Texas expands buoy barriers on the Rio Grande River
Texas is expanding a floating barrier along the Rio Grande River, adding more buoys to deter people from illegally crossing the border, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said in post on X today.
Three sources familiar with internal planning at Border Patrol told NBC News last week that the agency is looking to expand the use of water buoys along the southwest border under the Trump administration.
The Biden administration filed suit against Texas over the controversial tactic, arguing that it prompted humanitarian concerns and potentially violated international treaties. A federal panel initially ruled that Texas must remove the buoys in 2023, stating that the floating barriers were illegal and threatened human life.
But the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that injunction last year and said the buoys could stay in place pending a final legal decision.
Mexican officials said in 2023 that a lifeless body was found floating on its side of the border and blamed the buoys for the person's death. Drownings are a large concern when migrants attempt to cross into a new country outside of legal ports of entry.
Officials in Eagle Pass, Texas, told NBC News last year that drownings were deeply traumatic to the city's first responders, who see drowned children and spend hours in the water attempting rescues.
Vance: 'It’s going to take a little bit of time' for prices to come down
In an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation," Sunday, Vice President JD Vance conceded that "it’s going to take a little bit of time" for prices to come down.
"The president has been president for all of five days," he added.
Republicans in November credited their sweeping electoral wins at the presidential and congressional levels to their promises on the campaign trail to end inflation and lower prices.
At an August campaign event, Trump promised, "Starting on Day 1, we will end inflation and make America affordable again.”
In September during an event in Pennsylvania, he said, "Groceries, cars — everything. We’re going to get the prices down."
Vance on Sunday promised that the president was following through on these campaign promises, saying, "Donald Trump has already taken multiple executive actions that are going to lower energy prices, and I do believe that means consumers are going to see lower prices at the pump and at the grocery store, but it’s going to take a little bit of time."
Larry Rhoden to be sworn in as South Dakota governor
South Dakota Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden will be sworn in as governor of South Dakota on Monday, per a press release from his office.
Rhoden's swearing-in will come one day after former Gov. Kristi Noem was sworn in as the new homeland security secretary.
Border czar Tom Homan: 'I'm being realistic' about deportation goals
During an interview on ABC's "This Week," host Martha Raddatz asked border czar Tom Homan about his definition of success for implementing Trump's mass deportation plan over the next six months.
"Taking as many public safety threats off the street as possible, watching illegal alien crime in the United States decrease, ending it," Homan told Raddatz.
He didn't mention that a metric of success would include deporting all 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, a point that Raddatz pressed him on.
"I’m being realistic," Homan answered. "We can do what we can with the money we have. We’re going to try to be efficient, but with the more money we have, the more we can accomplish that."
In November, just days after he won the election, Trump told NBC News that "it’s not a question of a price tag" when speaking about his immigration plan.
"It’s not — really, we have no choice. When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here. There is no price tag," he added.
Graham says Elon Musk's comments to far-right German party 'bother' him
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday told CNN that he doesn't believe tech mogul and Trump ally Elon Musk is a Nazi, but added that he was bothered by remarks Musk made Saturday via video at a far-right party's gathering in Germany.
"Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great grandparents,” Musk said, apparently referring to Germany’s Nazi past.
“There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that,” he added.
On Sunday, Graham said, "Is Elon Musk a Nazi? I don’t think so."
"But what he said does bother me in this regard. Tomorrow is the 80th anniversary of liberating Auschwitz. I was just there a few months ago. I don’t expect the Germans to be racked with collective guilt all their lives. But I do hope, in German schools, they educate the German children about what happened in Germany," Graham added. "I hope, in our schools, that we will educate people the Holocaust deniers are full of crap."
Graham's comments also came almost a full week after Musk was widely criticized online for a gesture he made at a Trump inauguration event last week that many people said resembled a Nazi salute.
Bove says prosecutors will work on 'national emergency' of failed immigration policy
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove described the current immigration situation as a "national emergency" of failed policy today after observing raids in Chicago.
Bove said in a statement that federal prosecutors would work with the Department of Homeland Security to "secure the border" and "make America safe." He added that officials will not rest "until the work is done."
"We will support everyone at the federal, state, and local levels who joins this critical mission to take back our communities," Bove said. "We will use all available tools to address obstruction and other unlawful impediments to our efforts to protect the homeland."
Noem sworn in as homeland security secretary by Justice Clarence Thomas
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was sworn in on Sunday by Justice Clarence Thomas, a DHS spokesperson told NBC News.
Her swearing in was delayed by the anticipated delivery of her father's Bible.
"Secretary Noem has used this sentimental Bible to be sworn into every office she has ever held. Secretary Noem was honored to be sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home with her dad’s Bible," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
Gov. JB Pritzker says Illinois will not violate its own laws in federal immigration raids
Illinois officials are cooperating with federal law enforcement on immigration raids, but Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said it was only where state laws on immigration are not violated.
Pritzker spoke to CNN this morning on the matter of immigration raids, saying he was more than happy to help with deportation of criminals who have been convicted of violent crimes. State law prevents local authorities from coordinating with federal officials in the arrest of undocumented immigrants without a warrant, the governor noted.
"We’re not going to help federal officials just drag them away because somebody pointed at them and said, 'Oh, that person’s brown' or 'That person’s not from here, check it out. Maybe they’re undocumented.'"
The governor said there is a list of convicted people who have been awaiting deportation since before recent raids. Pritzker said it was “disturbing” to see raids targeting undocumented immigrants who are working and following the law.
“These are not people who are causing problems in our country, and what we need is a path to citizenship for them,” Pritzker said.
Acting deputy AG personally overseeing immigration raids in Chicago
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove is personally overseeing immigration raids conducted by Homeland Security in Chicago this morning, a Department of Justice official told NBC News.
The official said that Bove is on the ground in Chicago to observe and support "the efforts of FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, and federal prosecutors who are assisting DHS in this critical mission." A photo of Bove alongside Tom Homan, Trump's new "border czar," was provided by the Justice Department.
Both men were photographed in Chicago, according to the department, but it is unclear where.
U.S. Immigrations and Customs confirmed the raids in a statement hours later, describing it as "enhanced targeted operations" conducted with multiple federal partners.
White House warns of ‘consequences’ for Republicans who don’t support all of Trump’s nominees
The White House is seeking to send a message to reticent Senate Republicans to get on board with all of President Donald Trump’s nominees, warning of political consequences for those who defy him.
“It’s pass-fail. You either support everyone or you don’t,” a senior White House official told NBC News. “The Senate needs to advise and consent, not advise and adjust.”
The Republican-controlled Senate gave Trump a scare Friday when Pete Hegseth squeaked through by the slimmest possible margin, losing three GOP senators and requiring Vice President JD Vance to break the tie to confirm him as secretary of defense.
And there are more controversial nominees coming before committees this week, including Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services secretary and Kash Patel for FBI director. All face a rocky path, and their hearings could be decisive.