FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly directed agency resources toward protecting and supporting his girlfriend, country music singer Alexis Wilkins, according to former FBI officials. Tactical agents have allegedly escorted her on personal errands, including a hair salon appointment and a performance at a small conservative event, as well as international trips. Former officials also claim Patel increased FBI field office staffing near Wilkins' home in Nashville.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court this week urging justices to strike down President Trump's Executive Order 14,160, which would deny birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented or temporarily-present mothers whose fathers are not citizens or permanent residents. The brief, filed on behalf of the USCCB and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, calls the order "immoral" and unconstitutional, arguing it contradicts the Fourteenth Amendment and centuries of Western legal tradition supporting birthright citizenship. The bishops also warn that the order could render millions of U.S.-born children stateless by 2045, exposing them to denial of basic rights and vulnerability to exploitation. The case, Trump v. Barbara, is proceeding on an expedited schedule before the Supreme Court.
Alberta's separatist movement has gained unprecedented momentum, fueled in part by apparent support from U.S. officials and ideological alignment between Premier Danielle Smith's government and the Trump administration. A fringe group called the Alberta Prosperity Project, led by lawyer Jeffrey Rath, claims to have held secret meetings with U.S. officials to discuss the strategic benefits of Albertan independence, including access to the province's vast oil reserves. Experts warn the situation mirrors foreign interference tactics used elsewhere, with some characterizing the coordination as a potential national security threat and even treason. Despite the escalating rhetoric, current polling shows fewer than 30 percent of Albertans support separation, with less than 10 percent fully committed to independence.
In Minneapolis, volunteer doctors and nurses have formed underground healthcare networks to provide medical care directly in the homes of immigrant families who are afraid to seek help at medical facilities due to fears of immigration enforcement. These informal networks aim to ensure vulnerable families can still access healthcare despite concerns about ICE.
The Midnight Hour, a record store in San Fernando, California, has become a community hub and center of resistance against ICE immigration enforcement in the San Fernando Valley. Owned by Sergio Amalfitano and Alyssa Castro Amalfitano, the store hosts "know your rights" workshops, organizes student walkouts, and provides a safe space for immigrant communities, drawing parallels to the pachuco subculture's resistance against discrimination in the 1940s. Despite growing community engagement and event attendance, the store faces serious financial strain due to declining vinyl sales, rising debt, and reduced foot traffic as families fear leaving their homes amid immigration raids. The store's lease expires in January, putting its future in jeopardy.
Following the deaths of Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good at the hands of federal immigration agents in January, San Francisco's west side businesses responded with strikes, donations, and other forms of activism. On January 30, thousands marched in San Francisco in solidarity with Minneapolis communities, with numerous local businesses — including Pasta Supply Co., Green Apple Books, and Devil's Teeth Bakery — participating through closures, fundraising, or community outreach. Devil's Teeth Bakery raised $10,000 for the Community Action Network Minnesota through anti-ICE cookie sales, though the bakery also faced review-bombing in retaliation for its stance. Business owners reported becoming more informed about their legal rights and taking steps to protect their employees amid heightened immigration enforcement activity.
In Minneapolis, volunteer networks of doctors and nurses are providing in-home medical care to immigrant families who are afraid to seek treatment at traditional healthcare facilities due to fears of immigration enforcement. These underground healthcare networks aim to fill the gap for those avoiding clinics or hospitals out of concern over potential ICE encounters.
In an opinion piece for Global Sisters Report, a religious sister reflects on finding hope amid rapid political and cultural changes by drawing on the writings of Teilhard de Chardin. She argues that hope should be forward-facing and rooted in faith and love, rather than focused on past outcomes. As an example, she highlights community responses to ICE raids in Minneapolis, where neighbors — both citizens and immigrants — have organized to provide food, transportation, and whistle-blowing alert networks to protect vulnerable residents. She frames these acts of neighborly solidarity as expressions of collective, faith-driven hope and calls on others to contribute their part to building a more just future.
The article draws a parallel between the Trump administration's current immigration enforcement — including incentivized "self-deportations" — and the forced repatriation of Japanese Americans during World War II. It traces the story of George Hasuike, a successful Japanese immigrant whose family was imprisoned and ultimately pressured onto a ship to Japan in 1943, despite most family members being U.S. citizens, as part of a civilian exchange program. The author argues that these historical "voluntary" repatriations were coerced through imprisonment, asset seizure, and the denial of due process — conditions she likens to those facing immigrants today. Written by journalist Evelyn Iritani, the piece contends that both eras reflect the use of racial prejudice and fear to justify the removal of people with deep roots in the United States.
The article, written by Robert Reich, discusses the ongoing U.S. military strikes against Iran, noting that over 1,000 targets have been hit in two days, with three U.S. service members killed and five seriously wounded. Reich raises the central question of what Trump's endgame or strategic goal is in the conflict, and describes consulting foreign policy experts and politicians over the weekend to gather perspectives. The full analysis of those responses is locked behind a subscription paywall.
A strike during the opening U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Saturday hit a girls' elementary school in Minab, in southern Iran's Hormozgan province, during school hours. Iranian officials and teachers' union representatives report that more than 100 children were killed, with the death toll cited by various Iranian officials ranging from 108 to 180; TIME has not been able to independently confirm the figures. UNESCO condemned the attack as "a grave violation of the protection afforded to schools under international humanitarian law," while the Pentagon said it was aware of civilian harm reports and was looking into them. The school is reportedly located on the grounds of an IRGC base, which a verified video showed being struck during the same wave of attacks.
Israel and the U.S. have launched missile strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled since 1989. Iran retaliated by firing on Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases, with the death toll rising, including reportedly more than 100 children killed in Iran. The Guardian's senior international correspondent Julian Borger discusses how the conflict, which experts say violates international law, may develop further.
