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Trump Admin Plan Chicago Immigration Crackdown as Soon as this Week; Interview with Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL); Chicago Mayor Signs Order to Resist Trump's Immigration Crackdown; Judge Blocks Attempt to Deport Guatemalan Children; Boy Shot, Killed After Doorbell Prank. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired September 01, 2025 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:00:00]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Concerns about the tariff's impact. What are you seeing?

CLINT HENDERSON, MANAGING EDITOR, THE POINTS GUY: We're seeing dramatic drops in international incoming visitors to the United States. That's particularly affecting cities like Las Vegas. So, a lot less Canadians coming to the United States right now. That's something we're watching very carefully. Right now, Americans are still traveling like crazy, but we have seen reduced demands. The airlines are not predicting as good a year as they were at the beginning of the year. So, that's something we're watching very carefully.

GOLODRYGA: OK. Clint Henderson, nice to meet you in person. Thanks so much.

HENDERSON: Good to see you.

GOLODRYGA: All right. A new hour of CNN News Central starts right now

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Is a crackdown coming to Chicago? This morning, President Trump increasing his threats to send thousands of National Guard troops. Governor Pritzker of Illinois calls it an invasion. An 11-year-old shot in the back after a doorbell prank. New details as police say murder charges could be coming. And new scrutiny over a popular herbal drink available at hundreds of gas stations across the country.

Kate and Sara are out. I'm John Berman with Bianna Golodryga. This is CNN News Central.

GOLODRYGA: This morning, President Trump is taking new aim at cities and states run by Democrats as his administration makes plans to expand its use of federal forces in places like Chicago. Short time ago, the president posted praise for Washington, D.C.'s, mayor, Muriel Bowser, saying she worked with him as he deployed the National Guard in the nation's capital. He claimed D.C. is, quote, "now a crime free zone" and he added, wouldn't be nice -- wouldn't it be nice to say the same about Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Baltimore. Crime levels have declined in D.C. during the federal police takeover, but hundreds of crimes have still occurred there in the past week, according to police figures. In addition to the president's threat to send troops into Chicago next, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says there are plans to add more resources to immigration operations already underway there and in other locations. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says the White House is making its plans in secret without communicating with his office, and he described the president's threats to send in troops as an invasion.

CNN's Betsy Klein is at the White House for us this morning. So, Betsy, what more do we know about the president's plans now for Chicago?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WRITER AND REPORTER: Well, Bianna, the Trump administration is preparing the next phase of its immigration crackdown, this time expecting a major enforcement operation in Chicago. And this could get underway as soon as this week. And this is separate and distinct from, as you mentioned, that crime crackdown that the president has previewed both on social media and in his public comments, but both examples of the federal government seeking to exert control over American cities.

But as far as this immigration crackdown, we are expecting plans underway to surge federal agents to the windy city as well as armored vehicles. And this operation is expected to kick off by Friday, September 5th. It's expected to be larger in scale compared to some of the immigration enforcement operations we saw in Chicago at the beginning of the president's second term in office and modeled off of the similar operations that we saw in Los Angeles earlier this summer.

But we heard from Homeland Security Secretary Kristie Noem as she previewed more resources coming to Chicago. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Well, we've already had ongoing operations with ICE in Chicago and throughout Illinois and other states, making sure that we're upholding our laws, but we do intend to add more resources to those operations. We will continue to go after the worst of the worst across the country like President Trump has told us to do, focusing on those that are perpetuating murder and rape and trafficking of drugs and humans across our country, knowing that every single citizen deserves to be safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, over the weekend, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order ahead of this immigration crackdown that directs the Chicago police, in part, not to collaborate with federal agents on the topic of immigration enforcement. And separately, we heard from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker who is warning that he hasn't heard from the Trump administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. JB PRITZKER (D-IL): They ought to be coordinating with local law enforcement. They ought to let us know when they're coming, where they're coming, if it's ICE or if it's ATF or whoever it is. But they don't want to do that either. And I must say it's disruptive. It's dangerous. It tends to inflame passions on the ground when they don't let us know what their plans are and when we can't coordinate with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, taken together all of these plans, setting up a major political test for how the city and state's Democratic leaders respond. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Betsy Klein reporting for us live from the White House. Thank you. John.

[09:05:00]

BERMAN: And with us now is Congressman Mike Quigley, a Democrat from Illinois. His district includes parts of Chicago. So, Congressman, what do you think Chicago police should do if there are federal officers on the ground, more of them in Chicago?

REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Well, look, it's tough because when there's no notification, there's no coordination at all, it's hard to tell them what exactly they should do. But let's remember, this is truly a distraction from inflation, Jeffrey Epstein, foreign policy failures. If it was about law enforcement, they would coordinate. And you have to remember that $134 million spent in this operation in Los Angeles, Chicago could have hired 2,000 new police officers, increasing our force 20 percent.

And instead, the president canceled something like $800 million in anti-violence programs that have actually worked. So, if he wants to coordinate, he wants to work, I got money for bulletproof vests and squad car technology. There's things that the federal government can do to help. This isn't one of them.

BERMAN: What do you think the status of crime is at this point in Chicago and what could the introduction of some federal presidents do?

QUIGLEY: Look, trends are positive. Crime trends are going down, and it's good news, obviously. There's a lot more that needs to be done in all of our cities. Including cities run by Republicans where crime is actually higher. So, the fact that you've got the National Guard here, you know, we had press conferences here in which law enforcement, the tourism industry, our businesses, all were united saying, this is a bad idea. This doesn't help Chicago.

Obviously, people want to feel safe. It's an absolutely critical issue, but this is more an action of bluster and distraction of an autocrat. You know, he's talking about armored vehicles being in our cities. It sounds like he's preparing them for having them there whenever he wants, and it's part of the federal presence to have troops on the ground. You know, it's a scary proposition.

BERMAN: Obviously, the legal situation in Washington, D.C. is different with direct federal authority there. You spent a lot of time in Washington. I don't know actually if you've been back since the introduction of National Guard troops there and the takeover of the police force, but what's your sense of the direction in crime over the last couple weeks?

QUIGLEY: Well, look, let's talk years. I mean, right now, before this presence, crime was trending down to lows that are 30-year lows. Again, a lot more needs to get done, but the kinds of things they're doing is they couldn't afford to do this on an ongoing basis no matter what the federal budget is. It's not a logical thoughtful way to do this, right?

And the fact of the matter is, let's look at what these troops were actually doing. They weren't act -- they're not trained law enforcement officers. They're not making arrests. They're not part of programs that address this, and especially and including things like anti-violence and getting guns off the street.

So, again, it's bluster, it's the beginnings of an autocratic regime wherever he senses, not based on need, because they'd be in red cities as well, it's based on the president wanting to show people just how tough he is.

BERMAN: You are the co-chair of the Ukraine Caucus in the House as well. It's two weeks to the day since President Trump met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of Europe. You know, two years plus three days since he met with Vladimir Putin. President Trump promised he was going to set up a one-on-one meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin. That hasn't happened. The Russians giving no indication that it will happen.

Where do you think things are headed? I mean, the president I think said a two-week deadline, and that's come and gone. What happens next?

QUIGLEY: Well, look, we're now past seven deadlines that the president has set. Putin is dragging this along, because in a war of attrition, he wins. He's got a six to one manpower advantage. Putin understands one thing, strength. He doesn't see it in Trump. Trump hasn't even picked a side he wants to win in this. If Trump wants to do something. He'll do something that will get Putin's attention, not a strongly worded post on some social media.

BERMAN: Congressman Mike Quigley from Illinois, we do appreciate your time this morning. Thanks so much. Bianna.

[09:10:00]

GOLODRYGA: This morning, hundreds of Guatemalan children are still in the United States after a federal judge blocked a late-night attempt by the Trump administration to deport them to their home country. Many of those children were already loaded onto multiple planes when the judge halted their removal. One lawyer telling CNN that many were woken up in the middle of the night, terrified and confused about what was going on.

The government has until Friday to provide evidence that the children's parents or legal guardians actually requested that they be returned to Guatemala. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is tracking this for us. So, what is the latest this morning, Priscilla?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, we're learning from the Justice Department that they have worked to return to government custody around 74 children. Those were children who were put on planes yesterday to be repatriated to Guatemala and are now being returned after this federal judge's order to government custody.

Now, all of this really began unfolding late Saturday into the early mornings of Sunday. Now, what occurred, according to sources I've spoken with as well as notices that I have obtained, was that shelters were told to prepare Guatemalan children in their custody for discharge within a matter of hours, meaning collecting their personal belongings, sending medic medications they have and preparing snacks.

Then two, the legal service providers and the attorneys of these children were told that they were going to be repatriated to Guatemala, which alarmed many attorneys who are representing these children in immigration proceedings in hopes of obtaining protections for them under U.S. law.

Now, all of this has been part of an effort by the Trump administration to focus on unaccompanied migrant children. Children who arrive to the U.S. without a parent or legal guardian. And it is presumed that these children we're talking about here do not have a parent in the United States, though they may have other family members here who they're trying to reunite with. And that is what client -- attorneys have told me their clients have been concerned about, some of them, about being returned to Guatemala, where even if they have family there it is family that they were fleeing.

In one case that is mentioned in the lawsuit, a 10-year-old says that her mother is deceased in Guatemala and that she was fleeing abuse and neglect of family members there. And as you mentioned, Bianna, many of these kids were terrified as they were woken up in the middle of the night to be returned.

Now, the federal judge yesterday similarly recalled being woken up in the middle of the night because of this emergency order to block the removals. She also blocked the removals for happening for now while these proceedings are ongoing. Now, there has been pushback from the administration, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: Today, you saw something extraordinary in Washington, D.C., and by extraordinary, I mean disgusting. In the middle of the night, at 3:30 a.m., a local judge in D.C. enjoined the Department of Justice, ICE, and DHS from sending Guatemalan children back to their parents in Guatemala. Now, think about that. Think about that for a minute. In the middle of the night without even asking the government for their position, this judge enjoined the conduct of ICE and DHS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now, the reason this was happening in the middle of the night was because the administration was moving to repatriate them in the middle of the night. Now, it's true there are some children who want to be sent back to Guatemala, but they have a process for that because immigration judges will ensure that they'll be returned to safety. That process didn't appear to unfold here. And in other cases, kids have said they don't want to be returned. So, this is a complicated effort. It's one that's been done between the U.S. and Guatemala in coordination and one that is now before the court and the where there will be ongoing proceedings in the days to come. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Complicated is one way to describe it. Priscilla Alvarez, you'll stay on top of the story for us. Thank you.

Well, this morning lawmakers are expressing their anger after border patrol agents arrested two crew workers helping to contain Washington State's biggest wildfire. Congresswoman Emily Randall who represents the district where the two men are being held was denied entry into the holding facility to see them. She called the situation disgusting. DHS officials say she was denied entry after not properly scheduling her visit. John.

BERMAN: All right. A doorbell prank turns deadly. Police say an 11- year-old boy was shot and killed after ringing a doorbell and running away. The moment police stopped a stolen car by ripping off the back wheels. And a $1.1 billion Powerball jackpot is up for grabs tonight, or you can just give me a dollar and I'll put it in my pocket.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:15:00]

BERMAN: New this morning, a young boy in Houston, Texas has died after being shot after playing a doorbell prank with friends. Police say the children were ringing doorbells and running away Saturday evening when the 11-year-old was shot. CNN's Gloria Pazmino is here with the details. What have you learned?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John. This is really just a tragic senseless incident out of Houston, Texas. It happened on Saturday evening. Police say that there's a group of boys running around the neighborhood playing Dingdong Ditch. This is an age-old prank, right? You go up to the door, you ring or you knock and you run away.

[09:20:00]

But there is a TikTok trend that is happening now where kids are running up to doors to do this, posting on social media, and there's actually been some other instances where it has gone badly. And in this instance, police say that the boy went up to ring the doorbell, rang the doorbell, ran away, and as he was running away, a person who was inside that house came out with a gun, shot him in the back. He was injured. Made it to the hospital, but unfortunately could not be saved.

Now, the police detained and questioned the person inside that house, but the person has since been released. The incident is still under investigation. It's not yet clear whether or not anyone will be charged. But police bringing attention to this trend and the fact that kids are out doing this. There's been other violent instances including in Virginia where someone was also shot and killed while filming one of these TikTok trends. So, a really tragic story out of Houston, Texas. 11-year-old boy shot and killed. Police still investigating the incident and trying to decide if they might bring charges.

BERMAN: It's just awful. I mean, it's just the kind of thing that, you know, as a parent, you just hope your kids are never in that kind of situation.

PAZMINO: Yes.

BERMAN: Gloria Pazmino, thank you very much for that. All right. Three of the most powerful leaders in the world stand side by side by side, to quote Steven Sondheim. China really trying to push its power around the world and assert its dominance, maybe even over the United States. And a police chase ends with a rear axle ripped off a stolen car. Look at that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:25:00]

GOLODRYGA: New this morning, Russian president of Vladimir Putin speaking at a summit in China where he repeated his claim that the west is at fault for his war on Ukraine and praised his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska. And on the sidelines, you can see Putin holding hands with India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, as they greet China's Xi Jinping and even share a laugh. The three leaders represent the three largest powers not aligned with the west.

With me now is CNN military analyst retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. A real show of force of authoritarian leaders there in this summit, Cedric. And let's start with the Modi and Xi rekindling of their relationship, projecting an image of partners and not rivals. It was only a few years ago that the two countries in 2020 had a rather deadly confrontation between their military forces over a disputed border there. Are we seeing a real realignment between these two countries, or is this more optics and Modi deciding for the first time in seven years to actually travel to China following that slap on the face, really of the 50 percent tariff from President Trump?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST AND U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Yes, Bianna. Good morning. There is -- yes, there's a lot to be said for it being much more than an optical show here, but you will have to see exactly how this develops. But clearly, the Indian leader, Prime Minister Modi, is looking at this as a way in which to counter what Trump has done to India and the way he looks at it is that the tariffs that are being imposed on India, those 50 percent tariffs that you mentioned, they are a direct challenge to India's ability to fuel its economy.

And that's a significant issue for the Indians. If India doesn't have economic growth, it's going to cause a lot of social and political problems for Modi. And that's one of the reasons why he's doing this rapprochement with China. And it is probably a fairly real rapprochement until they have another border dispute, like you mentioned the last one in the -- in 1920. And there have been several others throughout the history of India-China relations that have been pretty serious. But those border disputes seem to be basically on the back burner right now as India tries to figure out how to move forward and keep as much cheap oil flowing to it as possible.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And the 50 percent tariff was meant to distance Modi from his relationship with Vladimir Putin. That hasn't worked, at least publicly. We saw the two of them walking hand in hand, sharing a laugh, even spending an hour together in Putin's motorcade.

Let me ask you about something else that took place in Europe today, and that is European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's plane being hit by a suspected Russian GPS interference. Now, officials suspect the jamming operation forced that jet to land thankfully safely in Bulgaria using paper maps. Hard to describe this as a coincidence happening today when Vladimir Putin is once again sharing the stage with some of Asia's top leaders. What do you make of yet another attack like this so brazen that Vladimir Putin at least believes he can get away without impunity or with impunity?

LEIGHTON: Yes. Well, exactly. So, this is a real escalation in the -- what I'll call the GPS wars. There have been instances across the Baltic States and the Baltic Sea where commercial airliners have had their GPS systems jammed probably by the Russians, most likely by the Russians. This is an escalation of this.

[09:30:00]