{"id":10068,"date":"2026-02-12T14:15:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2026\/02\/12\/live-updates-trump-administration-news-epstein-files-under-scrutiny-senate-committee-hearing-with-ice-officials-cnn-politics-cnn\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T14:15:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:15:25","slug":"live-updates-trump-administration-news-epstein-files-under-scrutiny-senate-committee-hearing-with-ice-officials-cnn-politics-cnn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2026\/02\/12\/live-updates-trump-administration-news-epstein-files-under-scrutiny-senate-committee-hearing-with-ice-officials-cnn-politics-cnn\/","title":{"rendered":"Live updates: Trump administration news, Epstein files under scrutiny, Senate committee hearing with ICE officials | CNN Politics – CNN"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Live Updates<\/p>\n

DHS funding set to expire tomorrow as Congress remains deadlocked <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span>” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2259321537.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2259321537.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”<\/p>\n
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By Sarah Jorgensen<\/span>, CNN <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Updated 9:08 AM EST, Thu February 12, 2026 <\/div>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-is-vertical-video-embed data-network-id data-publish-date=”2024-09-12T19:45:04.000Z” data-video-section=”homepage” data-canonical-url=”https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/cvplive\/cvpstream4″ data-branding-key data-video-slug=”livestream-live-4″ data-first-publish-slug=”live-4″ data-video-tags data-breakpoints=”{“video-resource–media-extra-large”: 660}” data-display-video-cover=”true” data-details data-track-zone=”live-story-lede” data-sticky-anchor-pos=”bottom”> <\/p>\n

\"White<\/picture> <\/div>\n
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Watch live: Border Czar Tom Homan holds news conference <\/p>\n

\u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Watch live: Border Czar Tom Homan holds news conference<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\u2022 Funding stalemate: <\/strong>Democrats are unlikely to accept a new White House offer<\/a> to rein in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics ahead of a deadline tomorrow to fund the Department of Homeland Security<\/a>, according to Democratic sources. Senate GOP Leader John Thune has said a stopgap bill<\/a> is the only way to avoid a DHS shutdown. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Immigration crackdown: <\/strong>Border czar Tom Homan is holding a news conference right now in Minneapolis. Minnesota and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials will testify before a Senate committee this morning. . <\/p>\n

\u2022 Bondi\u2019s defiant testimony: <\/strong>Attorney General Pam Bondi clashed with lawmakers during a heated House hearing yesterday. She testified amid ongoing controversies related to the Jeffrey Epstein files<\/a> release, investigation into President Donald Trump\u2019s political foes <\/a>and the handling of the fatal shootings <\/a>of two US citizens in Minnesota by immigration enforcement officers. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Border czar Tom Homan is speaking at a news conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. <\/p>\n

Stay with us as we bring you updates. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The White House fired the interim US attorney in Albany on Wednesday, according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, just hours after he was sworn into the role following an appointment by a panel of judges. <\/p>\n

The firing by the White House is the latest move underscoring the hostile relationship President Donald Trump has had with federal courts that have blocked the administration\u2019s policies, with the president often taking to social media to rail against judges involved in those cases. <\/p>\n

\u201cJudges don\u2019t pick U.S. Attorneys, @POTUS<\/strong><\/a> does,\u201d Blanche wrote on X<\/a> Wednesday, adding: \u201cYou are fired, Donald Kinsella.\u201d <\/p>\n

The district court judges contacted Kinsella, who previous served as chief of the criminal division, Wednesday morning and asked him to serve as US attorney, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. A vacancy was created last month when a federal judge found John Sarcone was serving unlawfully as US attorney. Sarcone continues to work in the US attorney\u2019s office under the title First Assistant US attorney. <\/p>\n

Kinsella, who is 79, agreed and was sworn in during a virtual ceremony with the chief judge and others that afternoon. Later that day, Kinsella was notified by an email from the White House that Trump had removed him from the position. <\/p>\n

Reached by CNN Thursday, Kinsella confirmed the events and declined further comment. <\/p>\n

Kinsella has spent 50 years in criminal and civil litigation, according to the court\u2019s announcement of Kinsella\u2019s appointment. <\/p>\n

Trump previously appointed his personal lawyer and an administration official to key US attorney positions in New Jersey and Virginia. Judges found the appointments of both women \u2014 Alina Habba<\/a> and Lindsey Halligan<\/a> \u2014 to be unlawful, along with appointments in Nevada and the Central District of California. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Community<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Democrats are unlikely to accept a new White House offer to rein in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and expect efforts to provide funding for the Department of Homeland Security to fail before Friday night\u2019s shutdown deadline unless something dramatically changes, according to Democratic sources familiar with the talks. <\/p>\n

The Senate is slated to hold a procedural vote at 1:30 p.m. ET today to fund DHS, and that is expected to fail. It\u2019s unclear whether lawmakers will then leave town for the weeklong recess slated to begin next week. <\/p>\n

The DHS shutdown would affect a wide range of critical agencies, such as TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"The<\/picture> <\/div>\n

On Capitol Hill this morning, lawmakers will be addressing immigration enforcement and the attempted indictment of Democrats in various hearings and meetings. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to look out for: <\/p>\n

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