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Attack in Jerusalem; Trump Targeting Chicago and Boston?. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired September 08, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Vowing to act. The nation's border czar says immigration raids are coming to sanctuary cities across the country. What we know about this broad surge and how cities are preparing.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: And we are live in Jerusalem, where two gunmen opened fire at a bus stop just after rush hour. It's the deadliest attack on the city in two years. We're following the latest.

Plus: document dump. It's deadline day for Jeffrey Epstein's estate to hand over key records, including that infamous birthday book, to Congress. A member of the committee receiving this new information will join us here on set.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KEILAR: The president putting sanctuary cities on notice and his crackdown in D.C. on a pedestal, touting the federal intervention in the nation's capital and asking, who's next?

Well, the president's weekend TRUTH Social post sure seems like a hint. In an "Apocalypse Now"-themed meme, the president suggested Chicago would soon learn why he changed the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.

CNN's Kristen Holmes is live at the White House.

Kristen, we are learning a lot more about the administration's plans for the next few days. What can you tell us?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so let's start with the beginning of all this, which is the border czar, Tom Homan, talking about targeting these sanctuary cities in coming days and also saying that bringing the National Guard into any of these cities, Chicago included, was not completely off the table.

Now we have the White House confirming to us that there are more officials related to Homeland Security, these federal law enforcement officials heading into Chicago in the coming days to try and beef up this immigration program that they have already on the ground.

Now, the reason why this is so important is you're hearing from the White House continue to stress that this is all about immigration, bringing in these officials to help with a federal immigration program already there, but what we're told is that this is likely to follow the mold or expected to follow the mold of what we saw in Los Angeles, where it starts as immigration and then when there is pushback the National Guard comes in.

Now, of course, one thing to keep in mind here is the fact that there's been legal pushback on the fact that Trump sent the National Guard to California, something they're paying attention to. And that's also why you're seeing President Trump lash out at these Illinois officials who don't want the federal government inside of Chicago at all.

Take a listen to what he said this morning.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're waiting for a call from Chicago. We will fix Chicago. And I don't know why Chicago isn't calling us, saying, please, give us help. When you have over just a short period of time 50 murders and hundreds of people shot and then you have a governor that stands up and says how crime is just fine, it's really crazy.

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HOLMES: So, two things to keep in mind here. One, you're going to start seeing this enhancement of these immigration programs on the streets of Chicago with the intended desire that if there is pushback they will bring in the National Guard.

But on the other side of all of this, you're going to see a maximum pressure campaign by President Trump against these Democratic state officials in various places with these big cities that have high crime rates, because President Trump is trying to take them on politically as well.

You heard him there saying it, that why wouldn't they reach out for help with crime. So he's trying to pressure them to reach out to the federal government to bring them in, so they don't have as many legal hurdles as they had in Los Angeles.

KEILAR: All right, Kristen Holmes live for us at the White House, thank you -- Danny.

FREEMAN: And, today, CNN is learning more about some of the behind- the-scenes talks happening at the White House as the administration has been weighing more aggressive immigration action in cities like Chicago, like you heard Kristen just talk about right there.

For more on this, we have CNN's Priscilla Alvarez here with us.

Thank you, Priscilla, for being here. Yes, what more can you share about what the administration might be

planning?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what officials have been telling me is that there have been discussions internally for weeks to target cities like Chicago and Boston over their sanctuary policies. Those are policies that limit cooperation with police department and federal immigration authorities.

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And this has been something that the administration has been clamoring for, for months now. And something that officials make note of when I speak to them is that immigration arrests have been happening in these cities for months, for weeks.

But the idea here is to step up their enforcement. We're seeing that already in Boston. We saw it already in Los Angeles. And now the plan is to see that in Chicago. In fact, only moments ago, the Department of Homeland Security dubbed this Operation Midway Blitz.

So they are escalating and planning to escalate their arrests in the city and ramp up the federal presence. That has been part of the discussion here, and do so in a phased approach, so slowly bringing in this surge of federal personnel.

And, as Kristen said, if it escalates to the point where there are protests, for example, as there were in Los Angeles, that is an opportunity perhaps for the administration to bring in National Guard. But that is still an open question, given, of course, the litigation on that front.

But, again, Danny, this is something that officials have been telling me has been under discussion. The planning has been under way. And it may feel like whiplash, but the crux of it, the core of it is that they are going to escalate their presence in this city, as they plan to do with others.

FREEMAN: And, again, as you have been reporting all day, the playbook really does look like L.A.

ALVAREZ: And to put a finer point on it, Danny, the man who was in charge, the Homeland Security official in charge of the operations in Los Angeles, has been deployed to Chicago to helm the operations there. So certainly when we say the L.A. playbook, it's because it is what they plan to do with the person who led the charge in L.A.

FREEMAN: One more quick follow-up, Priscilla.

There's also new reporting, I understand, on that ICE raid from last week in Georgia, where hundreds of South Korean workers were detained at a Hyundai factory. And now a top diplomat from South Korea, as I understand it, is traveling to the U.S. right now. What's the latest?

ALVAREZ: Traveling to the U.S. They want to return those who were arrested on a charter flight. Look, this has been something that has blown up to now include the

U.S. government, the South Korean government, because the majority of those who were arrested were South Korean nationals. And their statuses varied. Some were visa overstays. That means that they were essentially undocumented in the United States.

Then there were also those on visa waivers, which allow you to come to the U.S. for a period of time for tourism or for business, but they don't authorize you to work. So it's been a hodgepodge of the statuses that each of these individuals had, but now it has led to the U.S. government, the South Korean government engaging on how to return those, particularly those who are going to voluntarily depart to the United States.

So they're going to voluntarily return themselves to South Korea. But, certainly, it is just an example of how complicated these efforts can get, because they include so many nationalities. And when they -- when authorities go on site, they can encounter various individuals, some of whom are undocumented, but also some who are legally allowed to be here in the United States.

FREEMAN: Yes, not the last we have heard of that particular raid.

Priscilla Alvarez, thanks, as always. Appreciate it -- Brianna.

KEILAR: We're joined now by Jonathan Fahey, former ICE acting director under President Trump during his first term.

Thank you so much for being with us here in studio.

JONATHAN FAHEY, FORMER ACTING ICE DIRECTOR: Thank you.

KEILAR: As you're watching this and we're expecting this impending action in Chicago and other sanctuary cities, do you see this as the most effective approach?

FAHEY: Yes, I do in a couple of ways.

One, these sanctuary cities, as you know, like Chicago, when they arrest an illegal alien on another crime, a state crime, they will not even turn them over to ICE. They will release them back in the community, making it harder for ICE to do their job, which is to deport the most serious criminal aliens.

So that part of it is effective to get the most serious criminals out. The second part of it is a deterrent aspect, because some of these sanctuary cities like Chicago probably are not going to change their policies, because Governor Pritzker wants to be the Democratic nominee for president, but many others will.

So this will make ICE easier for -- to do their jobs when they can get criminals arrested in jail, rather than having to go out in the community, which they're having to do in Chicago and Boston and places like that. So this is going to be incredibly effective. The citizens of Chicago will be thankful. Most of them will be safer because of this. And I think overall it's a major win and it's very important that it's done, because Chicago, Illinois, Boston, Massachusetts, any of these places, they're not entitled to have their own immigration policies. Yes, sure J.D. Pritzker, it's politically beneficial for him to be in favor of mass amnesty and open borders, but that's not the law.

KEILAR: You know, there have been some effective work-arounds to get some of these -- the bad guys. I'm talking about the folks with criminal records who are here, they are here illegally, they're undocumented, and they have committed crimes.

There are work-arounds to get them off the streets. You're certainly aware of that. And this is for sure a spectacle. We have seen that in Los Angeles. It's pulling a lot of resources from other places. Is it missing -- is it missing the chance to find some of those bad guys?

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For instance, when you think of this Maryland woman I'm sure you're familiar with her, right?

FAHEY: Right.

KEILAR: Dacara Thompson, she was killed last month by an undocumented immigrant in Maryland. He was actually arrested by federal police, by Park Police, and released after having a DUI.

Is that a missed opportunity? I mean, I know that's not as kind of colorful is what we're seeing in some of these and what we're expecting in these sanctuary cities, but is something like that a missed opportunity?

FAHEY: Every time any legal alien gets arrested for a crime, they should have a detainer put on them and they should be kicked out, no questions about.

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KEILAR: So, then what is your thought on that one, for instance?

FAHEY: Yes.

Well, if that if those are the facts, that person should have had a detainer and been removed. And you think of Laken Riley, which I'm sure you have talked about a lot, but missed opportunity not only with Mayorkas at the border with his policies, but Mayor Adams with his policies of being a sanctuary city up there. Laken Riley would be alive.

KEILAR: OK, but he wasn't moved.

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KEILAR: So, as you're looking at that, how should this have been handled to prevent this outcome? And considering that this happened during the Trump administration, when there was a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Maryland, and this is federal law enforcement, how should the Trump administration be looking at something like that, when they were so quick to criticize things that happened during the Biden administration?

FAHEY: I think, as a matter of policy, the Trump administration, when people are arrested for crimes like DUI, they're going to be detained and removed. It may not be a perfect system.

The difference is, Chicago, they don't even try to turn people over. Despite what J.D. Pritzker says, that they're OK with the violent criminals being turned over, but, in fact, Chicago's policy makes no distinction. All the violent criminals are released back into the community.

So the issue is not that there may not be some mistakes or other things that could have been done, but the issue is anyone here illegally committing a crime should be detained and removed, and everyone should agree on that. And that's probably like one of these -- you always talk about the 80/20 issues. That's an 80/20, even more issue.

And it's really alarming that places like Chicago, governors like J.D. Pritzker put their own political lives ahead of the lives of the citizens of Chicago, because he wants to be the Democratic nominee, and he knows he has to try to -- he's competing with Newsom to be the Democrat alpha, and then he has to be in favor of open borders and mass amnesty. And that's the reason this is even going on there.

KEILAR: But is it alarming when Trump campaigned on this idea that if he were in place, that his people were in place, this kind of thing, a Laken Riley wouldn't happen, and that kind of thing does happen?

FAHEY: Well, it's going to happen a whole heck of a lot less, and we're already seeing less people coming across the border. The numbers are staggeringly low.

And you're looking at these crime rates, and look at the end of this year. The crime rates are going to be substantially lower. You're going to have things like fentanyl deaths substantially lower. So, yes, are bad things still going to happen regardless who the president is? Yes.

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KEILAR: Jonathan, they have been lower. I just want to be clear about that. We have seen them drop over time.

FAHEY: They have dropped substantially since Trump took office.

KEILAR: And before then.

But -- and they also increased during Trump's first term and over the Biden administration.

FAHEY: Only during the BLM riots. They were going down substantially until BLM. KEILAR: No, it was during COVID because of the -- because of traffic.

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FAHEY: I can give you a research question that will prove it's not COVID. But we -- it's easy to look up, though, compared to other countries.

KEILAR: Let's not litigate that. Let's go -- yes, it is pretty simple to look up. I encourage people to do that.

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FAHEY: Yes.

KEILAR: So Trump posted on social media this weekend: "I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago is about to find out why it's called the Department of War" with this picture of him that says "Chipocalypse Now" in front of it.

Border czar Tom Homan told our Jake Tapper that Trump's words are being taken out of context. What do you think the appropriate context is for seeing this?

FAHEY: The appropriate context is, the game of Chicago's over with the sanctuary cities. We're going to get the most serious criminals arrested and deported.

The Democrats are in hysterics.

KEILAR: You have seen "Apocalypse Now."

FAHEY: I have seen "Apocalypse Now." They're not going to be dropping napalm in Chicago.

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FAHEY: I think people need to take a step back.

I mean, it is funny. He almost pushes the button and all the Democrats go into hysterics.

KEILAR: Do you think this is funny, what's happening?

FAHEY: I don't know. I think it's -- I think the meme or whatever they're called, I don't think it's not funny. I think it's making the point. We're going in there and taking care of it, because -- and you know what's really interesting?

You have seen Gavin Newsom and some of these other Democrats up in Baltimore, they're taking crime...

KEILAR: Do you think what -- the problem in Chicago and what we're about to see is funny?

FAHEY: The problem in Chicago is so serious and it's deadly serious. You have people like Brandon Johnson and J.B. Pritzker that have not been dealing with the crime problem, not been dealing with the illegal alien problem, and because it's not politically viable for them within their party.

KEILAR: Should it get the funny treatment?

FAHEY: Should it get the funny treatment, meaning what?

KEILAR: Can we put the meme back up? Let's put it back up. Should it get this treatment?

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FAHEY: I think it's a good way to send a message that they're going in and dealing with this. And to say -- if you want to say who treats crime more seriously, this administration or the prior administration, you just have to look at the numbers and look at what the Biden administration did. It was a complete joke, particularly at the border.

KEILAR: Is that serious to you, when you look at that?

FAHEY: Their policies are serious.

KEILAR: That post?

FAHEY: I think it's meant to convey a message and meant to be funny in certain ways, but it's conveying a very serious message.

And, again, the Democratic Party will get spun up on memes and stuff like that. If they just spent maybe a 10th of their effort making their own cities safer, we'd all be better off. And all of them were denying up until a couple of weeks ago there was any crime problem in places like Chicago, places like Washington, D.C., and now everyone's like, OK, there was a crime problem.

KEILAR: I have interviewed a lot of people from those cities. I will tell you, they have not denied there's a crime problem.

FAHEY: Not the people in the cities, but politicians.

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KEILAR: No, no, I have interviewed politicians. They haven't denied there's a problem. I just want to be clear. They have taken issue with what the proper solution is. And I just want to be clear about that.

Let's talk about -- and there's so much to talk about today, Jonathan, as you're aware -- this Hyundai plant, because -- in Georgia. Trump has touted Hyundai's investment in Georgia specifically. I wonder, when you think of this raid that you saw that yielded 475 individuals, would there have been a better way to balance Trump's very specific emphasis on foreign investment, foreign carmaker investment specifically in America, with his immigration priorities?

FAHEY: Well, I don't really particularly know because he wants companies to invest in this country. He's not saying, if you invest in this country, you get to violate our immigration laws and hire illegal aliens.

The whole purpose of them investing in our country is to make our country better. And, again, this was a federal search warrant. A federal judge found there's probable caused that there are criminal violations going on there with respect to their hiring and things like that.

So it's certainly appropriate to be looking into that. And also when you look at these, like you look at other companies that play by the rules, it's not fair to them.

KEILAR: He can certainly do that. That's not my question. My question is, he has been very clear about emphasizing foreign carmaker investment. I mean, that's a dream for him to have this investment in America. He's touted specifically Hyundai's investment in Georgia.

You just heard Priscilla's report there. You have a Korean diplomat coming to the U.S. The Koreans are livid, as they are brokering a trade deal with the Trump administration. Would there have been a better way to balance these key priorities? Because he had a mandate on immigration. He also had a mandate on the economy in this election.

FAHEY: If there's probable cause that there's criminal violations going on, should -- the question is, should the administration ignore them?

KEILAR: That wasn't my question.

FAHEY: I don't think so. But I think that's sort of the premise of your question is, what should you do if there if you're investing in this country? They still want them to adhere by the law. And he welcomes...

KEILAR: No, that's not my -- then maybe let me tailor my question a little more to you.

Rounding people up in a massive raid -- I'm not saying don't enforce the law, and I'm not even saying you go in finding out how many people are in violation of this. Is there a better way to balance the priorities in how this kind of thing is dealt with?

FAHEY: Well, first of all, rounding people up -- if they come across people that are here illegally, they need to be detained and need to be removed, in which they are.

KEILAR: Do you see any difference in this plant, compared to some of the other raids that you have seen, or you see -- you make no distinction?

FAHEY: As far as -- I'm not sure of your question.

But I think the policy is and the Trump policy on immigration is an immigration policy that is best for the United States, best for business. KEILAR: Do you see any distinction between the violations of the individuals who were rounded up compared to the other individuals who've been rounded up at workplaces?

FAHEY: It depends what -- I don't know the comparison, but if they're here illegally, they need to be removed. That's...

KEILAR: So, they all be treated exactly the same?

FAHEY: They should be -- well, no one can be treated exactly the same. There are always different circumstances, but they should generally be treated consistently and fairly.

But the point is, a business should not be able to hire illegal aliens. It's unfair to other businesses, unfair to American workers. And Donald Trump wants people to invest in this country. And he's bringing a ton of investment in.

But you can't say, if you invest in our country, you don't have to abide by the law. That's not fair to any of us. His policy is bringing in investment. And I think everything with Korea will be A-OK after this. And I doubt Korea knew that they were bringing in a bunch of illegal aliens to perform this work either.

So, I think all of this will get solved. Hyundai will still be here. Other companies will still want to invest. But if you want to come here and violate our immigration law, depress the wages of American workers, hurt our other businesses, that's not going to fly.

KEILAR: Jonathan Fahey, really appreciate you joining us. Thank you so much.

FAHEY: Thank you.

KEILAR: And still to come: Israel identifying the suspects behind this deadly shooting in Jerusalem. We will talk about what we know about these alleged attackers.

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Plus, a man accused of trying to kill President Trump during a golf game is headed to trial with one significant condition surrounding the proceedings. We will talk about what that is.

And then later: the estate of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein set to turn over more documents to lawmakers. And the trove of files could include Epstein's so-called birthday book.

We will have these important stories and more all ahead this hour on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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FREEMAN: We're following breaking news out of the Middle East, where at least six people were killed in a shooting attack on a Jerusalem bus stop. Now, Israeli police say it started when two gunmen opened fire just

after the morning rush hour. Israeli authorities now say the two shooters, who were killed at the scene, are residents of Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank.

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CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us now from Jerusalem.

Jeremy, what more can you tell us about this attack?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, indeed, this attack unfolded at rush hour this morning, when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire indiscriminately on this crowd of Israelis who were waiting at this bus stop in Jerusalem.

At least six people were killed. More than a dozen others were wounded, several of whom are still being treated at local hospitals. As far as we understand it, those two assailants, whom the Israeli authorities are describing as terrorists, they were killed on the scene by an off-duty Israeli soldier, as well as Israeli civilians who were armed and were able to return fire within moments of those gunmen actually opening fire, averting obviously a situation that could have been much, much worse.

Both of the attackers were from two Palestinian villages just northwest of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank. Now, we saw the Israeli prime minister on the ground in the hours after this attack took place, vowing that there would be a harsh response. We have already begun to see at least the beginnings of that response, as Israeli security forces were spotted in those Palestinian villages from which these two gunmen hailed from, carrying out raids in those areas.

In addition to that, Israeli police have arrested at least one suspect from East Jerusalem who they have detained in connection with today's attack. And beyond that, again, we're monitoring the status of those individuals who are still being treated at local hospitals, several of them still listed in serious condition.

FREEMAN: And, Jeremy, I want to turn to Gaza for a moment, because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I understand, has posted a video addressing the residents of Gaza City, in it saying -- quote -- "You have been warned, get out."

I mean, tell us, what's the latest?

DIAMOND: Well, the Israeli military assault on Gaza City is indeed intensifying.

And what we have been seeing in particular over the last few days is the destruction, the targeting of some of these high-rise buildings in Gaza City that were still standing. In many of these cases, Israeli forces are giving prior warning to residents on the ground, and they are claiming that these buildings are being used by Hamas for purposes of attacking Israeli troops in the area. But what's also very important to keep in mind is some of the language

that Israeli officials are using as they are carrying out this campaign, in particular, the Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz, who has been warning that Gaza City will be reduced to rubble in the same way that the city of Rafah in Southern Gaza and cities in the northern part of the Gaza Strip already have been.

And, in those areas, you're not just seeing the targeting of Hamas infrastructure, but also of widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, with a clear intention to destroy that civilian infrastructure and render that area unlivable.

And we are witnessing very much a similar pattern here in Gaza City as well. Beyond the buildings, of course, that are being destroyed, at least 40 people have been killed over the course of the last 24 hours in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry -- Danny.

FREEMAN: Jeremy Diamond, thank you for your reporting, as always. Appreciate it -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Now to some of the other headlines that we're watching this hour.

The yearslong manhunt for a father who vanished with his three children in the New Zealand wilderness is finally over. Authorities say Thomas Phillips was killed during a shoot-out with police today. Officers were responding to a break-in when they spotted him. Thankfully, all three children are safe, but a police officer was seriously injured after being shot at close range. Phillips had been on the run since December of 2021, following a custody battle.

Plus, the trial is under way for the man accused of trying to kill President Trump while he was golfing in Florida last year. Ryan Routh allegedly hid for hours on the property before a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle and opened fire, forcing Routh to flee the area. Routh has chosen to represent himself at trial.

He faces five charges, including attempted assassination of a presidential candidate and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Routh faces life in prison if convicted.

And starting today, McDonald's is reintroducing its Extra Value Meals, the discount menu that the fast-food chain nixed in 2019. It's returning this week with eight new meal deals for items like the Big Mac, Chicken McNuggets, Egg McMuffin, and the Quarter Pounder. The new menu is expected to last until the end of the year. It is the latest attempt by McDonald's to reverse customer declines and lure back low- income customers.

And next: Lawmakers are about to get their hands on some more Jeffrey Epstein documents. The convicted pedophile's estate is set to hand over new files that could include a so-called birthday book that allegedly contains a note from President Trump.

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