Author: Matt

Stephen Cook, the senior pastor of Second Baptist Church in Memphis, has become friends with Latif Salar, the leader of the Christ Community Afghan Church – and since the Trump administration halted asylum processing for all immigrants from Afghanistan last Fall, the two have been working closely together to support members of Salar’s congregation who fear deportation. 

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Tensions remain high in Minnesota. Despite the Trump administration signaling a willingness to de-escalate tensions in the state earlier this week, Minnesota’s governor is now skeptical.

“I know who I’m dealing with. I know that they’re not going to keep their word,” Walz told NPR.

Walz, a Democrat, sat down with All Things Considered host Juana Summers on Friday following weeks of protests, and the deadly shootings of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti.

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The civilian killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Macklin Good by federal immigration agents have launched a larger debate in Washington about funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Senate Democrats want to carve off DHS money from the broader spending package to keep the government open, and they want new limits on immigration agents, like a prohibition on masks and a requirement that officers carry ID. 

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin says he blames the actions of state and local leaders for the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Macklin Good. He insists local leaders should have done more to cooperate with immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis.

NPR’s Ailsa Chang spoke with Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson to discuss his thoughts on whether ICE, and other immigration enforcement agencies, need the reforms Democrats have asked for.

At the time this episode aired, lawmakers were at an impasse regarding the federal spending package. But Senate Democrats now say they’ve reached a deal to separate DHS funding from the other five appropriations bills. You can read more details on npr.org.

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After the shooting of Alex Pretti, the Trump administration is making a leadership change in Minneapolis. Will anything change?

A new Trump administration official has taken over the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

Tom Homan, the  White House’s so-called border czar, takes over after the departure of Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino, who has been the public face of the operation, including encounters that left two American citizens dead.

NPR’s Scott Detrow talks to The Atlantic investigative journalist Caitlin Dickerson about Homan’s background and what it will mean for Minneapolis.

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Pennsylvania democratic Governor Josh Shapiro on resisting Trump policies, his faith and whether he plans to run for president.

Shapiro is one of the most prominent Jewish officeholders in the US.  In a new memoir “Where we Keep the Light” Shapiro explores his faith, as well as his career in politics… one that’s taken him from state representative, to Pennsylvania attorney general to a swing state governor.

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Tensions escalate in Minneapolis after a second U.S. citizen is killed by immigration officers.

It was a deadly weekend in Minneapolis. 

On Saturday, federal immigration officers fatally shot a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen — Alex Pretti.

Multiple videos captured the moments before, during and after the shooting.

Federal officials claim Pretti “brandished” a weapon and tried to assault officers as they conducted an immigration enforcement operation.

There is no evidence in the videos, which NPR has verified, that Pretti was ever brandishing his handgun. 

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The third Minneapolis shooting in three weeks has renewed questions about immigration agents’ role, training, and use of force. Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, says the border patrol and ICE agents operating in Minneapolis aren’t using the kinds of de-escalating tactics that local police have been using for at least a decade.

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Even before this latest war in Gaza, NPR’s Jerusalem-based Correspondent Daniel Estrin and Gaza reporter Anas Baba had spent years working together in challenging circumstances. Once war broke out, they had to adapt to a situation that made reporting together even more difficult.

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So much has happened since ICE ramped up efforts in Minneapolis. It can be hard to get a sense of the big picture. Two NPR reporters on the ground do just that.

It’s been nearly two months since ICE descended on the streets of Minneapolis.  In that time, Renee Macklin Good has been shot and killed, children have been detained, and the federal government’s campaign to arrest undocumented immigrants has only grown bigger, more aggressive, and more intense.

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Each step of the way, Minnesotans have protested what’s been happening in their state.

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Scientists say research into a vaccine for HIV is further along than it’s ever been.

But Trump administration cuts to scientific research have set that effort back.

Including a promising trial for an HIV vaccine in Africa – which was shut down altogether.

NPR’s Ari Daniel has the story of how researchers there refused to give up.

Ari’s reporting for this story was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center. The Gates Foundation is a financial supporter of NPR. 

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