The Forum Daily | Thursday, January 29, 2026https://www.forumtogether.org

At 1 p.m. Eastern today, we're hosting a press webinar on better paths forward for immigration enforcement. Joining Jennie will be Sheriff Clarence Birkhead of Durham County, North Carolina; and Tim Quinn, the former principal public liaison for U.S. Customs and Border Protection from 2017 to 2025. Reporters, please reach out mailto:[email protected] for details.

Yesterday, Council on National Security and Immigration leaders published a statement [link removed] addressing the need for a shift in enforcement approaches. "For our nation to remain secure, the people must be able to maintain trust in federal law enforcement and in the government more broadly," they wrote. "When trust is broken due to aggressive actions and escalatory tactics, our national security erodes ...."

Separately, Republican mayors gathered in Washington, D.C., criticized the current immigration enforcement approach, report Lisa Kashinsky and Natalie Fertig of Politico [link removed].

"We're all sort of feeling the angst of our residents and the fear that our city will be next and that chaos is going to inevitably creep across the entire country," said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.

Meanwhile, new guidance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minnesota instructs them to avoid engagement with individuals deemed "agitators," report Kristina Cooke and Ted Hesson of Reuters [link removed].

The White House qualified that "no guidance should be considered final," as the strategy for ICE operations continues under review.

Also in Minnesota, a U.S. District Court chief judge requested answers from ICE leaders yesterday as court files show 96 violations of court orders, in 74 separate cases, in January alone, reports Paul Blume of Fox 9 [link removed].

"This list should give pause to anyone — no matter his or her political beliefs — who cares about the rule of law," the judge said.

Welcome to Thursday's edition of The Forum Daily. I'm Dan Gordon, the Forum's VP of Strategic Communications, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Nicci Mattey, Malaika Onyia, Luisa Sinisterra and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected] mailto:[email protected].

**IN MAINE** — Sen. Susan Collins (R) said this morning that ICE will end enhanced operations in Maine, reports Hannah LaClaire of the Portland Press Herald [link removed]. "I believe [operations] should be reviewed and far more targeted in their scope," Collins had said Tuesday. Local authorities and advocates are welcoming the news but remain cautious. "We will continue working to ensure that those who were wrongfully detained by ICE are returned to us," said Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline.

**JUDGE PAUSES REVETTING** — Yesterday a federal judge halted Operation PARRIS [link removed] while court challenges proceed, reports Alyssa Lukpat of The Wall Street Journal [link removed]. Federal immigration agencies may not arrest refugees seeking permanent status and should release refugees currently detained, per the ruling. In an op-ed for The Minnesota Star Tribune [link removed], Kathleen Motzenbecker of the Minnesota Council of Churches writes about the operation's effects.

**HAITIAN TPS** — Some Ohio Churches are holding training sessions to protect Haitian migrants about to lose Temporary Protected Status (TPS), reports Kathryn Post of Religion News Service [link removed]. Nearly 331,000 Haitians have TPS, we note in our updated fact sheet [link removed], and will be at risk of deportation starting Tuesday. In Florida, faith and health leaders are warning of the impacts, reports Trish Christakis of NBC 6 News [link removed], and Miami-Dade Mayor Danielle Levine Cava urged the administration to reverse its decision, reports Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald [link removed].

**H-1B VISAS** — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has ordered a freeze on new H-1B visas for state universities and agencies until May 2027, reports Jessica Priest of the Texas Tribune [link removed]. "I don't see any reason why we need any H-1B visa employees in our public schools in the state of Texas," Abbott said. Advocates warn that the policy will limit Texas' economic competitiveness.

Thanks for reading,
Dan

**P.S.** Catharine Richert and Maja Beckstrom of Minnesota Public Radio News [link removed] speak with organizers and (many) listeners who share stories of the support Minnesotans are offering their neighbors.

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