AMNA NAWAZ: Good evening.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.

On the "News Hour" tonight: President Trump# la.. rebuilding of Gaza, as European leaders hold# an emergency summit on transatlantic tensions.

AMNA NAWAZ: A massive winter storm is set to## deliver damaging ice and heavy# snow to nearly half the U.S.

GEOFF BENNETT: And we examine# the Trump administration's## hard-line immigration crackdown# a year into its implementation.

JOHN SANDWEG, Former Acting ICE Director: You# can do this without all of this chaos.

And## I'd like to see ICE return to those tactics,# where we're focused on public safety first.

(BREAK) GEOFF BENNETT:## Welcome to the "News Hour."

President Trump is back at the White House# tonight.

He .. a whirlwind trip to Davos for the World Economic# Forum, where he seems to have defused a crisis## he first created by insisting the U.S.

acquire# Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark.

Leaders across Europe roundly# criticized and rejected a U.S.

takeover.

AMNA NAWAZ: Trump also presented his plan for what# he calls the Board of Peace, which he would chair,## in order to establish and oversee the cease-fire# and postwar plans for Gaza.

But, already,## the American president has expanded the proposed# board's purview to conflicts around the world.

MAN: Please welcome the chairman of the Board of## Peace, the president of the United# States of America, Donald J. Trump.

(APPLAUSE) AMNA NAWAZ: In Davos today, President Trump officially introducing# what he calls the .. DONALD TRUMP, President of# the United States: Together,## we are in a positi.. I don't even call it a chance, I think it's# going to happen, to end decades of suffering,## stop generations of hatred and bloodshed, and# forge a beautiful, everlasting and glorious peace.

AMNA NAWAZ: So far, some 35 nations have# signed on, many attending today's ceremony,## from Argentina and Bulgaria to Qatar# and Saudi Arabia to Turkey and Mongolia.

Some, including Canada, Germany and Israel,# have joined, but were absent today, and others,## like France and Britain, have rejected# the invitation.

The rollout of the board,## born of a peace plan for postwar# Gaza, was accompanied by this.

MAN: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

(APPLAUSE) AMNA NAWAZ: A pl.. DONALD TRUMP: See, I'm a real estate person at# heart, and it's all about location.

And I said,## look at this location on the sea.

Look# at this beautiful piece of property,## what it could be for so many people.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff and# Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner,## presented the vision, a $25 billion# proposal for gleaming skyscrapers,## 100,000 housing units, 75 medical centers,# and an expected GDP of $10 billion by 2035.

JARED KUSHNER, Former Senior Presidential# Adviser: I think that the war's over.

Let's## do our best to try working together.

Our# goal here is peace between Israel and## the Palestinian people.

Everyone wants to live# peacefully.

Everyone wants to live with dignity.## Let's put our efforts towards promoting those# who are doing the work to build this up.

AMNA NAWAZ: But there are no representatives# from Gaza on the board overseeing its future.

And on the ground, Olfat Al Shawaf,## still displaced from her home,# is skeptical of the plans.

OLFAT AL SHAWAF, Displaced Palestinian# (through translator): Honestly,## I don't expect not even .. reconstruction?

What reconstruction?

Let them# remove the rubble first, then start rebuilding.

AMNA NAWAZ: Trump has already expanded the board's# scope beyond Gaza to other conflicts around the## world, raising concerns about how the group he# chairs works with or around the United Nations.

DONALD TRUMP: Once this board is completely# formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want## to do, and we will do it in conjunction# with the United Nations.

You know,## I have always said the United Nations has# got tremendous potential, has not used it.

AMNA NAWAZ: Meanwhile, in Brussels, an# emergency summit for European leaders## to discuss Greenland's future a# day after President Trump walked## back military threats of a U.S.

takeover# and proclaimed a deal was in the works.

Before the meeting, Denmark's prime# minister reiterated her nation's red## line that the island, home to# 55,000 people, is not for sale.

METTE FREDERIKSEN, Prime Minister of Denmark:# We have said from the very beginning that a## discussion about our status as a sovereign state,# it cannot be discussed, it cannot be changed.

We## are willing to work together with the U.S., of# course, as we have always done, about security.

AMNA NAWAZ: Greenland strategically sits# in the middle of the shortest route for## land-based missiles and bombers between the# U.S.

and Russia.

And experts worry that,## as the ice melts, sea lanes open up,# including to Russian and Chinese ships.

Despite no official details for a deal yet,# Trump declared the U.S.

would have total access.

DONALD TRUMP: We're going to have all# military access that we want.

We're## going to be able to put what we need on Greenland,## because we want it.

We're talking about# national security and international security.

AMNA NAWAZ: And our foreign affairs correspondent,## Nick Schifrin, has been covering# this all and joins me now.

And, Nick, let's start with what# the president said about Greenland.## Total military access, what does that mean?

NICK SCHIFRIN: Multiple European officials tell me# tonight there is no agreement for what that means,## but there is a framework.

So that would# include more U.S.

bases on Greenland.

It## would include guaranteed American mineral# rights for mining on Greenland.

It would## be increased NATO presence, not only# around Greenland but across the Arctic.

And Chinese and Russian military and investments# would be specifically excluded.

There will be## two tracks moving forward, Amna.

The U.S.

will# negotiate directly with Denmark and Greenland over## the fate of the island itself.

Could that end up# with American sovereignty over bases in Greenland?

Despite what you have just heard from the prime# minister, one senior European official actually## tells me it's too early to tell the answer to that# question.

Secondly, NATO will increase its Arctic## presence with the goal of having actual plans# for that increased presence by a summit in July.

So this is just the beginning of the process.# But nothing we just talked about was what the## president has been demanding, which is# ownership over Greenland.

So, clearly,## he decided to take an off-ramp.

And to extend# the metaphor, European officials are asking me## whether there is like a 17-car pile-up in# the rearview mirror that he left behind.

What is the lasting impact of all of# this Greenland talk on the transatlantic## alliance?

European officials I talked to are split# between saying this is a real rupture and saying,## no, we have no choice.

We will# continue to rely on the U.S.

AMNA NAWAZ: So for those# who think it is a rupture,## why is that?

Why has this moment been so harmful?

NICK SCHIFRIN: I think there's a# psychological sensitivity to the## president flying to Europe to disparage Europe.

Yesterday in Davos, he said# of NATO -- quote -- "We have## helped them for so many years.# We have never gotten anything."

And that offends Denmark especially.# More Danish troops died in Afghanistan## per capita than U.S.

troops died# in Afghanistan.

And then there's## the reality of the relationship.

European# officials told me they are relieved that## the president has taken off the table# the military, the economic threats.

But multiple officials also# said to me they don't know## if that will be the president's policy tomorrow.

AMNA NAWAZ: Nick Schifrin, thank you, as always.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.

GEOFF BENNETT: A sprawling and# potentially devastating winter## storm is projected to slam a massive# swathe of the country tomorrow and## through the weekend from New Mexico# all the way to Northern Maine.

Heavy snow, life-threatening cold and dangerous# ice accumulation are all in the forecast.

More## than 130 million people are currently under# winter storm alerts, and nearly every American## east of the Rockies will be affected.

That's# according to the National Weather Service.

To help break down what we expect# to see and how you can prepare,## we're joined now by MyRadar senior# meteorologist Matthew Cappucci.

Thanks for coming in.

MATTHEW CAPPUCCI, Senior## Meteorologist, MyRadar: Yes,.. I have to say, the scale of this st.. the fact that we have roughly 1,800 miles# nonstop of winter storm alerts, watches,## warnings from Arizona all the way to the# East Coast shows just how big this storm is.

It's getting going right now off the U.S.# West Coast.

That's an upper-level pocket of## cold air or low pressure and spin, this big# swirly twirl on the water vapor satellite.## It's kind of the impetus for the# storm system.

But you will notice## it's still offshore.

So we can't# launch weather balloons into it.

And so actually last night the hurricane# hunters, those folks who fly into hurricanes,## flew into this storm to collect data to help us# figure out what this thing's going to do.

We pump## that into models.

And you can see just an absolute# mess on the simulated radar, rain, snow, sleet,## freezing rain, the worst of everything from New# Mexico, Texas all the way to Southern New England.

GEOFF BENNETT: What does the forecast say about# snowfall?

Where do we expect to see the most?

MATTHEW CAPPUCCI: So I think the# snow jackpot should be in roughly## a 50-to-100-mile-wide zone north of the# rain/snow line.

It starts near Oklahoma City,## pushes northeast all the way towards# D.C., Baltimore, Philly, New York City.

All those places have a roughly 50/50# shot of seeing a foot or more of snow,## Tulsa probably 12 to 18 inches.

Then# Southern Missouri, the Bootheel,## Western Kentucky along the Ohio River, that's# where the worst will be.

But in addition to that,## on the southern side.

It's not just the snow.# It's the sleet and the freezing rain too.

GEOFF BENNETT: And what about the life-threatening# cold?

There's also threats of ice accumulation.

MATTHEW CAPPUCCI: Yes, the ice accumulation# is really what worries me the most,## because for folks at home, ice happens when you# have rain that essentially falls as a liquid## and then turns into ice on the ground,# given sub freezing surface temperatures.

In that freezing rain zone,# temperatures might be in the## mid-40s a mile above the ground.# So liquid rain is going to fall,## but the surface might be 25, 30 degrees.# So all that liquid freezes on the ground.

Two main areas.

I'm really watching for the worst# ice accretion, I think Northwestern Mississippi,## Northeast Louisiana, probably south# of Memphis along Interstate 55,## that's the zone I'm really watching# for potentially significant ice## accretion.

We're talking like a# half-inch to an inch in spots.

And it only takes about a -inch of# ice to pull down the power lines,## get power outages, the roads impassable# probably from Friday night all the way## through Monday morning.

And then behind# it, of course, the cold comes in.

The other zone I'm really watching, northeast of# Atlanta into for example the Western Carolinas,## Asheville, Greensboro, Spartanburg, Greenville.# I'm really worried that cold air at the surface## draining down the Appalachians will# keep the surface subfreezing even when## it's warmer upstairs, so again serious ice# accretions possible northeast of Atlanta.

And I wouldn't even be surprised for some thunder# sleet and thunder ice to mix in too, thunder... GEOFF BENNETT: Thunder ice.

MATTHEW CAPPUCCI: Thunder,# ligh.. GEOFF BENNETT: All right, Matthew, so# two questions.

What are the dangers## of this type of weather and what# should people be doing to prepare?

MATTHEW CAPPUCCI: You know, I'm really concerned# about both the snow and the ice, especially,## because, snow, you can pre-treat.

You# can put stuff down in the roadways.

Ice comes down as a liquid and it washes# away any pretreatment.

So I think it's## going to be like a skating rink for a lot# of people until the middle of next week.

And the worst part, given these cold# temperatures invading, there's nothing## to really melt this until the end of next# week.

Look at temperatures early Monday## morning.

We're talking negative double digits# over the Upper Midwest, the Northern Tier,## excessive cold warnings in effect for a wide# area from really Minnesota down to Oklahoma City,## single digits, below zero, Little Rock, Oklahoma# City, single digits above zero in Texas.

And given how much ice is coming down, I think# a lot of folks will likely lose power too.

So## you have systematic -- the issues with# vulnerability.

You're going into a cold## air outbreak with a lot of people who won't# have power.

I'm very worried about that.

So, given the forecast, I'd say bundle up.# Make sure you have everything you need for## about three to five days off the grid.# Make sure you're taking care of elderly,## vulnerable neighbors, loved ones, and ultimately# having a plan to hunker down for days on end.

GEOFF BENNETT: That is good advice.

Matthew Cappucci, our thanks to you, as alwa.. MATTHEW CAPPUCCI: Thank you.

GEOFF BENNETT:## In the day's other headlines: President# Trump is suing J.P.

Morgan Chase and its CEO,## Jamie Dimon, for $5 billion saying# the company closed his accounts for## political reasons after he left office in 2021.

The lawsuit alleges the decision, known as# debanking, abruptly cut the Trump Organization## off from access to millions of dollars and# disrupted its operations.

In a statement,## J.P.

Morgan said the suit lacks merit,# adding that the company does not close## accounts for political or religious reasons.# Trump and other conservatives have accused## banks of improperly cutting off their# accounts following the January 6 attack.

In Davos, Switzerland, earlier# today, President Trump met on the## sidelines of the World Economic Forum with# Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

QUESTION: How was your meeting with President# Trump?

Mr.

Zelenskyy, how was the meeting?

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, Ukrainian# President: The meeting was very... GEOFF BENNETT: Their meeting happened away from# the cameras, but afterwards .. the word good when describing the talks.# And in his address to the forum, Zelenskyy## cited progress on peace efforts and called on# Russia to come to the table to end the war.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: The documents# aimed at ending this war are nearly,## nearly ready.

Ukraine is working with full# honesty and determination.

And that brings## results.

And Russia must become ready too# to finish this war, to stop this aggression.

GEOFF BENNETT: Zelenskyy was also critical of# Europe's slow and disjointed response to the war## in Ukraine, comparing his repeated warnings of the# threat Russia poses to the film "Groundhog Day."

It comes as President Trump's envoys Steve# Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Moscow,## where they met with Russian President Vladimir# Putin.

Meantime, on the ground in Ukraine,## the latest Russian strikes hit the Eastern city of# Dnipro, where at least seven people were injured.

Today marks America's official withdrawal# from the World Health Organization one year## after President Trump signed an executive# order setting the nation's exit in motion.## The pullout threatens to plunge the# WHO into an even deeper budget crisis,## with Washington long being the health# agency's biggest financial backer.

The U.S.

is also leaving behind a# $260 million bill in unpaid fees,## even as it's required by law to pay all# outstanding debts.

The State Department## today argued that: "The American people have# paid more than enough to this organization,## and this economic hit is beyond any# financial obligations to the organization."

In Australia, a gunman who shot and killed three# people and injured one more remains at large.

The## suspect shot two couples in two separate locations# in the small town of Cargelligo in New South## Wales.

Police say the shooting will have a lasting# impact on the town of only about 1,500 people.

ANDREW HOLLAND, Assistant Commissioner, New# South Wales Police: What I will say is that,## again, it's a tragedy that's taken# place in a very small country,## and it will have a big effect on the community.

GEOFF BENNETT: The latest shooting took place as# that country observed a national day of mourning## for the 15 victims of last month's massacre# during a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration.

At a service in Sydney's iconic Opera# House, attendees lit candles and## heard from the country's prime minister, who# apologized for failing to prevent the attack.

Here in the U.S., a closely watched reading on# inflation ticked higher.

The Commerce Department## said today that the Personal Consumption# Expenditures Price Index rose 2.8 percent in## November from a year earlier.

That's a bit# more than the month before, and above the Fed's## preferred target of 2 percent.

Today's report# was delayed by last year's government shutdown.

Meantime, on Wall Street today, stocks continued# their rebound as tariff concerns ease.

The Dow## Jones industrial average added around 275# points on the day.

The Nasdaq rose nearly## 200 points.

The S&P 500 has now recovered# much of its losses from earlier in the week.

And a blues-infused vampire# epic has made Oscar history.

MAN: "Sinners."

(CHEERING) WOMAN: Michael B. Jordan in "Sinners."

(CHEERING) WOMAN: And Ryan Coogler, "Sinners."

GEOFF BENNETT: The film "Sinners" is# nominated for a record 16 Academy Awards,## including best picture.

That# breaks the previous record of## 14 nominations set by "All About# Eve," "Titanic" and "La La Land."

The action-packed "One Battle After# Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio,## trails just behind with 13 nods.

Both# films made the cut in a brand-new category,## best casting, alongside "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme,## and "The Secret Agent."

The 98th Academy# Awards ceremony will air on Sunday, March 15.

And longtime Vatican reporter, author and# friend of this program John Allen Jr.

has## died.

The Kansas native covered multiple popes# starting in 1997 first for The National Catholic## Reporter and later The Boston Globe.

Allen# was also a frequent "News Hour" contributor,## sharing his insights as recently as last year for# a report about the conclave that elected Pope Leo.

John Allen Jr.

passed away today after a# long battle with cancer.

He was 61 years old.

Still to come on the "News Hour": former special# counsel Jack Smith faces congressional scrutiny## over his investigations into President Trump; a# Texas jury acquits a former Uvalde police officer## for failing to act quickly enough during the# Robb Elementary School shooting; and we examine## the president's confrontational approach to the# U.S.

court system one year into his second term.

AMNA NAWAZ: Vice President J.D.

Vance was in# Minneapolis today, as federal agents continue to## clash with protesters two weeks after an ICE agent# shot and killed 37-year-old mother Renee Good.

Vance had this message for city residents: J.D.

VANCE, Vice President of the United# States: Do we want these things to happen?## Do we want these arrests to be so chaotic?# No, we don't.

These guys want it least of## all.

But if we had a little cooperation# from local and federal -- or -- excuse## me -- from local and state officials, I think# the chaos would go way down in this community.

AMNA NAWAZ: This is just the latest development# in what's been a turbulent year as President## Trump has carried out his campaign promise# to crack down on illegal immigration.

Liz Landers takes a closer look.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States:## First, I will declare a national# emerge.. (APPLAUSE) LIZ LANDERS: Pre.. to crack down on immigration, signing# executive orders his first day in office## designed to expedite removal and reinterpret# the Citizenship Clause of the Constitution.

Border crossings began to drop soon after# and are down dramatically year to date, a## 93 percent reduction, according to the Department# of Homeland Security.

The agency estimates## 1.9 million self-deportations and 622,000# deportations have taken place in the last year.

DONALD TRUMP: This was an invasion.

This wasn't## people coming in.

This was# an invasion of our country.

LIZ LANDERS: But the administration quickly# ran into legal challenges with some deportation## measures when it deported more than 200# Venezuelan men to a notorious Salvadoran prison.

DONALD TRUMP: These were bad people.

That# was a bad group of, as I say, hombres.

LIZ LANDERS: The president invoking the# little used Alien Enemies Act of 1798,## claiming the men were part of the Venezuelan gang# Tren de Aragua, among them Kilmar Abrego Garcia,## a Maryland man with no criminal record, deported# despite a court order barring his removal.

Abrego Garcia was eventually returned to the# U.S.

and is now challenging efforts to deport## him to a third country.

A ruling is expected# next month.

The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil,## a Columbia University graduate student# and pro-Palestinian activist, signaled## a crackdown on international# student visas in early March.

MARCO RUBIO, U.S.

Secretary of State: We gave# you a visa to come and study and get a degree,## not to become a social activist that# tears up our university campuses.

LIZ LANDERS: In total, more than 8,000# student visas revoked in the past year,## the State Department says.

The Trump administration has also moved# to narrow pathways for legal immigration,## using executive orders to institute travel# bans in June, revoke humanitarian programs## that shielded migrants from deportation# and cut refugee admissions to record lows.

The shooting of the two National Guardspeople# in the nation's capital in November prompted## a further tightening of visas.

Also this year,# the administration began a controversial rollout## of deportation operations in major sanctuary# cities across the country, with agents often## masked arresting immigrants at workplaces,# courthouses, even Home Depot parking lots.

In June, fiery protests in Los Angeles caused# President Trump to send in National Guard troops.

DONALD TRUMP: These are paid insurrectionists.# These are paid troublemakers.

LIZ LANDERS: Prompting the president to# float the idea of using the Insurrection Act,## which would allow the president to use# the military in a domestic setting.

It's## a threat he's continued to make into the new year.

KRISTI NOEM, U.S.

Homeland Security# Secretary: We did discuss the## Insurrection Act.

He certainly has th.. LIZ LANDERS: Those targeted operations spread# nationwide to Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans,## and, just this week, Maine, all this bolstered# by a surge in funding after the president's## signature tax and spending bill passed in the# summer, tripling the annual budget for ICE.

The administration faced significant# legal pushback in Chicago,## when a federal judge there determined# Customs and Border Patrol official## Greg Bovino was overstepping his# authority in handling protesters.

GREGORY BOVINO, Border Patrol Commander: The use# of force that I have seen has been exemplary, and,## by exemplary, I would say, the least amount# of force necessary to accomplish the mission.

LIZ LANDERS: In the aftermath of# the killing of an unarmed woman,## Renee Good, by an ICE officer in# Minneapolis, protests flared again.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen# Miller with this message to ICE officers: STEPHEN MILLER, White House Deputy# Chief of Staff: You have federal## immunity in the conduct of# your duties,.. lays a hand on you or tries to stop you or# tries to obstruct you is committing a felony.

LIZ LANDERS: But Democrats are hoping to# use the latest incidents to reduce funding## or force changes to immigration enforcement# if they do well in the midterm elections.

Joining us now to discuss all of this are# Chad Wolf.

He's a former acting secretary## of homeland security in the first Trump# administration and the current executive## director of the America First Policy Institute,# a conservative think tank.

And John Sandweg,## the former acting director of# ICE in the Obama administration.

Thank you both for joining us.

Chad, I want to start with you.

The president campaigned on this issue# of cracking down.. getting rid of people who are in the country# illegally.

But some of these chaotic scenes## that we're seeing out of Minneapolis, just# this week, we have seen CBP officer Bovino## using a smoke canister to clear a crowd, some of# this is causing public opinion to turn on him.

Polls are showing that a majority# of Americans think that ICE is## going too far.

Could this become a# political problem for the president?

CHAD WOLF, Former Acting U.S.

Secretary# of Homeland Security: Well, I think it's## certainly a political is.. I think it's important to remember, as# you indicated,.. very aggressive agenda, and the American people# agreed with him, but first to secure the border,## which I think most Americans would agree that has# happened.

We have record low apprehension numbers.

The second part, which is the most difficult# part, is to figure out where the millions## of folks went to that came across that# border during the Biden administration,## and then to remove the ones that don't have a# legal right to be here.

So that's what they're## doing in places like Minneapolis, Chicago,# but other places, like Texas and Florida,## also have a very high illegal alien population,# but you don't see those making the news, right?

You don't see big operations in Florida and Texas# making the news, and why is that?

Because you## have local law enforcement that support them.# And so places like Minneapolis and others are## really the exception to the rule, the rule# being that that close support with local## law enforcement really makes ICE's job, they# really do it outside of the limelight, right?

But when you don't have that,# then ICE is in the forefront.

LIZ LANDERS: John, speaking of how ICE# operates, yesterday, we learned about an## internal ICE memo that authorizes officers# to use force to enter a residence without## a judge's warrant to arrest someone with# an administrative final order of removal.

Vice President Vance said today# that this practice was also used## in previous administrations.

Was this part of# the training and guidance when you oversaw ICE?

JOHN SANDWEG, Former Acting# ICE Director: Liz, it wasn't.

It was a widely held belief and a firm legal# opinion of the departmen.. enter a residence without a judicial warrant,# right, a warrant that -- where you swear out## an affidavit explaining the probable cause and# it's issued by a federal judge or a magistrate.

Let me give you just a quick backdrop on this.# I mean, a lot of this is about -- first of all,## ICE has become very good at making apprehensions# of people at their residences without those## judicial warrants.

In my experience,# it was incredibly rare and I can't even## think of a single case where we obtained# a warrant by a civil enforcement action.

That said, the agents were great, would# approach the home, knock on the door,## ask the target to exit the house, make the arrest# there, or gain the consent of the homeowner in## order to enter the home.

It really wasn't a# significant impediment in ICE's operations.

What's changed, though, of course, Liz, is that# as part of these really highly publicized and,## in my experience, highly unusual law enforcement# operations, immigration and advocacy groups## have cautioned people to explain, really been# aggressive in promoting efforts to so people## know their rights, giving out those little# cards saying, know, be aware of your rights.

And included in there is this idea or the fact,# rather, that ICE agents could not enter a home## without a judicially authorized warrant.

Running# up against that, I'm sure the pressure at the## agency, it would be very cumbersome and slow if# they had to go get a judicial warrant every time.

LIZ LANDERS: Chad, I want to ask you,# the administration says that ICE agents## have absolute immunity.

We have heard# that from administration officials.

Do you think they should in all cases?

CHAD WOLF: Well, I think law enforcement enjoys## some pretty broad immunity# to do their job, absolutely.

But depending on if it's a state# official or a federal official,## there are limits to that.

So a lot depends# on circumstances.

A lot depends on the action## that they're involved in will depend on# what type of consequences can be held.

I will go back just to that last# question.

I think the larger issue## here at play is that -- and John's right.# You do have activist groups that are saying,## look, here's what you can do to stop ICE.# Here's what you can do to slow them down.

We have entered this world where most -- where# there are some people here that think ICE is## some type of second-class law enforcement# agency, that it's OK to put your car in the## middle of an operation, it's OK to slam the# door in their face.

You would never do this## for the DEA, the FBI if they are doing a# criminal operation in your neighborhood.

But yet somehow people believe it's# OK to do that because it's just ICE.## They're just enforcing immigration# law.

These are -- they are criminal## operations that ICE is involved# in.

I heard recently they go door## to door.

They don't go door to door.

They# have targets that they are identifying.

That could be in a car if they do a vehicle stop# or it's in a house if they approach the house.## These are criminal enforcement actions.# And this idea that you're going to have## activists and agitators and others trying# to impede or not adhere to lawful commands## is absurd.

You would never do that in any# other type of law enforcement operation.

And so I think the local officials, whether# that's a mayor or a governor or it's your## activist, telling citizens to do certain# things, they're putting them in danger.

LIZ LANDERS: John, I want to ask# you also about this image that we## saw of this 5-year-old boy who was# held in Minnesota by ICE yesterday.

ICE has said that the child was abandoned# by his father who was in the country## illegally and was being pursued by# officers.

But officials from his## school have said that officers used him# to lure family members from their home.

How should agents navigate this kind of situation?# And do -- did the agents do the right thing here?

JOHN SANDWEG: Liz, it's hard to know in any# one of these particular cases, right?

We're## only hearing glimpses of it, and we're thousands# of miles away from where these incidents happen.

That said, I will say one thing, a couple of# observations I have made.

I do worry about## the agency's reputation.

I do worry that it's# impacting its ability to do its job.

And I do## worry that what Chad is talking about, the lack# of respect the agency is getting, some of this is## brought on by the actions the agency is taking# or the manner in which they're being deployed.

In that case there, for instance, right, boy, you# want to have an -- you can have an immigration## enforcement policy that also recognizes we# need to protect family unity at all costs.## I understand there are allegations the father# went away.

And, again, I don't know all the facts.

But what I do know is, my understanding# is, there was no criminal history there.## And typically what the agency would do, and even# I venture to say, when I worked with Tom Homan,## Tom would do, is that, if you encounter a# case like that, where you decide we need to## take an immigration enforcement action, it doesn't# necessarily mean we have to effectuate an arrest.

Or if we do effectuate an arrest, we# can at least wait until the mother or## a legal guardian arrives to take# custody of the 5-year-old without## threat of being arrested.

But when you# adopt this zero-tolerance approach,## it creates these situations where now you're# going to have these risks of separating families.

The public has to see this image of ICE agents# hauling away a 5-year-old kid wearing a snow## hat that looks like an elephant.

And# it's hard to go out there and say,## hey, we're really focused on the worst of# the worst, and we're a serious criminal## law enforcement agency out here to promote# public safety when you see images like that.

I would just -- listen, I think -- I'm not# saying -- I think -- I have heard people say## it's a choice.

It's a choice between# open borders and supporting criminal## aliens or the images we're seeing.# And I just reject that.

The Obama## administration was heavily criticized# for its immigration enforcement record.

We deported hundreds of# thousands of criminal aliens,## and we did it without any of the scenes# you're seeing today or 5-year-olds,## images like that, being separated# from their brothers and sisters.

LIZ LANDERS: John Sandweg and Chad Wolf,# thank you so much for joining the "News Hour."

CHAD WOLF: Thank you.

JOHN SANDWEG: Thanks, Liz.

GEOFF BENNETT:## Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee# today sharply criticized former special## counsel Jack Smith over his investigation of# President Trump, which produced more than 40## criminal charges that have since been dropped.# GOP lawmakers accused Smith of partisanship.

But, as Ali Rogin reports, Smith defended his# conduct, saying the law required him to act.

REP.

JIM JORDAN (R-OH): Do you swear# a firm under penalty of perjury that## the test money you're about to give is true?

ALI ROGIN: The first public hearing# for former special.. REP.

JIM JORDAN: So help you God?

JACK SMITH, Former Special Counse.. ALI ROGIN: ... quickly became# a sharp pa.. REP.

DARRELL ISSA (R-CA): And with that,# I yield back in disgust of this witness.

REP.

ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): These guys,# my Republican colleagues, are a joke.

ALI ROGIN: Even as Smith tried# to stay above the political fray.

JACK SMITH: I am not a politician# and I have no partisan loyalties.

ALI ROGIN: As he defended his more than two# year investigation into President Trump.

JACK SMITH: We followed the facts and we# followed the law.

Where that led us was## to an indictment of an unprecedented criminal# scheme to block the peaceful transfer of power.

ALI ROGIN: Smith's team charged Trump# with conspiring to overturn the 2020## presidential election he lost, culminating# in the January 6 Capitol riot.

Smith and the## Department of Justice dropped the# charges after Trump was reelected.

A separate case and 40 criminal charges# related to classified documents Trump## kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida# were dismissed by a federal judge in 2024,## who said Smith had been unlawfully appointed.

JACK SMITH: Our investigation developed proof# beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump## engaged in criminal activity.

If asked whether# to prosecute a former president based on the same## facts today, I would do so regardless of whether# that president was a Democrat or a Republican.

ALI ROGIN: Smith's testimony comes as the# Trump administration continues to attack## his credibility.

The Justice Department has fired# many who worked on the January 6 investigation.## A watchdog agency is looking into Smith's work.

And President Trump continues to attack# him, including during the hearing,## posting on TRUTH Social that Smith# is a deranged animal who shouldn't## be allowed to practice law and that he hoped the# attorney general was looking at what he's done.

Democrats read the post aloud.

REP.

JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): We have a word for this.# It's called weaponization.

It's called corruption.

ALI ROGIN: But Republicans backed the president,## directly accusing Smith of being a partisan# actor weaponizing the Department of Justice.

REP.

DARRELL ISSA: You, like the# president's men for Richard Nixon,## went after your political enemies.

Maybe# they're not your political enemies,## but they sure as hell were Joe Biden's political# enemies, weren't they?

They were Harris'## political enemies.

They were the enemies of the# president, and you were their arm, weren't you?

JACK SMITH: No.

ALI ROGIN: Republicans.. calls made by Republican senators around# January 6.

Smith said it was common for## investigators to collect call logs,# which do not include their content.

REP.

JIM JORDAN: Not going to be charged.

They're# not going to see it.

They're not going to know## because we're not going to tell them.

So let's# go ahead and do it.

It's exactly what happened.

JACK SMITH: The toll records that we secured## in the nondisclosure orders# were consistent with policy.

ALI ROGIN: Democrats on the committee# praised Smith for his service.

REP.

STEVE COHEN (D-TN): I think# you're a great American and you## came out of this as being somebody# who people can respect and look up to.

ALI ROGIN: And asked about how# many Republicans he relied on## during his investigation into the 2020 election.

JACK SMITH: Some of the most powerful witnesses# were witnesses who in fact were fellow Republicans## who had voted for Donald Trump, who had campaigned# for him and who wanted him to win the election.

ALI ROGIN: The classified documents# case got far fewer questions.

The## Trump-appointed judge in that case had# sealed a report Smith's team prepared## and Trump's lawyers are asking for it# to be permanently blocked from release.

One question Smith left open was# whether someone could or should## revisit his charges when Trump leaves office.

REP.

HANK JOHNSON (D-GA): So they can be refiled## and he can be prosecuted after he# leaves office; is that correct?

JACK SMITH: I'm not going to speak to that.

ALI ROGIN: He only said the case# was dismissed without prejud.. meaning it was not closed for good.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Ali Rogin.

AMNA NAWAZ: Former school police officer# Adrian Gonzales was acquitted Wednesday## on charges that he failed to act# against the gunman during crucial## early moments of the mass shooting at# Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The 2022 school shooting, one of# the deadliest in American history,## left 19 children and two teachers# dead.

Gonzales was one of the first## officers to arrive and one of just two# charged for their initial response.

At## least 370 law enforcement officers# ultimately rushed to the school.

Jesse Rizzo, whose 9-year-old niece,## Jackie Cazares, was killed that# day, spoke after the verdict.

JESSE RIZZO, Uvalde Victim Family Member: I# was very hopeful for guilty verdicts.

I mean,## at stake, what do we have?

We# have children at stake, absolutely## innocent children that did everything that they# were trained to do, hide, turn the lights off.

But the officer that was trained to do exactly,# to encounter, to go towards the shooter,## to listen to the gunshot, everything, right,# and what does he do?

Sit back for an hour## and change -- I'm sorry -- for a minute in# chains while the massacre continues to happen.

AMNA NAWAZ: For more on the trial and# how the Uvalde community is reacting,## I'm joined by Tony Plohetski.

He's investigative# reporter for The Austin-American Statesman.

Tony, thanks for joining us.

So, Gonzales was facing 29 counts of# abandoning or endangerin.. were prosecutors saying he did wrong# and how did his defense team respond?

TONY PLOHETSKI, The Austin-American# Statesman: Amna, this case was,## according to experts, going to be# legally complicated from the outset.

But prosecutors contend that there were a# couple of crucial minutes when Officer Gonzales,## who was one of the first officers to arrive at# the elementary school, could have intervened## or even distracted the gunman prior to# his entry into Robb Elementary School.

But his defense set forward a case in which# they said he took a number of actions to,## in fact, protect children that day.

He# took a number of steps.

And they say that## he was also operating in a very confusing,# quickly moving and highly dynamic situation.

AMNA NAWAZ: What about some of the# families?

We know they were in the## courtroom during this trial.

You heard from# one of the uncles there.

And people have## been fighting for accountability.

How# were they reacting to this acquittal?

TONY PLOHETSKI: This is the latest in a profound## disappointment for the families of# those 19 children and two teachers.

They have been calling for action in the 3.5# years since the shooting.

They, of course,## went to state lawmakers to try to press for# some sort of gun reform.

And they also were## hoping that they would receive some measure# of accountability at the criminal courthouse.

Amna, many of them traveled hundreds of miles# from their home in Uvalde to Corpus Christi,## where this trial was held, for a change of venue,# but, again, leaving that courthouse and that## courtroom profoundly disappointed in the outcome,# but, as we also know, looking ahead to the future,## where there will be another trial of former Uvalde# School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo.

AMNA NAWAZ: And, Tony, what do we# know about that upcoming trial?## Does this acquittal and this trial mean# anything for that other upcoming trial?

TONY PLOHETSKI: Legal experts I have been# talking to today say that the ability -- and## we know that prosecutors did have the ability# to meet with jurors who delivered that not## guilty verdict yesterday evening -- that they# did have a chance to receive their feedback.

And so what legal experts say is that they# will likely take that information and use it## to continue to firm up their case against# the former police chief.

But, Amna, it's## also very important to note that Officer# Adrian Gonzales and the police chief,## the former police chief, are not similarly# situated in terms of their actions that day.

Experts say they took very different actions# and also had very different responsibilities.## So it is likely, according to numerous# experts we have talked to today who have## been following these cases, that# the prosecution almost undoubtedly## will proceed in coming months in this# case against the former police chief.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tony, I have got less than# a minute left, but I have to ask you,## because I know you have covered this# shooting, as have I, since it happened,## in the 3.5 years in this tight-knit community# in Uvalde, how are they doing today?

TONY PLOHETSKI: I think that many of# them continue to press forward.

They## want accountability, but also the profound# grief in that community still exists today,## as parents try to, as best as# anyone could possibly do so,## move forward with their lives with what# happened to them that terrible day in 2022.

AMNA NAWAZ: We should note those# children killed that day today## would be 12 or 13 years old.

Our# thoughts are with their families.

Tony Plohetski of The Austin-American# Statesman, thank you for joining us.

TONY PLOHETSKI: Thank you.

GEOFF BENNETT: America's judicial# system is undergoing one of its## most consequential stress tests in# decades, as the president pushes the## limits of executive power and strains the# nation's system of checks and balances.

Over the past year, the courts have# moved to the center of the country's## most significant political fights, while# the Trump administration has increasingly## challenged the authority of judges, whose# rulings have stalled key parts of its agenda.

As we mark a year into President Trump's# second term, we're returning this week## to guests from our On Democracy series,# which explores the laws, institutions,## and norms that have shaped this country and# the different pressures they face today.

We're joined now by Steve Vladeck,## a constitutional law professor# at Georgetown University.

Welcome back to the program.

STEVE VLADECK, Georgetown University Law.. GEOFF BENNETT: I want to start with# immigration enforcement be.. raising the most immediate# constitutional questions.

As you well know, there is this# newly revealed internal ICE memo## that authorizes federal agents to forcibly# enter homes with an administrative warrant,## instead of a warrant from a judge.

And# the whistle-blowers who presented this## memo to Congress says this goes not just# against their training, but also the law.

How do you assess the constitutional# legitimacy of this policy?

STEVE VLADECK: Yes, it's not legitimate.# I mean, the whistle-blower is right.

So the Supreme Court, even as it has poked# holes in the Fourth Amendment over the last 35,## 40 years, the one thing it has kept# coming back to is that an American's## home is their castle.

And so there# are exigent circumstances in which## law enforcement officers are allowed# to enter a home without a warrant.

We just had a case about that a couple of weeks## ago.

There are circumstances where a law# enforcement officer might have probab.. cause to believe that there's a# crime being under way in a home.

But this notion that an ICE officer can simply# sign a piece of paper called an administrative## warrant and use that as a basis for entering# someone's home without any probable cause, without## any exigency, without a federal judge signing# off has no precedent in our jurisprudence and is,## frankly, flatly inconsistent with everything the# Supreme Court has said about the Fourth Amendment.

GEOFF BENNETT: Our team reached out# to DHS and received a statement,## part of which reads this way.

"The officers issuing these administrative# warrants also have found probable cause.## For decades, the Supreme Court# and Congress have recognized the## propriety of administrative warrants# in cases of immigration enforcement."

Is that the case?

STEVE VLADECK: No.

So, administrative warrants, when there# is a basis.. crime under way or when there's a basis for# believing that you're definitely going to## find someone who's immediately arrestable and# subject to mandatory detention, that's closer.

But, Geoff, you can't put the cart# before the horse.

You can't say,## we went into the house without a judicially# signed warrant and then found someone who## we could arrest on an immigration# violation.

That's bootstrapping.

The reality is that the government's not supposed# to be able to go door to door without warrants,## barging into American's homes.

I mean, just to go# way back, this was one of the grievances against## King George III that we list specifically in# the Declaration of Independence.

There's a## reason why we have a Fourth Amendment.# There's a reason why it applies even## to folks who are suspected of and may well be# out of status from an immigration perspective.

GEOFF BENNETT: If immigration enforcement in# particular is pushing the limits of executive## power, where does the president's constitutional# authority begin and where does it end?

STEVE VLADECK: So, I mean, at least historically,## we have viewed immigration enforcement inside# the country not as part .. exclusive Article II powers, but as a shared# authority between the president and Congress.

Maybe, Geoff, it's different at the border,# because the president could have an argument## at the border that now I'm engaged in my Article# II self-defense function.

But once we're talking## about law enforcement on a house-by-house# basis in American cities, that's where## it has historically been up to the president# to carry out what Congress has provided for.

Congress hasn't provided for this.

And this# dovetails with this broader push by the Trump## administration, also dating back to last summer,# to treat anyone who's in the country who was never## lawfully admitted, even if they have been here# 30 or 40 years, as if they were stopped at the## border, so that the government can then try to# deny them a bond hearing if they're arrested.

It really is a categorical wholesale rethinking of# immigration law that, Geoff, so far federal courts## have been blocking overwhelmingly judges from# across the geographical and ideological spectrum.

GEOFF BENNETT: When we spoke almost# a year ago about this very topic,## whether the courts could meaningfully# act as a check on executive power,## we didn't really know much because# it was so early into the second term.

But looking back over that year, what has# stood out?

What has surprised you the most?

STEVE VLADECK: I think a couple of# the points that stand out, one is,## the federal courts, I think, have# done a really remarkable job of at## least serving as a speed break on many of this# administration's more aggressive tendencies.

The Alien Enemies Act, for example, was# never successfully deployed because of## the federal courts.

President Trump's# birthright citizenship executive order## still hasn't gotten into effect because of# the courts.

But the courts can't do it alone.

And some of that's because we have had all# these interventions from the U.S.

Supreme## Court that have allowed the administration# to carry out a bunch of these policies while## these cases are going forward.

But even in# the cases where there hasn't been Supreme## Court intervention, the courts are more# of a rearguard action here, Geoff, right?

And you really need multiple institutions# holding each other accountable.

GEOFF BENNETT: Are we in the# midst of a constitutional crisis?

STEVE VLADECK: That question, I think, is --# sort of has different meanings to everybody.

I don't know what the -- where the line# is, where you cross the line and say,## hey, now it's a crisis.

I think we're in# the middle of an institutional crisis,## and we have been for the better# part of a year.

And it's a crisis## caused largely by the fact that we have an# ambitious executive, we have a, I think,## fairly well-functioning judiciary, and we# have a completely sort of indolent Congress.

And the founders set up our constitutional# structure so that the branches would work the## best and our rights would be best protected# when the branches were all pushing against## each other.

With an ambitious executive# and ambitious courts and no Congress,## I think we're seeing the problem, which# is everything comes down to injunctions,## temporary restraining orders, and whether# the executive branch is going to comply.

I don't know that it's a constitutional crisis,# but also I'm not sure that that's the relevant## question.

Our institutions are under pressure in# ways that they really haven't been in American## history.

And although I think the courts have done# a very good job of holding the line to this point,## you know, there's going to come a# point where they need some help.

And whether that's going to be from# Congress perhaps on the far side of## this year's midterm elections or from some# other actors, I think that's going to be## the critical question as we look toward# the next 12 months of this presidency.

GEOFF BENNETT: Steve Vladeck,# always a pleasure to speak with you.

STEVE VLADECK: Likewise, Geoff.

Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ:## In this morning's Oscars announcement, the movie# "It Was Just an Accident" made by acclaimed## Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was nominated for# best foreign film and best original screenplay.

Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown recently# met with the director to talk about his work,## his country in distress, and the work# of what he calls a social filmmaker.

It's for our Art in Action series,## exploring the intersection of art and# democracy, as part of our Canvas coverage.

JEFFREY BROWN: The sound of a# prosthetic leg dragging across a floor,## terrifying to a mechanic named Vahid,# who, blindfolded as a political prisoner,## was tortured by a man he knew only# from his voice and this very sound.

Vahid kidnaps the man and then he# and a group of others who suffered## the same horror and are now trying# to pick up the pieces of their lives## are forced to wonder, is this in fact# their torturer?

And, if so, what now?

For Jafar Panahi, the director of "It Was# Just an Accident," the story is personal,## partly based on his own experience in prison.

JAFAR PANAHI, Director (through translator):# When I was being interrogated, I always had a## blindfold on my eyes and I was facing a wall# with a piece of paper in my hand.

Someone## would ask me questions and I would answer on# the paper.

I didn't know who was behind me.

I only heard his voice or his movements when he# was walking.

And I always wanted to know who he## was, know what he looks like.

And if I saw him# outside of here, would I recognize him or not?

JEFFREY BROWN: Panahi, 65, is a celebrated figure# in world cinema, winner of top awards at major## film festivals, his films renowned for capturing# the humanity of life in Iran, even amid the ruling## Islamic Republic's authoritarian stifling of# daily existence and violent crackdowns on descent.

But he has also paid a price.

In 2010,# he was sentenced to six years in prison## for propaganda against the state.# He undertook a hunger strike and,## amid an international outcry,# was released after three months,## but not allowed to travel.

Film festivals# honored him with an empty chair on stage.

In 2022, he was arrested again and# served seven months in Tehran's## notorious Evin prison.

Upon his release,# he vowed not to forget those still held.

JAFAR PANAHI (through translator): Some# of them had not seen the outside world## for five or six years.

They shared their# pain and suffering.

They talked to you.## They ate with you.

They walked in the yard with# you.

All these things come together so that,## when you leave prison, you feel like# there is a weight on your shoulders.

JEFFREY BROWN: One result, a new film,# a different kind of vengeance thriller,## one that often sprinkles in bits of humor,# as when his characters constantly bickering,## one in bridal gown for her wedding photos,# have to push their van through Tehran traffic.

For Panahi, the real question isn't retribution,## but how a society ever moves# beyond the cycle of violence.

JAFAR PANAHI (through translator):# History has shown that these kinds## of governments can't survive.

One day it will# end.

One day it .. In the film, all these people in our# conversations with their emotional standpoints,## they want to release it in some way.

All# of this is just to make the viewer think,## what's going to happen?

The same conditions?# The same anger?

Same conflict?

Same violence?## Same harsh treatments?

Is it supposed to# continue?

Or, no, it must stop one day?

JEFFREY BROWN: You have said that# you're not a political filmmaker,## but a social filmmaker.

What does that mean?

JAFAR PANAHI (through translator): Social# filmmaking is a filmmaking that takes the## subjects of its films, its ideas and what's# in its past into consideration.

And it never## categorizes the characters into the good people# and the bad people, contrary to political films.

That is why I say I make social films,# but it may be a political subject.

JEFFREY BROWN: He's also an endlessly# creative filmmaker, often out of necessity.## When he was punished with a 20-year ban# on filmmaking, he responded with "This## Is Not a Film," a kind of home movie shot# on an iPhone.

It was shown the world over.

So, "This Is Not a Film," but it is a film.

It's# almost a kind of joke, but a very serious one.

JAFAR PANAHI (through translator): Yes,# because they give an order that was more## of a joke.

What does it mean when you tell a# filmmaker, you can't make a film for 20 years.. That's when you say, no, you can't stop the# filmmaker from making movies.

He finds a way.## He makes a film.

You say, stop making films.# So I will say this is not a film at all.

JEFFREY BROWN: That ban was eventually# lifted, but Panahi still refuses to## submit his scripts to government censors.# He shot "It Was Just an Accident" in secret,## made nightly backups of digital# material, and protected his actors,## many of them nonprofessional, by limiting# their knowledge of the full story.

JAFAR PANAHI (through translator): But# when you were in those circumstances,## the type of filmmaking, working underground,# that's what it looks like.

That's the norm.

JEFFREY BROWN: Do you believe that an artist --# do you believe that you as an artist, have some## responsibility to use your art, your filmmaking,# to address the social conditions in the country?

JAFAR PANAHI (through translator):# Whether I have a duty or not,## I don't look at it as a duty.

Rather, I feel# that, in these conditions,.. I must make this film.

Even if# my films are not being shown,## at the end of the day, I prepared a new set# of conditions for history, for the future,## for the time when the conditions are suitable for# these films to be seen, these films to be seen.

JEFFREY BROWN: As Panahi's film racks up acclaim# and awards, his country is again in turmoil,## with demonstrations in the streets and# deadly responses from the regime.

And## Panahi himself faces an uncertain future,# a new one-year prison sentence handed down## while he was out of the country for so-called# propaganda activities related to his work.

I know you're appealing, but you have also said# publicly that you will return to Iran.

Why?

JAFAR PANAHI (through translator):# I don't understand this question at## all.

When you know that what you do# has a price and you have to pa.. and when you see people in prison who# have been imprisoned over and over again,## but they stand on their beliefs, well,# why don't you as a filmmaker do the same?

JEFFREY BROWN: And, he adds, Iran is the# place he knows, its language and culture,## the small details of its life# and big questions of its future.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm# Jeffrey Brown in New York.

AMNA NAWAZ:## And that is the "News Hour"# for tonight.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.

For all of us here at the "News Ho..