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Soon: Brothers Of Renee Good Testify On Capitol Hill; Soon: Lawmakers To Hear Testimony About Aggressive DHS Encounters; Hearing Underway To Oust Prosecutors In Charlie Kirk Murder Case; Renee Good's Brothers Testify On Capitol Hill. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired February 03, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Snowboarding would be fun. I've never done it. But I'd be willing to try it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me about a -- a year, I could be really good at curling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Honestly, no, there isn't one. I don't think I'd be good at any Winter Olympics sport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I grew up in -- in Houston, Texas. I'm not good at any Winter Olympics sports. But Boris, I hear you're a master curler. That's pretty impressive.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I've been playing since I was a -- a fetus. Andy Scholes, thank you so much for that update from California. A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The brothers of the woman killed by federal agents in Minneapolis speaking out, talking about the sister they loved -- described by the family as a beautiful light and whose death set off protests.

And a heart-wrenching search in Arizona, as Savannah Guthrie asked for the public's help to find her missing mother. What we're learning from law enforcement at this hour?

And a Second Amendment fight: President Trump's hand-picked attorney for the District of Columbia threatens jail time for lawful gun owners who travel to the nation's capital with firearms.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

We are standing by on Capitol Hill, where any moment the brothers of Renee Good and others impacted by the Trump administration's nationwide immigration crackdown are set to testify. Democratic lawmakers called them to Washington to share stories about the aggressive tactics that ICE is using, that critics say instill a sense of fear in immigrant communities.

CNN's Whitney Wild is watching all of this unfold for us. Whitney, as we're waiting for this testimony to begin, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz just updated everyone about the DHS operations in his state. What did he say?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's most concerned about children who have been taken, Brianna, and he pointed out we don't know how many children were taken from Minnesota because not all of them have this viral photo that really captured the attention of a nation and ended up at the end of a scathing order from a judge sending a little boy home. Of course, we are talking about the case of Liam Ramos and his father.

Governor Walz has made very clear that he is still very upset about what he is seeing out of the Trump administration. He said that this is an all-out assault, not just on Minnesotans, but at every level of state government. And he pointed out that, in his opinion, he does not think that everything the Trump administration is saying about why they're there is really on the level and he said this is really more about elections, and his proof for that was a letter that Attorney General Pam Bondi had sent to the state last week, where she laid out some suggestions -- demands -- for how the state of Minnesota could ease off of this immigration enforcement action.

And among those suggestions, I guess, you could call them, or as Governor Walz called them at one point, basically demands -- were the state's voter rolls. She -- she was asking for access to the state's voter rolls, among other things. Here's more about what Governor Walz says this immigration crackdown in Minnesota is really about:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ, (D) MINNESOTA: The letter I received last week around the voting rolls was the central theme of this entire situation that we're in, and that proved true down in Georgia, and it proved true by the President's own words yesterday, as he said the Republicans need to federalize the elections, especially in the 15 states, which would include Minnesota. So, we know what this is about. But the thing that we're about, and the reason that we're here today is -- is this is about protecting Minnesotans -- and most especially our children and our most vulnerable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: Even still, Brianna, at one point Governor Walz said he is still working with federal officials to try to figure out a path forward here, Brianna.

KEILAR: All right. Whitney Wild, thank you for the very latest on that.

Let's talk more about all of this with the former head of policy for ICE, Scott Shuchart.

Scott, great to have you here. I wonder, as we're awaiting hearing from Renee Good's brothers, what you're looking for them to say?

SCOTT SHUCHART, FORMER ICE HEAD OF POLICY: Well, I mean, obviously, they're going to talk, I think, about the human toll of this on their family and on everybody who's affected by the reckless way that ICE and CBP were behaving in Minnesota. I guess I would also like to know what they've heard about any investigations -- whether they have anything they can share about whether the administration is going to step up and do a real investigation.

SANCHEZ: There are also going to be a number of other speakers, including Miramar Martinez. She was shot five times by CBP agents. She is a U.S. citizen. She was charged with allegedly ramming her car into these officers. The case was ultimately dismissed. What are you expecting to hear from her?

SHUCHART: Well again, hopefully, you know, an understanding of her experience, what she went through.

[15:04:58]

The question in that case, as in all of these cases, is not "was somebody doing something wrong?" not "was some law enforcement response appropriate?" but "was this level of violence, this level of risk to life appropriate?"

KEILAR: The Secretary of DHS, Kristi Noem, announced last night that all of the DHS officers who are on the ground are going to have these body cameras, right? They're going to have them in Minnesota, and then as funding becomes available, that will happen nationwide.

I wonder how essential you think that is, how you think that's going to change things. But also, ICE has a lot of money. So, this -- as funding becomes available thing, is that a real thing to you?

SHUCHART: Absolutely not. I was at ICE Policy Office when we were doing the body camera rollout over the last couple of years. We're talking about a couple of 10s of millions of dollars, not billions. They could have done this months ago. Her hand-picked deputy at ICE was the one who stopped the expansion of the body camera work that we were already doing. So, they could have had body cameras out long ago.

And in fact, they've had a policy that even officers who had body-worn cameras, when they deployed to another city, weren't supposed to take them with them. So, all of this is just policy red tape that they could have gotten rid of a long time ago. It's not a money issue.

SANCHEZ: One of the key issues that Democrats are expected to fight for, now that there's going to be this two-week debate over DHS funding, is administrative versus judicial warrants. Can you walk us through the distinction and what the advantages might be?

SHUCHART: Sure. The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution requires that arrests inside people's homes, searches inside people's homes and places of business, require a warrant sworn by an independent officer -- generally an Article III judge or magistrate. ICE also has a piece of paper called an administrative warrant that is not signed by any kind of judge. That is signed just by a supervisory officer -- somebody who's worked at ICE for a few years and supervises more junior officers. And they want to say that that piece of paper, when they print it out

from Adobe Acrobat, is as good as a judicial warrant to allow them to force their way into somebody's house, force their way into the private part of a business, pull people out, and arrest them.

That has never been the law. That is contrary to Supreme Court precedent. There was an op-ed in The New York Times yesterday, I think by six or seven former general counsels of the Department of Homeland Security, all saying that's not the law and absolutely Congress should reinforce: judicial warrants are needed to go into private areas.

KEILAR: This "no masks," right, they don't want the officers wearing masks when they're out on these immigration enforcement operations. Is that a good policy? Is that a bad policy?

SHUCHART: I think there are limited circumstances where it would make sense to wear masks.

KEILAR: Like what?

SHUCHART: Undercover operations, raiding a drug house from a major cartel that probably has cameras everywhere where they might be archiving people's faces. But for everyday interactions with ordinary Americans, there's a reason -- we have 7,000 police departments in this country. They don't all wear masks. You don't see masks on officers out in your community, and there's a reason for that. You need a human connection between the officers and the community, and what they're doing right now just creates a barrier to accountability and it seems like a barrier to humanity.

SANCHEZ: Scott Shuchart, thank you so much for joining us.

SHUCHART: Yes, my pleasure. Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Still to come this afternoon: Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin back in court. How Tyler Robinson's team is trying to get the entire prosecution team removed from that case.

KEILAR: Plus, the FBI is pleading for help as the search for "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie's mother has reached its third day. We'll have the latest there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:12:56]

SANCHEZ: Happening right now, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk is back in a courtroom in Utah. Tyler Robinson's defense team is trying to oust the Utah County Prosecutor's Office from the case because of what they believe is a conflict of interest.

Today's hearing focuses on defense claims that one of the prosecutors assigned to the case has an 18-year-old who's a student at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot and killed, and was present in the crowd at the time of last September's shooting. Another county prosecutor previously testified that the 18-year-old did not witness the shooting. That prosecutor, the adult child, and the father are all expected to testify.

Robinson has not yet been arraigned but faces multiple criminal charges.

Joining us now to discuss is Harry Litman, former U.S. Attorney and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, also the host of the Talking Feds podcast.

Harry, thank you so much for joining us, as always.

In your view, do the prosecutors -- does the prosecutor's office appear to have a conflict of interest in this case?

HARRY LITMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Not a legal one, Boris. So, it's -- it's just as you say: one of the prosecutors who may try the case has an 18-year-old daughter who was in the crowd and they say she didn't even see the shooting and is not expected to be a witness. Utah law is pretty strict here. It says there has to be some actual conflict that would make it very hard for him emotionally to prosecute the case.

And the defense has tried to emphasize, you know, well, it's a possible witness he would have to put on the stand. But they're saying she's not a witness. And even if she were, I don't think it would rise to the level. We're at this is the early stage, where they're making all kinds of motions. As you say, Utah law moves pretty slowly. He has yet even to enter a plea or to be arraigned. That one isn't happening until May, and the prosecution's already starting to make noises about "Don't let this drag on too long, Your Honor."

SANCHEZ: Just for a hypothetical, what would removing the prosecutor's office mean for this case?

[15:15:02]

LITMAN: Well, the actual office -- they're -- they're making two claims. One is that the prosecutor shouldn't be involved. The other is they found out about the witness being a child of the prosecutor and they should have immediately done X, Y, and Z, and they didn't. To remove the prosecutor's office means the prosecutor's office is just out. The Utah Attorney General would step in and assign another prosecutor's office to carry the water.

It won't be happening here.

SANCHEZ: The issue was first addressed during a hearing -- a sealed hearing. A redacted transcript is now public. I -- I wonder why that hearing was sealed.

LITMAN: The reason is -- and -- and I think we're really seeing a very meticulous, fastidious process in Utah that augurs a long way until a verdict, but they didn't want to reveal the identity of -- especially, the 18-year-old daughter. So, right now, the head of the whole office is prosecuting: what did they know and when did they know it? But when the prosecutor himself and his daughter testify, at a minimum, that's when the courtroom will be sealed so nobody knows their identities. SANCHEZ: What other motions would you anticipate the defense might seek, given that it -- it appears unlikely, in your view, that the prosecutor's office and the prosecutor specifically are going to be removed?

LITMAN: Yes. So, this is the time -- I'm not faulting them -- but this is the time where you throw everything against the wall to see what sticks. One has already been ginned up. The defense says, "We don't want cameras in the courtroom." Charlie Kirk's widow says it's very important to have them there. And the next motion in front of the judge, whom you see right there, will be: Should there be cameras in the courtroom for all of the proceedings.

SANCHEZ: We'll be watching it closely. Harry Litman, thanks so much for the analysis.

LITMAN: Thank you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: So, "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie is asking for prayers as investigators continue searching for her missing mother. Stay with CNN NEWS CENTRAL. The latest on the search.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:48]

KEILAR: We're following a new and urgent plea from officials in Arizona, as the search for "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie's mother is now stretching into its third day. Just last hour, the sheriff says that he believes 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home at some point between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The FBI agent in charge out of Arizona is pleading for the public's help:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON EDWARDS, FBI ASSISTANT SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Every lead and tip is important. We are aggressively pursuing and looking into every single one. Please help us bring Nancy Guthrie home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: If you do have a tip, you can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or 520-351- 4900. And of course, if it is an emergency, call 911.

Let's go now to Capitol Hill, where Renee Good -- the woman who was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis -- her two brothers are speaking, here it is.

LUKE GANGER, RENEE GOOD'S BROTHER: She knows that her aunt died and that somebody caused it to happen. She told me that there are no bad people and that everyone makes mistakes. She has Nee's spirit.

The deep distress our family feels because of Nee's loss in such a violent and unnecessary way is complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress, and desperation for change. In the last few weeks, our family took some consolation thinking that perhaps Nee's death would bring about change in our country -- and it has not.

The completely surreal scenes taking place on the streets of Minneapolis are beyond explanation. This is not just a bad day, or a rough week, or isolated incidents. These encounters with federal agents are changing the community and changing many lives, including ours, forever.

I still don't know how to explain to my four-year-old what these agents are doing when we pass by.

Our family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community in Minneapolis and from people across the country and around the world.

[15:24:59]

The prayers and words of support have truly brought us comfort, and it is meaningful that these sentiments have come from people of all colors, faiths, and ideals. That is a perfect reflection of Renee, who carried peace, patience, and love for others wherever she went.

Our family is a very American blend. We vote differently, and we rarely completely agree on the finer details of what it means to be a citizen of this country. We attend various churches -- and some not at all -- and despite those differences, we have always treated each other with love and respect. We've gotten even closer during this very divided time in our country, and we hope that our family can be even a small example to others: not to let political ideals divide us, to be good like Renee.

But the most important thing we can do today is to help this panel and our country understand who Nee is, and what a beautiful American we have lost -- a sister, a daughter, a mother, a partner, and a friend.

BRENT GANGER, RENEE GOOD'S BROTHER: Good afternoon. My name is Brent Ganger, and I'd like to share some thoughts from a eulogy that I gave on my sister's behalf this past Saturday.

When I think of Renee, I think of dandelions and sunlight.

Dandelions don't ask permission to grow. They push through cracks in the sidewalk, through hard soil, to places where you don't expect beauty -- and suddenly there they are: bright, alive, unapologetically hopeful. That was Renee. And sunlight -- warm, steady, life-giving -- because when she walked in a room, things felt lighter, even on cloudy days.

Renee had a way of showing up in the world that made you believe things were going to be okay. Not because she ignored the hardship, but because she chose optimism anyway. She chose to look for what was good, what was possible, and what was worth loving.

Nee Nee (ph) loved fiercely, openly, and without hesitation. As a mother, Renee poured herself into love -- the kind of love that shows up every day, that sacrifices quietly, that cheers loudly, that believes deeply. Her children were, and are, her heart -- walking around outside her body -- and she made sure they felt safe, valued, and endlessly loved.

As a sister, she was constant -- someone you could lean on, laugh with, or just sit in silence beside. She had a way of making you feel understood even when you didn't have the words yet. She didn't just listen -- she saw you. She believed in second chances. She believed tomorrow could be better than today. She believed that kindness mattered, and she lived that belief.

Even when things were hard, Nee looked for the light. And if she couldn't find it, she became the light for somebody else. It was the excessively ordinary things that made Nee so beautiful.

There are billions of people who now know her name, and it would be so easy to fall into the false belief that great heroic things are required to overcome difficult things in the world. But as Tolkien wrote, "It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."

That's why the image of dandelions feels so right.

[15:30:00]

People try to pull them up, overlook them, dismiss them -- but they keep coming back. Stronger. Brighter.