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The Situation Room

Federal Agents Lob Tear Gas and Stun Grenades at Protesters; U.S. Citizens May Need to "Validate Their Identity"; Renee Good Suffered Four Apparent Gunshot Wounds. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired January 16, 2026 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: -- covers the issue of immigration extensively. 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 better review of their perspective. I've also been on ride-alongs, and we'll go to that later, but I first want to hear from you.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, let's start with what Immigration and Customs Enforcement is. I think this deserves a refresher. They have two parts to them. That is enforcement and removal operations, arresting undocumented immigrants and deporting them. They also have Homeland Security investigations, and they do investigations into things like child exploitation, among many other investigations. A lot of this has turned now toward immigration because of the administration's mass deportation mandate.

But generally, ICE is doing targeted operations in the interior of the United States. They've been in Minneapolis for years, as they have been in many other cities, but as you know, Pamela, they typically have a list or an idea of who they're going to go arrest, and they do those operations.

Now, under this administration, as it has been the case under the Obama administration, if there is someone else there who they believe to be undocumented or that is undocumented, they're called a collateral, so they can also be swept up in that operation. This is different from the way things have operated, for example, in the previous administration, where they specifically focused on their priorities. This was issued guidance that said you have to go after the public safety and national security threats.

Now, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security say they're still doing that, but also by nature of picking up others, this becomes a mixed bag of people with criminal records, as well as people without criminal records.

Now, the other part of this is that they are joined often by other agencies. I've seen this less in Minneapolis, but certainly in other cities, where they may have DEA, ATF, and that causes confusion, too, among the public in terms of who is doing what in these operations. We've also seen the use of masks, which can often, at times, also so distrust. That wasn't the case before, but I will say, Pamela, part of that in my talking to agents is that they, too, are looking out for their own safety. They have been doxed, they have been attacked online, and sometimes they're working in their own communities, and so that is also part of their own sort of attempt here to defend themselves.

Lastly, I will say the environment has completely changed. When they are going on these targeted ops, I've been talking to my sources, they're having protesters show up because they're also doing more of these at-large operations. That means they're going out into the community.

BROWN: Sweeps, right?

ALVAREZ: Sweeps, exactly.

BROWN: Yes.

ALVAREZ: And so, that attracts these protesters, and that has really never happened in the way that it's happening now, and it can make the operation all the more chaotic, as we saw, for example, this week with the Venezuelan national. So, really, just the entire landscape has changed, not to mention, of course, that they are working under quotas. They have pressure that they are working under to arrest as many undocumented immigrants as they can, and that just hasn't been the case before, so that also lends itself.

BROWN: Yes. So, I want to just actually go back a decade. This is when I actually did a ride-along with ICE agents. This was in 2016. It was under the Obama administration, but Trump was running for president, making immigration a central part of his campaign. So, let's take a look at what it looked like nearly a decade ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAWN BYERS, ICE FUGITIVE OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR: There's a lot of risks when we're having to do this out in the street like this. We always have risk to ourselves, the officers, risk to the innocent bystanders.

BROWN (voice-over): The team finds its third target working at this auto shop on the north side of Chicago, a twice-deported felon with two DUI convictions, according to ICE. Then, agents realize his brother is also there.

BROWN: So, why are you checking the brother?

BYERS: Based on preliminary, it looks like he's also illegal. So, we're just going to verify with some of the new technology.

BROWN (voice-over): They use a new mobile fingerprint scanner on the brother to see if he's ever been stopped by immigration officials before.

BYERS: Yes, it's a hit.

BROWN (voice-over): And just then, an agent takes off as a third person runs out the back door. They catch him seconds later. BROWN: So, if there's a hit with the biometric testing, he'll be brought into the processing center to see if there's a criminal history?

BYERS: Yes, we'll bring him in and go from there.

BROWN (voice-over): As the man's frightened wife watches, he admits he is in the U.S. illegally, but a quick check shows he has never had any interactions with federal immigration officials before, so ICE lets him go.

BYERS: Good luck to you, man.

BROWN (voice-over): Relieved, the man explains why he ran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was afraid.

BROWN: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. It's just how it is. I mean, sometimes they just take you, and they don't care whatever they do. But this time, I mean, this is not one of those.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And I will note, no matter what you think of ICE and their goals, love them or hate them, when I was on that ride-along, they were very professional. They were respectful in their encounters. And I'm wondering, as you watch that video of ICE agents making those arrests and questioning others, what stands out to you the most?

ALVAREZ: Well, first of all, that is still happening in cities across the United States. There are operations that are playing out that look exactly like that. Of course, we're paying attention to Minneapolis, where they have searched so many. And then you have, just look at the size of the operation there, right? You had multiple officers who were carrying this out, but now times that by several more when it's in a city like Minneapolis where they have searched agents.

[10:35:00]

And, again, it attracts other people, these protesters with these whistles. But, Pamela, you can speak to this better than I can, but were there any protesters or people following them?

BROWN: Exactly. No.

ALVAREZ: Right.

BROWN: There were no protesters. They weren't doing crowd control. And, you know, this started overnight. They were trying to get to people before they went to work. And we should note they did mistakenly arrest someone and then let that person go. But it was a very respectful encounter all the way through during my ride along with them. ALVAREZ: And they have a very specific mandate, right? They are enforcing immigration laws, arresting undocumented immigrants to potentially deport them. But when they're put in situations like policing the streets, that skirts a little bit what their typical operations and their tasks are when they are out in the field. So, we are just in this situation where it's all become very murky because there are so many agencies. You have U.S. Border Patrol, which is also with them, but they're typically charged with border security.

And so, it has really -- first of all, there's the heightened rhetoric, and then it's sort of supercharged with so many agents in a very, very testy landscape where there are also people showing up to protest and where the agents are also collecting many undocumented immigrants to meet the administration's mandate.

BROWN: And using, you know, aggressive tactics, as we've seen in the videos. And so, we're going to have the DHS press secretary on later in the show to talk a little bit about that and how ICE has changed and some of the tactics that we are seeing there on the ground there in Minnesota. Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much for offering that context and that perspective.

ALVAREZ: Yes, of course.

BROWN: Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Very good reporting. Thank you very, very much. And just ahead, the person who led ICE during the Obama administration will join us. We're going to ask her about the events in Minneapolis over the past two nights.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

BROWN: Breaking news. Clashes between federal officers and protesters worsened for yet another night in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown there. President Trump is still threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would let him deploy U.S. troops to the city.

Joining us now is Sarah Saldana. She was the director of ICE under President Obama. Thank you for coming on. I'm just wondering what your thoughts are now. You know, we talked to you a couple of days ago. Are you still concerned about the situation right now in Minneapolis? And do you think the presence of the military would help or hurt in your view?

SARAH SALDANA, ICE DIRECTOR DURING OBAMA ADMINISTRATION (2014-2017): Well, I am still concerned. I was so gratified to see both the governor and the mayor speak forcefully directly to the protesters to talk about their safety and their response, measured response, to what is happening in the city. The public officials will take care of protesting and doing whatever needs to be done to try to bring calm to the situation. And the protesters certainly have a right to protest. But we don't need to exacerbate an already very tense situation. Will military help? I don't think I'm going out on a limb. And I think your average viewer is going to agree that that is not going to help. If we had the situation as we do now, very tense between law enforcement and the community, it is only going to get worse when and if military is brought in a role they really should not have or any involvement in.

BLITZER: The current Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, was asked yesterday whether U.S. citizens need to carry proof of citizenship. Here is what she said. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: In every situation, we're doing targeted enforcement. If we are on a target and doing an operation, there may be individuals surrounding that criminal that we may be asking who they are and why they're there and having them validate their identity. That's what we've always done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, Sarah, what do you think? Is that standard practice for ICE agents to ask someone to prove their identity and to show citizenship papers if they're asked if they're citizens?

SALDANA: I know a little bit about this subject, and that is not the practice. That's not part of the protocol. Of course, as was reported a little earlier, the goal of the Obama administration in apprehensions and removals was to make the community safer. So, we were not sweeping neighborhoods and metropolitan areas in order to try to find people who might be in the country without authorization.

I always object to the term raids because the way I'm familiar with the process and what we required was targeted operations. I heard the secretary there say that all their operations are targeted. I think it's pretty clear that that is simply not the case. And requiring identification, American citizens, to show their identification is a huge step forward and should bring pause to all of us because it certainly rings and smacks close to a police state.

[10:45:00]

There's concern I have that the United States' decision last year, the Vasquez Perdomo case was -- has opened the door to this issue of identification, always been required. Police officers can ask you to prove your identity, but that is far different from proving that you're a citizen of the United States. And the papers you carry typically are not going to reflect that. So, it is putting an onus and getting very close to infringing on the civil rights of the ordinary citizen.

BROWN: I'm curious what you think about what Governor Walz has said. He said repeatedly that this is an occupation. That's a very strong word. This is an occupation in his state. Do you see it that way since you believe that these aren't all targeted operations and that we're seeing these sweeps? SALDANA: To me, law enforcement, and mind you, I was an assistant United States attorney, I was a U.S. attorney, and then I was director of ICE. I know a little bit about law enforcement. And to me, law enforcement needs to act in a manner that meets the very high standards placed upon them and proportionate to the situation they're facing.

Having 3,000, many times more than even the police force of the City of Minneapolis, is an inordinate response, not suited to the issue there. Florida and Texas have far larger immigrant communities than the state of Minnesota. Again, the goal should be to ensure public safety, and this type of menacing presence does not accomplish that.

BROWN: All right. Sarah Saldana, thank you very much for your time and perspective.

BLITZER: Appreciate it very much.

BROWN: And at the top of the next hour, we'll talk with Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. We'll ask her about the president's threat to use the Insurrection Act, the federal presence in Minneapolis, and how agents are handling their duties. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

BLITZER: Happening now, we're learning new details this morning about the six simple rules for a long and healthy life. And they include sleeping well, staying active, and guess what, eating ice cream. With us now, the former Obama White House health policy adviser, Dr. Zeke Emanuel. Author of a brand-new book, an excellent new book, which I've gone through entitled, "Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life." Zeke, thanks very much for coming in. Tell us about eating ice cream.

DR. EZEKIEL EMANUEL, VICE PROVOST OF GLOBAL INITIATIVES, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND FORMER OBAMA WH HEALTH POLICY ADVISER: Well, ice cream is a dairy product. And dairy is good for you. It's one of the things that RFK Jr. has put out that we should be eating more dairy. So, it's very good for you. It gives you protein, gives you calcium, vitamin D. And it also gives you the most important thing, pleasure. It's really important not to try to be healthy by just having self- denial.

I don't eat it every night, once or twice a week. And it's also associated with a decrease in diabetes risk. So, there are lots of good things to ice cream.

BLITZER: The key question I have, vanilla, chocolate, or chocolate chip?

DR. EMANUEL: Chocolate hazelnut. I love that combination.

BLITZER: Is that your favorite? DR. EMANUEL: Yes.

BLITZER: I'm into chocolate chip. All right. This is the book, "Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life," Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D. I know that you say the predictor of a long and healthy life isn't necessarily kale or cardio. It's connection. Tell us what you mean.

DR. EMANUEL: Social connections turn out to be statistically the most important thing. We are a social animal. We like interacting with people. It's good for us physiologically, not just psychologically. It's good in the brain. It releases oxytocin and dopamine. It decreases the stress hormone of cortisol. And it makes you happy. Plus, it makes the other person happy.

And the great thing, Wolf, is the benefits don't come years down the line, although they do, they also come immediately because it gives you a boost for that day. And I think one of the problems we have when we think about wellness is we don't think about social connection. Friends, having them over for dinner, or just going out for a walk with a friend and talking, those are very important from a wellness standpoint.

BLITZER: Yes, I never realized that until I heard you speak at a bookstore here in Washington the other day, Politics and Prose. And you did really well. But you said go out to dinner with friends, schmooze a lot, talk with them, have a good time. That will prolong your life.

DR. EMANUEL: Both close friends and family, but also just casually. Your barista, your Uber driver, whoever. Talk to them. You know, in Washington, we have a lot of Ethiopian Uber drivers. And I get into the Uber and I say, you're from Ethiopia? And they say yes. And I said, well, I've been there five times. Suddenly they light up. We have a whole conversation about the country, the politics. It's good for me and good for them. And those casual interactions also matter in our life.

BLITZER: What was your inspiration for writing this important book that potentially could help prolong a life?

DR. EMANUEL: Lots of people ask me, what should I do? Which supplement should I take? Which diet should I take? Should I drink alcohol? I put it together partially because I feel that most of the conversations about wellness now really just focus on diet, exercise, and sleep. And they tend to make people obsessive instead of making them, you know, more relaxed and understanding. Wellness is a decades- long process, right? We're going to have to do it for our whole life. We've got to enjoy it.

BLITZER: So, when you say sleep well, six hours, seven hours, seven hours, eight hours?

DR. EMANUEL: Seven to eight hours, almost all of us fit into that bracket. There are some genetically short sleepers, very rare. There are some genetically long sleepers, also very rare. Almost all of us, it's seven to nine hours. You really need that to clear out the brain from all the junk, to make short-term memories go to long-term memories, to make your muscles, your bones, and your organs recover. Very, very important.

[10:55:00]

BLITZER: Dr. Zeke Emanuel, "Eat Your Ice Cream," that's the name of the book. Thanks very much for coming in.

DR. EMANUEL: Thank you.

BLITZER: Keep up the good work.

DR. EMANUEL: Take care, Wolf.

BLITZER: Pamela.

BROWN: I always wished I was the genetically short-term sleeper. I was thinking I'd be so much more productive. All right. coming up after the break, a new court decision could send Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil back to jail. We'll get reaction from his lawyer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Happening now, breaking news, Minneapolis on edge after protesters and law enforcement clash in another night of unrest.

BLITZER: And new reporting on the fatal shooting of Renee Good and the --

[11:00:00]