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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Trump Orders ICE Agents To Ramp Up Deportations; Suspect In Minnesota Lawmaker Shooting Caught; Israel: At Least Eight Killed In Latest Iranian Strikes. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired June 16, 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]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Is it perhaps a new layer of pressure on President Trump that he could be feeling from those close to him or is it simply maybe representatives of some of those sectors that we mentioned that can't just sit idly by as their workers are caught up in enforcement actions?

DAVID LEOPOLD, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY, CHAIR, IMMIGRATION UB GREENSFELDER LLC: Well, from the White House, it's a policy of chaos.

Look, this is about distracting from the White House -- from the Trump administration. On the one hand, they've claimed that immigrants don't pay taxes and they've gone after immigrants in the -- in the IRS and in Social Security tax investigations. On the other hand, the president comes out last week and starts talking about them as essential workers. Essentials workers or the worst of the worst. Which is it?

He says he's going after the worst of the worst but, in fact, he's picking up 4-year-olds. He's picking up teachers. He's picking up Dreamers -- arresting, locking up. Sending to El Salvador.

This is a policy of chaos. And what we're hearing out of the White House is really just to distract people from what's going on, whether it's the horror and the attacks on due process in cities like Los Angeles where they've unlawfully sent the National Guard and the Marines against U.S. policy -- U.S. law or it's a distraction from the big bill they're trying to pass, which gives handouts to the rich and cuts Medicare, cuts health care, education.

This is a distraction from the White House amid a policy of absolute chaos and it's frustrating to say the least.

SANDOVAL: And meanwhile, you have the president publicly directing federal immigration to prioritize deportations in Democrat-run cities as he put it, and he did so on social -- in a social media post, David.

So do you think -- to your earlier point, do you think that this is just political -- again, to use your word to prompt -- to create this chaos or could either one of these positions actually result in an -- in an official directive issued from the White House either to scale back on targeting certain sectors or to really bump up enforcement to meet those quotas that they're trying to hit?

LEOPOLD: Look, I think they've set these quotas to remove people. They claim it's the worst of the worst. That's just not true. We know that.

We've learned that pretty clearly in the last several weeks when we've seen zip-tied 4-year-old girls. We've seen Dreamers locked up. We have seen essential workers across the country -- people who are adding to the economy, adding to the culture.

How many fathers spent yesterday in CECOT prison away from their families in El Salvador?

What we're seeing is not only an attack on immigration but an attack on due process. An absolute attack on the rule of law in the United States and something that every American should be -- should be concerned about because this affects all of us.

And the distractions come because the White House doesn't want people to pay attention to what's really going on, and that is an attack on the American people. An attack on due process rights. Attack on the rule of law. And an attack on -- an outright attack on what our core principles of democracy are in the United States.

This is beyond immigration. This is about the very core principles of America. And the rest of it coming from the White House right now back and forth is a distraction for what they're really doing, which is attacking the rule of law and due process and everything we hold dear.

SANDOVAL: David, you're an immigration attorney with a lot of experience in that matter. Do you have any clients who have expressed new concerns about becoming targets of Donald Trump's immigration enforcement? And if so, can you give us just a general sense of what they're sharing with you and perhaps how that's different from years past?

LEOPOLD: Yeah. I'll tell you what's different, and it's a great question, from years past.

What's different is that not only are the clients people who don't have citizenship, right -- documented and undocumented in some case, allegedly -- but they're U.S. citizens -- U.S. citizens. People who were born in this country. Maybe brown skin or black skin or not white and are terrified of going out and driving. Going out and getting stopped in the streets.

I've had people who are U.S. citizens call me up terrified of traveling. Should I travel? If I do travel what's going to happen if I get stopped coming back in the United States? Will they let me back in the United States? People -- colleagues who are -- who are attorneys or doctors or engineers who are afraid to drive.

And we're not talking about -- the line is not at citizenship versus not citizenship. The line is of people living in the United States who are terrified because they're worried they're going to get targeted just because of the way they look, right?

[05:35:00]

So that's what's going on in the United States right now. That's not America. That's ugly. And that's another part of the distraction.

They -- the Trump administration is trying to distract all of us from the ugliness of what's happening in this country. This is not America. This is not a country that's built on fear. This is a country that's built on hope.

Americans are good people. Americans build, Americans hope, Americans dream. That's why we are the greatest country in the world.

And I am not used to -- and I don't think anybody is used to a leadership -- a president who goes forward by trying to tear us apart and tear our country down. That's not American.

SANDOVAL: Immigration attorney David Leopold, you're at the front lines of this. You hear those human stories. Thank you so much for sharing some of those with us.

LEOPOLD: Thanks for having me this morning.

SANDOVAL: Of course.

And we return -- when we return here on CNN, the latest on the arrest of the suspect in the Minnesota lawmaker shootings. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:40:40]

SANDOVAL: More now on our breaking news in Minnesota where a manhunt for an alleged killer is finally over. A 57-year-old man identified as Vance Boelter is in custody and facing multiple charges of murder as well as attempted murder.

A source telling CNN that the U.S. Department of Justice is now facing -- is now considering, I should say, possibly filing federal charges against Boelter. He's a suspect in two separate shootings from over the weekend that targeted state lawmakers in their homes.

Here is CNN's Whitney Wild with more on how this manhunt ended after nearly 48 hours.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: This is a remarkable moment in Minnesota. There were dozens of law enforcement agencies who were engaged in bringing Vance Boelter into custody. What we know is that law enforcement says there were 20 SWAT teams alone who worked on bringing him into custody and it was the Minnesota State Police who finally put the handcuffs on Vance Boelter.

This night unfolded rapidly once they were able to figure out where he was. And so let me take you back to the beginning of the day Sunday when

law enforcement had identified a vehicle in Sibley County, Minnesota. This is an area that is very rural. It is 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis. And law enforcement had spent much of the day Sunday combing that area and combing through that car. They were able to bring into custody pretty critical pieces of evidence.

And so it was in that area by that car that they knew that he was somewhere in the area, and that was based on a tip from the public. And so once these tips starting pouring in -- law enforcement says that there were at least 400 tips that came in.

Law enforcement was able to narrow in on where he was and then, in effect, used all of their tactical units. They used an airwing element from the Minnesota State Police, infrared technology -- you know, other law enforcement technology to find out exactly where he was, then bring those law enforcement officers as close to him as possible -- basically surround him. And then able through -- and then they were able to, through really tactful, impactful negotiation bring him into custody without incident.

He is facing multiple charges. Law enforcement here listed a few. I mean, obviously, he's facing murder charges for Rep. Melissa Hortman, the attempted murder charges for the shootings of State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. So those are just a few of the charges. It is highly likely that he may see more. There may be federal charges in the future as well. They're working with their federal partners to figure out what federal charge, if any, would be applicable here.

But the most important thing here in Minnesota is that through the work and the cooperation of a long list of law enforcement agencies they were able to bring Vance Boelter into custody without injuring himself, without injuring an officer, and without injuring any member of the public.

Whitney Wild, CNN, Blaine, Minnesota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Coming up on your EARLY START how the escalating fight between Israel and Iran is now pushing the White House to breathe new life into a news network it had been previously fighting to dismantle.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:48:10]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, and here are some of the stories that we are watching today.

The suspect in the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses is in custody after a weekend manhunt. Vance Boelter is facing second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder charges. That's according to a criminal complaint that was obtained by the Minnesota Star Tribune. And a source says that officials are now weighing federal charges against the suspect as well. U.S. President Donald Trump is in Canada to attend the G7 summit this week. The White House saying that he will meet with the leaders of Canada, Mexico, and Ukraine during this trip. Ukrainian officials hoping to win more support from the U.S. as Russia steps up its air campaign.

And the deadly conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its fourth day with both sides firing waves of missiles overnight. At least eight people were killed in Israel overnight bringing the total death toll since Friday to 23. And at least 224 people have been killed in Iran. That's according to the country's health ministry.

And on that story, Jeremy Diamond was at the scene of one Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv and filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: I'm at the site of an Iranian ballistic missile attack in central Tel Aviv. This ballistic missile struck this area in the early hours of this morning, severely damaging three residential buildings right behind me. As you can see, this whole street is littered with debris as rescue crews move in and out still trying to assess the damage and to find anybody who might be trapped under rubble. And also to get people out of their apartments.

There are also folks who have arrived here to try and get back inside to get some of their belongings and to make sure that their loved ones are OK.

[05:50:00]

This is one of four ballistic missile attack sites in central Tel Aviv alone. In addition there was a ballistic missile attack in northern Israel in Haifa as well. More than 70 people were injured in these attacks according to Magen David Adom, Israel's national rescue services.

And, of course, we are seeing that these attacks are continuing to escalate, and concern is rising here in Israel about the number of casualties and how many more may come.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And when this conflict heated up between Israel and Iran there were several dozen Voice of America staffers that were told to return to work immediately. You'll recall that is the government- funded broadcaster. The Trump administration put them all on leave back in March.

CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter explains what's actually happening here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Hey there. Yes, as in any conflict, a full-fledged information war is underway right now. The U.S. government is trying to broadcast what it deems to be truthful information into Iran and to Farsi speakers all around the world on social media.

This is notable in part because the Trump administration had sharply curtailed this programming just a few months ago. President Trump signed an order in March trying to stop funding to Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other U.S.-funded international broadcasters.

Historically, these networks have enjoyed strong bipartisan support as they bring news, views, and American values into countries that are more accustomed to censorship and propaganda.

But the Trump team took a different point of view toward the networks, arguing that they are biased, bloated, and out of date, obsolete. So VOA went silent and Radio Free Europe's grant money was revoked, sparking a number of lawsuits.

But then came a surprise on Friday. Dozens of VOA staffers who were still on paid administration leave basically just sidelined and not able to work -- they were told to report to work immediately. Most of them had previously worked on VOA's Persian service beaming news content into Iran, and now they are back at work. Back broadcasting as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues.

Trump's pick to run VOA, Kari Lake, confirmed the move to Fox News over the weekend saying, "We are ramping up as we've always planned to do to meet this historic moment."

VOA staffers who are still on the bench -- still not allowed to work -- told me they believe this situation proves that all the networks around the world should be brought back to life.

Over the weekend Republican Congressman Don Bacon weighed in saying on X, "It was shortsighted to cut all of these kinds of media that tell our American story and give light to the people living in these tyrannical regimes. The VOA is now needed for Iran," he said.

Meantime, Radio Free Europe has been in court, as I said, trying to get its funding back. Trying to claw its money back. In the meantime it's still on the air and online in some limited ways. Over the weekend it was touting its traffic and impact with its coverage into Iran. Now you can see its Instagram page in Farsi has 4.7 million followers.

In an internal memo obtained by CNN's Jake Tapper, RFERL, as the network is known, said moments like these are why we exist. "In one day, Farda's content was consumed in the millions -- exceeding the audience of any messaging that the U.S. government itself could push out via official channels."

The memo says that Radio Free Europe has been countering Iranian disinformation about Israeli strikes. Brian Stelter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And as Israel and Iran continue their volley of attacks, we are keeping a very close eye on energy prices here at home. How this is impacting the cost at the pump.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:58:15]

SANDOVAL: And if you happen to be planning a summer road trip the conflict that continues to rage between Israel and Iran might also affect you. It's causing the cost of oil to skyrocket. Analysts say that U.S. gas prices -- they are likely to climb higher starting this week.

Amy Kiley breaks that down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMY KILEY, CNN NEWSOURCE: As the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies experts say Americans could feel it at the pump. An analyst for GasBuddy predicts prices could rise more than 30 cents a gallon by July fourth. That's due to the skyrocketing cost of oil.

NATSHA LINDSTAEDT, GOVERNMENT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: Any kind of conflict going on in the Middle East, particularly if it escalates, is going to lead to rising oil prices which will lead to inflationary pressures in the U.S.

KILEY: Some oil infrastructure appears damaged as the two sides exchange strikes. This video is from Haifa, home to Israel's largest refinery. And Iran is one of the top oil producers in the world.

BEHNAM TALEBLU, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF IRAN PROGRAM, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: They went after oil storage and oil refineries and those depots as well as, of course, the targeting of gas facilities in Iran's south.

KILEY: Experts say the good news is U.S. gas prices were relatively mild before the conflict began. Rystad Energy says the oil market's reaction could be contained and temporary if Iran focuses on military targets.

Experts say gas prices would rise much more if it went after the Strait of Hormuz. Goldman Sachs predicts an extended disruption there would push oil prices past $100 a barrel. That's because core OPEC countries need the waterway in order to ramp up production.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: There is, every single day, 21 million barrels of oil that flows through the Strait of Hormuz. That's about a fifth of what the world consumes.

[06:00:00] KILEY: I'm Amy Kiley reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And we can't let you go without showing you this amazing shot. It comes from J.J. Spaun. He won the U.S. Open thanks to this back nine for the ages -- a 64-foot putt for a birdie on a sopping wet 18th green. That's what helped him clinch that victory. This is the golfer's first Major title.

I want to thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.