International News Briefs for Friday, January 30, 2026
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Friday, January 30, 2026.
Senate Democrats & Trump Reach Deal to Split Off Funding DHS to Avert Shutdown
Jan 30, 2026
Senate Democrats and President Trump have struck a deal that could avert a government shutdown, but the needed votes have not yet been taken. Under the deal, the Senate would approve funding for most government agencies through September 30, but Department of Homeland Security funding would only continue for two more weeks. Democrats are pushing to place new restrictions on DHS in response to the Trump administration’s deadly immigration crackdown in Minnesota and the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Minneapolis Mayor Calls for Nationwide End to ”ICE Siege”
Jan 30, 2026
On Thursday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addressed the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington. He called for a nationwide end to what he called the ”ICE siege.”
Mayor Jacob Frey: “Never in a million years did I think that we would be in this place, where troops and federal agents by the thousands have been deployed on a great American city, where the Department of Justice is used as a weapon to silence dissent.”
“No, No. Not at All”: Trump Denies He Plans to Pull Back Federal Agents from Minnesota
Jan 30, 2026
On Thursday, Trump’s so-called border czar Tom Homan — who has just been deployed to Minnesota — vowed to continue immigration operations but said the strategy would shift.
Tom Homan: “We will conduct targeted enforcement operations — targeted, what we’ve done for decades. When we hit the streets, we know exactly who we’re looking for, good idea where we may find them. You have a criminal history. You have their immigration history, a lot of information about this person that we get from numerous databases out there. Targeted, strategic enforcement operations.”
President Trump sent Homan to Minnesota to replace Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino. Homan also said the federal government was working on a drawdown plan in Minnesota, but on Thursday night Trump said he was not pulling back from Minnesota. He told reporters, “No, no. Not at all.”
Trump made the comment during the premiere of a new documentary about Melania Trump. Jeff Bezos’s Amazon paid a record $40 million to license the film — the highest ever for a documentary. Amazon is spending another $35 million on promotion. One former Amazon executive questioned the spending, telling The New York Times, “How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe.”
Protesters Call for National Shutdown Today to Protest ICE
Jan 30, 2026
Image Credit: Heather Cabral / Faith in Action
On Capitol Hill, more than 60 faith leaders were arrested inside the Hart Senate Office Building to protest Trump’s immigration policies. They carried banners reading “Do Justice, Love kindness, Abolish ICE.” Meanwhile, a coalition of groups have called for a national shutdown today, a week after a general strike was held in Minnesota. Organizers are calling for “No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE.”
Sen. Collins Claims DHS Has Paused Operation Catch of the Day
Jan 30, 2026
Image Credit: X/@ICEgov
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine is claiming ICE has paused its large-scale immigration roundup in the state. Collins said she had urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to reconsider the operation, dubbed Operation Catch of the Day, that targeted the cities of Portland and Lewiston, which both have sizable Somali populations. Democratic officials have questioned Collins’s claim. A spokesperson for the Maine Democratic Party said, “Collins is trying to save face on the same day the Senate is set to vote on a DHS funding bill she has been leading the charge to pass without a single reform or guardrail to ICE’s reckless, dangerous behavior.”
Financial Times: Private Companies Reaped $22B in Contracts with ICE & CBP Last Year
Jan 30, 2026
Image Credit: geogroup.com
The Financial Times reports private companies have reaped $22 billion in contracts with ICE and CBP, Customs and Border Protection, over the past year. Spending by CBP on private contractors increased sevenfold between the first and second half of 2025. One gravel company has received more than $6 billion in contracts since July to help build a wall along the southern border. The firm, Fisher Sand & Gravel, is headed by a Trump ally and Republican donor. Private prison companies have also received major contracts: $800 million has gone to the GEO Group and almost $300 million to CoreCivic. The data intelligence firm Palantir has received more than $81 million in ICE contracts since last January. The online news outlet 404 Media recently reported Palantir has developed a new tool to help ICE find neighborhoods to raid.
Iran’s Top Diplomat in Turkey as Trump Keeps Threatening to Attack Iran
Jan 30, 2026
Iran’s top diplomat is in Turkey for talks as fear continues to grow that the U.S. might soon launch a major attack on Iran. The New York Times reports Trump has been presented in recent days with an “expanded list of potential military options against Iran aimed at doing further damage to the country’s nuclear and missile facilities or weakening Iran’s supreme leader.” The current options include sending U.S. forces inside Iran to carry out raids. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke during Trump’s Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “Same thing with Iran right now, ensuring that they have all the options to make a deal. They should not pursue nuclear capabilities. We will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department.”
Meanwhile, inside Iran, Reuters reports security forces have rounded up thousands of people in an attempt to prevent renewed anti-government protests. According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, over 6,000 protesters were killed since December, but some believe that to be a vast undercount. We will have more on Iran later in the program.
U.S. Lifts Some Sanctions on Venezuela After Interim Leader Signs Bill Opening Door for Private Oil Firms
Jan 30, 2026
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez has signed into law a bill to allow for some privatization of Venezuela’s oil industry. Soon after the bill was signed, the Trump administration lifted some sanctions on Venezuela, making it easier for U.S. oil companies to buy, sell and store Venezuelan crude oil.
President Donald Trump: “We have the major oil companies going to Venezuela now, scouting it out and picking their locations.”
On Thursday, Trump also said he would order Venezuela’s commercial airspace to be reopened. The moves come less than a month after the U.S. attacked Venezuela and abducted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
Trump Threatens to Impose Tariffs on Nations Who Provide Oil to Cuba
Jan 30, 2026
President Trump is threatening to impose tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba, as the U.S. intensifies efforts to topple the Cuban government. On Thursday, Trump said, “I think Cuba will not be able to survive.” The Financial Times reports Cuba only has about 15 to 20 days of oil left. The move appears to be intended to put pressure on Mexico, which has been an oil lifeline for Cuba.
Trump Claims Russia Will Pause Attacks on Ukrainian Cities
Jan 30, 2026
President Trump has announced Russia will pause attacks on Ukrainian cities for a week due to the “extraordinary cold” weather, but Russia has not yet confirmed the claim. In recent weeks, Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving Ukrainians without heat or electricity at a time when temperatures are often subzero Fahrenheit. Last week, Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. held trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates.
Illinois Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Shooting Sonya Massey
Jan 30, 2026
A former sheriff’s deputy in Illinois has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, a Black mother of two who had called 911 about a suspected prowler in July 2024. The deputy, Sean Grayson, responded to the 911 call and shot Massey in her own kitchen. He was convicted in October of second-degree murder. Ahead of the sentencing, Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, told the court, “Today, I’m afraid to call the police in fear that I might end up like Sonya.”
Trump Taps Kevin Warsh to Be Federal Reserve Chair
Jan 30, 2026
In economic news, President Trump has selected the conservative economist and former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, to replace Jerome Powell, whose term ends on May 15. Warsh served on the Fed’s Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011.
Trump & Sons Sue IRS & Treasury for $10B over Tax Return Leaks
Jan 30, 2026
President Trump and two of his sons have sued the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department for at least $10 billion over a leak of their tax returns. In 2024, a contractor at the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton was sentenced to five years in prison for leaking the Trump records to The New York Times and ProPublica. Earlier this week, the Treasury Department canceled all contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton. Both the IRS and Treasury are headed by Trump appointees. In October, Trump demanded the Justice Department pay him $230 million in compensation for the federal probes against him
Journalists Don Lemon & Georgia Fort Arrested For Covering Church Protest in St. Paul
Jan 30, 2026
Image Credit: Youtube/Don Lemon
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort have been arrested on federal charges. Last week they both reported on a peaceful protest inside a St. Paul church where a top ICE official serves as a pastor. Lemon’s attorney Abbe Lowell called his arrest an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment.” Lowell went on to say: “Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case.”