DANY MAG

Feb 9 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge in New York ​on Monday temporarily put ‌her ruling on hold forcing the ‌Trump administration to lift a four-month-old freeze on federal funding for the $16 billion ⁠Hudson Tunnel ‌Project connecting New York City and New Jersey.

U.S. ‍District Judge Jeannette Vargas on Friday had ordered the funding ​restored. The Justice Department ‌had warned it would be required by 1 p.m Monday to disburse up to $200 million in funds for the ⁠project unless her ​order halted.

Vargas said ​she would put her order on hold until ‍Thursday ⁠5 p.m. to give the Second Circuit U.S. Court ⁠of Appeals time to consider ‌the government's emergency request.

(Reporting by ‌David Shepardson)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal authorities have denied attempting to expedite an end to asylum claims by the family of a 5-year-old boy who wasdetained with his fatherduring the immigration crackdown that has shaken the Minneapolis area.

Immigration Enforcement Boy Detained

Images of Liam Conejo Ramos wearing a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack surrounded by immigration officers stirred outrageover the crackdown.

Danielle Molliver, a lawyer for the boy and his father, told the New York Times that the government was attempting to speed up the deportation proceedings, calling the actions "extraordinary" and possibly "retaliatory."

The government denied that.

"These are regular removal proceedings. They are not in expedited removal," Department of Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, adding "there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation's immigration laws."

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Molliver told the Times that an immigration judge, during a closed Friday hearing, gave her additional time to argue the family's case.

The boy and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who originally is from Ecuador, were detained in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20. They were taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas.

They were released followinga judge's orderand returned to Minnesota on Feb. 1.

Neighbors and school officials have accused federal immigration officers of usingthe preschooler as "bait"by telling him to knock on the door to his house so that his mother would come outside. DHS has called that description of events an "abject lie." It said the father fled on foot and left the boy in a running vehicle in their driveway.

The government said the boy's father entered the U.S. illegally from Ecuador in December 2024. The family's lawyer said he has an asylum claim pending that allows him to stay in the U.S.

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, invoked the Fifth Amendment during the closed-door virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, according to Chairman James Comer and others who attended the session.

"This is obviously very disappointing," Comer told reporters after the brief deposition. "We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators. We sincerely want to get to the truth to the American people and justice for the survivors. That's what this investigation is about."

Latest release of Epstein files includes some survivors' names, despite DOJ assurances, lawyers say

It was expected that Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison in Texas,would refuse to answer questionsfrom lawmakers and committee staffers as part of the panel's investigation into the late financier and his ties to some of the world's most powerful figures in politics, business and entertainment. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 while at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.

Maxwell has a petition pending in federal court in New York that seeks to overturn her conviction or reduce her sentence.

Maxwell's attorney "pointed out a number of times that she has a habeas corpus petition pending for new trial or release," Republican Rep. Andy Biggs said. "And that's why she is not going to answer questions."

Asked whether he suspects that Maxwell, who is now in a minimum-security prison in Texas, succumbed to political pressure by refusing to testify, Comer said he had "no idea."

"Unfortunately, she had an opportunity today to answer questions that every American has, questions that would be very important in this investigation, and she chose to invoke her Fifth Amendment," Comer said.

Despite Maxwell refusing to cooperate, Comer emphasized his committee's investigation will continue with five confirmed depositions "on the books" in the coming weeks, including Leslie Wexner, the retail billionaire who was once Epstein's largest financial client, on Feb. 18.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clintonhas agreed to sit for a deposition on Feb. 26while former President Bill Clinton has agreed to a Feb. 27 deposition. Comer said that the committee will also interview Epstein's accountant and lawyer next month.

Biggs told reporters that Maxwell's lawyer read a statement at the outset of the deposition -- clearing both President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton "of any wrongdoing."

"One thing that the attorney for Ms. Maxwell said is that she has no indication and would say that neither Presidents Trump or Clinton are culpable for any wrongdoing," Biggs said.

AfterDeputy Attorney General Todd Blancheinterviewed Maxwell over two daysin a proffer session in July, Maxwell told Blanche that she never witnessed nor heard of any criminal or inappropriate activity by Trump, Clinton, nor any of the well-known men who associated with Epstein. Maxwell was moved to a federal minimum security prison in Texas, the Bureau of Prisons confirmed on Aug. 1.

Biggs said Monday that the lawyer continued to press for clemency in exchange for Maxwell's testimony -- a pitch her legal team has floatedsince last July.

Last month, Maxwell's attorney David O. Markus again asked Comer to delay any compelled testimony from Maxwell until her habeas proceedings have been resolved, but suggested there was one scenario that might change Maxwell's stance -- clemency from the president.

"Of course, in the alternative, if Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing -- and eager -- to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C.," Markus wrote to the committee on Jan. 21. "She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning."

Democrats complained that Maxwell used the virtual deposition to renew her bid for clemency -- after Trump, in July,did not rule out pardoning Maxwell.

"Ghislaine Maxwell should have no hope of ever getting out of prison," Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam told reporters on Monday. "But today, she, through her lawyer, explicitly stated that she wants to be out of prison through a clemency that this president would grant."

Subramanyam claimed the hope of clemency is "why she's continuing to not cooperate with our investigation."

Comer also discouraged the president from granting Maxwell any form of clemency.

"Initially she had asked that the Oversight Committee grant immunity, and when we met with the survivors of Epstein it was pretty clear, according to the survivors -- and we had 20-some members in that meeting -- that Maxwell was a very bad person, and she committed a lot of crimes, and it was the intent, in my opinion, when we left that meeting in a bipartisan manner that we would not grant immunity," Comer explained. "Now, what she said today, she's asked for clemency from the president. So I personally, for the reasons you just stated, don't think she should be granted any type of immunity or clemency."

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett said Maxwell has shown no remorse and "is not seeking to bring about some kind of closure for these women."

After Epstein's death, investigation weighed potential charges against co-conspirators

"I got news for you, Ms. Maxwell: we're not done. We're going to continue to go," Crockett said.

Maxwell's deposition was more than six months in the making, and was first requested last July, when Comerformally issued a subpoenafor a deposition with Maxwell to occur at Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee on Aug. 11.

Comer agreed to delay the deposition as Maxwell awaited a Supreme Court ruling on her appeal,which she ultimately lost.

The closed deposition with Maxwell comes on the same day that members of Congress can go to the Department of Justice to view unredacted versions of the Epstein files that the department has withheld from public disclosure.

Hawaii is essentially shut down today as heavy rain and brutal winds hit the islands, causing thousands to lose power and raising concerns about dangerous flash flooding.

Gov. Josh Green announced on Sunday that all public schools, state offices, courthouses and the state legislature would be closed Monday. All University of Hawaii campuses are also closed.

Weather.commeteorologistJennifer Graysays Hawaii is getting hit with a little bit of everything right now.

She explains that the combination of a stalled front and an area of low pressure west of the island chain is providing the fuel for these conditions.

"Winds could gust as high as 60-70 mph through Monday, and we could see flooding as well. Snowfall is also expected across the higher elevations on the Big Island where 10-16 inches of snow is possible." Gray said.

In a news conference, the governor said one of his main concerns is the danger of high winds on roads, adding that landslides are a major worry.

(MORE:Warmer Temps For Millions This Week)

"We had one of our staff see a tree fall right on a power line right in front of her this morning, we just want to make sure everybody is very safe," Green said Sunday.

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Early Monday, more than 4,000 customers were without electricity, according toPowerOutage.us.

A social media post from Hawaiian Electric showed crews working to repair downed power poles on Sunday.

Residents are being urged to stay off the roads today. Parks and camping areas have also been closed.

Flash flooding was already reported on Sunday.

"We're looking at very intense rainfall rates, it's not so much the amount of rain that comes down but how quickly it comes down as well," said John Bravender with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

(MORE:Police Save Three From Icy Waters)

The governor also issued anemergency proclamationthat mobilizes state resources for response efforts, including Hawaii's National Guard. That proclamation is in effect at least through Wednesday.

Gray said conditions should begin to improve on Tuesday, however unsettled weather should last through mid week.

Less than 14% of nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in President Trump's first year back in the White House had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security document obtained by CBS News.

The official statistics contained in the DHS document, which had not been previously reported publicly, provide the most detailed look yet into who ICE has arrested during the Trump administration's far-reaching deportation operations across the U.S.

The internal DHS figures undermine frequent assertions by the Trump administration that its crackdown on illegal immigration is primarily targeting dangerous and violent criminals living in the U.S. illegally, people Mr. Trump and his lieutenants have regularly called  the "worst of the worst."

The statistics show ICE has dramatically increased arrests since Mr. Trump's return to office. Nearly 60% of ICE arrestees over the past year had criminal charges or convictions, the document indicates. But among that population, the majority of the criminal charges or convictions are not for violent crimes.

For example, while Mr. Trump and his aides often talk about immigration officials targeting murderers, rapists and gangsters, the internal data indicate that less than 2% of those arrested by ICE over the past year had homicide or sexual assault charges or convictions. Another 2% of those taken into ICE custody were accused of being gang members.

Nearly 40% of all of those arrested by ICE in Mr. Trump's first year back in office did not haveany criminal recordat all, and were only accused of civil immigration offenses, such as living in the U.S. illegally or overstaying their permission to be in the country, the DHS document shows. Those alleged violations of U.S. immigration law are typically adjudicated by Justice Department immigration judges in civil — not criminal — proceedings.

While Mr. Trump's deportation program enjoyed majority support during the 2024 presidential campaign and his early months in office, public opposition to his crackdown has grown significantly because of concerns about agents' tactics in cities like Minneapolis and over who is being swept up by their operations.

ACBS News polllast month found that Americans' support for Mr. Trump's deportation efforts had fallen to 46%, down from 59% atthe start of his second term. Just over 60% of those surveyed said immigration agents were being "too tough."

Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said in a statement after this story was published that "Drug trafficking, Distribution of child pornography, burglary, fraud, DUI, embezzlement, solicitation of a minor, human smuggling are all categorized as 'nonviolent crimes.'"

What the statistics show about ICE arrests under Trump

The DHS document obtained by CBS News indicates that ICE made roughly 393,000 arrests between Jan. 21, 2025, Mr. Trump's first full day back in power, and Jan. 31 of this year.

ICE classified around 229,000 of those arrested as "criminal aliens," because they had criminal charges or convictions. About 153,000 of the arrests were categorized as "other administrative arrests," or detentions of immigrants lacking any criminal record. Nearly 11,000 of the arrests were "criminal arrests" of noncitizens taken into ICE custody due to new criminal allegations, like interfering with operations.

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In total, ICE made more than triple the number of administrative arrests, including of criminals, over the past year under Mr. Trump than the agency did in fiscal year 2024, when itrecorded113,000 administrative arrests during the Biden administration.

The percentage of ICE arrests of those with criminal histories, however, went down, from 72% in fiscal year 2024, to nearly 60% in Mr. Trump's first year.

The figures indicate that roughly 7,500 — or 1.9% — of the ICE arrests involved individuals accused of belonging to gangs like Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization with origins in Venezuela's prisons. Mr. Trump initially made the gang a focal point of his crackdown, deporting more than 200 men accused of being Tren de Aragua members to anotorious prison in El Salvador. A CBS News and "60 Minutes"investigationlast year found most of the men did not have any apparent criminal record.

The internal DHS document lays out the most serious charge or conviction for those arrested by ICE with criminal histories.

The document lists 2,100 arrests of those with homicide charges or convictions; 2,700 arrests of those with robbery offenses; and 5,400 arrests involving individuals charged with or convicted of sexual assault. Another 43,000 arrestees are listed as having assault charges or convictions. About 1,100 had kidnapping charges or convictions and 350 had arson offenses listed.

Added together, the number of ICE arrests involving individuals charged with or convicted of the aforementioned violent crimes represents around 13.9% of all arrests.

The document also says ICE arrested 22,600 individuals with charges or convictions involving dangerous drugs, while another 6,100 had weapons offenses on their records. Nearly 30,000 of those arrested by ICE had been charged with or convicted with driving while under influence or intoxicated. Another 5,000 arrestees had burglary charges or convictions.

The document says another 118,000 detainees had criminal charges or convictions for "other" crimes. Those could include immigration-related crimes, like entering the U.S. illegally, a misdemeanor for the first-time offense, or re-entering the country after being deported, a felony.

The data in the DHS document does not include arrests by Border Patrol agents, who the Trump administration has deployed to places far away from the U.S.-Mexico border, like Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis. In those cities, Border Patrol agents have undertaken aggressive and sweeping arrest operations, targeting day laborers at Home Depot parking lots and stopping people, including U.S. citizens, to question them about their immigration status.

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LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership is on the rocks amid an expanding scandal over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S. despite the veteran politician's ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein Britain Political Contenders

Some believe the recent release of the Epstein files, which suggest damaging and embarrassing new details about the close ties between Mandelson and the late convicted sex offender, may sink Starmer's premiership.

But there is no formal confidence vote procedure to oust a Labour leader, and any challenger will need the support of 80 lawmakers, or one-fifth of the party in the House of Commons, to trigger a contest.

While no clear front-runner has emerged, here are the potential contenders who could succeed Starmer:

Wes Streeting

Health SecretaryWes Streetingis widely regarded as a polished communicator and has been an outspoken government voice on issues including the war in Gaza.

His ambitions for the top job were long rumored, but entered the spotlight last year when Starmer's allies allegedly told British media that the prime minister will fight attempts to challenge his leadership — and media speculation at the time centered on Streeting.

Streeting, who was elected a lawmaker in 2015, strongly denied he was plotting to replace Starmer and called the suggestions "nonsense."

Angela Rayner

Former deputy prime minister Angela Raynerhas long set herself apart as a different kind of politician — she never went to university, was brought up in social housing and left school at 16 as a teen mother.

Rayner was active in trade unions before she was elected a lawmaker in 2015. She soon rose to Labour's senior ranks when the party was in opposition and was elected deputy leader in 2020.

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Rayner enjoys significant support within the party, but she was forced to resign from the government last year after admitting she did not pay enough tax on a house purchase. She is still awaiting the findings of an official review on that controversy.

After the fallout over the Epstein files' revelations on Mandelson, Rayner led a lawmakers' revolt to force the government to cede control to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee to decide which documents should be released into the public domain.

Andy Burnham

Former Cabinet minister Andy Burnham, the popular, center-left Greater Manchester mayor, has long been seen as a potential rival for Starmer.

But his leadership prospects were dented after Labour blocked him from standing as the party's candidate for Parliament in a special election later in February.

By longstanding convention, the prime minister must be a member of Parliament.

Burnham has served in a Labour government previously, including as Culture Secretary and Health Secretary.

Shabana Mahmood

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has one of the toughest jobs in government, overseeing immigration and law and order. She has become a favorite of many on the right wing of the Labour Party with her moves to tighten border controls and crack down on unauthorized immigration.

Ed Miliband

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is a former Labour leader, but his five years at the top of the party when it was in opposition ended in Labour's 2015 election defeat. Miliband has publicly played down any desire to return to the job, but he is one of the most experienced members of Cabinet.

SANTA CLARA, California  — They came, they marched, they chanted − all under a close watch. But it wasn't ICE agents who patrolled the streets on Super Bowl Sunday, as many had anticipated.

Hundreds of people on Feb. 8 took over a main thoroughfare less than two miles away from Levi's Stadium, site ofSuper Bowl 60between theSeattle Seahawksand theNew England Patriots, just before kickoff, railing againstPresident Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts usingImmigration and Customs Enforcementand Border Patrol.

Their voices got louder, echoing off nearby buildings while they chanted "no ICE, no KKK, no racist USA," "dare to struggle, dare to win," and "it's our right to resist, it's our right to rebel."

The protest capped a weeklong slew ofrallies, marches and demonstrationsin the area, all culminating in the biggest turnout on game day.

"We deserve to be seen and heard," said Lyla Salinas, 22, an organizer with CSO San Jose, one of the protest's nearly two-dozen sponsors. "We need to show our presence on one of the world's biggest stages."

Demonstrators oppose ICE deployment at Milano Cortina Olympics

Even though law enforcement officials confirmed last week there would be no ICE enforcement at any Super Bowl 60 event, authorities on foot, on bikes and on horseback watched intently as they followed the protesters down Great America Parkway. No arrests were made during the almost two-hour event, Santa Clara police said.

Also watching was California Democratic CongressmanRo Khanna, who spoke and walked with several protesters and told USA TODAY that ICE was not present in the area.

"Our staff has received multiple updates throughout the day. We need to make sure they don't come during the World Cup as well," Khanna said, noting several international soccer matches will take place in his Silicon Valley district in June.

Salinas used the opportunity to tell Khanna that he and his organization have tried many times to reach out to the lawmaker, seeking his involvement, and to ask him not to support funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Khanna told Salinas he remains a firm "no" on voting for additional Homeland Security funding, as DHS funding was extended until Feb. 13, creating a deadline for Congress to negotiate further. Khanna told Salinas they would keep in touch.

"I told him he needed to be more supportive of what we're doing, that we're showing our communities we're here to defend them," said Salinas about putting pressure on Khanna. "He said he would help us, but actions speak louder than words."

No ICE at the Super Bowl?More:Bay Area communities aren't buying it.

Turnout was a surprise

Holding a sign that said, "No Secret Police," Doug Wolf, 60, of Boulder Creek, California, said he was pleasantly surprised by the protest's turnout.

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"We shouldn't have to be here, but you gotta be out here," said Wolf, amid the chanting. "The Constitution and the Fourth Amendment are being shredded right in front of us. We have to take a stand."

Ariel Ranker, a member of the nonprofit 50501 San Jose, agreed.

"If we don't stand up and fight back, we may not have a democratic society anymore. This is unacceptable, especially if we still want to call ourselves a democratic nation," Ranker, 25, said in between chanting with her bullhorn. "This is not the country I grew up in."

Rankin got fired up when listening to a call-and-response chant by Kimberly Woo, an organizer withServices, Immigrant Rights and Education Network(SIREN) of Santa Clara County, who said they have the "home-field advantage" over ICE.

ICE lawsuit:Toddler returned to ICE custody and denied medication, lawsuit says

"No hate, no fear," Woo yelled. "Immigrants are welcomed here!"

Hours before the protest, several activists gave about 15,000 towels with the words "ICE OUT"  to fans attending the Super Bowl, hoping they would raise them throughout the game and duringBad Bunny's halftime performance, to protest the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations.

The gesture, called "Flags in the Stands," was organized by Contra-ICE, a coalition of artists, musicians, and community organizers.

Drawn by political cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, the design was inspired by Bad Bunny, and shows a rabbit wearing the singer's signature pava (straw hat), while holding a grenade in one hand (a nod to local rockers Green Day, who opened the game and their multiplatinum album American Idiot). The rabbit kicks a football that's in a frozen block of ice.

One volunteer, Dan Reynolds, said he passed out more than 600 towels to fans. A handful of people politely gave them back to him.

"That's not a bad percentage," Reynolds said as he ran out of his supply. "We hope they get put to good use."

Seahawks fan Mikki Ellingsen, 59, of Seattle, said she wished she grabbed more.

"Absolutely," Ellingsen said, waving the towel. "Proud to do it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'No hate, no fear' ICE protesters chant near Super Bowl