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Sheriff: Dead Man With Firearm Found Near Idaho Fire Scene; Two Fatally Shot While Responding To Brush Fire In Idaho; Now: Marathon Senate Debate Underway On Trump Agenda Bill; GOP Sen. Thom Tillis Says He's Not Seeking Reelection A Day After Voting Against Trump's Agenda Bill; ICE Agents Cover Their faces As They Detain Migrants; IAEA Head: Damage To Iran Nuke Facilities, But Not Total. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired June 29, 2025 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[23:00:40]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Hello, and thank you for joining me this hour. I'm Erica Hill. We have an important update now on the breaking news that we've been following out of Idaho.
Sheriff's officials now say the body of a man has been found near the fire scene where firefighters were shot earlier today. They also note that a fire armor rifle was found nearby. Of course, all of this beginning in the early afternoon hours local time when firefighters were apparently -- apparently ambushed while responding to a brush fire.
The International Association of Firefighters has two of its members were shot and killed. A third is in surgery. Authorities had said earlier in the day they believed at least one active shooter was firing at law enforcement using a high-powered rifle.
All of this was unfolding at Canfield Mountain Natural Park. It's an area with a number of hiking and biking trails, as well as heavy tree cover. We also understand that that fire is still burning at this hour.
Both the ATF and FBI had dispatch teams to the area. We have seen as Rafael Romo who's following all of these developments for us. This discovery of a body with a firearm nearby. Obviously, really raising the attention level. We're also waiting about an hour and a half from that. We should be having a new press conference as well.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, most definitely, Erica. But the thing and we have been reporting this for the last few hours is that the local sheriff says that they don't know if it's one perpetrator or several.
And also, Erica, we have a new development to share with our viewers this hour. A no-fly zone has been designated over at Canfield Mountain. The area where the active scene is happening. This is according to Kootenai County Emergency Management.
The designation includes a ban on drones that post published on Facebook says that, quote, unauthorized aircraft or drones in the area pose a serious rise risk to firefighting -- firefighting and law enforcement operations.
This is what we know of this hour, Erica. Two firefighters were fatally shot and a third is in surgery, according to the International Association of Firefighters. They were responding to a brush fire in the Canfield Mountain Natural area in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said they were still in that process of removing the people who have died from the mountain. The sheriff also said that the blaze to which firefighters were responding is going to keep burning due to the active shooting and officials are also saying that they won't divert any resources to the fire until the threat is neutralized in addition to multiple local and state law enforcement agencies.
The FBI is also sending assets to provide tactical and operational support to the active situation. This is what FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino earlier said on X.
And also, Erica, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security Circuit Secretary Kristi Noem is actively monitoring the situation in Coeur d'Alene. The ATF just announced that special agents and certified fire investigators from the Spokane, Portland and Seattle offices are responding to the scene and Coeur d'Alene to provide support.
So as you can imagine a lot of law enforcement there at the ground trying to resolve the situation at this hour. Now back to you.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Rafael, appreciate it.
I just want to bring in now Alexandra Duggan. She's a crime and courts reporter for "The Spokesman-Review" and joins me now from Coeur d'Alene.
Alexandra, it's good to have you with us. You're there -- there on the ground. Just bring us up to speed on what you've been able to learn there from local law enforcement and local sources there on the ground.
ALEXANDRA DUGGAN, CRIME AND COURTS REPORTER, THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW: Yes. Thank you. It's the train is tough. Obviously, they have tough train they're working with. But, you know, just the news that hit us recently that the possible suspect is dead on there.
We, you know, saw a ton of police leaving the area as soon as we got that news. It's our understanding that there's going to be a procession for the firefighters that were killed from Coeur d'Alene to Spokane, Washington.
And, yes, like, I'm saying, a lot of police leaving right now seems like they're -- they're in good spirits. I saw a couple high-five each other. They're eating -- eating dinner right now after all this work. And there will be a press conference at 9:30. So, we'll know more than. But, yes, there's --there's a lot going on right now.
[23:05:05]
HILL: Yes, absolutely. And as you noted and -- and as, you know, my colleague Rafael was noting, so a body -- a body of a man was found a firearm nearby, unclear, right? We don't know if that is a suspect, but -- but obviously a lot of questions about that, which we hope you get answered at that press conference.
At the press conference earlier, the sheriff, you know, basically said it wasn't clear whether there was one or possibly another shooter. The fact that you're seeing law enforcement leave, that they seem a little bit more relaxed, that relaxed, that's certainly a good sign.
Have you seen -- since you've been there, have you seen any non-law enforcement, any -- any civilians, hikers, really, who may have been in the park coming out?
DUGGAN: I did see a few. Some people had -- one man had said that he saw someone he believed was important to law enforcement and he pointed to the mountain and law enforcement ran up to him to speak to him. But that's as much as I know.
I --I also do know though that the first firefighters on scene to this fire were Kootenai County Fire Rescue and the city of Coeur d'Alene. So, I just want to point out that, you know, the -- the firefighters who responded to this were local. And I think, you know, the procession that's about to happen is probably going to be very somber to reflect that.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. It is to honor those, you know, who were killed in line of duty, responding to a fire. Two, as we know, according to that union, a third in -- in the hospital now.
There had been some concerns that there could be perhaps other -- other casualties, perhaps other people injured.
Have you heard any updates in that respect?
DUGGAN: I think right now, they're focused on, you know, getting people out now that they're -- they're safer to go in. They had said earlier that they wanted to neutralize this threat.
And I've saw -- I've seen the -- the LifeFlight helicopter sitting there this whole time and until that press release came in, the -- the helicopter took off. So, it's my understanding that they're probably looking for more people up there.
HILL: Yes, which is -- which is a really important note.
And you're -- correct me if I'm wrong here, but you're -- you're base in Spokane? Is that right?
DUGGAN: Yes. Our -- most of the media here is in Spokane. It's just right across the border. So, it's the same coverage area.
HILL: Yes. So, I was going to say for folks who are not familiar with that area and there's only 30 miles or so between these two cities, between Spokane and -- and -- and Coeur d'Alene. So, when you -- just, if you could, for those of us who are not in the area, again, give us a sense of just the community itself.
So, I've talked to some folks about the park about how big it is, right? Two dozen, 25 -- 25 miles of -- of hiking and biking trails, two main trailheads, I'm told. This is also a decent size city, 60,000 people I believe in -- in Coeur d'Alene. And then you've got Spokane right there.
Just walk us through with the areas like if you could.
DUGGAN: Right. Yes. The area, it's a very small town community. It's also very touristy. A lot of people come here to visit. There's a lot of things to do. There's hiking, there's biking, there's swimming at the lake.
But everyone here, especially in the Spokane, Coeur d'Alene area is very in tune with each other. There's a lot of people who live here from Spokane. A lot of people, you know, vice versa. So, everyone kind of knows everybody and everyone travels back and forth very often.
So, you know, this is definitely, I think, a situation that links both communities, but if not both communities, everyone in the inland Northwest. And I think, you know, when Norris said that this is going to affect people for days, that's -- that's probably true and probably weeks and months and years after this.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. It is -- and Norris is, of course, the -- the county sheriff there. Bob Norris. You talk about the impact this has on a community and also, you know, in a tightknit community, you know, thinking in the ones that I've lived in and where I grew up.
A lot of people know one another to your point. They know these firefighters.
DUGGAN: Exactly. Yes. We have a family friend that currently works here as well. So, I -- I just think, you know, that this is going to affect a lot of people and then, yes, it -- it's going to be a ripple effect for sure.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Alexandra, really appreciate taking the time to join us and to -- and to help offer some perspective. Really appreciate it. Thank you.
DUGGAN: Absolutely.
HILL: Stay with us. Our breaking news continues right here on CNN after a quick break.
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[23:10:42] HILL: If you're just joining us now, these are live pictures out of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
We have been following developments throughout the day of firefighters being ambushed when responding to a call for a brush fire in a local park there. What you're seeing now, we're told, is a procession coming out of that park.
We saw at least one vehicle that appeared to be a hearse. You see people there, of course, waving flags, standing, lining the route there.
There had been, we were told, a number of hours ago, an active shooter who they believed was on the loose. We do know at this hour that a body was found on the mountain, a firearm found nearby. It is not clear whether that was the suspect.
But just to recap of how we got to this moment that there is now this procession leaving the park, all of these law enforcement vehicles, as you can see, you see the fire trucks there as well. And again, we saw just a short moment ago, it appeared to be at least one hearse.
A little after one o'clock local time, there was a call of a brush fire. The firefighters responded, and then another call came in at two o'clock of a firefighters reporting that shots had been fired. Two firefighters, we're told, were killed. A third, according to a firefighters union, is in the hospital now in surgery.
The sheriff, just within the last couple of hours, holding an initial press conference confirming those two deaths, saying it was unknown whether there could be other casualties or civilians who could be stuck on the mountain.
[23:15:05]
And at that time, again, just a few hours ago, the sheriff is saying that they were taking -- actively taking sniper fire, noting that they were prepared to neutralize the suspect, who appeared to be using, in the words of the sheriff, a modern-day sporting rifle, a high-powered rifle.
Not long ago, I spoke with a local reporter who's based out of Spokane, Washington. That's only about 30 miles away. And this is essentially the same media market she was telling me. She's with "The Spokesman-Review," a local paper out of Spokane. And she was the one who first said that she had noticed that they were preparing to have this procession, saying that the law enforcement on seeing the first responders looked somewhat relieved, and -- and almost as if, you know, things may be winding down.
And then this pro -- procession was being prepared, obviously, a very somber moment as we see this. Again, we should be getting some more details in the next -- just a little over an hour or so. We are waiting for a press conference. But again, here you see some folks with their American flags lining the route there, where this caravan, frankly, of law enforcement vehicles has just finished passing, and at least one vehicle that appeared to be a hearse.
We're going to continue to follow all of these developments. I do want to bring in now Jason Pack. He's a retired FBI supervisory special agent, also a form of firefighter and a current first responder.
You know, when we see that procession and incredibly somber moment, as all of those vehicles are going by with their lights at a slow speed, and the fact that we saw one hearse among them, it is a moment to -- to reflect, of course, on these first responders who, you know, we're doing -- doing their job. Showing there, responding to a fire, and then according to the sheriff, they were ambushed.
And we heard this very composed, very clear call from some of their colleagues. But just to be in that moment and to watch this. This has got to be something for you too, as you're taking all this in, Jason.
JASON PACK, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: Yes. It -- it's definitely just heartbreaking to see this. And a -- and a reminder of the dangers that first responders face, Erica.
You know, when you hear about line of duty deaths, when you hear about that, the law enforcement, National Law Enforcement Memorial, there between on Judiciary Square between FBI headquarters and the Washington Field Office, filled with the nation's fallen police officers.
It's rare that you see firefighters just up, you know, succumb to the similar type of -- of injuries is you don't hear about firefighters getting shot in the line of duty. So, that is extremely, extremely rare.
The National Firefighters Memorial, of course, up at Emmitsburg, Maryland, that the National Fire Academy up there, just about 45 minutes north. So, if you look at that memorial, usually, you know, roof collapses or fire engine crashes or, you know, those types of things, rarely, if ever, do you ever see firefighters lose their life in the line of duty due to a shooting just -- just -- just kind of surreal moment.
I did notice, Erica, in the procession. You had Kootenai Engine 15 leading just in front of the hearse there and then then Coeur d'Alene fire Engine 2 between on the backside of the hearse. So, another indication that this is a really close-knit the community, no matter the fire department or whether it's Kootenai fire rescue or Coeur d'Alene fire.
I think Coeur d'Alene has like four fire stations and Kootenai County fire rescue has seven. So, a pretty similar size there. And -- and you can see the -- the men and women and the families that are coming out waving the American flags, not knowing how to express their grief or their support. But clearly, we see these in communities a lot when we see these very tragic types of situations.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. When you and I spoke in the last hour or two, as -- as you noted, you know, we talk about line of duty deaths. This is not something that you anticipate for firefighters necessarily that they would be, you know, shot at, killed.
That being said, as you noted, this is something that everyone trains for. They train for active shooter situations. And as we were listening -- you know, there's the call that came in. We were listening to some of that audio earlier and you were really picking up on it. It was clear how that training kicked in.
Walk us through what you heard in those moments.
PACK: Yes. Just in the radio traffic from the firefighter who was, at the immediate time, taking gunfire himself, more worried about what he could do to save the two battalion chiefs that he radioed in were down.
He was pinned down behind one of the battalion chief's rigs, as he noted. But that just goes to show you how you're trained. You think of others first, you serve others first, and then you do what you can for yourself if you have time later.
I think that's the calling of every first responder in America and in the world service over self. That's why they get into the job. Certainly, they don't do it for the money. They love their community. They love helping folks.
And this is -- you know, if you've not been in the service, this is just a unique way to help folks that you are able to be there for someone on their worst day. You can be able to help, you know, comfort them and sue them.
[23:20:10]
And so it's very tragic when someone who dedicates their life like this turns around and has theirs just taken for -- for no reason at all for any simplest reason.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. We are at this moment now, partially one would imagine because we had the update a short time ago that a body -- the body of a man had been found on that mountain, deceased, that there was a firearm nearby, that the shelter in place was lifted.
As I noted, we're waiting just a little over an hour from now. We are expecting to hear from the sheriff again another update.
But watching this chain of events, what does that tell you about the situation likely on the ground right now in terms of law enforcement, in terms of what is happening there?
PACK: Well, with our asterisk of things, this is preliminary information and things are subject to changes. We gather more intelligence and more information. It is a very significant development in this case.
If in fact, this is the person or one of the people responsible, then you have a starting point. You're able to maybe identify them and we'll see search warrant served at this person's location. They're going to start working backwards and building a profile of him. They'll be trying to identify any people who he may have known, who may be affiliated with, or he is associated to try to start answering the why.
Hopefully, as we mentioned, and I've spoken, there's not been any identified reported shootings. So, that leads us to believe, at least on the surface, that many, and hopefully there's just one person right now.
You know, you never want to count anything out, but it sounds like from what you were talking about with the statesman reporter that they started to go up into the mountains a little bit. So, they'll secure each inch by inch of that area to make sure it's safe for firefighters.
And, you know, it's -- the job's not over. They've lost a couple of people in the line of duty tonight, but somebody still got to be around there to fight the fires. And that's the reality of every day what the men and women that put their lives on the line for folks in America deal with.
They have huge personal loss sometimes, but just keep showing up and going to work and doing their job and doing what it is that they're trained to do.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. And we know actually in the moment, when we had last heard, they could not in fact respond to that fire, while they were concerned about an active shooter. So, that's obviously something that they will also be addressing in this moment.
Jason, always appreciate it. Thanks for sticking around. We'll talk with you again in a short bit.
Also, we want to get to some of the breaking news that we're following out of Washington, D.C. where that marathon debate on President Trump's sweeping domestic policy way -- policy bill rather, is underway in the Senate.
Republican leaders pushing, of course, to get a final version of the bill passed by July 4th. That is the self-imposed deadline from the president. They're hoping though in the Senate to find some stronger support from Republican holdouts who still want some changes.
Late Saturday night, Senate Republicans did clear their first big hurdle in a dramatic procedural vote, that manages to squeak through, 51 to 49. Two Republican senators voting no, including Senator Thom Tillis who then announced he's not seeking reelection. President Trump called that quote, great news.
Meantime, a number of Republicans are raising concerns about the bill's spending levels. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Senate version of this package would cost far more than the version approved by the House in May. In fact, adding more than $3 trillion to the deficit.
Joining me now is Benjamin Radd, he's a political scientist and senior fellow at the Burkle Center for International Relations at UCLA. Good to have you with us.
When you look at what we know about this 940-page bill coming out of the Senate, and we've got a, you know, a lot of the what's in, what's out, what does this tell you about -- about the direction and the chances, frankly, of this all happening by the 4th of July as the president has requested?
BENJAMIN RADD, SENIOR FELLOW, UCLA BURKLE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Yes. July 4th is a sort of artificial deadline constructed by the president, you know, in a way to sort of wrap it up symbolically.
But clearly, there's resistance in this. We see this in the Senate, you know, not just Senator Tillis, but I mean, there are Republicans who are not comfortable with this bill as it stands, especially given the differences with the House version.
You know, you mentioned in this piece about the difference that the Senate version adds to the debt. And we've -- we've now heard from several senators who are concerned about the impact with the cuts to Medicaid and how it affects constituents in their state.
So, clearly, there will be challenges to this bill and it's -- and we've heard the House Speaker say that, you know, there's some Senate proposed changes by the Republicans that they're not necessarily happy with.
So, even that could -- could delay what, you know, the final passage of the bill or before it gets to the president's desk, assuming both Houses can agree.
HILL: It's also -- it's interesting because we're seeing, you know, more and more come out about this, the Senate parliamentarian actually ruling against a couple of the key Medicaid spending carve outs that had helped get Senator Lisa Murkowski, frankly, to the table last night.
[23:25:10]
So, we're see -- as we see this play out in real time, there's also the question of, even if this does pass, then how everything gets reconciled with the House, of course, how this all moves forward. Because they're going to need a little time in the House as well.
RADD: Exactly. It's that pathway given the differences between the two bills, given the -- the -- the amount that the Republican bill and the Senate as it's proposed now, would add to the debt and then to reconcile that act.
It's just difficult to see how in one week that gets reconciled. And, of course, the parliamentarian just to remind everyone is a -- is a non-partisan position. It's not somebody who is, you know, favoring either, you know, side of the chamber. And so, you know, made an important point about the bill's compliance with Senate parliamentary rules and to have it sort of bypass and ignore it is setting about precedent. It's one that I think both parties want to avoid. But regardless, they have their work cut out for them going into the week.
HILL: What are you watching for in these -- in these coming days? Because we know how important it is to President Trump for this to pass. And I think the reaction to Senator Tillis announcing that he would not seek reelection speaks volumes, right, about the state of the Republican Party and the president's hold on that party.
How much do you think he can use that power to make sure that Republicans continue to fall in line?
RADD: Well, clearly, he can. I think this will be an interesting first test of Senator Thune as majority leader to see, you know, what can he do? I mean, there are legitimate concerns raised by his caucus as to the bill as it stands in the Senate.
And does Leader Thune have, I guess, the, you know, courage or the wherewithal to try to find a way to -- to resolve these differences and to -- to address the concern of race, you know, not just by Senator Tillis, but we've seen Senators Murkowski and Collins as well and others, I'm sure, who are there with the exception of, you know, Senator Lindsey Graham, who's been very much in favor of it as it stands and -- and -- and -- and others.
So, I think for Senator Thune, that's what I'm looking for. Will -- will he signal any attempt to try to break some of these differences?
HILL: Yes. We will be watching.
Benjamin Radd, great to have you here tonight. Thank you.
Much more to come here in the "CNN Newsroom," including the latest developments out of Idaho. We are expecting an update in just a moment from police this after a shooter killed at least two firefighters and fired on law enforcement as they were responding to a brush fire in a local park.
The very latest on the other side of this quick break. Stay with us.
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[23:30:59]
HILL: Welcome back. I'm Erica Hill. You are watching "CNN Newsroom."
If you're just joining us, we're continuing to follow the breaking news out of Idaho, where police say a man with a gun nearby was found dead in a park, that same park, where for a number of hours earlier this afternoon, there was an active shooter situation. And a shelter in place where we can tell you has now been lifted in the area.
So, earlier today, early afternoon local time, authorities say firefighters were attacked while responding to a brush fire in Coeur d'Alene. So, this happened, the call came in from firefighters who say they were taking fire around 2:00 P.M. local time. The International Association of Firefighters has said two of its members were shot and killed. A third is in surgery. Police had said, at the time, they were unsure whether there was more than one shooter. But again, important to note that shelter in place has now been lifted.
CNN's Rafael Rommel is following all of these latest developments for us. And joins us now live with the latest.
Rafael, what do we know with this hour?
ROMO: Yes, Erica. Now, officials are telling us that they have found a deceased man in the area and this appears to be the major development officials were hoping for. Kootenai County just issued a statement that says that members of the SWAT team located a deceased male on Canfield Mountain. A firearm was found nearby.
Additional information, they say, will be provided during the scheduled press briefing at 9:30 P.M. Of course, that's local time, which means that the press conference is happening in about an hour from now.
We also have another new development to share with our viewers. A no- fly zone has been designated over Canfield Mountain, the area where the active scene is happening. This is according to Kootenai County Emergency Management.
The designation includes a ban on drones. The post published on Facebook says that, quote, unauthorized aircraft or drones in the area pose a serious risk to firefighting and law enforcement operations.
We also have to share with our viewers the sad news, Erica. According to the International Association of Firefighters, two firefighters were fatally shot and a third is in surgery.
They were responding to a brush fire originally in that area, the Canfield Mountain Natural Area in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The shooting is unfolding in this place, or it wasn't folding, I should say. This is a 24-acre park on the east side of Coeur d'Alene in Northern Idaho.
It's a popular park and destination because it features hiking and biking trails. An important detail is that images of the location show a mountain covered and dense forest. This is a concern for officials because this kind of terrain can have, as you can imagine, many hiding places for a shooter or shooters attempting to attack fire -- firefighters or law enforcement. Erica?
HILL: Rafael, really appreciate it. Thank you.
And we'll continue to follow those developments. As Rafael noted, we're also waiting on that press conference. We'll bring to you live when it happens.
We're also following the developments out of Washington, D.C., where we are monitoring that ongoing Senate debate over President Trump's massive budget bill. Lawmakers have been at it for hours at this point, but they are far from done.
They, of course, need to get through the marathon voting session, which known as a vote-a-rama. Julia Benbrook has more now from Washington.
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JULIA BENBROOK, CNN NEWSOURCE CORRESPONDENT: Over the weekend, Senate Republicans took a major step toward passing President Donald Trump's massive agenda package, where these so-called One Big, Beautiful Bill.
Trump called the procedural vote a great victory, but there are still potential roadblocks ahead. Only two Republican senators, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, voted against advancing this bill. Hours later, Tillis announced that he will not seek re- election.
But there were several other GOP lawmakers who have voiced concerns throughout the process. This is a multi-trillion-dollar package that would lower federal taxes. It would boost spending on the military and the border and downsize some government safety net programs, including Medicaid.
[23:35:05]
After this procedural vote, Democrats looked to use a delay tactic, forcing the clerks to read the full 940-page bill out loud. This took close to 16 hours. Then they started the formal debate process.
After that wraps, we'll see vote-a-rama, which is an open-ended series of votes on amendments. Some of those focusing in on political messaging, while others are more substantial. So, we could see more changes.
After that, then the Senate looks at final passage. If they are able to pass it, all eyes then turn to the House where there will likely be more challenges. House Speaker Mike Johnson was able to narrowly get their version through that chamber just a little while ago, but it was a delicate balance. And he has been warning that any major changes could add more complications.
Republicans have put together a lofty goal of getting this bill to the president's desk for a signature by July 4th.
In Washington, Julia Benbrook, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And stay with us. Our breaking news coverage continues right here in the "CNN Newsroom" after a short break.
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HILL: The federal government is allowing masked ICE agents to grab people from the streets and detain them without warning. Some of them student protesters with visas and green card, some American citizens. And, of course, also a number of undocumented migrants.
One of those incidents was caught on camera Friday. A witness filmed a woman running from a masked armed man who was chasing her down the street in Los Angeles.
Later in the video, the woman is seen clinging to a tree as armed men surround her. Bystanders demanded that the men identify themselves. The woman, an undocumented immigrant who works as a street food vendor, was eventually pulled off the tree and into an SUV.
The eyewitness who filmed the video says it felt, quote, very random and believed the woman was targeted.
[23:40:06]
Raul Reyes is a CNN opinion writer, an attorney, an immigration analyst and joins me now from New York.
Raul, it's good to see you tonight. When you look at this event and when we hear about similar instances, it raises questions for a number of people. Specifically, even just looking at the sort of law enforcement angle of it, people coming up, not identifying themselves. They have masks on.
People may ask for I.D. They don't get the I.D. I saw another video somebody asking for a warrant, they don't get the warrant. Who has the rights here?
RAUL REYES, CNN OPINION WRITER: Well, look, all people in the United States do have rights, including people who are undocumented, including people who are -- who are not citizens.
For example, people who are approached by ICE agents, you have -- ICE agents are required to identify themselves. People have the right to remain silent to ask to -- to consult with a lawyer. If ICE comes to your house, you do not have to let them in unless they have a signed warrant.
Now, that's -- those are the laws on the books. Unfortunately, what we're seeing so -- so often lately, particularly in Los Angeles, is that the reality on the ground is very different. We have masked agents. We have six or seven agents approaching a single individual.
And increasingly, we -- we see ICE and DHS targeting people who otherwise have no criminal records, no criminal record, beyond being in the country without authorization.
So, people do have their rights in terms of -- theoretically, we are not seeing those rights, those civil liberties being protected on the ground.
HILL: Raul, plenty of people have said they feel they're being profiled. They feel they're being racially profiled. Is there any recourse? How -- how difficult or not is that for someone to prove?
REYES: It is extremely difficult to prove under the best circumstances for people to bring some type of legal action alleging racial targeting or -- or profiling under normal circumstances. When you're dealing with masked agents, it -- that -- that difficulty level rises tenfold because people don't -- there's -- it's so difficult to have any type of accountability for these agents or oversight because, literally, we don't know who they are.
And I spent the last week in Los Angeles, and I can tell you, so many people in the immigrant community, Latino community, there's a true climate of fear. People are -- are staying home. People are doing their grocery shopping at the supermarket at night. Church attendance in predominantly Latino neighborhoods is down.
So, the -- the effect on the population in L.A., it -- it's real. And in Los Angeles, we have about 900,000 undocumented people. But the ripple effect beyond that is tremendous.
The -- the only thing that gives me hope here is we are seeing, like I say, according to CNN reporting on the Quinnipiac poll, the public is slowly turning on -- on this issue. Fifty-six percent of Americans, CNN has reported, opposed the tactics that ICE agents are using.
So, we may see more pushbacks, perhaps from state and local law -- lawmakers at -- at that level, to try and curtail what many people see as just rogue arrests or potentially unconstitutional detention and arrests.
HILL: As I mentioned, there's also, you know, and -- and we have certainly written about it here on CNN. There also American citizens who say they've been mistakenly, sort of, targeted, swept up in raids.
REYES: Yes.
HILL: If this is unfolding, so a lot of the video that we're seeing there, we're seeing on the vests that says "police." That's not always the case, right? From what we have heard from people, masked, unidentified people coming after them.
Could someone in that situation or a bystander call the police? And if so, if the police responds, how does that unfold?
REYES: In -- in that type of situation -- well, first of all, if someone is a bystander, it's just I can't emphasize enough that they cannot interfere with a federal immigration enforcement effort. They just cannot. People can film them.
But if -- what -- what has been happening, at least in Los Angeles, when people do -- when they are unsure of the identity of these masked people who -- who seem to be abducting people, they call the police, they call the sheriff, they arrive at the scene fairly quickly, and then they generally will stand down once an ICE or federal officer identifies themselves to them.
But yet, these same officers will not identify themselves to member of the public. And not only have we seen American citizens targeted by ICE and DHS, some have actually been deported in -- in the last few weeks this June. In Los Angeles, we have seen numerous cases of people who were arrested, detained, and deported from the country within 72 hours. That makes it almost impossible for their lawyers and their family members to track where they are in order to get them out to prove their citizenship and get them, you know, released from custody.
[23:45:12]
So, it's an extreme -- extremely challenging time. And look, no -- no matter who is president, we will always have Homeland Security and ICE agents. They are -- they are fulfilling, excuse me, their job. This is their role.
But the -- the manner in which they're conducting of themselves raises very serious questions about just basic human rights and civil liberties in the United States.
HILL: Yes. And it is important to -- and that is why it's important to keep this conversation.
Raul Reyes, appreciate you joining us. Thank you.
REYES: Thank you.
HILL: I want to bring you back to that ongoing debate in the Senate right now over President Trump's massive budget bill.
I'm joined by Maura Gillespie. She's the Founder and Principal of Bluestack Strategies. She, of course, also served as press advisor to former Speaker of the House, John Boehner and former deputy chief of staff for former Congressman Adam Kinzinger.
Maura, good to have you with us tonight. As we watch all of this play out, this bill has a long ways to go as we've been talking about throughout the evening. It also comes with some risks, though. And -- and part of what lawmakers will be weighing are sort of the risks and the rewards.
Just walk us through what you see there in terms of that equation, especially for Republicans in the Senate.
MAURA GILLESPIE, FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, BLUESTACK STRATEGIES: Absolutely. And thanks for having me.
You know, Thom Tillis, Senator from North Carolina, is making some really strong points here right now on the Senate floor and has been talking about this pretty freely, because now, he's not so worried about reelection.
I do think that's, you know, talking about the risks and rewards of going through with a bill and trying to weigh out, you know, is it worth aligning with the president and fulfilling what the president wants to get done through this this Big, Beautiful Bill he calls? Or, you know, if they're hurting their constituents, you know, does it jeopardize their reelection? And will the president be able to carry them should, you know, their election be on the line here? Because I think there are a lot of concerns, obviously, with this bill.
But also it's about promises failing to be kept, right? You know, Thom Tillis is talking about that. But when you think about the 2024 election, you know, safety and security and, you know, border security, that was certainly one of the top issues. But the number one issue was the economy.
And the Trump campaign really honed in on that message by saying that life was not good under President Biden. And so they were going to make things more affordable. And right now, we're not feeling that.
And I think that that's one of the major concerns that members of Congress are going to have, as I look at pieces of the legislation before them. Is this going to make life better for their constituents or not?
HILL: And as they're weighing that, you know, it was not that long ago that we were seeing the very public backlash at some of these town halls when lawmakers would go home.
How much impact do you think those moments actually had? And I ask that because I wonder if their constituents are concerned about what is in the bill and how it may impact them. I'm thinking specifically of access to Medicaid and Medicare, the health cuts that we're seeing.
How much do you think they hold in terms of sway with their lawmakers in this moment, given the situation in Washington?
GILLESPIE: I -- I do think it matters. Obviously, I think town halls are important. They're not necessarily always a fun experience. Remember the Congress, they do tend to get yelled at.
But it's important. It's important to hear what concerns your -- your constituents have. And I think that it's important to also level set with them to be transparent and honest.
Listen, when it comes to legislation, there's no such thing as a perfect bill. And when it comes to a bill that's focused on our finances, when we have truly a crippling debt to think about, sacrifices has to be made. And there are going to be pain points no matter what bill comes across a member's desk, right? There's no such thing as perfect. So, we have to address that first and foremost.
We also recognize the fact that mandatory spending is one of our biggest, you know, costs in this country. And so, how do we figure out ways to curtail the fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid in Medicare?
You know, we already know that Social Security isn't a sustainable program, when reports came out last week about it's going to dry up in, you know, eight years, they said. So, it's where do we go from here in terms of where we can make cuts not with a sledgehammer, but with a scalpel and maybe even encouraging CMS to come up with programs to make these programs more efficient coming up with pilot programs.
And so there really needs to be more explaining to constituents how they're going to make things better, as opposed to just saying these bills is going to -- is what the president wants and we need to get it done.
I think talking to your constituents and level setting with them is going to be important as they campaign for 2026.
HILL: Yes, it is really important. But, you know, even to your point about, you know, explaining what's happening here, the -- the ballooning debt, the ballooning mandatory -- mandatory spending costs in this country.
Before, I let you go in 30 seconds, if you can. Do you see evidence in this bill that those legitimate concerns are actually being addressed?
[23:50:07]
GILLESPIE: Not entirely. I do think that Medicaid cuts are probably more drastic than a lot of the members are comfortable with, because these are people who voted for --largely, voted for Donald Trump.
And so they have to think about -- and Senator Thom Tillis talking about that a lot, but the concerns there are if it goes too far and doesn't actually address the root causes for sustainable cuts and for making the program better long-term and more efficient, that's where they're going to have problems.
And I don't know that anything I've seen thus far is going to make the programs more efficient long-term. We want to have these programs for generations to come and we can't do that if we're just making a sledgehammer cut to it.
HILL: Maura, really appreciate it. Good to see you. Thanks.
GILLESPIE: Thanks for having me.
HILL: And stay with us. We'll be right back.
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HILL: Well, despite the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency says that Iran could begin enriching uranium again in a matter of months. He says the strikes fell short of destroying Tehran's nuclear program. That contradicts President Trump's claim that the U.S. set back Iran's ambitions by, in his words, decades.
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[23:55:01]
RAFAEL GROSSI, IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL: Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there. It is clear that there has been severe damage, but it's not total damage, first of all.
And, secondly, Iran has the capacities there, industrial and technological capacities. So, if they shall wish, they will be able to start doing this again. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Mr. Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. strikes, quote, completely and totally obliterated Tehran's nuclear program.
Tropical Storm Barry weakening to a tropical depression as it made landfall in the southeastern parts of Mexico just a short time ago. Barry formed in the Bay of Campeche on Sunday morning in the Gulf of Mexico.
It is the second named storm of this year's hurricane season. Its intensity has of course now decreased. The maximum sustained winds at this hour near 35 miles per hour.
Tropical Storm warnings have been canceled in Mexico, but they are still expecting a wet couple of days ahead in the area with the potential of some four to six inches of rain.
President Trump says he's found a potential buyer for TikTok, but he isn't revealing any names just yet. This comes months after Congress of course signed a law requiring ByteDance, pass a law rather requiring ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to sell off the social media app or face a ban in the U.S.
In speaking with Fox News, the president said, he'll reveal who that buyer is soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way. I think I'll need probably China approval. And I think President Xi will probably do it.
MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX BUSINESS ANCHOR: Who's the buyer?
TRUMP: I'll tell you in about two weeks.
BARTIROMO: A technology company there?
TRUMP: Very, very wealthy people. It's a group of very wealthy people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: President Trump has so far signed three orders to delay the enforcement of that TikTok ban in the United States. The only outage lasted about 14 hours back in January.
Thanks so much for joining me this hour for "CNN Newsroom." I'm Erica Hill. Stay tuned. Our breaking news coverage of the deadly shooting in Idaho continues after a quick break.
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