This Week in Politics: January 26-30
(WRGB) — Federal immigration agents involved in the deadly shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last weekend are now on administrative leave. Border Patrol Head Greg Bovino left Minnesota, with President Trump sending his Border Czar Tom Homan in to handle the situation. While some reports say Bovino was demoted as “Commander at Large,” the White House and Department of Homeland Security say that’s not the case.
President Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan discusses the administration’s next steps in Minneapolis (Pool)
Minnesota Governor and former Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Walz says he’ll never seek public office again after dropping his re-election bid earlier this month. Walz has been at odds with the White House over the immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar launched her bid for Minnesota Governor this week.
READ MORE: Minneapolis man charged after allegedly spraying Rep. Ilhan Omar with apple cider vinegar
Senate Democrats refused to back a funding bill over DHS and ICE funding. They reached a deal with the White House Thursday to pass critical government funding bills and avert a shutdown. It would have been the second shutdown of Trump’s second term, and the third during his total time in office. Lawmakers will now work on terms for possible DHS funding or changes to ICE policy.
READ MORE: NY State lawmakers, immigration advocates, express outrage over Minnesota ICE intervention
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi offered to withdraw federal agents from Minnesota in exchange for access to the state’s voter rolls. Twenty-two state attorneys general including Letitia James condemned the move as “unlawful demands.”
The Justice Department is fighting to keep Trump-picked Acting U.S. Attorney John Sarcone at the helm in Albany. An appeal was filed last week in the Second Circuit in response to a ruling earlier this month that Sarcone was acting “unlawfully” as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York. The decision stems from a case involving subpoenas from his office, targeting New York Attorney General Letitia James. Despite the decision, Sarcone is still the acting U.S. Attorney.
Justice Department appeals ruling that U.S. Attorney Sarcone acting ‘unlawfully’ (WRGB)
The Doomsday Clock has moved to a record 85 seconds to midnight. The metric, put out by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, measures global issues like politics, climate change, and more to signify how close we are to global destruction.
The FBI carried out a search at an election office in Fulton County, Georgia. The former District Attorney there, Fani Willis, indicted President Trump and 18 co-defendants in 2023 over attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Charges included pressuring the Georgia Secretary of State to “find” votes that would benefit Trump. The case was dismissed in November 2025.
READ MORE: NYS Inspector General preaches oversight investment as Office celebrates 40th Anniversary
President Trump on Friday named Fed-critic Kevin Warsh to replaced Jerome Powell as chair later this year. Warsh served as a Fed Governor from 2006 to 2011, the youngest to ever be on the board at the age of 35. The news comes two days after the Fed announced interest rates would not change, despite pressure from Trump to bring them down again. Powell’s term expires in May, but his term as a Governor ends in 2028.
For the first time in two decades, NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli faces challenges in the Democratic Primary. Tom Eschen sat down this week with one of those candidates, Raj Goyle.
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