International

The US arrests almost 1,200 immigrants in one day, a new high

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service. (ICE) announced that last Monday it arrested 1,179 immigrants, a new daily high, following the Trump Administration’s promise to accelerate the raids and arrests.

According to data consulted by NBC News, at least on Sunday, only 52% of those arrested were considered “criminal arrests”, immigrants with criminal records or pending cases in their countries of origin.

The rest would be immigrants with no violent or criminal record and who would only have illegally crossed the border.

ICE is sharing daily data of arrests in raids of immigration authorities, while Trump’s migration policy manager, the so-called ‘border tsar’, Tom Homan, has promised to accelerate arrests in raids.

The number of daily arrests ranged between 400 and 593 people during the week, dropped to 286 on Saturday and reached a peak of more than 950 on Sunday, according to ICE data.

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Since January 20, the day of Trump’s inauguration, authorities have detained more than 4,000 immigrants.

Some of the detainees are being classified as “the worst criminals arrested”, who are allegedly members of organized criminal gangs and gangs.

For her part, the Secretary of National Security, Kristi Noem, shared a video this Tuesday of raids in New York last night and assured that they were “trash” foreigners accused of “kidnapping, assault and robbery.”

ICE will focus the efforts of its rounds on three cities each week, with a goal of at least 1,200 immigrants arrested each day, according to NBC News.

Immigration agents are accelerating the pace of the raids since Donald Trump took power on Monday last week with the promise of mass deportations.

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According to NBC News on Tuesday, ICE’s goal is to focus on three large cities each week for its operations.

This week started with the roundups in Chicago on Sunday and continued on Tuesday morning in New York, in an operation led on the ground by the new Secretary of National Security, Kristi Noem.

According to sources cited by that American network, the third city of the week will be Aurora, a suburb of Denver (Colorado) with a Hispanic majority.

International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.