New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani voiced approval Tuesday for demonstrators who occupied the lobby of a Hilton hotel in Manhattan to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement, applauding both the protesters’ actions and the police response.
“Mayor Mamdani commends the protestors who exercised their right to protest against ICE today. As he has said, ICE is a rogue agency that has repeatedly carried out cruel, inhumane, and lawless raids and arrests of American citizens,” his spokesperson said. “The Mayor is also pleased with the NYPD’s response to the protest and that today’s demonstration concluded without violence.”
According to a local immigration advocacy group, roughly 70 people were arrested after protesters remained inside the Hilton hotel in Tribeca for close to an hour. Activists believe the hotel is currently housing ICE agents.
Police have not yet released an official tally of arrests from the demonstration.
The protest is part of a broader wave of activism, with organizers announcing additional “No Kings” demonstrations planned for March 28, fueled by anger over recent deadly encounters involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.
The Department of Homeland Security has previously criticized the Hilton brand after owners of a Minneapolis hotel canceled reservations for ICE personnel. Hilton later issued a statement saying such decisions were “not reflective of Hilton values of being welcoming to all.”
Authorities have not disclosed what charges, if any, the detained protesters may face. The NYPD told Nexstar’s WPIX that officers were first determining whether any of those arrested had outstanding warrants before proceeding with formal charges.
Tuesday’s protest followed the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents over the weekend. Pretti is the second person to be shot and killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis in recent days.
{Matzav.com}
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sharply condemned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, arguing that her remaining in office after two deadly encounters involving immigration officers in the state is indefensible and demanding accountability at the highest levels.
Pressure on the administration has mounted from lawmakers in both parties, who have urged President Trump to remove Noem after she publicly supported immigration agents involved in the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and labeled the victims “domestic terrorist” before any investigation was completed.
Speaking during an appearance on CNN, Walz urged national attention on the situation and called for decisive action. “It‘s insane. And I appreciate all the news media here telling it and tell the rest of the country, ‘Stand with us on this.’ This is a stand we have to hold on. They have to leave here,” he said on CNN’s “AC360.”
Walz went on to argue that responsibility does not stop with the shooters themselves. “They have to bring these folks to justice. And there has to be some accountability to the top levels. Kristi Noem still having a job today is absolutely outrageous,” he added.
Despite the growing backlash, the president has stood firmly behind his homeland security secretary, praising her performance and pointing to changes at the southern border.
“I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure. You know, you forget we had a border that I inherited where millions of people were coming through. Now we have a border where no one is coming through. They come into our country only legally,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.
He also suggested that accomplishments at the border have gone underappreciated. “As soon as you accomplish something, it goes into history and nobody ever wants to talk about it,” he continued.
Walz rejected that assessment in his interview with Anderson Cooper, saying Trump’s comments were deeply troubling. “it’s very disheartening to me to see the president say Kristi Noem is doing a great job,” he said.
He then delivered a blistering personal critique of the secretary. “I‘m not sure there’s been anybody more incompetent or cruel that’s ever served in a cabinet position than her, and this is on her,” he added.
The Minnesota governor warned that the administration’s approach is destabilizing the situation on the ground, accusing it of “undermining order” and spreading “chaos” across affected communities.
Walz said those responsible for the deaths of Good and Pretti must be identified and prosecuted. “We need to know who these people were. We need these guys brought back here,” he said.
“We have to keep order and its very difficult when they are undermining order. They create this chaos and we have to come in and clean it up.
As tensions have risen, Walz authorized the deployment of the Minnesota National Guard to assist local law enforcement in Minneapolis. He emphasized that troops are clearly identifiable, stressing the importance of soldiers wearing “uniforms on with their names and no masks,” a pointed contrast to his earlier criticism of federal immigration officers who concealed their identities.
{Matzav.com}
Senior chareidi political figures said this morning that announcements declaring the end of committee deliberations on Israel’s controversial draft bill are meaningless, stressing that the decisive factor will be the position of the Knesset’s legal advisers, not procedural milestones in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
The remarks came after MK Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, announced that discussions on the new draft law had concluded and that votes would soon begin. Chareidi officials dismissed the statement, saying it was an attempt to soften the stance of leading rabbinic authorities while ignoring the real obstacle facing the legislation.
According to senior figures in Shas and Degel HaTorah, “Who will decide whether there is a law we can support are the Knesset’s legal advisers. Bismuth can end the discussions, but it has no meaning as long as the legal counsel does not approve the wording of the law.”
They added that they would not support legislation opposed by the Knesset’s legal advisers, warning that such a move would almost certainly result in an interim ruling by the High Court of Justice. “That would cause more damage than benefit,” the officials said, explaining that current talks are focused entirely on negotiations with the Knesset’s legal advisers. They accused Bismuth of misleading them by promising backing from the committee’s legal adviser, Miri Frenkel-Shor, throughout the process.
Later today, Shas and Degel HaTorah are expected to decide whether to vote in favor of the state budget. While party officials believe the budget will ultimately pass with their support, they indicated that budget legislation could be halted until the draft law is approved in its second and third readings.
In recent days, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has held discussions with chareidi party leaders, warning them against bringing down the government amid what he described as a sensitive security period. The issue is also expected to be presented to senior rabbinic leaders.
Netanyahu addressed the matter publicly on Tuesday evening, saying, “The last thing Israel needs in the current situation is elections. I hope everyone understands the national responsibility required at this time.”
Bismuth, in his announcement a day earlier, said, “I am excited to announce that the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has completed the reading of all sections of the draft law. We are reaching the finish line, and soon we will vote on the law in the committee for second and third readings.”
He added, “What dragged on for years, what got stuck again and again in endless discussions, moved forward on my watch because there was a clear goal: a law. Not discussions for the sake of discussions, but a genuine desire to reach a solution. Brick by brick. Through dialogue, cooperation, and determination.”
Bismuth concluded by citing the prime minister, saying, “As the prime minister said this evening, ‘We are on the verge of completing the passage of the draft law.’ The torch now passes to the next stage. It is now the role of the entire Knesset to continue the process until the law is approved in the plenum—a historic draft law that will strengthen the IDF and Israeli society as a whole.”
{Matzav.com}
