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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Border Czar: Deportations Continue Despite Judge's Order; ICE Defends Arrest of High-Profile Undocumented Mom of Four; Climate Scientists: 2024 was Hottest Year on Record. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired March 20, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. President Trump's borders czar Tom Homan appears to be defying a judge's order to halt deportations of migrants using an old wartime law. Homan says that deportation flights have not stopped and are not slowing down.

On Monday, a federal appeals court will hold a hearing on the Trump administration's request to lift the order temporarily blocking the operation. It was being carried out under the authority of the Alien Enemies Act established more than 200 years ago. And it allows the U.S. government to deport noncitizens during a declared war or during an invasion or incursion by a foreign government.

U.S. Immigration Service meantime defending the arrest of an immigration rights activist who is also an undocumented mother of four. Jeanette Vizguerra was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. That was in 2017 and Donald Trump's first term as president when she took sanctuary in a Colorado church for three years to avoid being deported.

ICE releasing this photo of her arrest on Monday. This happened outside the Target store in Denver, the Denver suburbs, where she worked as a cashier. Two of her children spoke out after she was taken into custody.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTO VIZGUERRA, SON OF JEANETTE VIZGUERRA: She told me that she was at work and she was going out to her break. And out of nowhere, a bunch of men ambushed her and they started, you know, putting cuffs on her and they were laughing in her face. They were in unmarked vehicles. They were wearing regular civilian clothes. You know, she wasn't scared, but, you know, it's it's it was very sudden.

LUNA BAEZ, DAUGHTER OF JEANETTE VIZGUERRA: As far as legally trying to stop her removal, it's very uncertain. And especially under this administration, I would say there's a lot kind of to process here. There there's really no respect for the law at this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: OK, let's bring in Raul Rayes as an attorney, immigration analyst and CNN opinion writer. He joins me now from New York. Raul, great to have you this morning.

Just first your your thoughts on this arrest, especially after hearing those comments from her children.

RAUL REYES, ATTORNEY: Right. Well, you know, this case with Jeanette Vizguerra, it reflects a big shift that we're seeing in immigration enforcement. Obviously, Donald Trump came into office pledging to deport the worst of the worst, worst of the worst, meaning serious criminals, people who are national security threats.

But what we're seeing instead is people like Vizguerra who are they're part of a growing list of nonviolent noncitizens who are being targeted in these crackdowns. And we know this because when we see ISIS statistics for the for March, 50 percent of people currently in U.S. detention have no criminal records or criminal charges at all. So ISIS just increasingly targeted -- targeting noncitizens, people with green cards, people who may have visa or paperwork issues.

That's the new reality in the United States. And for the Vizguerra family, obviously, very heartbreaking.

SOLOMON: Yes, and I think there's a question about whether you agree with how these these policies are being enacted. But then there's also the question of the legality of it.

And I want to play for you, Raul, a clip from former attorney general under George W. Bush, General Alberto Gonzalez, speaking with CNN earlier this week about the order issued by Judge Boasberg. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERTO GONZALES, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL UNDER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: My expectation is the courts are probably going to find that this is perfectly lawful, because, again, in the space of immigration and national security law, the president is afforded a great deal of discretion under the Constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: We also have this new reporting out this morning from Apollo Reid that the Trump administration actually feels really confident in their legal strategy. I mean, how do you see it? I mean, do you believe that the administration will likely be given a long leash when it comes to immigration? And what does that say about what the next four years could look like?

REYES: Well, at this point, I am not sure how this how this battle between the courts and the Trump administration is going to play out. But my sense is that this is a fight at different levels that the Trump administration wants. They really seem to be testing the limits of immigration law and testing the limits of executive authority to see how far they can go legally with the approval of the courts, as well as from the public.

[05:35:00] I mean, people who voted for Trump, they in effect, they knew they were voting for a president who was promising mass deportations. So we can't say it's a complete surprise. What is in my view, very controversial is that we are seeing now the president and the executive branch basically defying a federal judge, which goes to issues involving our separations of power and executive authority.

And meanwhile, we have these groups of Venezuelan nationals who are being deported. They are noncitizens, but they are being deported without any due process. The government has released very little information about who they are, and some of them as young as 14. And they are being sent to one of the most notorious mega prisons in the world.

And for me, that should -- I believe that that should concern any American who is concerned about human rights, civil rights, preventing abuses in our detention and prison systems. And above all, the rule of law.

SOLOMON: Well, what do you make of the fact that some of these arrests that we've seen have been quite high profile in nature? And I mean, when we listen to Vizguerra's children, I mean, she said that -- they said both her son and I believe her daughter said that she had been reporting, as well as their father, that she had been being followed for days in unmarked cars. I mean, what do you make of the high profile nature of some of these arrests? What do you read into that?

REYES: Well, it's true. We have seen high profile arrests like Vizguerra and also Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia grad student who is now in ICE detention in Louisiana. And just to be fair, look, any person who is in the country without authorization is vulnerable to being detained and potentially removed by the government.

That's true under all administrations. What is concerning to me is that we see these high profile people being targeted in what looks like immigration actions that are being taken in a punitive manner because of their activism. Because in Vizguerra's case, that she was a very prominent figure in the immigrant rights movement.

And in Mr. Khalil's case, because he was speaking out on very controversial issues involving Israel, Palestine and Hamas. So it does seem that the government is trying to weaponize, in a sense, immigration enforcement to suppress dissent. And again, that just as a citizen is concerning to me because that goes against our fundamental values as Americans.

SOLOMON: Raul Reyes, we're going to leave it here, but I appreciate your insights this morning as some of these policies work their way through the courts. Thank you.

REYES: Thank you.

SOLOMON: So I had the last person known to have been with a missing U.S. college student has left the Dominican Republic. The latest on the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki coming up after the break. Plus, extreme weather has become more and more common as temperatures

rise relentlessly. Still ahead, a look at ways we can all adapt and even thrive as the earth gets warmer when we come back.

[05:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLOMON: Welcome back, I'm Rahel Solomon, and here are some of the stories we're watching today.

We begin with Gaza officials saying that at least 59 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes overnight. Israel has also launched new ground operations in the enclave, retaking key areas on Wednesday.

Gaza's fragile ceasefire was shattered early Tuesday, as Israel carried out strikes killing more than 400 Palestinians.

Greenpeace has been ordered to pay more than $660 million in damages over protests against the Dakota Access Oil Pipeline nearly a decade ago. It was accused of paying protesters and making untrue statements about the project.

The pipeline was built near one of the largest Native American reservations in the U.S. Greenpeace plans to appeal the decision.

Baseball's international superstar, Shohei Ohtani, hit his first home run of the season on Wednesday night in front of a packed crowd in Tokyo. The Japanese sensation helping propel the Los Angeles Dodgers to victory 6-3 over the Chicago Cubs, completing a two-game sweep.

But the last person known to have seen U.S. college student Sudiksha Konanki has now returned to the U.S. 22-year-old Joshua Riibe left the Dominican Republic on Wednesday after being detained for 10 days. He told authorities that he last saw Konanki walking in knee-deep water on the beach before she disappeared. He has not been considered a suspect.

Konanki, who is 20 years old, is a University of Pittsburgh student. She was on a spring break trip when she went missing on March 6. Her parents have asked authorities to declare her dead, writing in a letter that investigators believe that she drowned and, quote, no evidence of foul play has been found.

2024 has set a record that no one wants. It was the hottest since records began 175 years ago. That is according to an annual report by the World Meteorological Organization.

Now, to add to the bad news, the 10 hottest years on record were all in the past decade. CNN's chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, is looking at how we can adapt and even thrive despite the changing weather. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the spring of 2020 and the height of the global pandemic. So they kicked me out of the hospital after just one precious hour. That's when it hit me. This kid could live to see the 22nd century. But what will be left.

[05:45:00]

WEIR: Fire season has gotten hotter and longer.

WEIR (voice-over): Given everything I see on the climate beat, the very thought filled me with dread. The trillion ton monster made of fossil fuel pollution is only getting bigger. And the weather is only getting weirder.

So I couldn't help but wonder, where should he live? What kind of shelter? How can he power his life in harmony with everything else? Survive and thrive in the age of flood and fire. So this is a search for the helpers.

WEIR: When we harness the solar power, it makes you feel great that you self-generated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Push a button and then it pushes itself out of the water.

WEIR (voice-over): The hidden heroes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not only is it more energy efficient, but it actually can save lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I tested materials these guys wanted to use. And as it's flaming in my hands, I throw it down and say, we're not using that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: And for more, Bill Weir joins me now live from New York. Dark and early, Bill. We appreciate you being with us.

Beyond just seeing your son there, which was so precious and so cute. This is obviously a really serious topic. We have lived through the hottest decade ever recorded.

As you were putting this special together. Bill, what did you learn about how people are adapting to climate change as the planet continues to warm?

WEIR (on camera): Well, Rahel, I mean, I really learned lessons as we saw kind of during the pandemic. The communities that trusted in each other the most, that leaned into science, suffered the least. And I was just looking for helpers.

I'm looking for people who are setting the model for building the most resilient communities around the world. And we found them. There are really brilliant folks out there looking for how to harden our communities against fire and flood. And thinking about construction, shelter in new ways, energy streams in new ways. A lot of the big brains that made this problem in the first place can help solve it right now. It just takes leadership.

SOLOMON: Yes, I thought it was really interesting that you said that you actually walked away with this feeling more hope than fear. Which is really interesting, considering you always have such a first-hand look at some of these natural disasters.

Bill, let me ask, as we talk about leadership, with President Trump's rollback of dozens of environmental protections and the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, without those regulations and American leadership in this space, where do you see the world in four years?

WEIR: Wow, that's a trillion-dollar question, Rahel. I think, honestly, that this administration, looking back, historians, archaeologists, will measure it in ecosystems lost right now. Science tells us this is the most key time to try to pull as much of the planet-cooking pollution out of the sky as we can and stop as much from going up there. That's the mitigation side of this.

But then there's the adaptation side. We have to brace for the pain that's already being built in. Last year, there were 151 unprecedented weather events around the world, causing more than 30 million climate refugees to move around. That's the most since a massive earthquake in China back 25 years ago. So this is the new reality of this Earth right now.

And so Donald Trump, of course, is ripping away all references to climate change, not to mention any sort of action, any policies to address it right now. So now, right, it's up to the states, it's up to cities, it's up to corporations that still care about this, while everybody seems to be in retreat right now.

So now, more than ever, I think it's time for communities who agree that this is an issue to lock together. And you can do it on the grassroots level. There's so much that can be done around your neighborhood to harden things, to adapt, to mitigate right now. But these are just perilous times.

We're seeing populist rollback from climate action in New Zealand, in other places around the world, Argentina, of course. So the way the human psyche processes this problem, it's like a roller coaster ride. And we're on a downturn right now, the attitude around this.

But it is never too late. And there's so much capacity to turn this around. Technology out there that people don't know about is just mind blowing.

SOLOMON: Yes, I think it'll be really interesting to watch. I'm really excited to watch, Bill. And what's interesting is I think that there are so many lenses and ways you can view this problem from obviously the human impact for the planet, but also the economic impact.

I mean, you know, the insurance crisis that many people are dealing with, whether you live in these really vulnerable states or not, I think the insurance crisis is impacting a lot of people with higher rates, people being dropped. I mean, it is a serious problem. WEIR: Absolutely. And really, the only answer to that is to build stronger communities, insurable communities, which has us rethinking shelter sort of at every level and planning and zoning and how to live with fire and water in ways we've been fighting against for so long generationally right now.

[05:50:00]

There's lots of ideas out there, but it takes a real set of -- sort of a -- it's interesting, Democrats who are held now are coming around to this policy of abundance, that they can compete with Republicans by saying we will build better cities and highway systems and things that work that are ultimately more sustainable, healthier. We'll see if that plays out in the public sphere.

SOLOMON: Yes, Bill, we're we really appreciate you being on with us this morning and so looking forward to this special. Yes, and be sure to --

WEIR: Thanks, Rahel.

SOLOMON: Thank you. Thank you, my friend.

And be sure to tune in for an all new episode of the "WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER", one whole hour, one whole story at air Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN. Looking forward to that.

Well, a new survey says that the world's happiest country is Finland. Apparently, that may not be a huge surprise because the nation topped the World Happiness Report rankings again this year. It is the eighth year in a row. So if it sounds a little familiar, that's because it is.

Experts say that the happiness ranking has a lot to do with how the country serve their citizens.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN-EMMANUEL DE NEVE, EDITOR, WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT: They have a lot of resources, GDP, and especially they share it very equally. It's a rising tide lifting all boats approach with them. They also redistribute this level of income through the welfare state, which takes and helps people who otherwise fall off the ship.

And that gives them a safety net, which provides psychological safety as well, which is obviously very important to the way people feel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: And rounding out the top five, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and the Netherlands. As for where we, here in the U.S. landed, well, we actually fell to number 24, which is apparently our lowest ranking yet.

All right, calling all college basketball fans. You only have a few hours left to fill out your brackets because March Madness starts today. That's coming up next on EARLY START.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[Speaker 18] Jack's coming back. People wanted to believe there are events happening on Twitter that impact people all over the world.

[05:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLOMON: All right, college basketball fans, today is the day that perhaps you have been waiting for. March Madness kicks off with 16 men's games, including number one seeds Houston and Auburn. The women's tournament starts on Friday, featuring UCLA and defending champion South Carolina.

Last year, an average 7.4 million people tuned in to the first round of weekday afternoon games. And more than 30 million people filled out brackets online.

Now, the term March Madness actually dates back to 1982. And it's because of all of the upsets. More than eight teams are expected to beat opponents who are ranked higher than them.

Golf Masters Tournament has revealed the menu for this year's championship's dinner or champion's dinner. And as the tradition goes, the reigning champ gets to pick the food being served.

This year, Scottie Scheffler chose options to reflect his roots in Texas. As he did two years ago, he opted for cheeseburger sliders and firecracker shrimp as appetizers. Then there's Texas style chili with corn chips, cheese and jalapenos. For the main courses, a choice between Texas ribeye steak or blackened redfish. If you weren't hungry yet, maybe you are now.

Scheffler will be hoping to join an elite club by winning a third green jacket when the tournament tees off on April 10th.

A New Zealand teenager has made sports history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sam Ruthe right there. Woohoo! All right. That's a sub four baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: This was the moment that Sam Ruthe became the youngest person to run a mile in, get this, less than four minutes. The 15-year-old crossed the line about a second and a half under the four-minute mark in Auckland Wednesday. And his new record comes after he became the youngest ever senior national champion at New Zealand's track and field champions -- championships earlier this month.

I've got to set my game up. I've really got to set my game up. Meantime, a Chinese robot is set to run a half marathon in Beijing

competing against human athletes. But they'll race on different tracks for safety. But this humanoid robot is one of several entered in the race next month, which is open to companies around the world. The developer described the process of preparing his creation for the race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEI JIAXING, BEIJING HUMANOID ROBOT INNOVATION CENTER (through translator): Its highest speed is 12 kilometers per hour. Considering the stability and endurance of the robot when running outdoors, we may slightly reduce the speed, but we are still very confident that it can complete the half marathon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Now, teams can either replace their robots' batteries or use robot relays to complete the course. There will be prizes for the top three finishers, plus other awards like best endurance and best creative design.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to Mandalore so that I may be forgiven for my transgressions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: May the force be with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: A couple of characters from The Mandalorian made an appearance in California on Wednesday. They weren't the main characters on the TV series, but these two droids did have starring roles at the annual Software Developer Conference that was sponsored by tech company NVIDIA. The droids interacted with the delighted humans who attended the conference, walking, dancing and whistling, also expressing emotions in their own way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORITZ BAECHER, DISNEY ROBOTICS RESEARCHER: The technology is so good that you don't see the technology any longer. And so that's exactly the goal of the Walt Disney Company.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Disney has been showcasing the droids at their theme parks and various properties across the country.

All right, that'll do it for us today. Thanks for being with us here on EARLY START. Get those brackets filled out. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. CNN "THIS MORNING" starts right now.