A federal report shows a decrease in homelessness in California and nationwide last year, marking the first drop since 2016. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released the data, which reveals a 2.8% decrease in California and a 3.3% decrease nationwide. Activists challenge the Trump administration's policies, attributing the decline to funding under former President Joe Biden. The administration, however, downplays the decrease, focusing on a 27% increase since 2013. The report's release was delayed by five months and has sparked debate over policies like "housing first" and immigration's impact on homelessness.
The Trump administration says it is ending its massive immigration crackdown in Minnesota after weeks of angry mass protests, thousands of arrests and two fatal shootings. Border czar Tom Homan said Thursday that the operation has been a success and that it has made the state safer. The sweep targeting the Minneapolis–St. Paul area has led to more than 4,000 arrests. Critics say officers swept up people with no criminal records, including children and U.S. citizens. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz says he's not ready to express gratitude for the end and that Washington must help with the recovery. Lawmakers continue to fight over Department of Homeland Security funding and Immigration and Customs Enforcement reforms.
By MARY CLARE JALONICK and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press
Democrats are threatening to block funding for the Homeland Security Department when it expires in two weeks unless there are "dramatic changes" and "real accountability" for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies who are carrying out President Donald Trump's campaign of federal immigration enforcement. Congress is discussing potential new rules for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection after officers shot and killed two Minneapolis protesters in January. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated their party's demands on Wednesday, with Schumer telling reporters that Congress must "rein in ICE in very serious ways, and end the violence."
By JOHN O'CONNOR and SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press
The Trump administration has asked a military base outside of Chicago for support on immigration operations. The move offers a clue of what its expanded law enforcement crackdown might look like in the nation's third-largest city. A base spokesperson says the Department of Homeland Security asked Naval Station Great Lakes for "limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure, and other logistical needs to support DHS operations." The spokesperson says no decisions have been made on the request, and that the base hasn't received an official request to support a National Guard deployment. Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker have pushed back against a possible mobilization, saying crime has fallen in Chicago. They plan to sue.
