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475 Arrested In Immigration Raid In Georgia Hyundai Car Plant; Interview With Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL); Zelenskyy Dismisses Putin's Call For Him To Come To Russia; NYC Mayor Adams Insists He's Running For Reelection; CNN Gets First Look At ICE Deportation Flight As It Lands In Cuba; D.C. Attorney General Calls Deployment Unlawful Military Occupation; U.S. Labor Market Stalls, Just 22K Jobs Added In August. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired September 06, 2025 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:20]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York.

And tonight, people taking to the streets of Washington, D.C. to protest the Trump administration sending federal troops into the city. Tuesday will mark 30 days since the president declared an emergency in the nation's capital, allowing them to surge federal law enforcement there on the city streets.

And now the president and his administration seem to have been turning their focus to Chicago. The president reposting this meme today, warning, quote, "Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of War." Of course, that's his new name for the Department of Defense.

Chicago is bracing for a federal immigration crackdown, and those fears are hanging over its annual festivities to celebrate Mexican independence. Some events there have been postponed, with organizers citing safety concerns for the community.

As President Trump puts more and more pressure on migrant communities, we are learning more about the months long investigation that led to the Trump administration's largest workplace immigration yet. On Friday, law enforcement officers from ICE, Homeland Security and other state and federal agencies sweeping up 475 workers at a Hyundai assembly line in Georgia.

CNN national correspondent Rafael Romo is joining us now from Atlanta.

Rafael, this was one of the largest raids in decades for ICE. What are you learning about the planning that went into this?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That's right, Jessica. Well, let me tell you, shortly after the agents arrived at the plant and workers realized what was happening after word spread across the property, chaos ensued with many workers attempting to flee and some even running into a sewage pond. Imagine that. And others hiding in air ducts. What we know is that Georgia state troopers blocked roads leading to

the plant then set up a security perimeter, setting the stage for nearly 500 federal, state and local officers to conduct the raid at the Hyundai plant located in a quiet southeast Georgia community.

By the time they were done at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jessica, agents had arrested 475 people, most of them Korean nationals, making it the largest sweep yet in the current Trump administration's immigration crackdown at American job sites. A Homeland Security investigation special agent describes some of the objectives of the raid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN SCHRANK, SPECIAL AGENT, HOMELAND SECURITY: This operation underscores our commitment to protecting jobs for Georgians and Americans, ensuring a level playing field for businesses that comply with the law, safeguarding the integrity of our economy and protecting workers from exploitation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: In a statement sent to CNN last night, Hyundai said the following regarding the immigration raid in Georgia. "We are reviewing our processes to ensure that all parties working on our projects maintain the same high standards of legal compliance that we demand of ourselves. This includes thorough vetting of employment practices by contractors and subcontractors."

The company also said that Hyundai has zero tolerance for those who don't follow the law. In an interview with CNN, former deputy Homeland Security secretary under President Trump, Ken Cuccinelli, said that this type of immigration enforcement operation sends a clear message to employers across America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN CUCCINELLI, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR RENEWING AMERICA: This is becoming much more common in this administration. And so employers who have never had to worry about this before now know their own butt is on the line if they're going to break these laws.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And finally, Jessica, Georgia immigration attorney Charles Cook told CNN two of his clients were detained at the raid after having arrived from South Korea under a visa waiver program, which allows them to travel for tourism, and this is key, or business for up to 90 days. One of them, he said, arrived in the U.S. last week and the other one arrived several weeks ago, he said.

Jessica, back to you.

DEAN: Rafael Romo with the latest reporting. Thank you.

And we're joined now by Democratic Representative Mike Quigley. He serves on the House Appropriations and Intelligence Committees. Congressman, thank you so much for being here with us. You also live

there in the Chicago area, in Illinois, in this state of Illinois. And the events we're seeing in Chicago today are really interesting because this event typically draws in very large crowds. And you were among those today, a lot of people were quite fearful not coming out.

How would you say the president's immigration threats are impacting people there in that area?

REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL): Yes, I just -- you're right. I just finished walking the Mexican Independence Day Parade, with my friend Chuy Garcia in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. And you would have to describe it as a neighborhood on edge, but at the same time, you know, reduced crowds but very much a resilient, proud community that wants to take a stand here.

[16:05:13]

This was much more than a parade. It was a sense of unity at a difficult time. How it's affecting people, I think we need exhibit A, our domestic violence court, women are afraid to show up to get orders of protection. As a result they're less safe. Schools are starting to talk about teaching remotely again because the parents and the kids are afraid to show up.

This isn't a positive impact on anyone. It really puts a city at a disadvantage.

DEAN: It is kind of remarkable to think about schools considering going remote again. It's like going back in time to COVID times almost.

QUIGLEY: Yes. And obviously it has a very detrimental impact on parents, on the kids, their capacities to learn, the stress on schools. They're trying to teach everyone on an equal basis. It's very difficult to do and accomplish at this point in time. And when I watch this and I see those raids, what the American president is doing is in an economy that is dramatically short of workers he's going after the 11 million undocumented who provide critical additions to that economy.

When we have press conferences about comprehensive immigration reform, the hospitality industry, manufacturing, ag, they're all -- all there talking about how vital that community is to our economy and why we must pass comprehensive immigration reform.

DEAN: The governor there in Illinois, J.B. Pritzker says he's going to fight Trump in court if the National Guard is deployed there. He also says, though, at this moment he's not been notified of any actions by the White House. I'm curious, what do you know? As of today, 4:06 here on the East Coast, what is the latest on the status of all of this?

QUIGLEY: Look if the president was serious about actually making communities safer, he would communicate. So I haven't heard anything. Our governor is doing the best he can. He hasn't. There's no effort at communication. And as a result, we're seeing what we're seeing. And the bottom line is we spent more money in Los Angeles putting the National Guard there than it cost to hire 2,000 Chicago police officers.

And instead he cut $820 million in anti-violence programs. We're going in the opposite direction. If he was serious about fighting crime, he would work with us.

DEAN: The president also reposted on Truth Social earlier today. It was this meme that we talked about just a few minutes ago, and when you look at it, it says, "Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of War." All caps. How do you read that?

QUIGLEY: Yes. Look, this is a scary time. For those who haven't paid attention, it's time to watch what this president is doing. It's instructive in history to remember that often tyrants are elected democratically at first, right? Putin, Viktor Orban, just to name two. And then they use the very aspects of democracy to bring it down here. We're seeing the court system, the National Guard, the Justice Department, and so much more.

So this is a president edging more and more toward authoritarianism being a tyrant. You're talking about sending the troops against the public. The former general of the Illinois National Guard, General Hayes, said this could create a permanent stain on the image of the military in our country. And it's very dangerous. He's absolutely right as is our governor. And this is a time to stand up against this.

DEAN: Are you comparing the president to Putin?

QUIGLEY: I'm saying the president is more fond of Putin than he is of democratically elected other presidents. He's never criticized him. He's acting in a -- in a manner that Putin would, which isn't often to flaunt the law, but to use it in a way to be destructive of democratic practices. In that way, he's acting like Putin.

DEAN: And you mentioned the military. Are you concerned that there would be a negative impact on how people relate to the military because of how they're being used?

QUIGLEY: Yes. Look, when you're talking about armored vehicles in the city of Chicago, our business leaders came out last week, our law enforcement came out last week, and said, this is a bad idea.

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It's not effective, and it would harm the image of Chicago. It would harm the image of our military and absolutely have no impact on crime. You're not going to keep the military there as a long term presence. And again, if you were really serious about this, there are ways to combat crime. The trends are in a positive way, but in no way does the city of Chicago think that we've solved these problems.

We're willing to work with any administration in lawful means -- this isn't one of them -- to complete those operations.

DEAN: And what do you think is the -- is the answer here? Because if people are concerned about crime, if there are people out there who are worried about crime in Chicago, what is the solution?

QUIGLEY: Well, look, there's programs like the one former education secretary Arne Duncan operates. Chicago Cred. Their violence interrupters. They work in neighborhoods to prevent crime before they even happen. And again, the president cut $820 million in grants to programs like that. It's working to solve the problem of gun violence.

We had a rough Labor Day here in Chicago, but that was all gun violence. We've done absolutely nothing to end that scourge. And, of course, you know, if they want to hire more police, we'd be glad to work with them. There are police grants, cop grants they're called, the federal government has. And if the president wants to do that, say putting out the National Guard, and actually work on a long term solution to these issues.

DEAN: All right. Congressman Mike Quigley of Chicago, thank you so much for being here. We appreciate it.

QUIGLEY: Any time. Thank you.

DEAN: Still ahead, President Trump and Vladimir Putin appear to be on the same page. Both of them are now blaming Europe for not doing enough to help end the war in Ukraine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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DEAN: Happening overnight, Ukraine says Russia's latest overnight drone attack hit people's homes. This is the latest in a series of attacks this week. Local officials say at least six people were killed, nine more injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the attacks must be met with a, quote, "united response." Zelenskyy has accused Putin of trying to prolong the war and attempting to dodge any diplomatic meeting.

I want to bring in former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor.

He's also a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council.

Ambassador Taylor, thank you so much for being here with us. You are joining us from Kyiv tonight. And I know you've said this is your 11th visit since Russia's full scale invasion began. Since you're there on the ground talking with people, I want to get your sense of Ukrainians' perspective on this war and the current state of play more than three years on.

WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Jessica, the Ukrainians are tired and they will tell you that. They're exhausted. As you say, they've been fighting for three and a half years, fighting the Russians for three and a half years, and basically holding them off. Ukraine is holding off the Russian Army and indeed is pushing back the Russian Navy without a navy of its of its own.

The Ukrainians have been doing that because they want to defend their country. They've been doing that actually that helps them defend Europe. They are keeping the Russians from attacking into Europe. So the Ukrainians are not going to give up. They are tired but they are not -- they're determined to hold off the Russians as long as -- they're determined to hold off the Russians.

DEAN: Yes. And this being your 11th visit over these three years now, what has changed or maybe what has stayed the same?

TAYLOR: A lot depends, Jessica, on the mood of Ukrainians. Depends a lot on kind of when and what's happening. So there have been times when I've been here when the Ukrainians have been pushing the Russians way back of having great success against the Russians. And the Russians were falling back early in the war.

In the past couple -- in the past two years, as I said, it's been kind of a stalemate. The Russians are pushing gradually and grinding and losing an incredible number of Russian soldiers for very little gain, but little gains at a time. The Ukrainians now are interested, are concerned, are very focused on what support is coming from the Europeans and from the United States. So they are listening to everything that we say and indeed that President Trump says, and the Europeans says about that support.

DEAN: Now, Zelenskyy, in a new interview, has said that he cannot go to Moscow to meet with Putin, as the Russian leader has suggested, but says that Putin could come to Kyiv. The chances of any meeting are quite slim. I think we all are kind of aware of that. But tell us what this back and forth -- what's underneath this back and forth?

TAYLOR: So President Zelenskyy has said a couple of times that he's willing to meet with President Putin.

Jessica, I will tell you that this is not easy for any Ukrainian, any Ukrainian president to meet with President Putin, who is, frankly, the face of evil here. He's responsible for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian deaths. And every Ukrainian knows that. So for President Zelenskyy to agree even to meet with this man is a -- is a concession.

He said he's willing to do that. He was willing to meet President Putin in Istanbul and President Trump encouraged President Putin to come, and President Putin did not come.

[16:20:10]

So I think you're right. I think the chances are very low of these two getting together despite President Trump pushing very hard. I think President Trump is going to understand -- has come to understand that it is indeed President Putin that is the obstacle to what he's trying to do is end this war.

DEAN: And Putin said that any Western troops in Ukraine would be, in his words, legitimate targets for defeat after the French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron announced 26 countries had pledged to be involved in post-war security guarantees for Ukraine. What is that -- is that meant to be a warning to these nations?

TAYLOR: It is meant to discourage Europeans from doing what they are on the track to do. That is, as you just said, put together a force that after a ceasefire or an armistice, this European force, European- led force would be deployed on the ground here in Ukraine with U.S. support, with U.S. overhead, that is air force support coming out of Europe. So this is what the Europeans are focused on doing.

They want to end this war as well. They know that a ceasefire and an armistice is going to have to have a credible guarantee for the Ukrainians, that Russia won't invade again. When Russia talks about foreign forces in Ukraine, it's ironic. It's ridiculous. I mean, the only foreign forces in Ukraine right now, of course, are Russians. That's what needs to -- that's what needs to change.

DEAN: And just lastly, we saw just in the last week Putin having this very positive big week, appearing side by side with the leaders of North Korea and China. Just this powerful showing of anti-American alliances. What do you think that says about the Western efforts to try to isolate Russia over this war and if they're working?

TAYLOR: Well, the invitation to Alaska hurt the effort to isolate President Putin. There's no doubt about that. But President Putin also has had his own set of difficulties. Even this week, even from China, where he has said that the Europeans should not be -- should not give this security guarantee that I just mentioned to the Ukrainians.

The problem is Putin and the Russians have no say, Jessica, in whether or not the Ukrainians work with the Europeans to secure themselves. So President Putin has had his own set of difficulties this week.

DEAN: Ambassador William Taylor, joining us from Kyiv. Thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate it.

TAYLOR: Thank you. Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Still ahead, sent home in shackles. Years of preferred immigration status appears to be ending for Cuban migrants as the Trump administration ramps up deportation flights.

CNN's exclusive new look at what it's like for those arriving in Cuba often for the first time in many years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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DEAN: Happening now Senator Bernie Sanders showing support for Zohran Mamdani, the candidate for mayor of New York City. The senator will join Mamdani for a town hall tonight in Brooklyn.

Now, this race has gained national attention with President Trump weighing in this week, saying current Mayor Eric Adams is, quote, "free to do what he wants." But those comments came after Adams denied reports he was considering dropping out of the race.

CNN White House reporter Alayna Treene is going to pick it up from there.

And Alayna, there were also reports in your reporting about Steve Witkoff playing a role in all of this. What did you learn?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this has become really fascinating. And of course, President Donald Trump, someone who grew up in New York City, is paying very close attention to the mayoral race this fall. And look, they are, you know, a little bit worried about the possibility of Zohran Mamdani becoming the next mayor. They note that he's a Democratic socialist, and they want to try and clear the field to make sure someone else, even if it is a Democrat, can win against him.

And that's really where these conversations that involved Adams kind of stem from. We reported earlier this week, me alongside our colleagues Kristen Holmes and Gloria Pazmino, that Adams sat down with one of the president's top officials, his envoy, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. They met in Florida earlier this week, and they discussed the potentially -- the potential of having Adams join the Trump administration in the future.

I do want to be clear that our sources said there was nothing that was offered, but some of the discussions were around potential ambassadorships. They talked about some countries, including Saudi Arabia, but we also heard a very full throated, you know, denial from Eric Adams arguing that he has no plans to drop out of the race and that he plans to be mayor for another four years.

I want you to listen to what he told New Yorkers at Gracie Mansion yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (I), NEW YORK: Andrew Cuomo is a snake and a liar. I am in this race, and I'm the only one that can beat Mamdani. This polo shirt that I'm wearing that says "Eric Adams, Mayor of the City of New York," I'm going to wear that for another four years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: So very defiant tone, Jessica, that Adams struck there. And look, we have heard as well from our sources that they say he is committed to wanting to run in the mayoral race, but also they acknowledge his decision over this could change, particularly if there are good opportunities from the Trump administration.

[16:30:04]

And the president, for his part, said in the Oval Office yesterday, essentially, that he believes a two-way race, whether it's Cuomo going up against Mamdani or if it's Adams going up against Mamdani. He believes it will be easier if it's a two-way race, rather than having both Cuomo and Adams trying to take on someone that the White House does not want to be in the mayor's seat. Jessica?

DEAN: Yes. A lot of really interesting dynamics at play there. Really interesting reporting. Alayna Treene from the White House, thank you so much for that. As the Trump administration ramps up its immigration crackdown, removing thousands of undocumented immigrants from the U.S., CNN got exclusive access to an ICE deportation flight as it landed in Cuba. CNN Havana Bureau Chief Patrick Oppmann has details on this.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voiceover): The ICE deportation flight lands with 161 Cuban deportees, the largest number ever aboard a single plane. Officials here tell me all returned to their homeland in shackles. For decades, Cubans arriving in the U.S. were considered refugees fleeing communism and received preferential immigration status.

But under President Trump's second term, their political fortunes have shifted radically. Potentially, tens of thousands now face the threat of deportation. This is the first time the Cuban government has allowed international media to film the arrival of a U.S. flight transporting their deported citizens.

OPPMANN: This enormous plane that has just landed behind me is full of Cuban deportees. For many of them, it will be the first time they touch Cuban soil in years. And despite the fact that U.S.-Cuba relations are at their worst point in decades, these deportation flights have continued.

OPPMANN (voiceover): The deportees are unshackled and disembarked a plane, a few at a time to begin reprocessing. This man complains to us that he had tight handcuffs on for hours and lost feeling in his arms and legs. Immediately, we notice a woman coming off the plane who is visibly distraught. We are only able to ask the woman, Yudierquis Reyes, a few questions before her reprocessing begins. But the story she tells us is chilling.

They left behind my 2-year-old daughter. I lost her, she tells me, referring to ICE officials. They told me the girl was American and could not leave the country. According to Reyes, she was arrested in June during a routine check in with ICE in Nebraska, where she was living with her U.S.-born daughter.

Reyes says she then spent more than three months in detention centers. She was being deported. She said ICE officials told her for having pleaded no contest to a second-degree assault charge in 2023, for which Reyes was placed on probation and served no jail time.

In a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security called Reyes a "Criminal, illegal, alien and child abuser." Although court records don't show any such conviction. Reyes faced a child abuse, no injury charge as her infant daughter was in the house during the 2023 assault incident. But a search of Nebraska court records shows that prosecutors dropped the child abuse charge against Reyes as part of her plea deal.

The DHS statement goes on to say Reyes's child who she had custody of, remained with her father, a "U.S. citizen, at his request." CNN spoke with the girl's father, who said he was a U.S. resident, not a U.S. citizen, and had crossed illegally into the U.S. with Reyes from Mexico, and that he did not want the girl to travel to Cuba as "Life would be too hard for her there." These haphazard, excruciating family separations are likely to become more common if the Trump administration is able to follow through on deporting tens of thousands of Cubans who came to the U.S. on the parole program during the Biden administration. It remains to be seen if Cuba is willing or able to accept all of those deportees as the island reels from worsening shortages of electricity, water, and food and increased U.S. economic sanctions. Cuban immigration officials say deportees are treated humanely, and in most cases, processed and released within hours.

They're Cuban, this official tells us. They go home where their family is. They don't have a problem with immigration to be reinserted into society.

Many of these deportees, though, say they sold everything they owned to finance their journey to the U.S., and little remains for them in Cuba. Others, like Yudierquis Reyes can't bear to be separated from the family they left behind.

If I don't get her back, I'm going, she says. I. Hope Cuba doesn't ask for me back. No country. They will have to let me go. Whatever amount of time I have to be locked up, I will be. For some, there is simply nothing more that they can lose.

And even as the Trump administration ramps up deportations from the U.S., many of these Cuban deportees say they will find a way to return. Patrick Oppmann, CNN Havana.

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DEAN: Patrick, thank you. Still ahead. Here are some D.C. residents protest the Trump administration's National Guard deployment there. City leaders are fighting back in the courts. What will they have to prove to show the White House's moves are illegal? We'll talk about it when we come back.

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DEAN: The attorney general for Washington, D.C. is suing the Trump administration over its deployment of National Guard troops into the city, calling it an unlawful military occupation. More than 2000 troops have been stationed in the district since the president declared a crime emergency last month. D.A. Brian Schwalb says Trump's actions go beyond the president's authority. And joining us to talk about the legality of this is Joey Jackson, criminal defense attorney and CNN Legal Analyst.

Joey, good to see you. Thanks for being here on a Saturday afternoon. Let's start first with this lawsuit. How do you see this playing out?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. Jessica, good to be with you. So, you know, Washington, D.C. is not similarly situated to other states across the country, because Congress certainly granted them control. But you don't see Congress granting control to any other -- you know, one of the 50 states. And so therefore, it's a little different.

And what I mean by that is that with regard to the congressional authority that they have, that is the District of Columbia, since -- it's been 50 years that they're allowed to govern themselves. They have a mayor, they have a city council, et cetera., but they certainly are subjected to congressional approval. And part of that, Jessica, means that the president is the commander-in-chief of the National Guard. And as a result, has certainly brought powers.

Having said that, I do think that there's legitimate questions of sovereignty. There's legitimate questions of independence of D.C., there's legitimate questions as to what's called the Posse Comitatus Act, an act of federal law that's been in existence for 150 years that says you can't federalize troops to engage in local law enforcement purposes.

So, how I see it playing out is it's a case of first impression, remember, by when I say that there's not much precedent to look at, but I do think there are viable claims for the District of Columbia to say, hey, we didn't ask for you to be here. We can govern our own affairs. The president overstepped his authority, and as a result of that, I think it does have some teeth.

It'll be up to a judge to make the determination. And you better believe it will go to the next court and the next court. And so, we'll see how it plays out, ultimately.

DEAN: Yes. As this has been a theme during the Trump administration with things going through courts and more courts. So, I'm curious, Trump is threatening now to send National Guard troops into Chicago. He's called it the worst and most dangerous city in the world by far.

But part of the administration's justification is also on immigration enforcement. That's part of it as well. And I'm curious if having -- if making this about immigration, does that give them any more legal leeway to go into Chicago?

JACKSON: So, maybe but maybe not. And here's what I mean. There's something in law called a pretext. It's sort of like D.C., which we just talked about, where D.C. says, hey, our crime is the lowest it's been in 30 years. What are you coming here for?

With regard to Chicago, you have the president waxing poetic, calling it all types of names, saying its unsafe, et cetera. And so, does the rhetoric or does the intent match the specific purpose for which you're doing it? Just because you call something immigration, Jessica, doesn't mean, right, you can wrap it up in an immigration bow and say, hey, that's why they're there. You know, take it or leave it, we'll do as we want.

I think ultimately you have to engage in a legal analysis. And the legal analysis will ask a few questions. Number one, is there a rebellion going on in Chicago? If not, is there an insurrection going on in Chicago? Could Chicago otherwise enforce other federal statutes, as it should? And was there any request made by the government as it relates to having the federal forces there? And then the final question becomes what are they going to do? Are they detaining people? So, all that has to be factored in.

Certainly, there's a place to engage in immigration, of course, but the issue becomes what specifically are they doing? What is the intent? And ultimately, what legal authority they will have to do? What they ultimately do? Is it immigration or is it disguised as immigration, but really something else?

DEAN: And quickly, let's touch on California as well. A federal judge there saying Trump overstepped his authority, sending troops into L.A. The White House has called him a rogue judge, suggesting his ruling is not in line with the -- with the law. Do you think his ruling is not in line with the law?

JACKSON: You know, what's troubling, Jessica, as an officer of the court, as an attorney, is that we have different branches of government. We have the Executive Branch. That's the president and his prerogatives could be his policies. But you have the Judicial Branch of government which decides whether things are lawful. And Congress, which enacts the laws.

And it's getting so tiresome to hear he's a radical lefty judge. The judge is a lunatic. It's a process. And as i read the ruling, now, will it withstand a legal challenge? It remains to be seen. We're a country of laws and will respect what the Circuit Court does. If it goes to the Supreme Court, what it does.

[16:45:05]

But just very briefly, Jessica, all Judge Breyer did -- brother, by the way, of Stephen Breyer, retired Supreme Court Justice. All he said is what we just talked about. Posse comitatus.

There's a law that says you can't have domestic military troops engaged in local law enforcement activities. Can't do it. Can't arrest people. Can't detain people. Can't engage in searches and seizures. Thats not a function of the army or military. It's the function of local police.

And that simply is the law. Thats not lefty lunatic. It's not -- it's not anything other than what is a judicial interpretation. And I just think we have to reach a place where we respect laws, whether we like them or not. It's not going to be the final word.

Again, I'll end where we began, Jessica, which is it will go to the next court, the Circuit Court. Then it'll go potentially to the Supreme Court. But I think it's time we start respecting laws and not calling people names because they don't agree.

DEAN: From one court to the next to the next, it is the theme. Joey Jackson, thank you so much. Good to see you.

JACKSON: Thanks, Jessica. DEAN: Coming up. Signs of trouble for President Trump's economy. We're going to run the numbers on how Americans are viewing things after another month of weak job growth. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:50:48]

DEAN: The August jobs report has some economists warning that the job market is stalling the U.S. economy, adding just 22,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3 percent. That is the highest it's been since 2021. CNN's Harry Enten runs the numbers for us. Harry?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Hey, there, Jessica. Happy Saturday to you. Look, Friday was an ugly day when it came to the jobs report. That's the only word we can use. Ugly.

In fact, I'll utter a few more times. Ugly, ugly, ugly. Only 22,000 new jobs added in the month of August. We're now looking at four consecutive months in which each month had less than 100,000 new jobs added. That's the first time that has happened since the great recession.

My goodness gracious. But I'll tell you who's not surprised, the American public. They have been pessimistic on this economy for a while, and they've been getting more pessimistic.

What are we talking about? Well, take a look here. U.S. economy is getting worse. You know, back in November of 2024, look at that, it was 42 percent. That, of course, was just after Donald Trump was elected when this measure was taken.

But look at where it is now. Jumped all the way up to 56 percent. That's a 14-point rise in less than a year. And this has occurred under Donald Trump, even as Trump was elected to fix the economy, fix the economy.

And, of course, as Friday's jobs report indicated, it's no longer just about inflation. It's no longer just about tariffs. It is downstream of that.

We're talking about jobs here, which had been a strength of the U.S. economy, had been a true strength. But look at this. On jobs and employment, we are on the wrong track or the right track.

In January, the plurality said we were on the right track, 40 percent. Only 32 percent said we were on the wrong track. But look at where we are now. The latest reading in August, get this, 48 percent say we're on the wrong track. Only 33 percent of Americans say were on the right track.

So, back in January, the plurality said, hey, pretty gosh darn good. We're on the right track. Now, the clear plurality by a 15-point margin say that we're on the wrong track. Now, of course, Donald Trump wants to pass that buck. He wants to pass it along to anyone he possibly could. It's Jerome Powell's fault. Its Joe Biden's fault. Well, guess what. The American people say the buck stops with Donald Trump.

Because take a look here. Look at this. Net approval rating on jobs and employment. Look at where Donald Trump now is in August of 2025, minus 13 points. That is significantly worse than where he was back in January of 2025, when again, it was thumbs up from the American public. He was at plus nine points.

But perhaps more worrisome than anything else for Donald Trump. Look at this. Joe Biden was underwater back in December of 2024 on jobs and employment, but he was at minus eight points. Donald Trump is even lower than Joe Biden. And, of course, Joe Biden was in the basement. And when you go below the basement, I don't know where you are, but you certainly don't want to end up there, Jessica.

And the bottom line is, the American people do not like what they're seeing in terms of jobs and employment. And I bet you that was only reinforced by that jobs report that came out on Friday. Back to you.

DEAN: Harry Enten, thank you. Each year, an estimated 250,000 animals are hoarded in homes across the United States, often enduring horrific conditions. And this week's CNN Hero is rescuing these animals and offering them a new start in life. Meet Tim Woodward.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIM WOODWARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ANIMAL RESCUE CORPS: We see animals living in conditions that I would have never imagined before doing this. There's a little dog down here in this crate. Hi, mama.

Their physical condition is incredibly debilitated. It can be very gruesome. Your average shelter is used to taking animals in one or two at a time. We pull in large numbers of animals from a crisis situation. We'll work with law enforcement. They will designate us as an agent of law enforcement to go onto the scene, to seize those animals.

You're OK. See?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at that smile. Yes.

WOODWARD: We bring a very tight trained team, including a state licensed forensic vet, vet techs, as well as an intake team. And, of course, our trained handlers.

[16:55:12]

They're in five different pop ups. We'll split them up two, two and two. We're kind of the midway point between where they came from and where they will find their forever home. We'll get you all fixed up.

So, for the time that they're in our care, we try to make sure that they are becoming healthier. What are you doing, huh? And we try as best we can to prepare them for life in a home. Yes, you do.

The change in the animals is always remarkable. They come out of situations where they have no trust. And then with time and attention, they begin to literally blossom. You're getting out of here.

Weve rescued well over 10,000 animals. Where is that tail at? My hope is that they have the best life possible and forget all about where they came from.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: To find out more about how Tim's organization is helping animals in need, you can go cnnheroes.com. Up next. Top Democratic leaders feeling the pressure tonight to get off the sidelines and support Zohran Mamdani, the leading Democrat in New York's race for mayor. All of this as the Trump administration is trying to exert its own influence over this race.

Let's talk about all these dynamics at play when we come back. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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