What's happening in the Trump administration
- President Donald Trump said he would impose tariffs and other retaliatory measures on Colombia after it blocked two military deportation flights from the United States. The Colombian president responded by announcing a 25% tariff on U.S. goods.
- Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove personally oversaw immigration raids Homeland Security conducted in Chicago this morning, a Justice Department official told NBC News.
- The Senate also continues to consider Trump's Cabinet picks, with treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent scheduled to get a final confirmation vote tomorrow.
Rubio orders pause in issuing visas at U.S. Embassy in Colombia
Rubio has ordered the U.S. Embassy in Colombia to suspend visa issuances after the country blocked deportation flights to the United States, the State Department said in a news release.
The release also said Rubio "is now authorizing travel sanctions on individuals and their families, who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations."
"Measures will continue until Colombia meets its obligations to accept the return of its own citizens," it continued. "America will not back down when it comes to defending its national security interests."
Customs and Border Protections says it's taking steps to enforce Trump's retaliatory measures against Colombia
Customs and Border Protections said it will take "decisive measures" to enforce Trump's retaliatory measures against Colombia.
The measures include enhanced inspections of flights, private aircraft and cargo, to and from Colombia; denying boarding to flagged visa holders; and enforcing a travel ban on Colombian government officials with coordination from the State Department.
Trump speaks with U.K. prime minister
Trump held a call with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer today, the White House said in a release.
"President Trump offered his condolences for the recent loss of the Prime Minister’s brother and expressed his well wishes for the British Royal family," the release said. "The two leaders also discussed the recent release of Israeli-British national Emily Damari from Hamas captivity and how both countries can promote a fair bilateral economic relationship."
The prime minister's office said in a release that Starmer also congratulated Trump on his inauguration and "paid tribute to President Trump’s role in securing the landmark ceasefire and hostages deal in Gaza."
"The two leaders stressed the importance of the close and warm ties between the UK and the US, and the President spoke of his respect and affection for the Royal family," the prime minister's office said. "They agreed to meet soon and looked forward to further discussions then."
Colombian president imposes a 25% tariff on imported goods from the U.S.
In response to Trump's retaliatory measures following Colombia's decision to turn around deportation flights, Petro has announced a 25% tariff on all imports from the United States.
Petro said the government will also help direct Colombian exports to the rest of the world other than the United States.
"American products whose price will rise within the national economy must be replaced by national products, and the government will help in this regard," Petro said on X.
U.S. exports to Colombia totaled $16.5 billion in 2021, reaching a five-year peak in trade surplus and accounting for 0.9% of total exports.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticizes Marco Rubio's statement on flights of nationals
Colombian President Gustavo Petro hit back at Rubio after he claimed that Petro at first authorized and then revoked authorization for flights that were set to land in Colombia returning Colombian nationals.
Petro suggested that if the foreign Affairs Ministry signed off on such authorizations, "it would never be under my direction," because, he said, he would "never allow Colombians to be brought in handcuffs on flights." Any official who allowed such a return would be a "cipayo," or a soldier serving foreign interests, Petro said.
It is unclear whether the Colombian nationals aboard the flight were handcuffed.
fired inspector general Mark Greenblatt says he was informed he was terminated in a 'very short' email
Mark Greenblatt, who was the Interior Department’s inspector general until Trump fired him and 17 other IGs, said in an interview that he was informed of his dismissal in a "very short" email at around 7:30 p.m. friday.
"The email was very short," Greenblatt said. "It just said, 'On behalf of President Trump, we are writing to note a change of priorities, and therefore, your position as the inspector general of the Department of the Interior has been terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.'"
Greenblatt said his email access has been cut off.
Marco Rubio says the U.S. will no longer be 'taken advantage of' after Trump's Colombia sanctions
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would no longer be "taken advantage of" in a post on X responding to Trump's announcement of tariffs and other retaliatory measures against Colombia for rejecting two U.S. deportation flights.
"President Trump has made it clear that under his administration, America will no longer be lied to nor taken advantage of. It is the responsibility of each nation to take back their citizens who are illegally present in the United States in a serious and expeditious manner," Rubio wrote.
The Colombian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Rubio's post.
Sen. Ruben Gallego blasts Trump for his handling of Colombia deportation flights
In a post on X, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., slammed Trump's handling of today's situation in Colombia after Trump threatened tariffs and other retaliatory measures when Colombia refused to accept two military deportation flights.
"Trump’s strategy of antagonizing our allies is not smart policy—it just endangers decades of partnership with Colombia. We can’t act like this is some sort of 3D chess," Gallego wrote, adding: "This could’ve been handled with a simple phone call."
Trump administration swiftly enacts retribution against political enemies
for those who may have crossed Trump, the message is sinking in: Payback is coming, and coming fast.
John Bolton, a former White House national security adviser who wrote a damning book about Trump’s first term, lost the Secret Service detail assigned to protect him from assassination threats from Iran.
Also losing his detail was Anthony fauci, the public health scientist whom Trump called a “disaster” over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and who has been a target of far-right anger ever since. (fauci has hired his own private security team in response.)
A portrait of Mark Milley, the former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman who broke with Trump over a photo-op at a church during the George floyd racial justice protests, was abruptly removed from the walls of the Pentagon. Defense officials said they have no idea who ordered it taken down or why.
And Trump yanked the security clearances of dozens of former national security officials who signed a letter during the 2020 campaign opining that emails from a laptop belonging to Joe Biden’s son Hunter had the “classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”
All that happened within days of Trump’s inauguration — and in some cases, hours.
Witkoff heads to Israel this week
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, is expected to visit Israel this week to discuss the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and other regional issues, a Middle Eastern official, a Middle Eastern diplomat and a Gulf diplomatic official told NBC News.
Witkoff has also said publicly that he intends to enter the Gaza Strip during his next trip to the region. It will be his first visit to the Middle East since the Trump administration took office. Witkoff last met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Jan. 11, just days before the ceasefire deal was finalized in Qatar.
El Paso residents react to active-duty troops in Texas enforcing border policy
Active-duty troops in Texas will be building permanent and temporary physical barriers to stop illegal border crossings, using intelligence analysts to monitor and detect migrants, and military aircraft to take detainees back to their countries of origin. NBC News’ Priya Sridhar reports on how people are reacting to the increased presence in El Paso, Texas.
Marines assist near Imperial Beach, Calif., during deployment to southern border friday
Marines helped set up concertina wire near Imperial Beach, California, during a deployment to the southern border friday.
U.S. Northern Command and the Department of Homeland Security are deploying 1,500 additional active-duty military personnel to support Customs and Border Protection at the southern border, increasing the total military presence to nearly 4,000.
Trump threatens tariffs after Colombia rejects deportation flights
Trump announced on Truth Social today sweeping retaliatory measures after Colombia denied entry to two U.S. military deportation flights.
Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of "jeopardizing" U.S. national security by rejecting the flights and outlined measures including 25% tariffs on Colombian imports, with plans to raise them to 50% within a week. Additional actions include visa sanctions targeting Colombian government officials and allies, enhanced customs inspections and financial penalties as the United States claims Colombia violated its obligations to accept deported nationals.
DEA say Venezuelan gang members found in Colorado drug raid
A raid in Colorado led agents to seize drugs, weapons and apprehend international gang members, the Drug Enforcement Administration said today.
According to the DEA, its local division conducted an operation targeting a drug trafficking ring that uncovered members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Agents with ICE and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, firearms and Explosives were also on scene.
Nearly 50 undocumented immigrants were taken into custody, the DEA said.
Chicago Public Schools CEO says Secret Service agent mistaken for ICE was a ‘misunderstanding’
Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said it was all a “misunderstanding” after U.S. Secret Service agents showed up at Hamline Elementary School and were mistaken for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
Texas expands buoy barriers on the Rio Grande River
Texas is expanding a floating barrier along the Rio Grande River, adding more buoys to deter people from illegally crossing the border, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said in post on X today.
Three sources familiar with internal planning at Border Patrol told NBC News last week that the agency is looking to expand the use of water buoys along the southwest border under the Trump administration.
The Biden administration filed suit against Texas over the controversial tactic, arguing that it prompted humanitarian concerns and potentially violated international treaties. A federal panel initially ruled that Texas must remove the buoys in 2023, stating that the floating barriers were illegal and threatened human life.
But the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that injunction last year and said the buoys could stay in place pending a final legal decision.
Mexican officials said in 2023 that a lifeless body was found floating on its side of the border and blamed the buoys for the person's death. Drownings are a large concern when migrants attempt to cross into a new country outside of legal ports of entry.
Officials in Eagle Pass, Texas, told NBC News last year that drownings were deeply traumatic to the city's first responders, who see drowned children and spend hours in the water attempting rescues.
Vance: 'It’s going to take a little bit of time' for prices to come down
In an interview on CBS' "face the Nation," Sunday, Vice President JD Vance conceded that "it’s going to take a little bit of time" for prices to come down.
"The president has been president for all of five days," he added.
Republicans in November credited their sweeping electoral wins at the presidential and congressional levels to their promises on the campaign trail to end inflation and lower prices.
At an August campaign event, Trump promised, "Starting on Day 1, we will end inflation and make America affordable again.”
In September during an event in Pennsylvania, he said, "Groceries, cars — everything. We’re going to get the prices down."
Vance on Sunday promised that the president was following through on these campaign promises, saying, "Donald Trump has already taken multiple executive actions that are going to lower energy prices, and I do believe that means consumers are going to see lower prices at the pump and at the grocery store, but it’s going to take a little bit of time."
Larry Rhoden to be sworn in as South Dakota governor
South Dakota Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden will be sworn in as governor of South Dakota on Monday, per a press release from his office.
Rhoden's swearing-in will come one day after former Gov. Kristi Noem was sworn in as the new homeland security secretary.
Border czar Tom Homan: 'I'm being realistic' about deportation goals
During an interview on ABC's "This Week," host Martha Raddatz asked border czar Tom Homan about his definition of success for implementing Trump's mass deportation plan over the next six months.
"Taking as many public safety threats off the street as possible, watching illegal alien crime in the United States decrease, ending it," Homan told Raddatz.
He didn't mention that a metric of success would include deporting all 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, a point that Raddatz pressed him on.
"I’m being realistic," Homan answered. "We can do what we can with the money we have. We’re going to try to be efficient, but with the more money we have, the more we can accomplish that."
In November, just days after he won the election, Trump told NBC News that "it’s not a question of a price tag" when speaking about his immigration plan.
"It’s not — really, we have no choice. When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here. There is no price tag," he added.
Graham says Elon Musk's comments to far-right German party 'bother' him
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday told CNN that he doesn't believe tech mogul and Trump ally Elon Musk is a Nazi, but added that he was bothered by remarks Musk made Saturday via video at a far-right party's gathering in Germany.
"Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great grandparents,” Musk said, apparently referring to Germany’s Nazi past.
“There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that,” he added.
On Sunday, Graham said, "Is Elon Musk a Nazi? I don’t think so."
"But what he said does bother me in this regard. Tomorrow is the 80th anniversary of liberating Auschwitz. I was just there a few months ago. I don’t expect the Germans to be racked with collective guilt all their lives. But I do hope, in German schools, they educate the German children about what happened in Germany," Graham added. "I hope, in our schools, that we will educate people the Holocaust deniers are full of crap."
Graham's comments also came almost a full week after Musk was widely criticized online for a gesture he made at a Trump inauguration event last week that many people said resembled a Nazi salute.
Bove says prosecutors will work on 'national emergency' of failed immigration policy
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove described the current immigration situation as a "national emergency" of failed policy today after observing raids in Chicago.
Bove said in a statement that federal prosecutors would work with the Department of Homeland Security to "secure the border" and "make America safe." He added that officials will not rest "until the work is done."
"We will support everyone at the federal, state, and local levels who joins this critical mission to take back our communities," Bove said. "We will use all available tools to address obstruction and other unlawful impediments to our efforts to protect the homeland."
Noem sworn in as homeland security secretary by Justice Clarence Thomas
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was sworn in on Sunday by Justice Clarence Thomas, a DHS spokesperson told NBC News.
Her swearing in was delayed by the anticipated delivery of her father's Bible.
"Secretary Noem has used this sentimental Bible to be sworn into every office she has ever held. Secretary Noem was honored to be sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home with her dad’s Bible," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
Gov. JB Pritzker says Illinois will not violate its own laws in federal immigration raids
Illinois officials are cooperating with federal law enforcement on immigration raids, but Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said it was only where state laws on immigration are not violated.
Pritzker spoke to CNN this morning on the matter of immigration raids, saying he was more than happy to help with deportation of criminals who have been convicted of violent crimes. State law prevents local authorities from coordinating with federal officials in the arrest of undocumented immigrants without a warrant, the governor noted.
"We’re not going to help federal officials just drag them away because somebody pointed at them and said, 'Oh, that person’s brown' or 'That person’s not from here, check it out. Maybe they’re undocumented.'"
The governor said there is a list of convicted people who have been awaiting deportation since before recent raids. Pritzker said it was “disturbing” to see raids targeting undocumented immigrants who are working and following the law.
“These are not people who are causing problems in our country, and what we need is a path to citizenship for them,” Pritzker said.
Acting deputy AG personally overseeing immigration raids in Chicago
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove is personally overseeing immigration raids conducted by Homeland Security in Chicago this morning, a Department of Justice official told NBC News.
The official said that Bove is on the ground in Chicago to observe and support "the efforts of fBI, DEA, ATf, USMS, and federal prosecutors who are assisting DHS in this critical mission." A photo of Bove alongside Tom Homan, Trump's new "border czar," was provided by the Justice Department.
Both men were photographed in Chicago, according to the department, but it is unclear where.
U.S. Immigrations and Customs confirmed the raids in a statement hours later, describing it as "enhanced targeted operations" conducted with multiple federal partners.
White House warns of ‘consequences’ for Republicans who don’t support all of Trump’s nominees
The White House is seeking to send a message to reticent Senate Republicans to get on board with all of President Donald Trump’s nominees, warning of political consequences for those who defy him.
“It’s pass-fail. You either support everyone or you don’t,” a senior White House official told NBC News. “The Senate needs to advise and consent, not advise and adjust.”
The Republican-controlled Senate gave Trump a scare friday when Pete Hegseth squeaked through by the slimmest possible margin, losing three GOP senators and requiring Vice President JD Vance to break the tie to confirm him as secretary of defense.
And there are more controversial nominees coming before committees this week, including Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, Robert f. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services secretary and Kash Patel for fBI director. All face a rocky path, and their hearings could be decisive.
2 U.S. deportation flights rejected by Colombian officials
Colombia has turned away two deportation flights from the U.S., according to a defense official and a Department of Homeland Security official.
Two C-17 military aircrafts initially had clearance to land in the South American country but Colombian President Gustavo Petro suddenly revoked all flights’ diplomatic clearances, the defense official said. That means no military or ICE flights from the U.S. are allowed.
There were about 80 people per flight and they had taken off from California, the defense official said. The Homeland Security official said they were all Colombian migrants.
Petro posted to X saying that Colombia and its civilians must be treated with respect.
“A migrant is not a criminal and should be treated with the dignity a human being deserves,” Petro wrote. “We will receive our nationals in civilian airplanes, without treating them as criminals."
Sen. Lindsey Graham says he's still considering how he'll vote on Tulsi Gabbard's nomination
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has often touted his willingness to vote in favor of Cabinet secretaries nominated by presidents of both parties, said in an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that he's still considering how he'll vote on former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to be the next director of national intelligence.
"I tend to vote for almost everybody of both parties, but I want to see how the hearing goes," Graham said.
His comments come ahead of Gabbard's highly anticipated confirmation hearing. Since she was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next DNI, lawmakers have raised concerns about her, including questioning the motive for her 2017 trip to Syria to meet with then-dictator Bashar al-Assad.
"Why did you go to Syria? What did you do regarding Assad? Why do you think Edward Snowden should be held as a hero? ... We'll see how the hearing goes," Graham said, listing some of his questions for the nominee.
Sen. Lindsey Graham says he thinks Trump pardoning violent Jan. 6 defendants was ‘a mistake’
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday said he believes it was “a mistake” for President Donald Trump to pardon those who were convicted of violent crimes or pleaded guilty to committing violent crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
“Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently I think was a mistake, because it seems to suggest that’s an OK thing to do,” Graham told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
Graham tied Trump’s decision to pardon violent offenders with former President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon several of his family members during his last few hours in office last week.
“You know, Biden pardoned half his family going out the door. I think most Americans, if this continues ... will revisit the pardon power of the president, if this continues,” Graham told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker.
Trump to meet with Republicans at retreat this week
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced earlier this month that Trump would join House Republicans at their annual retreat, which is taking place in florida this year from Monday to Wednesday.
The retreat will be held at Trump National Doral in florida.
Trump's florida trip comes after stops in North Carolina, California and Nevada.
Here's who backed Kristi Noem as DHS secretary yesterday
The Senate voted 59-34 to confirm former Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., as the Department of Homeland Security secretary yesterday.
Several Democrats joined Republicans in voting to confirm Noem. Here's who they are:
- Sen. John fetterman of Pennsylvania
- Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire
- Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia
- Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey
- Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire
- Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan
Here's what Trump said about firing inspectors general
Trump yesterday defended his decision to fire 18 inspectors general, a highly unusual and controversial move.
“I did it because it’s a very common thing to do,” Trump told reporters yesterday on Air force One.
The president added that his move was "a very standard thing to do."
However, the mass firing was a breach of norms.
Congress passed a law in 2022 requiring a 30-day notification window between the White House informing Congress that it plans to terminate an inspector general and the inspector general actually being removed.