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Border Patrol Official Grilled in Court; Interview With Jamaican Minister of State Abka Fitz-Henley; Israel Orders New Strikes in Gaza; Hurricane Melissa Slams Jamaica. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired October 28, 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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BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: One of the strongest hurricanes in recorded history is hitting Jamaica right now. As Melissa begins to come ashore, the National Hurricane Center is warning Jamaicans, this is the last chance to protect your life.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: And the shutdown could cost millions of Americans the money they need to feed their families. That happens on Saturday if Congress doesn't act. We will speak to the Cabinet secretary whose department is responsible for providing those funds.

And new strikes ordered by Israel in Gaza, what this could mean for the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

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

We have breaking news on Hurricane Melissa. This is a record-breaking storm that is bearing down right now on Jamaica. It is a monster Category 5 hurricane, 185 mile-per-hour winds that are now moving over land with gusts topping 220 miles per hour. And this is making Melissa now the second strongest hurricane ever in Atlantic history, the strongest ever to hit Jamaica.

SANCHEZ: And for places near the eye of the storm, a nightmare scenario is unfolding. You have catastrophic winds tearing through the island like a slow-moving tornado, one that just sits there.

Several months worth of rain is also coming down. And just hours ago, the image that you're looking at right now, you could actually see a bridge there that was spanning the river, that clearly underwater. You have life-threatening flash flooding.

And mudslides have become a major concern, as we have just learned seconds ago that the hurricane has officially made landfall in Jamaica, though its effects have been felt across the island now for hours.

CNN's Derek Van Dam is live in Kingston for us. Derek, what is the latest where you are?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, Boris, this the beauty of live television. You're finding out about it making landfall before I did, but that's -- that was me waiting for this live shot to occur. That's interesting.

Here it is from the National Hurricane Center: "Melissa making landfall in Southwestern Jamaica near New Hope with an estimated maximum wind of 185 miles per hour, 295 kilometers per hour, a minimum pressure of 892 millibars. An extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not leave your shelter. Wait as the eye passes over."

This is critical information. That eye is so well-defined. Now that it's officially come onshore, more than 50 percent of the eye, that is what officially calls for landfall from the National Hurricane Center. But the eye is so clear that people often mistake the end of the storm.

So as they come out and they look up, they will see perhaps birds flying around. The skies will be sunny. It'll be clear all the way up to the sky and the winds will drop dramatically next to nothing, probably calm. And a lot of times people will go outside, venture out, check their property if they're not fully aware of the situation, because the backside of the eye will come through in just a few minutes time.

So what's so destructive about this is that the winds on the northern side of that eye wall that are penetrating the southern coastline of Jamaica right now, they're going to be from the opposite direction once the other side of the eye wall comes through. That's the counterclockwise rotation around a hurricane.

So that will catch people off guard. If there's debris already laying on the grounds, it's going to be thrown in an opposite direction. So it will catch people who are unaware off guard, no doubt. So we're in Kingston, the capital.

And I just want to see that it's windy here, but we're 100 miles east of where the center of Melissa is taking shape, the second strongest storm in Atlantic history, the modern record-keeping, the strongest storm in Jamaica. There's so many superlatives, so many facts, little nuggets to throw out there, but Kingston largely spared from the worst catastrophic winds, good news, a glimpse of good news is because this is the population density of a million people here, but three million people across the entire country.

And what's happening on the western parts of this beautiful island nation is pure and utter devastation. It's going to be heartbreak to see the aftermath of this storm. But we got to focus on what people are going to be dealing with this slow-moving disaster as it's moving more or less the same speed as a brisk walk.

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So every once in a while, we will get these -- the rain bands that come through, a gust of very powerful tropical-storm-to-near- hurricane-forest winds. Right now, as I speak, I can hear some emergency personnel rushing behind me. I will wait to see where that's coming from. Not sure where they're going.

But it's good to see fire trucks, fire engines operating. Again, because we're in Kingston and because we're away from the center, maybe they're going to go see to something that's happening up the road here. But what's possible over western parts of the country, roads will likely be inaccessible because of this catastrophic wind, because of the mudslides and landslides that we know are occurring or are about to occur with this.

This is a farming, an agricultural part of Western Jamaica that is being hammered right now with the strongest, most catastrophic winds. That is going to have economic impacts, not to mention Montego Bay is on the north side of the island, and it looks like that could see a direct eye wall hit from this as it traverses and crosses over the island.

Think about the tourism that is so synonymous with the coastal areas of Jamaica, especially that region. This will be devastating for those areas and very difficult to recover from -- back to you guys.

SANCHEZ: Derek Van Dam, please, you and the crew stay safe out there in Kingston, Jamaica, as Melissa makes landfall.

Let's bring in Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, Jamaica's Minister Of State in the office of the prime minister.

Senator, thank you so much for being with us.

I just want to get a read on you on how conditions are where you are right now as this Category 5 hurricane makes landfall.

ABKA FITZ-HENLEY, JAMAICAN MINISTER OF STATE: Thank you, Boris, and hello to your viewers on CNN.

Well, I am in capital city, Kingston, very much like your correspondent who just gave an indication of what's happening in Kingston just now. But our major concern now is for the area where landfall has been made by Hurricane Melissa.

That's St. Elizabeth on the south-southwest of the island of Jamaica. The preliminary accounts are devastating. A number of homes have been damaged. I'm hearing accounts about hospitals and medical centers losing their ceiling. And facilities that are intended to provide electricity, the Jamaica public service company's building in a section of St. Elizabeth called Black River, the ceiling has totally gone.

So it's utter devastation in sections of St. Elizabeth, pretty much most of the parish, based on the preliminary accounts we're getting. However, the government of Jamaica stands ready to assist. Whenever the storm passes and the conditions are reasonably OK and safe, our emergency team will go in and assist people who are in dire straits. SANCHEZ: Yes, we're sorry to hear about the reports you're getting

about that hospital. We have also learned that Melissa is responsible for some three deaths across the island.

Do you happen to know if that number has changed at all in the last few hours?

FITZ-HENLEY: Those fatalities occurred with people preparing for the eventuality of Hurricane Melissa. I have not been able to confirm additional fatalities, and I wouldn't like to speculate on that.

But given that it's a Category 5 hurricane that is making its way over the southern section of the island, our farming communities, some of the houses are very much modern and properly developed. Many of them are, but some are not. So it would not surprise me if that figure increased.

However, we're hoping that is not the case, because the priority of the administration of Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness is to put in place measures. Indeed, we prepared significantly to save as many lives as possible. And that's why over 800 shelters were opened across Jamaica.

Approximately 6,000 people, I'm hearing, based on the latest indication from the officials, have made their way into shelters to get safety and some sustenance during the passage of Hurricane Melissa. So, look, we're hoping for the best, but as far as sections of Southern Jamaica and Central Jamaica are concerned, unfortunately, it is utter devastation.

SANCHEZ: Yes, again, I'm sorry to hear that. And I'm glad that folks have at least heeded the warnings about the strength of this storm.

And, to that point, I wonder if there are any specific areas of concern when it comes to the cleanup, because, obviously, as you said, if this looks like the images that we're seeing and the initial reports that we have gotten, it's going to be a tough road to build back.

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What are your biggest concerns in the coming days?

FITZ-HENLEY: Well, our biggest concern is the livelihood of the people.

A lot of livelihoods have been destroyed because St. Elizabeth and its environment -- its environments are significantly farming communities, and a lot of livestock would have naturally been destroyed due to the advent or the occurrence of Hurricane Melissa.

Also, 35 percent of Jamaica is out of electricity. And Southern Jamaica and sections of Western Jamaica account for a vast majority of that percentage I just alluded to. So, restoring power to various communities which have been disenfranchised or not facilitated because of the storm by electricity will be a major challenge, given that in Jamaica we don't have much underground power systems.

You mainly poles and overhead power lines. So that will be a major challenge, as it was with Hurricane Beryl last year, but it might well pose a more significant challenge. And it could possibly be a longer wait for people on that end of the island because of intensity of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5, the most powerful hurricane to have hit Jamaica ever in our history.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

FITZ-HENLEY: But we're hoping for the best. And, indeed, we have put in place measures to ensure that the water systems are sustained for as long as possible. Generators have been located at various sections of the island to ensure that, even if there's no electricity, people have access to running water, which is important, as you would imagine, Boris, in a natural disaster.

SANCHEZ: Yes, no doubt about that. And we are hoping for the best for you and the people of Jamaica.

Please keep in contact with us. Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, thank you so much.

FITZ-HENLEY: Thank you.

And just allow me to say to the people of Jamaica that the administration of Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness recognizes that you are going through a difficult time. We stand ready to assist. Stay calm as best as possible. It might be challenging, but help will be on the way as soon as it is reasonably safe for our evacuation and first responders to go in.

Thank you so much.

SANCHEZ: Thank you again, Senator.

Still to come on CNN NEWS CENTRAL: furious and fed up. The head of the air traffic controllers union says that every day the government shutdown drags on, flying becomes less safe. Hear his warning as controllers miss their first full paycheck.

KEILAR: Plus, the top Border Patrol official in Chicago appearing in court after video shows him personally throwing a canister of tear gas into a crowd, an apparent violation of a federal court order.

But, first, the Gaza cease-fire in jeopardy, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders immediate and powerful military strikes in Gaza. We're watching that. We have that breaking news next.

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SANCHEZ: We're following breaking news to CNN. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the IDF to carry out immediate powerful strikes in Gaza. KEILAR: Earlier today, Netanyahu's office said Hamas is in clear

violation of the Gaza cease-fire agreement.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is with us now from Jerusalem.

Tell us about the clear violation he's referring to, Jeremy.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, this has really been the buildup of Israeli frustrations for weeks now about the slow pace of the return of the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages inside of Gaza.

And it is now culminating with the Israeli prime minister authorizing powerful Israeli military strikes inside of Gaza. This clear violation that the prime minister referred to earlier today has to do with what happened yesterday. Hamas said it was returning the remains of a deceased Israeli hostage.

But after those remains were received and analyzed at Israel's National Forensic Institute, the Israeli government says that these were not the remains of the 13 remaining deceased hostages inside of Gaza. Instead, they say that they belong to a deceased Israeli hostage whose body was actually recovered back in late 2023 by the Israeli military, and these appear to be additional remains related to that hostage's body.

Hamas, for its part, says that it will now postpone a handover of an additional body of a deceased Israeli hostage that was supposed to happen tonight. They say that they are postponing that as a result of what they are calling violations by the Israeli government.

An Israeli military official also told me that there was an exchange of fire earlier today between the Israeli military and Hamas, accusing Hamas of attacking Israeli troops who were positioned east of that yellow demarcation line inside of Gaza.

All of this puts the cease-fire in a pretty tenuous position right now. But we should note that we have seen the Israeli military carry out strikes inside of Gaza before. Last time, it was related to what Israel said was a Hamas attack that killed two Israeli soldiers. Those strikes took place. At least 45 people were killed inside of Gaza, but it did not result in an all-out breakdown of the cease-fire.

So, certainly some uncertainty ahead and perhaps a very deadly night inside of Gaza tonight, but this does not mean that the cease-fire has collapsed altogether.

SANCHEZ: And, Jeremy, do we know if Netanyahu's office alerted President Trump to the plans for these strikes?

DIAMOND: We don't yet know officially, but it is clear that there has been a lot of communication between the Israeli government and the American government. The U.S. has established a Civil-Military Coordination Center here in Israel to try and mediate the cease-fire.

And we know that, today, when the prime minister was holding this security consultation about how to respond to this -- quote, unquote -- "clear violation," that it seemed like the prime minister wanted to also first consult with the U.S. government before deciding how to proceed.

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So it's likely that there was some consultation. We don't yet have official comments from the White House.

KEILAR: All right, Jeremy Diamond live for us in Jerusalem, thank you.

And next: CNN is learning a major shakeup is planned at ICE. Why the Trump administration is frustrated with those who are currently overseeing the president's immigration crackdown.

Plus, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will join us as 42 million Americans are on the verge of losing their SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps. We're going to ask her why her agency isn't pulling from its contingency funds in order to keep the program running.

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KEILAR: New today, the top Border Patrol official in Chicago getting an earful both outside and inside of court in Chicago.

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KEILAR: Demonstrators chanting "Lock him up" as Gregory Bovino arrived at the Dirksen federal courthouse to testify about aggressive tactics allegedly used by his agents and also by him, including an incident where he was personally seen throwing what appears to be a tear gas canister into a crowd of protesters in a neighborhood there in Chicago.

SANCHEZ: The judge now ordering daily updates from Bovino on immigration operations. She'd previously ordered federal agents not to use certain types of force during enforcement operations unless there was an immediate threat and the targets were warned. She's also ordered that body cameras be worn.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us now.

Priscilla, what more can you tell us about the court hearing that's under way right now?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the court hearing has ended.

According to our colleagues who were in the room, it wasn't necessarily a tense hearing. And the judge said that she didn't want to micromanage the situation for federal agents as they conduct enforcement. However, she made it very clear that she has them under a microscope and she has concerns about her court orders being violated in the tactics that they are using to disperse crowds and just crowd control in general.

So, for that reason, she is asking Gregory Bovino to check in with her every weekday until, I believe, next week at 6:00 p.m. That tells you everything you need to know. She's essentially wanting answers on a daily basis about what is happening day-to-day in these immigration enforcement actions. She also requested that he wear a body camera, that she also learned that not everyone has them.

And if they have them, she wants them to be visible and for them to capture what is going on, because, again, much of what we're learning about these confrontations happen via social media. We see images and videos of these clashes like the one that you just played where Bovino is throwing the tear gas canister.

Then, earlier today, in fact just moments ago, the Department of Homeland Security releasing their own video that they edited showing objects being thrown at Bovino. So, for that reason, this can go all get very confused and convoluted very quickly. So the judge wants answers and she wants them on a daily basis from Bovino as she tries to gather the evidence in this case, which ultimately stems from the clashes and confrontations happening between protesters and federal agents.

SANCHEZ: So ICE not only getting scrutiny from federal judges, but also from the administration itself. We understand you're reporting that there's potentially a shakeup coming.

ALVAREZ: Yes, there are plans under way, there are discussions under way to essentially reassign half of the leaders of the field offices for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and potentially install Border Patrol officials, which is why, by the way, this Bovino hearing was so important.

He is a U.S. Border Patrol chief patrol agent and he is the type of person that the administration has boasted about privately and publicly. They love what they're seeing from the U.S. Border Patrol as they have fanned out across the country. They want to see ICE do that. And for that reason, there has been tension among the agency.

There has been tension with the White House and it's prompted these conversations about doing something that my sources haven't heard of before, which is taking the guys from this agency, U.S. Border Patrol, and installing them in leadership at another agency.

Now, part of this is that the White House has set out very lofty goals, 3,000 daily arrests. That is a high bar for an agency that has historically been strained by resources and personnel. So they have hovered under that. Well, that's not enough for the White House. The White House wants to see a more aggressive crackdown.

So right now, with these plans, with these discussions about this shakeup in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it gives us a preview into the next phase of this deportation agenda, which may include mixing together agencies even more to do more of the arrests the White House wants to see.

SANCHEZ: Wow. Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much for that update.

Breaking news out of Jamaica: a restaurant owner describing scenes of panic as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall, a Category 5 storm, his words -- quote -- "The whole coastline is gone."

We're tracking this massive hurricane when we come back.

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