We have a serious update this morning. Donald Trump is now openly threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act, while the Department of Justice is labeling events in Minnesota an “insurrection” following a night in which federal immigration agents shot another person and used military-style tactics against demonstrators in Minneapolis.
Articles of impeachment have now been introduced against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. At the same time, Donald Trump continues to push the annexation of Greenland, even as at least one Republican lawmaker warns the President would face impeachment if he follows through.
This is only a portion of the critical news unfolding right now. I am working nonstop, both online and on the ground, to report the facts as they happen. Independent journalism is essential in moments like this.
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Here’s what you missed:
ICE Updates:
Donald Trump is now openly threatening to invoke the insurrection act for Minnesota following a night of demonstrations across Minneapolis.
Video from Minneapolis shows federal officers, including ICE and other agents, using military-style tactics like tear gas, flash bangs, pepper balls and less-lethal rounds against demonstrators protesting the federal immigration enforcement presence after recent shootings and rising tensions in the city.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey responsible for a so-called “insurrection,” blaming their criticism of federal ICE operations for fueling violence and unrest in Minneapolis after a second federal officer-involved shooting and ongoing protests — even though both leaders have publicly urged calm and peaceful demonstrations amid heightened tensions following recent ICE enforcement actions and clashes.
Overnight a federal immigration agent shot a man in the leg during an enforcement operation in north Minneapolis, triggering large protests in a city already on edge after the killing of Renee Nicole Good. The man is stable as of this hour, thankfully.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sharply condemned the ongoing federal immigration enforcement presence in the state — including thousands of ICE and federal agents — saying it “defies belief” and accusing agents of tactics like indiscriminately detaining people and “kidnapping innocent people with no warning and no due process,” framing the actions as an organized campaign of brutality rather than lawful immigration work.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the situation in his city is “not sustainable” amid protests and rising tensions after a federal ICE officer shot a man in the leg during an enforcement action in north Minneapolis, criticized ICE’s conduct as “intolerable,” urged calm and peaceful responses, and warned against further chaos even as the Department of Homeland Security defends the federal operation and its necessity.
ICE made a major mistake. According to NBC News, an AI résumé-screening tool used by ICE during a push to hire 10,000 new officers mistakenly flagged many applicants as experienced law enforcement based on keywords like “officer,” routing them into a shorter four-week online training instead of the required eight-week academy course, which led to some recruits being sent to field offices without proper training before the error was discovered and corrective retraining began.
Democratic Rep. Robin Kelly formally introduced three articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the House of Representatives, accusing her of obstructing Congress, violating the public trust, and misusing her office in the wake of the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, with about 70 House Democrats signing on to the resolution even though it faces long odds in the Republican-controlled chamber.
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said he believes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may soon conduct enforcement operations in Lewiston and urged residents and businesses to “know their rights” and prepare a plan if contacted by agents, a report that state officials including Maine Gov. Janet Mills have not been able to confirm but are monitoring while coordinating with local law enforcement amid broader national tensions over federal immigration actions.
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Greenland Updates:
A Guardian investigation reports that billionaire Ronald Lauder, a longtime friend and donor of Donald Trump, first encouraged Trump in 2018 to pursue U.S. acquisition of Greenland and has since expanded his own business interests there and in Ukraine, raising concerns that Trump’s renewed threats to seize Greenland and push for control of foreign mineral resources may align with and potentially benefit the commercial ambitions of wealthy allies close to the president.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon warned that if Donald Trump follows through on threats to invade Greenland, there are enough votes in the House to impeach him, a view echoed by several GOP senators who say a military takeover of a NATO ally would be unacceptable and would severely damage U.S. alliances.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said talks with the United States were “not easy” and revealed a fundamental disagreement over American ambitions toward Greenland, vowing Denmark will work to prevent a U.S. takeover while coordinating with allies in NATO to strengthen Arctic security and expand joint military capabilities.
The Netherlands said it will join NATO allies in a Danish-led military exercise in Greenland, confirming it will send a Dutch navy officer to participate as part of a broader effort to bolster allied security cooperation in the Arctic.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward in talks with the United States, welcomed continued discussions through a new working group, but firmly reiterated that Greenland is not for sale, does not want to be governed by the U.S.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that destabilising forces have reemerged globally, saying long-standing certainties are being challenged and Europe is facing new and unexpected competitors as shifting alliances reshape the international order.
Macron said the first French military personnel are already deployed to Greenland as part of Danish-led Arctic exercises, warning that global peace is under threat and stressing that Europe, including France and Denmark as EU and NATO members, has a particular responsibility to help protect the territory, with French land, air, and sea assets set to be reinforced in the coming days.
Iran:
Trump said Iran has told him that the killing of protesters has stopped and that no executions are planned, prompting him to temporarily pull back from threats of military strikes even as reports of thousands killed, an ongoing internet blackout, regional evacuations, and emergency diplomatic talks continue amid uncertainty over whether Tehran’s assurances can be verified.
Iran reopened its airspace after a brief closure as its judiciary said detained protester Erfan Soltani would not be executed, following comments by Donald Trump that Iran had eased its crackdown on demonstrations, even as mass funerals, international scrutiny, and uncertainty over the regime’s actions continue.
Iran warned it would retaliate against U.S. bases across the Middle East if Donald Trump orders strikes, as the United States began withdrawing some personnel from regional bases as a precaution, even while Trump said he believes Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters is easing and executions are not planned, leaving the timing and scope of any U.S. military intervention unclear amid sharply heightened regional tensions.
Other updates:
Donald Trump is set to meet at the White House with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, weeks after U.S. forces captured former president Nicolás Maduro.
The Senate rejected a measure that would have limited Donald Trump’s ability to take further military action against Venezuela without first notifying Congress, after a small group of Republicans who initially supported the resolution reversed course, saying the administration had reassured them.
The Trump administration secretly received Justice Department approval to use military force to capture Nicolás Maduro, even as it avoided taking a clear position on whether the operation broke international law, raising serious questions about presidential war powers and the legality of launching armed action without Congress.
The Trump administration has ordered an indefinite halt to immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries, a sweeping move to restrict legal immigration by blocking applicants deemed likely to depend on public assistance, with the freeze set to begin January 21.
The Trump administration abruptly canceled up to $1.9 billion in funding for substance use and mental health programs, a move providers warn will immediately cut off care for thousands of patients and could lead to tens or even hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths.
See you soon.
— Aaron
