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Tensions High in Minneapolis as Trump Weighs Sending in Troops; Incident Report Reveals New Details on Renee Good's Injuries; Source Says, U.S. Moving Carrier Strike Group to Middle East Amid Deadly Iran Protests. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired January 16, 2026 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, happening now, another night of unrest could bring another day of tensions in Minneapolis. Federal agents once again are facing off the protestors.

Plus news, CN reporting on the chaos after Renee Goode was shot. We're going to get a response directly from DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Also breaking this morning, the U.S. now moving military assets to the Middle East as CNN learns that the Israeli spy organization, the Mossad, is here in the United States right now to discuss the situation in Iran.

And a Situation Room special report, the attorney for Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil joins us to discuss the latest court decision that could send his client back to jail.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

And we begin this hour with the breaking news, a second straight night of inflamed tensions in Minneapolis, federal agents squaring off with angry protesters. They're demanding that ICE leave the city after two federal officers were involved in shootings in just one week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: They're starting to throw the -- those -- hold on. Let me just come back here. As you can see, basically now they're just deploying tear gas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A CNN crew is caught in the detonation of tear gas and flash bang explosions, as agents in tactical gear reclaim a street outside a Federal Immigration Center, the facility has been used as a staging area for ICE operations. BROWN: All of this comes as President Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act. And that law deploy military troops to end the protests.

BLITZER: Let's go live right now to CNN's Julia Vargas Jones, who's on the scene for us. Julia, I know you were caught up in one of the clashes between protesters and officers yesterday. Tell us about your experience.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. Look, it was right here yesterday where we saw those federal officers trying to clear the street behind me. What's been happening is protesters are getting closer and closer to those gates of the federal facility, and then officers are trying to clear for vehicles to pass. That is where those clashes started.

Look, they get a little bit more inflamed. There's an escalation and then a de-escalation. When we were hit with those, pepper balls, which are basically projectiles with pepper spray in them. We were -- we saw exactly the reason why officers decided to throw those projectiles, because, at one point, someone in the crowd throws what looked like a water bottle at those federal officers. So, there is at times an escalation from the part of these protesters as well.

But we have also seen, as the crowd grew bigger, people walking, the crowd reminding protesters saying, stay peaceful, stay calm. And as you well know, Wolf, these things are very different in the daytime as they are in the nighttime, where our colleague, Shimon Prokupecz, and his crew got caught in that exchange. We could see something similar today, perhaps an even a third night of flare-ups.

But what we're looking to now, Wolf, are protests over the weekend. Already we're seeing an anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant protest planned for Saturday afternoon, and a counter protest also planned for that Saturday afternoon. It's difficult to imagine what that could look like, if not an escalation of the situation here on the ground, going against perhaps what we are hearing from local leaders, from Mayor -- Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey, asking protesters to not play into the rhetoric of the federal administration, and the governor of Minnesota, making that direct plea to President Trump to de-escalate tensions here in Minnesota.

BLITZER: And, Julia, in a related development, the Minneapolis Fire Department has just released an incident report on last week's fatal shooting of the 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Good, by an ICE agent.

[10:05:01]

What does it tell us about her wounds?

JONES: Well, it tells us, Wolf, that by the time paramedics arrived at the scene around 9:42 A.M., Good was in the driver's seat, she had blood on her face and on her torso. Pretty soon after that, they moved her to a snow bank for an assessment. At that time, they found her to be unresponsive, not breathing with inconsistent, irregular, thready pulse activity. That's according to the report directly.

She had apparently four gunshot wounds, two of those to her right chest, one to her left forearm, and a possible gunshot wound to the left side of her head, according to that report. After that initial assessment, then paramedics move her down the block, they say, in the report for more workable scene. They describe an escalating scene involving law enforcement and bystanders by that time. She was still not breathing, Wolf, and pulseless. By 9:48 A.M., that's when medics start attempting CPR, which they continue as they take her to an area hospital. And by approximately 10:30 in the morning, all of those resuscitative efforts were stopped.

Now, we are also getting with that report scores of emergency call transcripts from the minutes right after that shooting, some of them by community members and bystanders, expressing their shock, their confusion and what was going on, and one of them, Wolf, from a man who said he was calling on behalf of Homeland Security officers that were on the scene. He says, quote, we had officers stuck in a vehicle and we had agitators on the scene. We have shots fired by our locals, he said, and then he requested those emergency services to the scene. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Julia Vargas Jones on the scene for us, Julia, stay safe over there, thank you very, very much.

I want to continue the conversation right now. Jason Chavez is a city councilman in Minneapolis.

I know, Jason, your city has seen another night of clashes between officers and protesters. How is it things going this morning?

JASON CHAVEZ (D), MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL: Yes. I mean, folks have woken up this morning and are continuing to patrol our neighborhoods. They're continuing to legally observe, they're alerting neighbors of any immigration enforcement that may be happening here in Minneapolis and across the state. So, what we do know is that there are more neighbors day by day that are going onto the streets, by schools, by daycares, at bus stops to our small businesses to continue to alert our neighbors about any type of immigration enforcement that may be happening.

So, while the federal government continues to send more agents here to Minneapolis and in the state, we know that the numbers of our community members are going day by day because they want this to end.

BLITZER: The Department of Homeland Security, Jason, says the person who was shot yesterday in Minneapolis had violently attacked the federal officer, and two other people jumped in on the assault. They say the shot was fired by the officer in self-defense. You were on the scene after the shooting two days later. Do you have any other details on what exactly happened?

CHAVEZ: I don't have any more details than what you just described and what the federal department reported online, but what I do know is that we need to see a video and the way that they're describing the situation does not warrant an ICE official or federal authorities to shoot somebody.

It's very clear that this government does not know how to de-escalate in a situation. And what I have been very clear about my community is that the color of your skin is not a crime. Being in this country is not a crime, and our immigrant neighbors are welcome here in Minneapolis. And it's very clear that ICE and federal officials do not know how to do their jobs.

BLITZER: I know you've previously called the ICE operation in Minneapolis, your city an invasion, invasion. How is rhetoric like that deescalating the tensions?

CHAVEZ: I think it's important for folks that don't live in Minneapolis, that don't live in the state to understand what is happening in this city. It is not normal for people to be questioned about their citizenship status as they are waiting in a bus stop. It is not normal for ICE agents to chase people simply because the color of their skin. It is not normal for ICE agents to be parked outside of schools next to recreational centers, shutting down buildings because of their presence.

I think that the people that do not live in Minneapolis or in the state of Minnesota do not know the gravity of the situation that we are living in when you have thousands of ICE agents and Border Patrol agents in your city and in your state, creating an unsafe environment, tearing families apart, breaking into car doors illegally, illegally entering into homes. Questioning people because the color of their skin is different than white. That is what we are living in this city, like it is illegal behavior by ICE that needs to be documented, that needs to be observed.

[10:10:01]

And, yes, it is 1,000 percent an invasion. We have thousands of agents on the ground following people as they head to work. That is not normal in any place.

BLITZER: Jason, Pamela has a question for you too. Pamela?

BROWN: Yes. I just wonder, you know, how difficult it is right now in this moment for you as a council member, I know that you are the son of Mexican immigrants, you represent the most diverse ward in your city, to make sure you're communicating but not inflaming tensions, but allowing your community to understand and the rest of the country to understand what's actually happening there in your community and address the fears of people who live there.

CHAVEZ: Yes. I will let you all know that alerting your neighbors about immigration enforcement is not escalating tensions. It's keeping people safe. Providing mutual aid to families that cannot afford food or scared to go outside is not escalating tensions. It's creating a safe environment. Taking folks to work and back is not creating tensions. It's keeping people safe. Alerting neighbors of any type of immigration enforcement is not escalating tensions. It's keeping people safe. I give daily updates about where ICE is at in our neighborhoods. Some so people can make adequate plans to stay safe. And I also document instances when ICE is deploying war weapons into our neighborhoods.

I think the country needs to understand what is happening in Minneapolis. It is 1,000 percent in invasion. There are people with long weapons and guns and military trucks roaming our neighborhoods, cars with no license plates in the front, and at times in the back, not knowing what a vehicle is, tinted windows where you don't understand who is inside.

For what I -- we all know it could be an individual trying to create harm's way, but usually it's an ICE agent trying to tear a family apart. That is what the country needs to understand. That is what we are experiencing in Minneapolis and in this state.

So, the tension is being created not by the people that are providing mutual aid, not by the people patrolling our neighborhoods, not by the people on the ground alerting neighbors about immigration enforcement. It is being escalated by the federal government by invading our city and our state.

BROWN: And just bring us there. I mean, as you were talking to your constituents, what are they telling you, people who are here legally, who don't have a criminal record? What are they conveying to you? And what do you say to administration officials who put the blame on protesters who have been aggressive toward ICE agents and say that these are agitators and they're being paid to be out there? I want to give you an opportunity to respond to that.

CHAVEZ: As I said earlier, being out on the street, patrolling your neighborhood, alerting your neighbors about immigration enforcement is not an agitator. It is keeping people safe. In fact, my community is very loud and clear. They continue to be thankful for those on the streets that are alerting us about immigration enforcement because it is keeping families together.

What we do know is that neighbors in Minneapolis and the state are rising up to the occasion. They want to keep families together because these are their loved ones. These are the people they live on their block with. And they're going to do everything that they can to make sure that people are not being split up by this federal administration.

So, our neighbors are going to remain on the streets. They're going to be posted up at small businesses next to schools to make sure that what the federal administration is doing is documented, is being reported out to the public, that the country can see what is actually happening, and it is being an unsafe environment by federal officials, not by the community here in Minneapolis.

BLITZER: Minneapolis City Councilman Jason Chavez, thanks so much for joining us.

BROWN: Thank you very much.

CHAVEZ: Yes. Thank you.

BLITZER: And still ahead, simmering tensions in Iran have the U.S. sending more firepower toward the Middle East right now, as President Trump weighs military action.

BROWN: And months after forging a deal to end the war on Gaza, the White House says it is moving ahead with the second phase despite pushback from Israel.

You're in The Situation Room.

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[10:15:00]

BROWN: We are following breaking news. The exiled Iranian crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah, is holding a news conference. Pahlavi is one of the most well-known faces of outside opposition to Iran's current regime. He is the oldest son of Iran's last monarch, and was next in line to lead the country before the 1979 Revolution.

Pahlavi has said in the past that he is willing to lead Iran in a transition if protesters succeed in ousting the regime. Here's what he said just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REZA PAHLAVI, EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE: The truth is now undeniable. The Islamic Republic is not the government of Iran. It is a hostile occupying force that's hijacked our homeland.

The Islamic Republic will fall, not if, but when.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Also new this morning, a source tells CNN that the U.S. military is moving a carrier strike group to the Middle East with tension still high after widespread and deadly protests in Iran. This could bring dozens of American fighter jets and tomahawk cruise missiles to the Persian Gulf, according to open source intelligence. The nearest U.S. Navy carrier Strike Group is led by the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The White House says President Trump has not taken any options off the table with regard to Iran and we'll continue to monitor the situation there.

[10:20:02]

Wolf?

BLITZER: Also new this morning, a source now telling CNN that the head of Israel's national intelligence agency, the Mossad, is here in the United States right now and set to meet with government officials about the situation in Iran.

Let's go to CNN's Jerusalem Correspondent Jeremy Diamond. He's joining us today from Tel Aviv. Jeremy, tell us a little bit more about David Barnea, the head of the Mossad's visit. JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, a source familiar with the matter tells me that David Barnea did indeed arrive in the United States today for meetings with U.S. government officials. The source of these meetings and the subject of them will, of course, be the current situation in Iran and what next moves the United States and Israel may or may not make.

Axios is reporting that he will also be meeting with us Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Miami. Witkoff, of course, has been maintaining an open channel of communication with Iran's foreign minister, including as recently as just this past Wednesday.

And so while it's clear now that President Trump has decided to hold off on strikes for the moment, it is also clear that the option isn't off the table all together. And Israeli intelligence assessments have been playing a role in the decision-making of the United States about what the current situation is in Iran and what effect any U.S. strikes in Iran might ultimately have on destabilizing and perhaps helping the protesters in Iran to ultimately topple the regime.

And that seems to have been one of the reasons why President Trump this week ultimately held off on these strikes because of the uncertainty over whether U.S. strikes would actually prevent -- would actually cause the regime to be toppled. The Israeli assessment was also that the regime would likely not fall as a result of U.S. strikes without some kind of a prolonged campaign.

There's also been some concern here in Israel over the current state of missile defense. The United States, we know, is moving assets into the region, including a carrier strike group, which includes an aircraft carrier that will assist with providing kind of more protective umbrella of air defense in the region should President Trump ultimately choose to move forward with those strikes. But David Barnea meeting with U.S. officials at this critical moment certainly indicates that U.S.-Israeli cooperation is continuing as President Trump weighs his options for potential military action or not as early as next week.

BLITZER: And, Jeremy, amidst all of this, the U.S. has now announced the start of a new phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan. But President Trump has some strong words for Hamas writing on social media, and I'm quoting him now, Hamas must immediately honor its commitments. They can do this the easy way or the hard way, end quote.

What more are you learning about this next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, which President Trump certainly played a key role in negotiating?

DIAMOND: Absolutely, Wolf. And, look, the United States announcement that phase two is moving ahead is notable in and of itself. I mean, over the course of the last several months of this ceasefire, it has been shaky at best, whether it's related to the slow release of the bodies of the deceased hostages by Hamas or the fact that Israel has killed upwards of more than 400 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect. But the announcement of phase two and the fact that we now have this new technocratic Palestinian administration set to take over governance in Gaza, Hamas seemingly willing to relinquish its governing powers to this group is a very, very notable development. And, in fact, we saw this new technocratic Palestinian administration meeting in Cairo today for their first official meeting as they prepare to take over the governance of Gaza.

But there are still some potential roadblocks ahead. One of those seems to be what President Trump is referencing in that post is the fact that one of the last remaining deceased Israeli hostages, Ran Gilli, his body has yet to be returned by Hamas.

There are also some holdups on the Israeli side. Israel has been supposed to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza for humanitarian aid and the flows of people both ways. That has also yet to happen. And then, of course, there's the broader question of this international security force, which has yet to be announced, has yet to be established. And, ultimately, the demilitarization that's disarming of Hamas, all of these will set to begin to take place in phase two. But a lot of these things have yet to be fully agreed upon by all of the parties. Wolf?

BLITZER: Let's hope it happens.

All right, Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv for us, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: Coming up here in The Situation Room, Wolf, the changing face of ICE. A look at how much operations and agents have changed and the last ten years since I last joined them on a ride along.

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[10:25:00]

We are continuing our breaking news coverage out of Minneapolis.

Protesters and federal officers come face to face for another night. Here, you can see agents shoving demonstrators who try to block their way. Federal agents also lobbed tear gas and stunned grenades into the crowds. Protesters are demanding that ICE leave the city after immigration officers were involved in two shootings with different circumstances in a week.

In the second shooting, DHS says an agent was being attacked while trying to arrest a Venezuelan national, and the first student, an agent says, he feared for his life and shot a U.S. citizen, Renee Good, multiple times and killed her.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez covers the issue of immigration extensively.

[10:30:03]

Priscilla, you have been part of CNN's efforts to ride along with ICE agents. So, I want to have you on to give that.