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Kilmar Abrego Garcia Appears At Baltimore ICE Field Office; Washington State Rivers Surge To Record High Levels, Flooding Homes; Today: Ex-Michigan Football Coach In Court After Firing, Arrest. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired December 12, 2025 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[07:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Just moments ago in Baltimore we heard from Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was freed after a judge ordered his immediate release from ICE custody. The judge wrote that since his return from wrongful detention in El Salvador he was re-detained again without lawful authority.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is in Baltimore again where Kilmar Abrego Garcia just spoke. Tell us what's happening.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from immigration custody just yesterday. This was after a judge's order for his immediate release. That judge found in a 31-page decision that he had been detained without legal authority.

Now, as you mentioned, Abrego Garcia just spoke to a crowd of supporters here. He is in Maryland now inside this field office behind me. This is for a mandatory check-in, which is part of his release. As he spoke with supporters, he said that he was going in there today with his head held high.

I want to read you part of the judge's order. In it they said, "Since Abrego Garcia's return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained again without lawful authority. For this reason, the court will grant Abrego Garcia's petition for immediate release from ICE custody."

His legal team picked him up in Pennsylvania yesterday and then again, like I said, in here in Maryland for this mandatory check-in.

Following the judge's order, his attorney spoke with CNN and made it clear that this back-and-forth -- this legal battle is likely far from over. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON SANDOVAL-MOSHENBERG, ATTORNEY REPRESENTING KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA: It's very unlikely that they're going to leave him alone, and I think they're going to keep coming after him. The exact means in which they do that we don't know. But he's now got new legal options as well, right? He now has an open runway to apply for asylum in the United States if that's what he chooses to do. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now, Abrego Garcia's story has no doubt become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts after he was wrongfully deported to El Salvador. The El Salvadoran man was eventually returned to the United States but obviously the struggles are still ongoing. The administration has looked for several other countries there -- where they could re-deport him to. That includes several countries in Africa who have said that they would not accept that deportation. Costa Rica though, it is important to note, has said that they would grant him protections, and his attorneys have said that he would be willing to go there.

Now, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security blasted this ruling and made it clear that they were going to appeal.

Now, again, I think you can hear them here. Supporters have gathered and encouraged him to go in there today and to see all of this legal process play out.

BERMAN: Julia Benbrook on the scene in Baltimore, again, where we just did hear from Kilmar Abrego Garcia. This new step in what has been an incredibly long odyssey. Thank you so much for your reporting -- Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Thank you, John.

Millions of Americans are on the brink of skyrocketing spikes in healthcare costs beginning January 1. Time is running out for Congress to pass a patch for the Affordable Care Act or a new plan after two plans failed in the Senate.

President Trump now saying this about working on a plan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What a nice group of Democrats. We do have a lot of Democrats and we welcome you. Honestly, we do. And I think we're going to start working together on healthcare. I really predict that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Joining me now, Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey. He is the vice-chair of the House Problem Solvers Caucus.

All right. So Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says that he talked to the president after the Senate failed to pass two different bills and the president said, "I want a whole new ACA." Do you have even time to do that?

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ): I don't think we have any time given the fact that you're just talking about days from now, right? On January 1, premiums will be skyrocketing for millions and millions of families.

In Jersey, where I live, you're talking about 175 percent increase in premiums -- like $20,000 for a family of four. That's insane with what families are already dealing with, with housing prices and the cost of food, and the impact of tariffs across the board, and electric bills.

So, you know, we've put together a bipartisan plan. We've been working together for months, many of us, and we have a plan to extend those tax credits to help people pay for those premiums and get premium prices down so they can afford life next month. And the bottom line is we're here, we're ready, and we'll sit down with the president today to talk to him, if he wants to, about our plan.

[07:35:00]

But the bottom line is this. The idea that we're going to try to start over when we have one week left in session just days before Christmas, that's not going to get done. And we've got a plan on the table that has bipartisan support and my feeling is we should just get that across the finish line and take a vote, work with the president, and get that implemented.

SIDNER: We saw that your Republican John Higgins introduced that bipartisan bill signed on by about 38 congressmembers that would extend the Affordable Care Act credits for a couple of years.

I do want you to respond to what Speaker Mike Johnson has said after our Manu Raju asked him about that bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Speaker, what do you -- what do you say to these swing district Republicans who are really clamoring -- really begging for a vote on a two-year extension of these ACA subsidies and worried about the impact on their constituents and voters?

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I've spoken to all my colleagues. We've all worked around the clock to try to come up with a solution that satisfies the needs of all of our constituents.

RAJU: But will you give them -- will you give them a vote. Will you give them a vote?

JOHNSON: We're working on a package of legislation that will reduce premiums for all Americans, not just seven percent of them. And I've been talking to every one of these colleagues in the tough districts about that, so stay tuned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: I mean, ultimately, he's not saying there is going to be a vote on the bill that is bipartisan that you and your colleague have come up with.

So if that doesn't pass by December 31, is this the beginning of the end of Obamacare?

GOTTHEIMER: No. I mean, what we're talking about here is the beginning of the end of an attempt to actually get prices down for folks and make their lives more affordable.

You know, what I don't understand about -- and listen, if the speaker has a solution that's actually going to get health insurance premiums down and help extend these tax credits so their premiums don't go up 175 percent come January, of course, we're all ears. And, you know, I'll sit down with anybody if we've got a solution to help people out.

But the bottom line is for -- we've known about this for months and they have done nothing about it. And we're going to keep making sure people have, as best we can, more affordable healthcare. But if you've got, you know, some of them on the far right refusing to even have a conversation about how we're going to make life more affordable for people, you know, it's just incredibly frustrating for many of us, which is why I -- you know, I -- there's a bipartisan group of us -- again, Democrats, Republicans -- who have a solution. It's on the table. As you pointed out, you've got 38 members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, who have signed onto this. You know, I've talked to many of my colleagues in the Senate who think this is a good solution.

So my feeling is let's get a vote on this thing. Let's solve this problem next week and let everyone go home for the holidays with lower health insurance premiums instead of facing some coal in their stockings on Christmas with higher premiums next year, which to me is totally and completely unacceptable.

People are struggling with these tariff prices, with -- you know, with the impact of the tariffs and -- which is just a giant tax on people. They're struggling with their electric bills and the cost of food and everything else. So we need to make life more affordable for them and that's what we're focused on, and making sure they have this health insurance.

SIDNER: You've been tapped to co-chair the Democrats' new committee on artificial intelligence. So I am curious, moving to a different subject, what you make of the president's new executive order which basically forbids individual states from doing any legislation on AI?

GOTTHEIMER: Obviously, that's not the best way to actually come up with some solutions to the challenges we're facing. Listen, AI has huge opportunities for the country, whether you're talking about education, science, medicine, and so much potential. But obviously we've got to make sure it's done in the right way.

There's big questions about child safety and guardrails that we need to face higher -- facing energy prices, and transparency in stopping things like deepfakes.

So there's a way to do this and there's a way to work together to get a federal solution here. And he should work with Congress, not threaten states -- and this is what they did yesterday. They literally threatened states to take away their broadband money for families if they don't go along with their plan. You know, that's not the best way to solve this problem. Let's all work together.

And this commission that I'm proud to co-chair, which leader Jeffries has put together, is focused on one thing: How do we seize on the opportunities but actually make sure we have smart guardrails to deal with child safety and deal with energy issues and transparence, and make sure this is done in the right way and working together. And to me, that's the best way we can get to a good solution for everybody.

SIDNER: There are certainly some governors who are wondering about what happened to states' rights when it comes to this particular executive order. We will see what happens going forward in the work that you all do.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer, thank you so much. I do appreciate it. Have a good weekend -- Kate.

GOTTHEIMER: Thanks for having me.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Some news just in as critical rescue efforts in the Pacific Northwest are -- continue to be and are already underway. Rivers that were expected to reach major flood stage today have crested, we have learned this morning, and that is good news.

[07:40:00]

But the very serious threat that this weather event has posed -- has presented -- it still remains. Floodwaters have inundated communities in Washington State, forcing people even onto the rooftops to get to safety.

One woman living on the Nooksack River describes what it has been like really facing this threat now for days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBY YATES, LIVES IN WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON, MEMBER, EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM, NOOKSACK TRIBAL MEMBER: All night we could hear trees coming down, crashing, boulders rolling in the water from inside the house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Yeah, that is Abby Yates. She lives in Whatcom County and is a member of the emergency response team for the Nooksack tribe, and she is joining us right now. Abby, thank you so much for being here.

How are things going?

YATES (via Webex by Cisco): Uh, it's been a really stressful time for our community. Where I live on the Nooksack River it is upriver from several of our communities here in Whatcom County. And so the river crested at my house yesterday morning, but it didn't crest downriver until I believe during the middle of the night. And I've had a lot of friends and family who have had to be evacuated. It's been very scary.

BOLDUAN: I mean, scary -- it's terrifying -- just the video that you -- you know, that you have been kind of tracking how this has played out. That's scary enough. I can imagine that it's --

YATES: Yeah.

BOLDUAN: -- all the more scary and it reaches a whole other level in the middle of the night when -- as you're kind of dealing with this and facing this down. What has that been like?

YATES: Yeah. So I'm about a 30-second walk from the river from my back door and my bedroom is on the back side of my house. And so all night, literally, just trees coming down. There's an island on the river bar and we lost -- I mean, it had to have been probably at least 50 trees in the middle of the night --

BOLDUAN: Wow.

YATES: -- two nights ago.

It has calmed down a little bit last night, but it was still loud. You can literally hear these giant boulders going down and huge cedar trees going down the river. It's just really unbelievable.

BOLDUAN: The mayor of Orting was on with me yesterday and he said one thing that people maybe don't appreciate is not just the level of flooding but -- at least what he's seen -- how fast the water is moving, which is why it is so dangerous.

Are you seeing that, too?

YATES: Yes, for sure. I've never seen the water move this quickly. In the floods of 2021, it was higher at my home than it was this time, but the water was much faster this time.

BOLDUAN: You've lived on the banks of the Nooksack River most of your life and you are really integrated and you are a member of the community there.

What do you think this is going to be -- going to mean for your community and kind of once the waters finally start to recede what people are going to be dealing with?

YATES: The things that I was hearing from people yesterday on our community groups online and from people I know is people literally just got their homes fixed or are still in the process of fixing their homes from the last major flood in 2021. And it's been really devastating to finally feel like they have their home back, they have that sense of security, and now they're starting all over again.

I have a friend who didn't leave her home. She really thought it can't be as bad again. They just got their home fixed, and their home was underwater and they were trapped there and had to be rescued.

And so it's just -- there's a lot of devastation and it's going to take years and years to recover from this in our community.

BOLDUAN: Yeah. I mean, just an example from 2021 and they're still just now recovering and what that now means.

Our meteorologist was on earlier this hour and said that the rain is dissipating but heavy rain, at least in certain places, is going to be picking back up on Sunday.

What's your biggest concern?

YATES: My biggest concern, I live in Everson outside of the city limits. There are -- there are at least a couple of dozen homes that have been built up since the last floods and that entire road was shut down again. And so seeing -- just driving through yesterday and seeing the water for miles and miles, it was just really terrifying.

And what I keep seeing from my friends in the flood zone is that they're just really scared. My own aunt -- she had water up to her -- almost to her door and she said if there's any more water that comes down from the sky it will be back in their home. And they also just got their basement redone.

BOLDUAN: Oh my God. Story after story.

Abby, thank you for what you do. Thanks for coming on. I really appreciate it. It's nice to meet you. I'm so sorry it's under these circumstances -- John.

BERMAN: All right.

Developing this morning, the now-former head football coach at the University of Michigan, Sherrone Moore, expected to be in court for his first formal arraignment. It caps off what has been a shocking few days for one of the most storied programs in all of college sports. Michigan fired Moore for what school officials said was credible evidence that Moore was "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member."

[07:45:10]

And then just hours later he was placed under arrest. Police confirm they took a suspect into custody after being called to investigate an alleged assault, but the exact details of the situation still unclear -- very unclear.

Let's go to Ann Arbor. CNN's Whitney Wild is there covering what really is kind of a mystery this morning, though we could soon get some answers.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: There are still a lot of details that we don't know, John, but we are working through them.

We sent the University of Michigan a detailed list of questions. When did this investigation start? Who is going to conduct it? Is this going to be made public? This university is just not talking, telling CNN that this is a personnel matter, and they are not commenting any further.

Let's start with the criminal pending -- potential criminal cases here in Washtenaw County. This is the Washtenaw County Jail. This is where we understand Sherrone Moore is still in custody. He has been in custody for coming up on 48 hours now. Law enforcement says that this incident began at 4:10 with an alleged

assault, as you had mentioned. He was formally booked into the Washtenaw County Jail around 10:30 on Wednesday evening, but we still don't have a police report. We are requesting more information from local law enforcement here. There are two separate agencies -- local police departments -- who are involved here in addition to the Washtenaw County prosecutor's office. So more questions remain, John.

But as you said, we expect to see him in court today, although I think it's important to point out he does not appear on the docket yet. And so there are many questions about how clean is this case -- how rock- solid is it if it's taking up to 48 hours to even bring him before a judge. So those are the outstanding questions we have.

Let me just walk you through what the University of Michigan is saying, which is limited, but they are sending communications to the community. Here is a quote from the president's email. "There is absolutely no tolerance for this conduct at the University of Michigan. None. I have been in close communication with the Board of Regents, and we are united in committing to doing what is right."

So again, John, just to kind of walk through the fact pattern here. Sherrone Moore was fired. Hours later, this is -- there was this alleged assault. He is still in custody. And so the other big question is was this alleged assault somehow in reaction to him being fired? These are the questions that we are continuing to ask. We hope to learn more in court today if he does, in fact, appear for an arraignment.

John, this comes after years of scandal that has plagued one of the most storied, if not the most storied teams in NCAA football. The University of Michigan is an historic team -- one that should still feel the afterglow of having won the national championship. Years of scandal, including the sign-stealing scandal.

The recruiting scandal under former coach Jim Harbaugh. Sherrone Moore swooped in when Jim Harbaugh was on the bench for that. He was supposed to be a leader here. Now the university is saying that he has been fired for an inappropriate relationship, John.

BERMAN: Whitney Wild there in Ann Arbor. I've got to say you did a great job explaining to us what we know, and what we really know is right now there are more questions than we have answers. Thank you so much for being there. Keep us posted if we learn more of the details here. Thank you so much -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right.

Ahead, what police are saying caused this home to explode like that. Six people were injured there.

And while you were sleeping the new Taylor Swift docuseries dropped, and apparently there are some big surprises. A preview, next.

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:52:48]

SIDNER: This morning we are standing by for closing arguments in the murder trial of Brian Walshe, the Massachusetts man who admitted to disposing of his wife's body but not murdering her.

Walshe's defense team rested Thursday after a stunning turn of events. The defendant informing the court he would not be taking the stand. Walshe's defense not calling any witnesses or putting on any evidence.

Back with me now is CNN's Jean Casarez. It is not stunning that he didn't take the stand. It is stunning that no witnesses were called by the defense, but they don't have to.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

SIDNER: It is on the prosecution to prove the case.

What did you learn?

CASAREZ: Right, and here's what we know. We know closing arguments are going to start in about an hour. What we don't know -- we haven't seen the verdict sheet. So is it just premeditated murder and no lesser includeds because that means either conviction -- life in prison forever -- or total acquittal.

And it was shocking yesterday because the judge came to the bench and she said last night, "The defense informed me the defendant will be testifying." And it's like oh my goodness. And then there was this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE DIANE FRENIERE, MASSACHUSETTS SUPERIOR COURT: As an initial matter does the defense still intend to call Mr. Walsh today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not.

FRENIERE: You do not?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

FRENIERE: Does the defense intend to call any other witnesses?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not.

FRENIERE: All right. Have you made a decision about whether you wish to testify at this trial?

BRIAN WALSHE, MURDER DEFENDANT: Yes, I have.

FRENIERE: And what is your decision?

WALSHE: I will not testify.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: So there it goes. Now here's the big challenge for the prosecution Sara, because all of those texts -- and they are so incriminating, but there is not one text about how to commit murder. How do you murder someone? What's the best way to do it? It is all after the fact. All the texts have to do with after the fact, which is the dismemberment -- all of them.

SIDNER: Right.

CASAREZ: So the challenge for the prosecution is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to all moral certainty, which is Massachusetts terminology, that he premeditated the murder. I think the defense believes that reasonable doubt is built into this, and I think they may be going for a total acquittal here if you actually look at the law.

[07:55:05]

I think -- do we have time to show a knife? There was a kitchen knife that the prosecution introduced into evidence, and they kept saying to the jury it goes for DNA -- it went for DNA testing. I was waiting for this knife. We heard yesterday outside the presence of the jury no DNA on the knife at all.

SIDNER: Huh.

CASAREZ: But he did a search: Can you eliminate DNA of a knife in a dishwasher?

SIDNER: Oh, those text messages. The jury has a lot to go through. But it was fascinating that they had no witnesses for the defense --

CASAREZ: Absolutely.

SIDNER: -- in this case.

Jean Casarez, it's a pleasure. I know you'll be watching every minute of it --

CASAREZ: Yes.

SIDNER: -- and bringing it to us when you get it.

CASAREZ: Thank you.

SIDNER: Kate.

BOLDUAN: This morning there is new video coming out of California. A Ring doorbell camera -- oh my gosh -- capturing the moment a massive gas explosion was triggered at a home. One witness says it looked like watching a war video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Home explodes.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BOLDUAN: Officials say it happened after a construction crew hit an underground gas line. Can you imagine? At least six people were injured and taken to the hospital.

A father and son rescued after being caught deep in the Florida Everglades. How they got there, apparently their ATV ran out of gas and so the two were then stranded in the muck. You see them there. Rescue crews found them by spotting a fire that they had actually started to -- in order to keep warm. Both father and son were hoisted to safety, and they are OK and very, very thankful.

In Arizona, a young woman is now sharing her story -- you've got to see this video, guys -- after surviving a horrifying car fire earlier this year. She was rearended and then this happened -- watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHARIE MONTGOMERY, CAR FIRE SURVIVOR: I just remember the impacts happening and I remember -- I don't remember how the fire started. I just remember seeing it in my rearview mirror.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Watch this video as she is -- it's remarkable she's alive. She was trapped inside and says that all that was left for her to do was pray and honk for help. That honk did help, alerting a police officer who then smashed the window and pulled her out by her feet. Her hair was on fire when he pulled her out.

Doctors say the flames burned a third of her body. And she credits that officer with saving her life -- John.

BERMAN: Oh, what an incredible outcome there.

BOLDUAN: Incredible.

BERMAN: But I have to say, Kate, three for three on terrifying stories that I will now fear for the rest of the day.

BOLDUAN: Sorry, J.B.

BERMAN: All right.

A big day. The first two episodes of the new six-part documentary on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour were just released. I'm sure most of you have watched them already. The documentary shows everything that went into this giant production that was the glorious tour. It also touches on the multiple security threats during her stops in Europe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR SWIFT, 14-TIME GRAMMY WINNING ARTIST: We've done like 128 shows so far, but this is the first one where I feel like -- I don't know, like I'm like skating on thin ice or something. We just had this -- we've had a series of very violent, scary things happen to the tour. Like, we dodged, like, a massacre situation. And so I've just been kind of all over the place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. Let's get right to CNN's Lisa France for everything we're learning in these.

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Yeah. I mean, her birthday is tomorrow, December 13, John, but she's given her fans a huge gift with the first two episodes of this docuseries.

Now the first episode, as you saw, is a little dark because she's talking about that thwarted terrorist attack in Vienna on her show. But she also meets, when she's in the U.K., with the survivors of that horrible Southport stabbing where a group of young children were doing a dance party to her music.

And we have a little bit of sound of that because she really grieved about this. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SWIFT: I know you helped them. I know it doesn't seem like it --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's so much.

SWIFT: -- but I know you helped them.

From a mental standpoint, I just do live in a reality that's very unreal a lot of the time. But it's my job to kind of be able to handle all these feelings and then perk up immediately to perform. That's just the way it's got to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCE: So you see there, you know, she was just devastated with grief. And she meets with these families and she's comforting them, but then she has to come and do the show. She's such a pro.

And, I mean, I've watched this -- these first two episodes -- and John, I've got to tell you, I think I'm officially a Swiftie now. I mean, she's just so impressive and her humanity comes through in these first two episodes, John.

BERMAN: I mean, I can't believe it took you this long, Lisa. I mean --

FRANCE: I know, right? I fought it.

BERMAN: -- we've all been fully on board here for -- you know --

FRANCE: I fought it.

BERMAN: -- for years.

FRANCE: I fought it, John. I fought it so hard. But you cannot when you watch this. I don't think there's any celebrity that's like her. I'm going to say that. Because we just get to see so much of who she is not just as a performer but Taylor Swift the person and the way she loves her fans. She says the reason why the show was more than three hours and so many songs is because she did not want her fans who saved money to see her to feel like they missed out on anything.