, retail, infrastructure, telecoms and logistics.It has sought to sell the Panama Canal ports to a consortium led by US asset manager BlackRock. The status of that proposal is unclear following the court ruling.- ‘Taking it back’ -Chinese state media has previously slammed the proposed sale, while Beijing officials have urged parties involved to exercise “caution”, warning of legal consequences should they proceed without their clearance.In April, the Panamanian Comptroller’s Office accused the firm of allegedly failing to pay the state $1.2 billion from its operations, according to an audit by the agency in charge of overseeing public spending.Panama has been trying to avoid being dragged into what President Jose Raul Mulino last year called a “geopolitical conflict.”Mulino has insisted the canal’s neutrality is intact and has urged Washington not to entangle Panama in its rivalry with Beijing. Still, Panama has taken steps to ease the pressure from Washington.Last year it withdrew from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and earlier this month it announced new joint US-Panama canal defense drills — the fourth since 2025 — aimed at boosting readiness around the 50‑mile (80‑kilometre) trade route.The canal has become a recurring flashpoint as Trump pursues what he calls the updated “Donroe Doctrine,” asserting expanded US authority in the Western Hemisphere.In his inauguration address, the US president said: “We didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back.”At the same time, Beijing has sharply criticized moves against its assets in Panama, including the demolition late last year of a monument honoring Chinese workers who helped build the canal and the 19th‑century railway that preceded it.The United States and China remain the canal’s top users, with around five percent of global maritime trade transiting from there.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba, further increasing pressure on the communist-led island.The order did not specify the value of the tariffs or which countries would be targeted, leaving those determinations up to his secretary of commerce.Cuba, which has largely been under a US embargo since 1962, until recently received most of its oil from Venezuela.But the United States has moved to block the flow after removing Havana’s key ally Nicolas Maduro from power and effectively seizing control of Venezuelan oil exports.Following the Venezuela operation, Trump vowed to completely cut off oil and money going to Cuba.”I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” he threatened in a social media post.The United States has been mum on what kind of deal it is seeking with the island’s communist government.Havana’s foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez on Thursday called the latest move in a post on X a “brutal act of aggression against Cuba and its people, who for more than 65 years have been subjected to the longest and cruelest economic blockade ever imposed.”The order signed Thursday threatens added tariffs on any “country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba.”The order invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and calls the Cuban government an “extraordinary threat” to US national security.Other tariffs invoked under the IEEPA are currently being challenged at the Supreme Court.Declaring a “national emergency” related to Cuba, Trump made similar claims to those made against Venezuela, such as providing support nations hostile to the United States.”The regime aligns itself with — and provides support for — numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the United States,” including Russia, China, and Iran, as well as the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, the order said.The pressure comes as the communist island is in the throes of its worst economic crisis in decades, marked by recurring power outages of up to 20 hours a day and shortages of food and medicine that have created a mass exodus of Cubans.US neighbor Mexico has become a significant provider oil to Cuba, though media reports have suggested that flows could be slowing under pressure from Trump.Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum would neither confirm or deny the reports, but said Mexico would “continue to show solidarity” with Cuba.

A US government shutdown looked inevitable Thursday after Senate Democrats blocked a key vote to keep departments funded, escalating a standoff with the White House over President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown following the fatal shooting of two protesters.The failed vote stalled a six-bill spending package that would fund more than three-quarters of the federal government, and a partial shutdown is set to begin after midnight Saturday.Senators were expected to hold a second vote on a revised package, but even a successful outcome would still require approval by the House of Representatives, which is not due back from recess until Monday — more than two days after the Friday night deadline.Under congressional rules, identical bill texts must pass both the House and Senate before they can become law.It will be the second government stoppage since Trump took office a year ago, although hopes were high that it could be limited to the weekend, unlike last summer’s record-breaking 43-day closure.Democrats had been clear that they intended to block the six-bill package unless funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is separated out and renegotiated to impose new guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the most heavily funded federal law-enforcement agency.”What ICE is doing is state-sanctioned thuggery and it must stop. And Congress has the authority — and the moral obligation — to act,” Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.Schumer later announced that the White House had agreed to a temporary framework addressing Democrats’ demands on the DHS bill, though US media reported that a vote on the deal had been delayed until Friday.Trump urged lawmakers from both parties to back the agreement, calling for a “very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote” in a social media post endorsing the proposal.A prolonged shutdown would likely place hundreds of thousands of federal employees on leave or force them to work without pay, with economic disruption spreading well beyond Washington.The confrontation has been fueled by outrage over immigration enforcement, a dispute carrying especially high political stakes in a midterm election year in which the entire House and roughly a third of the Senate are up for reelection.- Aggressive immigration crackdown -The immediate flashpoint came Saturday in Minneapolis, where Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse monitoring and recording Trump’s deportation operation, was shot dead by federal border agents. The killing came just weeks after another activist, Renee Good, was fatally shot by immigration officers a few blocks away.The deaths shattered what had appeared to be a fragile bipartisan funding truce, refocusing congressional debate on the conduct of immigration agents operating under Trump’s crackdown.Democrats say they are prepared to pass the remaining five spending bills immediately — covering various departments including defense, health, education, transportation and financial services.But they are asking for a rewrite of the DHS bill to mandate an end to roving ICE patrols, tighter warrant requirements, a universal use-of-force code, a ban on officers wearing masks, mandatory body cameras and visible identification.None of those requirements are addressed in the White House agreement, which instead gives lawmakers two weeks to rewrite the Homeland Security funding bill before the department faces its own shutdown.Lawmakers from both parties have warned that a lapse in DHS funding could have serious consequences for agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency as severe winter weather grips huge swaths of the country.

Donald Trump’s “border czar” said Thursday that some federal agents could be withdrawn from Minneapolis, the northern US city that has become the flashpoint for the president’s immigration crackdown.The Trump administration, facing a public backlash over the shooting deaths of two Americans by federal agents in Minneapolis, also eased immigration operations in the northeastern state of Maine.Tom Homan vowed at a press conference in Minneapolis to press on with the immigration crackdown in the city, but said more cooperation could lead to a reduction in the number of federal agents there.”We are not surrendering our mission at all. We’re just doing it smarter,” Homan said. “President Trump wants this fixed. And I’m going to fix it.”Minneapolis has been gripped by weeks of demonstrations against the roundup of immigrants by masked and heavily armed federal agents.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, speaking to a conference of US mayors in Washington on Thursday, likened it to an “invasion.””People’s constitutional rights have been trampled,” he said. “Discrimination takes place only on the basis of ‘Are you Somali?’ ‘Are you Latino?’ or ‘Are you Southeast Asian?'””It’s not how we operate in America.”Trump held a cabinet meeting Thursday, but the Minnesota unrest did not come up while reporters were in the room, and he did not call on Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem when asking some officials to give remarks.Trump sent Homan to Minnesota to take control of immigration operations there with orders to report directly to him, effectively sidelining Noem.Homan’s appointment showed the administration was “pivoting,” Cass, a 43-year-old freelance medical professional in Minneapolis who did not wish to provide a surname, told AFP.”Just because one’s older and bigger doesn’t mean that it’s not as scary. It’s just now we’ve got somebody with better self-regulation.”The political battle has landed in Congress, with a potential government funding shutdown looming after Senate Democrats rejected a procedural vote to express anger over the killing of the two protesters in Minnesota.Democrats had vowed to block the measure unless funding for the Department of Homeland Security is renegotiated to include guardrails on ICE.- ‘Improvements’ needed -Homan struck a conciliatory tone at his first press conference, saying “certain improvements could and should be made,” a marked difference from the Border Patrol commander who previously headed the mission and has been removed.The border chief urged Minnesotans to avoid “hateful rhetoric” against federal immigration officers.Homan said his staff was “working on a drawdown plan” for some of the more than 3,000 federal agents who have been taking part in “Operation Metro Surge.”One such measure, for example, would be notifying ICE agents about the release dates of incarcerated migrants considered “criminal public safety risks” so they can be detained by the agency, he said.”This is commonsense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here.”Steven Gagner, a 41-year-old jewelry designer and “citizen observer” in Minneapolis, was skeptical about the drawdown.”This administration has proven time and time again that they just lie to us and they do not really hold themselves or anyone else accountable,” he told AFP.- Conduct warning -The two agents involved in Saturday’s shooting have been placed on leave, and Homan said any federal agents who breach standards of conduct “will be dealt with.”Trump has scrambled to stem outrage over the killings of Good and Pretti, saying earlier this week that he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” in Minneapolis.But the Republican president has not let up on his attacks on Somali-born Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar, even going so far as to suggest she may have staged an attack on Tuesday, when a man sprayed her with a liquid while she gave a speech.The man, Anthony Kazmierczak, faces state and federal assault charges for using a syringe to spray what appeared to be apple cider vinegar on the Democratic representative.

President Donald Trump on Thursday said all Canadian-built aircraft would lose their US certification until Canada approves American-made Gulfstream business jets, a stunning move threatening major travel disruptions if enacted.Writing on his Truth Social network, Trump charged that “Canada has wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly refused” to grant certification to Gulfstream’s newest models — the 500, 600, 700, and 800.”We are hereby decertifying their Bombardier Global Expresses, and all Aircraft made in Canada, until such time as Gulfstream, a Great American Company, is fully certified, as it should have been many years ago,” Trump wrote.He additionally threatened a 50 percent tariff on all Canadian aircraft sold to the United States.It was not immediately clear through what process Trump could unilaterally decertify aircraft or what that decertification would entail.The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to AFP’s requests for comment.- ‘Significant impact’ -Quebec-based Bombardier said in a statement that it had “taken note of the post” and was “in contact with the Canadian government.””Thousands of private and civilian jets built in Canada fly in the US every day. We hope this is quickly resolved to avoid a significant impact to air traffic and the flying public,” the company added.While the Global Express is a business jet, Trump’s threat to decertify “all” Canadian aircraft would also appear to include CRJ regional jets and Airbus A220s — used by several major US airlines for shorter range flights.The move is the latest in a string of verbal and commercial attacks on the United States’ northern neighbor since Trump’s return to power last year.Earlier in the week, Trump threatened Canada with 100-percent tariffs after Prime Minister Mark Carney traveled to China and struck several economic deals.Carney downplayed the threat, saying the comments should be viewed with an eye toward an upcoming review of the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal.Canada has been hit hard by Trump’s sectoral tariffs — especially in the auto, steel and aluminum sectors — but more than 85 percent of bilateral US-Canada trade has remained tariff-free through the ongoing trade war.Carney has enjoyed better ties with Trump, compared to his predecessor Justin Trudeau, whom Trump often referred to as a “governor” of what he declared should be the 51st US state, but their relationship has soured in recent days.The Canadian premier delivered a blistering denunciation of US global leadership at last week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, earning a rare standing ovation and capturing global headlines.Trump shot back in his own Davos address, telling Carney to watch his words, as “Canada lives because of the United States” and later referring to Carney as a “governor” in a social media post. 

Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga are primed to make history on Sunday in Los Angeles at the 68th Grammy Awards, honoring the best in music.All three are angling to add to their trophy cabinets by taking home the gala’s most coveted award, Album of the Year, for the first time.Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper who won five gramophones last year, has nine nominations this time around — the most of any artist — including for Record and Song of the year.Pop chameleon Lady Gaga and Puerto Rico’s Bad Bunny also are competing in all three categories.Also nominated for the top album prize are: pop princess Sabrina Carpenter; R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas; Tyler, the Creator; hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice); and pop superstar Justin Bieber — with his first studio effort in four years.Lamar is nominated this year for his album “GNX,” which includes the single “Luther” featuring R&B artist SZA. The 38-year-old has won 22 Grammys during his career.Lady Gaga, Bieber and Carpenter are set to perform, with more acts expected to be confirmed before Sunday.- Bad Bunny’s hot streak -Standing in Lamar’s way for Album of the Year is Bad Bunny, who is currently on a world tour in support of his album “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” (I Should Have Taken More Photos).”It was a very exciting album,” musicologist Lauron Kehrer told AFP.”It touched on so much in terms of thematic material and musical material,” Kehrer said, pointing to the allusions to decolonization and use of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms.The 31-year-old Latin megastar, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys, where he is up for six awards.Last year, he completed a three-month residency in his native Puerto Rico and hosted the season opener of “Saturday Night Live.”His “Un verano sin ti” (2022) was the first Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Year honors. A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.Lady Gaga, 39, made a splashy comeback to touring with “Mayhem,” her collection of pop bangers with a dark edge that embraces her dramatic side. She has seven nominations.She has 14 Grammys to her name, but a win for Album of the Year would complete her hat trick of top awards. She took Record and Song of the Year honors seven years ago for the soundtrack hit “Shallow,” from “A Star is Born” — which also earned her an Oscar.This time around, Song of the Year — which honors songwriting — is a crowded category that includes Carpenter’s “Manchild” and “Golden” from the Netflix animated smash hit “KPop Demon Hunters.”Many pundits believe the energetic K-pop hit will triumph.Up for best new artist are Alex Warren, girl group Katseye, Britain’s Olivia Dean, TikTok dancer-turned-singer Addison Rae, The Marias, sombr, Lola Young and Thomas — who was already a Grammy winner two years ago for producing a song by SZA.- ‘Reactionary’ -For musicologist Kehrer, the infusion of rap, reggaeton and K-pop in the top Grammy categories reflects changes in the composition of the Recording Academy’s voting group.More than 3,800 new members have been admitted. Half of those new members are age 39 or younger, and 58 percent of them are people of color, the academy says.Invitations were also offered to all members of the Latin Recording Academy.”The Grammys are more reactionary than anything else,” said Kehrer.”These artists winning those major awards is more of an indication of climate, rather than trying to move or change the climate.”The Grammy Awards will once again be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah. The main broadcast begins at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday), but many of the 95 awards will be handed out at a pre-gala event.

The US dollar sank to a four-and-a-half-year low against the euro this week after President Donald Trump said the weakened currency was doing “great.”While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent backed a strong dollar the very next day, market watchers viewed Trump’s remark as the latest sign the president sees a lower greenback as connected to goals of lowering the trade deficit and boosting US manufacturing.A lower dollar brings mixed effects, boosting the competitiveness of US exporters but inflicting higher prices on cash-strapped consumers for imported goods.- How weak is the US dollar? -The US currency has fallen about 12 percent since Trump took office in January 2025 based on the dollar index, which measures the greenback against the euro, the yen and four other currencies.But that pullback came after the US currency had rallied almost six percent between Trump’s Election Day win in November 2024 and his inauguration.Moreover, the US currency is not especially weak on an historic basis. The euro on Tuesday night breached $1.20 for the first time since 2021. But that is still well below the all-time of more than $1.60 in July 2008. – Why has the dollar declined under Trump? -The greenback moved sharply lower Tuesday after Trump was asked if he thought it had dropped too much.”No, I think it’s great,” Trump said in Iowa. “Look at the business we’re doing.”While the remark was somewhat impactful, it came after “the biggest move in the dollar had already happened,” said Francesco Pesole, a foreign exchange strategist at ING.Pesole ties the dollar’s recent bout of weakness to a renewal of the “sell America” trade following Trump’s threats of new tariffs on Europe over Greenland. Much as with the aggressive “Liberation Day” tariff announcement in April, Trump eventually backed off the Greenland-related levies.But the episode highlighted the unpredictability of US policy under the 79-year-old president.Another factor is the impending appointment of a new head of the Federal Reserve to replace Jerome Powell, whom Trump has lambasted for not cutting interest rates sufficiently.Powell’s replacement by a Fed chair who favors significantly lower interest rates would lend further downward pressure on the dollar.- How does a weaker dollar affect the US economy? -A cheaper dollar means US exports become more competitive in overseas markets. That dynamic can help boost US manufacturing production while reducing the country’s trade deficit — two Trump administration priorities.Other benefits include lifting the financial results for US companies that report profits overseas and incentivizing foreign tourism to the United States.While presidents from both parties say they want a strong dollar, “under the surface -– sometimes they say it outright, sometimes they don’t say it outright –- they’ll be looking for a weaker currency to help them achieve their economic agenda,” said Oren Klachkin, an economist at Nationwide.In a November 2024 paper, Stephan Miran, Trump’s Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors and a Federal Reserve board member, argued that addressing the “persistent dollar overvaluation” was essential to revamping global trade.But a downside of a cheap dollar is to increase the prices US consumers face on imported goods, said ForexLive’s Adam Button, who argues the US is “playing with fire.””The risk of a falling dollar is that that inflation re-accelerates,” said Button, who sees a risk that investors will view a declining dollar as a sign other US assets should be avoided.”If you have the rest of the world investing trillions in the US bond market, that’s keeping borrowing rates in the US low,” said Button.”The rest of the world is subsidizing American deficits, and that is a tremendous benefit to everything in the US. But that is not a guarantee forever.”

Two Somali-American co-workers have created a network to provide medical house calls to community members afraid to go outside in the face of the massive immigration operation underway in Minnesota.The paranoia and fear fomented by the sweeping immigration crackdown in the Midwestern state has led many migrants — both those with legal status and those without — to shelter at home, campaigners say.Members of migrant communities have avoided medical treatment, been unable to purchase essentials, lost jobs and even taken their children out of school to avoid venturing outside where they are more vulnerable to immigration checks.Hafsa, a mental health student, was spurred to act after an acquaintance delayed seeking medical help for their child, meaning the youth’s condition deteriorated by the time they sought help. “I got a call from a mom that that’s a immigrant and she was afraid to go to the hospital, and her child is now in the Intensive Care Unit,” said the Somali-born American who, like all of the St. Paul-based volunteers, gave only their first name for fear of retaliation.Somalis have been at the forefront of Donald Trump’s aggressive anti-immigrant campaign, with the US president branding the community “garbage,” questioning its intelligence and calling for deportations to intensify.Immigration officers have been seen at hospitals and clinics, waiting for patients and questioning them about their legal status, according to a recent article in the American Journal of Managed Care.That has led to a surge in “healthcare avoidance” in the Somali and Hispanic communities, it reported.Beyond connecting people in St. Paul, which along with Minneapolis makes up the Twin Cities, to health care workers willing to make house calls, the volunteers also devote resources to vetting the medical staff themselves.”It is a lot of work because you want to make sure that whoever you’re sending to that person’s house is somebody who doesn’t have any ill intentions. So you’re making a lot of calls,” said Hafsa, 25.Care is taken to ensure the travelling health workers are not followed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers as they drive to migrants’ homes.The small, informal team of volunteers spends upwards of 12 hours daily answering calls, matching community members to care, and onboarding the professionals.”You get their skills, and then… there might be an intake form where they can list all that and their availability,” said volunteer Cass, 43, a compliance officer in health care. “It’s project management 101,” she added.- ‘Word of mouth’ -Beyond the slick, computerized tools, the volunteers rely on community contacts to raise awareness and receive referrals.”It’s just word of mouth,” said Musab, 34, an entrepreneur. He pointed to one of the women supporting the service and said she was “locked in with every single community member.””We’re a very collective community, so we know about each other’s statuses. So somebody would just call and say ‘Hey, this person is sick or whatever’.”Hafsa likened the community response in the face of the unprecedented immigration crackdown to giving first aid to a wounded patient.”We need as many hands on our body, patching all the wounds,” she said.After receiving an urgent call, Musab rose and put on his heavy down coat to fend off the bitterly cold conditions.”This brother actually works with people in recovery… So I think one of the kids might be sick, so I’m about to just go see kind of what I can help them out with and what they need,” he said heading out.The volunteers’ staging space, an events center in St. Paul, has been volunteered by a Somali businesswoman who made sweetened tea for the team.A room set aside for brides-to-be has been converted into a storeroom for the medical supplies and cold weather gear being donated from across the United States.Hafsa said the well-wishes that have accompanied the donations arriving in Amazon packages were helping to keep her going.”I cry from gratitude,” she said.

A man dressed as Batman berated officials in the California city set to host the Super Bowl next month over claims they could let ICE officers patrol the NFL championship game.The Caped Crusader took to the mic during the public comments section of Santa Clara city’s council meeting on Tuesday.He kicked things off with a “Ker-pow!” any superhero would be proud of, dropping an f-bomb as he slammed his fist into the lectern and demanded “what… are we doing here?””You have had months to prepare for this upcoming event,” he said of the game that will see the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks battle it out for American football supremacy on February 8.”People are dying on our streets every single day in this country because we allow this federal government to walk all over you.”The outburst came with tensions running high in the United States over the deaths this month of two protesters in Minneapolis, both shot dead by federal agents in operations run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.”You need to affirm that no city resources will go to ICE, that no cooperation will be given to them.”The man’s real name was not known, but he was identifed as “Batman” on the clock counting down his speaking time.Santa Clara City did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.The involvement of ICE in Super Bowl 60 emerged as an issue when Corey Lewandowski, an adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, criticized the choice of Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny — a US citizen — as the star of the halftime show.”It’s so shameful that they’ve decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much,” Lewandowski said in September.”There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally,” he added. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else.”Tickets for the gridiron finale start at around $6,000, making them out of reach for the vast majority of undocumented people, who tend to work in low-paying jobs.