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After more than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow fell over parts of New York during this past weekend’s historic winter storm, the city is working to melt away the remains before the next blizzard strikes.Though the storm has passed, temperatures remain below freezing, impeding natural snowmelt, with no relief in sight for the forecast.The snow has been shoveled to the side, but it remains hazardous for both pedestrians and drivers, and needs an extra boost to go away in a timely fashion. “The problem there is that if we don’t melt it, then it’ll sit there for a while,” said Javier Logan, who oversees New York’s sanitation department, at a Wednesday press conference. Their secret weapon? Giant snow “hot tubs” capable of melting between 60 and 120 tons of snow an hour.Trucks filled with excavated snow dump their trailers into the machines, filled with water, to rapidly melt it. Although the ensuing steam gives the machines a jacuzzi-like appearance, the water inside is heated only to 38F (3C). The water is then filtered and dumped into storm drains.More than 2,500 city workers are mobilized for the 24/7 operation. “Our priority right now is to get the bus roads open, because we want to make sure that people can get on and off the buses and get to work or school as needed,” Logan said. The snow melters, which are used at other cities and airports across North America, have not been used at such a high scale in New York since 2021.

Oil prices surged Thursday after US President Donald Trump ramped up geopolitical tensions with threats of a military strike on Iran, while safe-haven gold fell back after hitting a fresh record near $5,600.”With the Middle East tinder box looking set to ignite again, oil prices have moved sharply higher, lifting shares in listed energy giants,” said Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club.Global stocks were mixed as markets pored over Wednesday’s Federal Reserve decision and mixed tech industry earnings that sent Microsoft and Meta in opposite directions.Trump meanwhile warned that Tehran must negotiate a deal over its nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb.”The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again,” he added, referring to US strikes against Iranian nuclear targets in June.An Iranian military spokesman warned Tehran’s response to any US action would be “delivered instantly.” International benchmark Brent crude oil topped $70 a barrel Thursday for the first time since September, a gain of five percent. Prices later eased somewhat, showing gains of more than three percent.”Strikes on Iran would risk causing oil prices to jump and threaten to boost inflation in much of the world, reducing the pace or number of interest rate cuts by major central banks,” said Jason Tuvey, an emerging markets economist at research group Capital Economics, in a note. – Gold falls back -Gold tumbled back after hitting a new record at $5,595.47 an ounce as investors rushed to assets deemed safe, including silver, which reached its own record of $120.44 an ounce.The dollar steadied after losing ground most of this week.Gold declined more than five percent and silver plunged more than eight percent, while copper and nickel prices also fell, as traders reassessed the market.”The parabolic rally had to come to an end,” as commodity prices had “gone up too far, too quickly”, Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading group, told AFP.Demand for the precious metals is also being spurred by worries about the weakening dollar, sparked by speculation that Trump is happy to see the world’s reserve currency weaken despite the potential risk of pushing up US inflation.An uneventful policy announcement by the Fed on Wednesday did little to inspire buying, though observers said traders were optimistic that US interest rates will come down as Trump prepares to name his pick as the next governor of the central bank.On stock markets, Meta rocketed by more than 10 percent after the US parent of Facebook and Instagram published quarterly earnings that topped expectations, as revenue grew along with huge investments in artificial intelligence.But Microsoft, whose earnings disappointed analysts, tumbled around 10 percent on concern for the return on investment for the software giant’s AI spending.”Companies are increasing AI infrastructure spending, but the market is differentiating now and rewarding those companies that can turn these investments into profits, while for others, there’s more scrutiny,” said Angelo Kourkafas of Edward Jones.- Key figures at around 2110 GMT -Brent North Sea Crude: UP 3.4 percent at $70.71 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 3.5 percent at $65.42 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 49,071.56 (close)New York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.1 percent at 6,969.01 (close)New York – NASDAQ Composite: DOWN 0.7 percent at 23,685.12 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 10,171.76 points (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.1 percent at 8,071.36 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 2.1 percent at 24,309.46 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: FLAT at 53,375.60 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.5 percent at 27,968.09 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 4,157.98 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1962 from $1.1954 on WednesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3800 from $1.3808Dollar/yen: DOWN at 153.04 yen from 153.41 yenEuro/pound: UP at 86.67 pence from 86.57 pence

Officials in the US state of Georgia on Thursday slammed the FBI’s search of a local election center at the heart of President Donald Trump’s unfounded allegations of election fraud in 2020, saying it amounted to intimidation.The FBI on Wednesday searched the main election facility in Fulton County, which includes the state capital Atlanta, seeking records related to the 2020 vote. Ballot boxes were seized.”As you all know by now, yesterday, shortly after noon, until around nine o’clock last night, the FBI made a surprise execution of a criminal search warrant at the Fulton County Elections hub,” County Chairman Rob Pitts told a press conference.”Fulton County has been targeted for years because I stood up to Donald Trump’s big lie, refused to bend to pressure,” Pitts said.”Every audit, every recount, every court ruling has confirmed what we the people of Fulton County already knew: our elections were fair and accurate, and every legal vote was counted,” the official added. “These ongoing efforts are about intimidation and distraction, not facts.”- 700 boxes -During the search, federal agents seized a total of 700 boxes, with officials unable to make copies, according to Sherry Allen, chairperson of Fulton County Elections Board.She said election officials themselves had been planning to provide the documents in the coming weeks as part of ongoing legal proceedings and thus saw no need for the raid.”I was allowed in to discuss with them and trying to negotiate a reasonable way to transfer documents and for us to maintain copies, but that wasn’t allowed,” she added.Both Allen and Pitts voiced concerns that the documents could expose personal information and leave election workers vulnerable to pressure.In 2020, Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani accused two Fulton County election workers of rigging the vote, citing a video that showed them passing an object between them — later revealed to be a mint.Giuliani claimed the women, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, were exchanging a USB drive “as if they’re vials of heroin or cocaine.”In December 2023, a court ordered him to pay $148 million in damages for defamation.Trump narrowly lost to Biden in Georgia in 2020 and he urged a state election official in a phone call before the tallies were finalized to help him “find 11,780 votes” he needed to win.Trump and 18 codefendants were charged with racketeering and other offenses in Georgia in 2023 over their alleged efforts to subvert the results of the vote in the southern state.A Georgia judge dismissed the election interference case in November 2025.Since taking office a year ago, Trump has taken several punitive measures against perceived enemies, purging government officials deemed to be disloyal, targeting law firms involved in past cases against him and pulling federal funding from universities.Speaking in Davos last week, Trump said the 2020 vote was “a rigged election” and “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did.”

Another blast of Arctic air was set to spread across much of the United States from Thursday night, even as local authorities struggled to dig out from mounds of snow and ice days after a giant storm passed. The National Weather Service said polar winds would surge down from the Northern Plains across the Midwest and through the Gulf Coast, with a significant storm set to bring more heavy snowfall to parts of the southeastern US by the weekend.Temperature lows could be broken, especially in Florida, the agency said, warning of statewide impacts on vulnerable populations as well as the crucial agriculture industry.Frigid temperatures in the largely subtropical state can “cold-stun” iguanas, causing them to fall off trees in what has been referred to as a “lizard blizzard.”The new cold front comes just days after a major winter storm, killing more than 100 people, according to tally of official figures and local media reports, as it blanketed a vast swath from New Mexico in the southwest to Maine in the northeast in snow, sleet and icy rain.In the southern United States, hundreds of thousands of customers remained without power Thursday, according to poweroutage.us, with Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana hardest hit. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said it had cleared more than 3,000 downed trees “because clearing trees is the gateway to recovery — protecting lives, restoring critical services, and helping power get back on.”Meanwhile millions were still digging out from hardened snow. In New York, excavators scooped piles of snow into steaming orange trailers known as “hot tubs,” which send the meltwater down into the city’s sewer system.New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was spotted traversing the city to shovel snow, earning praise but also criticism for not wearing a hat. In the capital Washington, authorities were dumping truckloads of ice and snow at the site of the demolished Robert F. Kennedy stadium. Washington residents have roundly criticized the official response, as numerous streets remained unplowed, snowbanks blocked road crossings and schools stayed shut for a full three days after the storm had passed.Some research suggests climate change could be playing a role in disruptions to the polar vortex — a vast region of cold, low-pressure air that normally circulates high above the Arctic.Scientists advancing this theory argue that uneven Arctic warming across Europe and Asia can amplify large atmospheric waves, making it more likely for the polar vortex to wobble and spill south over North America.

A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday for the fatal shooting of a Black woman inside her home, a case that drew national attention and calls for police reform.Sean Grayson, 31, who is white, was found guilty in October of second-degree murder by a jury after two days of deliberations.Grayson was charged with first-degree murder, which carried a potential life sentence, and second-degree murder for the July 2024 shooting of Sonya Massey, 36, a mother of two.The jury opted to convict him only of the lesser charge and Judge Ryan Cadigan sentenced Grayson to the maximum 20 years in prison on Thursday at a hearing attended by members of the Massey family, including her children. Massey’s shooting drew attention to police violence against African-Americans and prompted then-US president Joe Biden to say she “should be alive today.”Massey, who had received treatment in the past for mental health issues, had called the 911 emergency line to report a possible intruder in her home. Two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies arrived shortly after midnight.Police body camera footage showed Massey talking to the officers and searching through her purse after they asked her for identification.Grayson then asked her to check on a pot of boiling water on the stove, saying “we don’t need a fire while we’re here.”Holding the pot, Massey responded “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” — prompting the deputy to draw his weapon and say: “You better fucking not. I swear to God I’ll fucking shoot you in your fucking face.”Apologizing, Massey crouched behind a counter as the officer screamed “drop the fucking pot” and fired three shots, killing Massey with a bullet to the face.Grayson took the stand during his one-week trial and testified that he had felt threatened by the pot of boiling water Massey was holding.The Sangamon County Board approved a $10 million settlement with Massey’s estate last year.The United States was rocked by protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota.Floyd’s death revived scrutiny of race relations and sparked nationwide calls for police reform.

A contract with American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has triggered a barrage of criticism of French IT services company Capgemini in the wake of killings and other incidents involving US border officials.The company was still scrambling Thursday to explain the deal for a tool to identify and track foreigners on US soil, which it says was signed by an arm’s-length subsidiary set up to bid on classified US government work, with limited oversight from HQ in France.Nevertheless, “according to the information made known to the group, that contract awarded in December 2025 is not currently being fulfilled”, Capgemini told AFP by email.An internal message sent to Capgemini staff Wednesday and seen by AFP said that the contract was “subject to legal challenge” without providing details, adding that the US arm had “launched a process of examining the contents of this contract”.The killings of two people — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — by ICE and border patrol (CBP) agents in Minneapolis have made world headlines in recent weeks, provoking widespread condemnation of the American agency.Capgemini, which operates in around 50 countries worldwide and belongs to the CAC40 group of France’s largest listed companies, has called an extraordinary board meeting for this weekend after being the subject of pointed questions in parliament and calls for transparency from the government.”I’ve been at Capgemini for 32 years and I’ve never seen a crisis situation like this one,” CFDT union delegate Frederic Bolore told AFP. “It’s a huge shock for employees”.Shares in the group fell 2.8 percent to 127.85 euros ($152.70), by close of trading in Paris Thursday, and are 10 percent lower than at the start of the year.- ‘Active accomplice’ -Campaign group Multinationals Observatory last week revealed the ICE contract, with further details reported by broadcaster France 2.Chief executive Aiman Ezzat wrote on LinkedIn Sunday that bosses “were recently made aware, through public sources” of the contract with Capgemini Government Solutions (CGS), the US subsidiary.At CGS, “decision making is separate, networks are firewalled, and the Capgemini group cannot access any classified information (or) classified contracts”, Ezzat added.Public US government documents show that the ICE-CGS contract signed on December 18 is worth $4.8 million.”I think the least we can expect of a French company… is to be transparent about the contracts it has with ICE, but perhaps also to call them into question,” Economy Minister Roland Lescure told journalists in Paris Thursday.Ezzat acknowledged in his LinkedIn message that “the nature and scope of this work has raised questions compared to what we typically do as a business and technology firm”.But CGT union representative Benjamin Girard said the ICE contract’s existence was not a “revelation” to him.”Capgemini works with government organisations playing a part in migration policies that are currently quite authoritarian,” he said.In a letter to CEO Ezzat, CGT representatives said that the ICE deal was “not only contrary to Capgemini’s stated values, but makes our company an active accomplice in serious human rights violations”.France 2 has reported that the company has other contracts in the US tied to surveillance of sites used for detention and transport of arrested foreigners.

President Donald Trump’s border chief vowed Thursday to press on with the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis but said a plan to “draw down” the number of federal agents in the city is in the works.”We’re going to make sure we do targeted enforcement operations,” Tom Homan told reporters. “We are not surrendering our mission at all. We’re just doing it smarter.””President Trump wants this fixed. And I’m going to fix it.”The border chief called on Minnesota’s residents to turn down the temperature and stop what he called “hateful rhetoric” against federal agents carrying out immigration raids.Minneapolis has been gripped by weeks of protests against the roundup of undocumented migrants by masked and heavily armed federal agents. Two Americans demonstrating against the sweeps have been shot dead by officers.Homan struck a conciliatory tone at his first press conference, a marked difference from the Border Patrol commander who was previously heading the mission on the ground and has since been removed.”Community safety is paramount,” Homan said. “The mission is going to improve because of the changes we’re making internally.”President Trump and I, along with others in the administration, have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made,” he said. “That’s exactly what I’m doing here.”Homan said his staff is “working on a drawdown plan” for some of the more than 3,000 federal agents who have been taking part in what the Trump administration has dubbed “Operation Metro Surge.”Increased cooperation from authorities in the Democratic-run state is key, he said.One such measure, for example, would be notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents about the release dates of incarcerated migrants considered “criminal public safety risks” so they can be detained by ICE, he said.”More agents in the jail means less agents in the street,” Homan 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.”We’ll believe it when we see it, because 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.- ‘Will be dealt with’ -Homan declined to comment on the latest shooting in Minneapolis by federal agents — that of 37-year-old Veterans Hospital nurse Alex Pretti — saying he would “let the investigation play out and see where it goes.”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 across the political aisle over Pretti’s killing and that of another protestor, Renee Good, saying Tuesday he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” in Minneapolis.But the president on Wednesday accused the city’s mayor Jacob Frey of “PLAYING WITH FIRE” for refusing to rally local police to enforce the federal immigration sweeps.The political battle has landed in Congress, where Democrats are threatening to hold up swaths of government funding if reforms are not made to rein in the sprawling paramilitary-style immigration agencies.In another challenge to Trump’s immigration crackdown, a federal judge ruled Wednesday to halt the detention of refugees in Minnesota awaiting permanent resident status and ordered the release of those in custody.Meanwhile, another federal judge slammed ICE chief Todd Lyons, claiming he “has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.”The White House initially justified Saturday’s fatal shooting of Pretti with Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem calling him a “domestic terrorist.”But a widespread backlash forced Trump to shuffle leadership of operations in Minneapolis, replacing Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino with Homan.

Melania Trump on Thursday premieres her new movie promising a behind the scenes glimpse at her husband’s return to power — a documentary funded by an extraordinary multi-million-dollar deal with Amazon.Titled simply “Melania,” the documentary is getting a red carpet screening at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy center in Washington, attended by both the US First Lady and President Donald Trump himself.But amid reports of soft ticket sales for the Slovenian-born 55-year-old’s movie, the huge fee paid by the US tech giant has raised questions about whether Amazon is merely trying to curry favor with the president.”My new film Melania provides a window into an important period for America,” Melania Trump said as she rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.”For the first time in history, people will witness the 20 days leading up to the inauguration through the eyes of an incoming first lady.”Melania Trump has been an often mysterious figure since President Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, preferring to spend her time with the couple’s son Barron in New York and Florida.But she said the film, which goes on global release on Friday and will later be shown exclusively on Amazon Prime, would give people a look behind the enigma. “They will see how I work, who I am, how I communicate with people, and they will know me a little bit more,” she told Fox and Friends on Wednesday.A teaser for the documentary released in December showed the former model looking to the camera just before her husband’s second swearing-in at the US Capitol and saying: “Here we go again.”The Trumps held a private screening at the White House on Saturday — hours after immigration agents shot dead protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in an incident that has sparked national outrage.In one of a series of promotional interviews this week for the film, Melania Trump called for “unity” after the Minneapolis killing.- ‘MUST WATCH’ -While it promises an “unprecedented” glimpse into her life, “Melania” has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.Amazon tycoon Bezos has grown notably closer to Trump, securing a prime seat at the inauguration and telling the Washington Post newspaper he owns to favor pro-business editorials.US media say that of Amazon’s $40 licensing deal for the film, Melania, who served as executive producer, will receive 70 percent. The next highest bid, from Disney, was reportedly only $14 million.On top of that Amazon has reportedly paid for a stunning $35 million marketing campaign including television commercials, billboards and a simulcast in 25 theaters at the same time as Thursday’s premiere.”How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe?” Ted Hope, a former Amazon film executive, was quoted as saying by the New York Times. Billionaire Trump has faced repeated criticism that his family members are profiting from deals made off the back of his presidency. The White House says Trump is already rich and makes no money from his position.For his part, President Trump has said on his Truth Social account that “Melania” is “A MUST WATCH.”But across the rest of social media, the film and its PR campaign have drawn ridicule with several internet users posting screenshots showing cinemas that have sold no seats for screenings of “Melania.”In South Africa, the country’s main cinema houses have pulled the documentary with the distributor citing “the current climate”, without elaborating, local media reported.The South African government has strained ties with Trump’s administration, which has repeated false accusations that Pretoria is behind a “white genocide” of the Afrikaans community.The film has also drawn controversy over its choice of director. It is the first major project for Brett Ratner since multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017, allegations he denies.”He was very talented,” Melania Trump told Fox. “He was the best one, and he was great to work with.”

US senators looked likely to reject a key vote Thursday to avert another damaging shutdown in President Donald Trump’s second term, with Democrats blocking funding for his immigration crackdown after the killings of two activists by federal agents.Lawmakers in the Republican-led upper chamber of Congress are being asked to approve a six-bill spending package intended to fund more than three-quarters of the federal government through the rest of the 2026 fiscal year. But Democrats have vowed to block the measure unless funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is peeled away and renegotiated to include guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the most generously funded US law-enforcement agency.That would leave the chamber’s 53 Republicans short of the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation towards final passage, leaving Washington bracing for another disruptive shutdown as negotiations slide toward a Friday night deadline.”The bottom line is simple: the American people support law enforcement, they support border security, but they do not support ICE terrorizing our streets and killing American citizens,” said Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.”ICE needs to be held to the same basic standards that any law enforcement agency is asked to follow.”If funding lapses, hundreds of thousands of public employees could be placed on leave or forced to work without pay, with economic disruption rippling outward. The standoff — which comes with particularly high stakes in a year in which the entire House and around a third of the Senate are up for reelection — has been triggered by an incendiary row over immigration enforcement.Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse protesting Trump’s deportation efforts in the northern city of Minneapolis, was shot dead Saturday by border patrol agents — just weeks after immigration officers killed another activist, Renee Good, blocks away.The incidents shattered what had appeared to be a stable bipartisan funding deal and refocused congressional debate on the conduct of immigration officers operating under Trump’s aggressive crackdown.- ‘Talks are ongoing’ -Schumer has demanded that DHS funding be split off from the broader spending package and addressed separately, paired with new legal limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and related agencies. Democrats say they are prepared to pass the other five bills immediately — covering departments such as defense, health, education, transportation and financial services — if Republicans agree to that separation.Democrats are pushing for an end to roving ICE patrols, tightening requirements for search warrants, establishing a universal code of conduct governing the use of force, prohibiting officers from wearing masks and mandating body cameras and proper identification.Republican leaders have resisted splitting the package, arguing that altering the legislation would slow passage and risk triggering the very shutdown Democrats say they want to avoid. The House and Senate both have to approve the exact same bill texts before they can become law. But the House is on a break and not expected to return until after the shutdown deadline, complicating any attempt to revise the package. Yet signs of movement have begun emerging, with some Republican senators indicating openness to advancing the five non-DHS bills alongside a short-term funding measure to keep Homeland Security operating while talks continue.Lawmakers have also raised concerns about the consequences of a DHS shutdown for agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during severe winter weather.The White House has also become more directly involved in the negotiations as the vote approaches, according to US media, with Trump aides exploring whether a temporary DHS funding extension could defuse the crisis. Democrats, however, have warned they will not accept informal assurances or executive actions in place of legislation.

President Donald Trump’s border chief vowed Thursday to press on with the federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis while acknowledging the mission needed to improve and promising to hold agents to account.”We’re going to make sure we do targeted enforcement operations,” Tom Homan told reporters in the Minnesota city. “We are not surrendering our mission at all. We’re just doing it smarter.””President Trump wants this fixed. And I’m going to fix it.”The border czar called on Minnesota’s residents to turn down the temperature and stop what he called “hateful rhetoric” against federal agents carrying out immigration raids.Minneapolis has been gripped by weeks of protests against the roundup of undocumented migrants. Two Americans demonstrating against the sweeps have been shot dead by federal agents.Homan struck a conciliatory tone at his first press conference, a marked difference from the Border Patrol commander who was previously heading the mission on the ground and has since been removed.”One thing everybody I talked to agreed on was that community safety is paramount,” Homan said.”The mission is going to improve because of the changes we’re making internally,” he said. “President Trump and I, along with others in the administration, have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made.””That’s exactly what I’m doing here,” he said.Homan said any federal agents who breach codes of conduct “will be dealt with.”The two agents involved in the latest shooting — that of 37-year-old Veterans Hospital nurse Alex Pretti — have been placed on leave pending an investigation. Trump has scrambled to stem outrage across the political aisle over the killing, saying Tuesday he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” in Minneapolis.But the president on Wednesday accused the city’s mayor Jacob Frey of “PLAYING WITH FIRE” for refusing to rally local police to enforce the federal immigration sweeps.- Funding showdown -The political battle could soon move to Congress, where Democrats are threatening to hold up authorization for swathes of government funding if reforms are not made to rein in the sprawling military-style immigration agencies.Frey responded Wednesday to Trump ramping up his rhetoric, writing on X: “The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws.”In another challenge to Trump’s immigration crackdown, a federal judge ruled Wednesday to halt the detention of refugees in Minnesota awaiting permanent resident status and ordered the release of those in custody.Meanwhile, another federal judge slammed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chief Todd Lyons, claiming he “has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.”The White House initially justified Saturday’s fatal shooting of Pretti, an intensive care nurse, whom Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem described as a “domestic terrorist.”But a widespread backlash forced Trump to shuffle leadership of immigration operations in Minneapolis, replacing Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino with Homan.Trump’s focus on Minnesota is linked to a probe into alleged corruption by Somali immigrants in the state, which he and right-wing allies have amplified as an example of what they say is a fight against alleged criminal immigrants.The president has persistently targeted Somali-born congresswoman Ilhan Omar, saying she should be sent back to Somalia.In the latest sign of a deteriorating political climate, a man sprayed Omar with an unknown liquid while she was giving a speech late Tuesday, before being tackled by security and arrested.