The Latest: DOJ opens a federal civil rights probe into Alex Pretti’s death in Minneapolis

The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights probe into the death of Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis resident killed Saturday by Border Patrol officers, according to federal officials.

"We're looking at everything that would shed light on what happened that day and in the days and weeks leading up to what happened," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday.

Blanche did not explain why the DOJ decided to open an investigation into Pretti's killing, but has said a similar probe is not warranted in the Jan. 7 death of Renee Good, who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis. He said only on Friday that the Civil Rights Division does not investigate every law enforcement shooting and that there must be circumstances and facts that "warrant an investigation."

The Department of Homeland Security also said Friday that the FBI will lead the federal probe.

It was not immediately clear whether the FBI would share information and evidence with Minnesota state investigators, who have thus far been frozen out of the federal probe, in an unprecedented divide between Minnesota officials and federal authorities during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

The latest:

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has promised to block any Trump nominees to the Federal Reserve until the Justice Department investigation ends, but the president isn't worried about that.

Asked if he had any concerns about Kevin Warsh, his pick to succeed Jerome Powell as Fed chair, getting through the Senate, Trump told reporters: "No."

The president called Warsh "the perfect candidate" and that his pick was "not a surprise" as Warsh had been a Fed governor previously and had previously been vetted during Trump's first term to be chair.

"This was the man that's the most qualified," Trump said. "Top student, best schools. Everything was, like, perfect."

Trump noted that Tillis' term was ending and he was prepared to wait until the North Carolina lawmaker was out of office in order to get Warsh confirmed.

Tillis said he would continue to block on the Fed chair nominee - who he called "a great, qualified candidate" - and stood up for himself against Trump's criticism.

"I am a U.S. senator asserting my right," Tillis said at the Capitol.

"This proves how the separation of powers works: One senator can prevent the most powerful man on the planet from potentially undermining the credibility and the independence of the Fed," Tillis said.

"I don't consider that obstruction. I consider that doing my job."

The North Carolina senator is blocking any nominee for the Fed chair until the administration resolves the prosecution of Powell.

"This process of prosecution has to end before I vote to confirm anybody," he said.

An Illinois commission tasked with investigating an immigration crackdown that unfolded in the Chicago area last year says it'll also examine top Trump administration officials.

An aggressive immigration crackdown in the nation's third-largest city and surrounding suburbs triggered wide protests and tense standoffs between authorities and residents. Immigration agents fatally shot one suburban dad, among other violent incidents. Numerous lawsuits were filed.

The Illinois Accountability Commission, formed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, has been picking apart the operation, including the use of chemical agents. On Friday, they looked at alleged incidents of officer misconduct.

The commission cannot compel anyone to testify, bring charges or force legislation but they'll issue a final report with recommendations.

Still, Pritzker says Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and others in the Trump administration should find lawyers.

"They must still be held responsible for the killings and the damage they've done to our country," Pritzker said in a statement.

Responding to a question from a reporter about whether Kevin Warsh had promised to cut interest rates, Trump said he believed "he certainly wants to cut rates - I've been watching him for a long time."

Trump said he didn't specifically ask Warsh about cutting rates because he wanted to "keep it nice and pure."

Trump said Warsh was "the central casting guy that people wanted" while also praising his qualifications.

"Looks don't mean anything, but he's got the look," Trump said.

Despite signs of a growing backlash to his immigration crackdown in Minnesota, Trump says he thinks a "silent majority" of Americans support his push.

"Elections have consequences," Trump said, contending that his immigration crackdowns has made cities safer. "The people want law and order."

Trump was asked about whether he thought skirmishes between protesters and federal law enforcement officials in Minnesota were the prelude to a civil war.

He alleged the protesters in Minneapolis were "paid insurrectionists" funded by shadowy benefactors but did not provide evidence or details. "We know pretty much who's funding this," Trump said.

U.S. allies and partners in the Middle East have in recent days been urging restraint on both Iran and the United States, as they did earlier this year when tensions rose after President Donald Trump last threatened military strikes on the Islamic republic, according to an Arab official familiar with the outreach.

With tensions rising again amidst the arrival in the region of what Trump has called a "massive armada" of U.S. naval ships, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Oman and Qatar have all been in touch with leaders in Washington and Tehran to make the case that an escalation by either or both sides would cause massive destabilization throughout the region and impact energy markets, the official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic discussions, but noted that the Saudi defense minister is currently in Washington and is expected to deliver that message, which has also been conveyed by the others.

-By Matthew Lee

Trump signed an executive order on Friday establishing an IndyCar race in the nation's capital, to be held Aug. 21-23.

"You have seats coming, you know, in front of the White House building and really expanding over 100,000 people," he said at the signing in the Oval Office. "It's going to be very, very important to celebrate greatness with American motor racing. That's going to be the name of the event."

The race is designed to be part of the America250 celebrations this year. Trump is elevating sports as part of the celebration of 250 years of American independence, including planning a UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House for mid-June.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries characterized the House Republicans' new proposal as a "voter suppression bill" to help boost the GOP chances in elections.

"Republicans don't want a free and fair election," he said, because they have been losing races since Trump returned to the White House.

The GOP package unveiled Thursday would immediately ban universal mail ballots and ranked-choice voting and require photo IDs and proof of citizenship by 2027 for all federal elections.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says time is of the essence in reining in ICE to prevent a government shutdown .

"I hope we can get voting quickly here in the Senate," the Democratic leader said as the chamber opened, "so we can move forward on the important work of reining ICE."

Action on a government funding deal struck with Trump came to a standstill late Thursday as key senators, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, refused to move ahead with voting.

Talks are underway on next steps ahead of a midnight deadline to fund several federal agencies or risk a partial shutdown.

"We're looking at everything that would shed light on that day," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday.

Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident, was killed Saturday by Border Patrol officers, according to federal officials. He was attending a protest against an immigration enforcement operation.

The development followed confirmation by the Department of Homeland Security earlier in the day that the FBI would now lead the probe into Pretti's death.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem first disclosed the investigation's shift to the FBI during a Fox News interview Thursday evening. Her department said earlier this week that Homeland Security Investigations, a unit within the department, would be heading the investigation.

Trump is asking the justices to allow him to put in place an executive order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

Lower courts have so far uniformly ruled against him.

The court on Friday issued its schedule of arguments for late March and early April. The justices are giving themselves roughly three months to reach a decision. The court generally winds up its work by the end of June.

The birthright citizenship order, which Trump signed Jan. 20, the first day of his second term, is part of his Republican administration's broad immigration crackdown.

Several civil and immigration rights groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration Friday challenging a policy that allows federal immigration agents to enter private homes without a warrant.

The lawsuit by Lawyers for Civil Rights on behalf of the Greater Boston Latino Network and Brazilian Worker Center challenges a May 2025 memorandum from the acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that allows agents to enter private residents.

"The Fourth Amendment exists precisely to prevent government agents from breaking into people's homes without any judicial process or oversight," Brooke Simone, a staff attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights, said in a statement.

The Trump administration imposed sanctions Friday against Iran 's interior minister, accusing Eskandar Momeni of repressing nationwide protests that have challenged Tehran's theocratic government. The penalties are the latest by the United States and the European Union targeting high-ranking officials over the crackdown.

The administration says Momeni has overseen Iran's law enforcement forces that are responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protesters.

Economic woes sparked the protests in late December before they broadened into a challenge to the Islamic Republic. The crackdown soon followed, which activists say has killed more than 6,000 people. Iranian officials and state media repeatedly refer to the demonstrators as "terrorists."

The EU on Thursday imposed its own sanctions against Momeni, along with members of Iran's judicial system and other high-ranking officers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to Trump's request to pause attacks on Ukraine's power grid for a week.

Trump announced this on Thursday, but details about the timing and scope remain unclear. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the request but didn't specify when it would start.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed skepticism, noting ongoing Russian attacks. Despite the pause, Russia continues drone and missile strikes. Bitter cold is expected in Ukraine, worsening conditions. Talks are ongoing, but no ceasefire agreement has been reached.

Financial markets are uneasy as investors try to figure out what Trump's new nominee, Kevin Warsh, to lead the Federal Reserve will mean.

U.S. stocks fell modestly Friday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 118 points, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%.

Prices for U.S. Treasury bonds initially rose following Trump's announcement, perhaps suggesting increased hopes in the Fed's ability to stay independent, before paring back.

Some of the wildest action was again in the precious metals markets, where gold's price swung.

Leaders from Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland and other countries have recently visited China, while more are planning to go.

Since Trump took office again, America's closest allies are exploring opportunities with China following clashes with Trump over tariffs and his demands to take over Greenland from NATO ally Denmark.

They're resetting relations with a country long seen as a top adversary to many Western partners and the top economic rival to the U.S. despite the risk of irking Trump. This week alone, the prime ministers of the U.K. and Finland went to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Protesters across the U.S. are calling for a nationwide strike to oppose the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

The demonstrations are calling for "no work, no school, no shopping" on Friday.

The calls come almost a week after intensive care nurse Alex Pretti was killed while recording Border Patrol officers with his cellphone.

Multiple businesses announced they would be closed during the "blackout," while some schools canceled classes in anticipation of mass absences. Some students are planning walkouts, while others plan to gather in churches, courthouses and city centers in solidarity.

Three other people were arrested with Lemon on Friday in connection with an anti-immigration protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church and increased tensions between residents and the Trump administration.

Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards, his attorney Abbe Lowell said.

It is unclear what charge or charges Lemon and the others are facing in the Jan. 18 protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul. Lemon's arrest came after a magistrate judge last week rejected prosecutors' initial bid to charge him.

Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, has said he has no affiliation to the organization that went into the church and that he was there as a journalist chronicling protesters.

Warsh was previously a runner-up for the Senate-confirmed post of Fed Chair in 2017, when Trump selected Powell to lead the central bank.

Warsh is credentialed with degrees from Stanford University and Harvard University Law School. He is also married to Jane Lauder, the daughter of billionaire cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder, a major Republican donor.

At 35, Warsh became the youngest governor on the Fed's seven member board, serving in that post from 2006 to 2011. Warsh worked closely with then-Chair Ben Bernanke in 2008-09 during the central bank's efforts to combat the financial crisis and the Great Recession.

Warsh has been working as a visiting economics fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank located at Stanford University. He is also a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a partner at the Duquesne Family Office, which manages the wealth of billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller.

The Department of Homeland Security says that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now heading the investigation into the shooting death of Alex Pretti.

The Department said earlier this week that Homeland Security Investigations, which is a unit within the department, would be heading the investigation.

But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during an interview with Fox News on Thursday that the FBI was in the lead. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department said Friday in an email that HSI will support them.

Separately, Customs and Border Protection is doing its own internal investigation.

Homeland Security did not immediately respond to questions about when the change was made or why.

"Don Lemon is an accomplished journalist whose urgent work is protected by the First Amendment," said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on social media.

"There is zero basis to arrest him. He should be freed immediately."

He said "The Trump Justice Department is illegitimate. They will all be held accountable for their crimes against the Constitution."

The retiring North Carolina senator has been among a group of Senate Republicans who have rushed to the defense of current Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell after it was revealed earlier this month that the Justice Department had opened an inquiry into him.

After Trump said Friday that he would nominate former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh to serve as the next chair of the Fed, Tillis made clear the inquiry would stand in the way of any confirmation.

"I will oppose the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman, until the DOJ's inquiry into Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved," Tillis wrote.

Tillis, a swing vote on the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees the Federal Reserve and approves central bank nominees, said in his post that Warsh is a "qualified nominee," but stressed that "protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable."

Tillis's opposition could complicate the confirmation process for Warsh and Senate GOP leaders. Asked late Thursday whether Warsh could be confirmed without Tillis's support, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, "probably not."

Journalist Don Lemon has been arrested after he entered a Minnesota church and recorded anti-immigration enforcement protesters who disrupted a service in an incident that increased tensions between residents and the Trump administration, his lawyer said Friday.

It was not immediately clear what charge or charges Lemon was facing in the Jan. 18 protest. The arrest came after a magistrate judge last week rejected prosecutors' initial bid to charge the journalist.