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Source: New ICE Operation Targets Somali Immigrants In Minnesota; New Orleans, Minneapolis Bracing For New ICE Operations; Trump Administration Intensifying Crackdown On All Forms Of Immigration; Trump Pardons Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar; Trump Appears To Doze Off Multiple Times During Cabinet Meeting. Aired 12- 12:30p ET

Aired December 03, 2025 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00]

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: In addition, the prosecution argues a financial incentive. She has this life insurance policy. So, like anything else, it cuts both ways, but certainly the prosecutions are making the argument that because of that affair he killed her, because of the financial motivation, he killed her as well. We'll see if it resonates with the jury as the trial unfolds.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR, THE SITUATION ROOM: All right. Joey Jackson, thanks so much. Wolf?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN CO-ANCHOR, THE SITUATION ROOM: And to our viewers, thanks so much for joining us this morning. Inside Politics with our friend and colleague, Dana Bash, starts right now.

BROWN: Have a great day, everyone.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST, INSIDE POLITICS: ICE agents are descending on another blue city with threats of more on deck. Is the Trump administration really only targeting what it calls the worst of the worst?

I'm Dana Bash. Let's go behind the headlines at Inside Politics.

Today, the cities of New Orleans and Minneapolis are bracing for major deportation operations, the next steps in the administration's immigration crackdown. Our Priscilla Alvarez is learning that ICE is aiming to arrest 5000 people in New Orleans, in Minneapolis. The targets will be undocumented immigrants from Somalia, who President Trump has been talking about in increasingly racist terms in recent days.

My panel is here now, and luckily, Priscilla Alvarez is right here in the flesh. Tell us more about what you're learning.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Dana, I'm just now learning from a source that the immigration operation in Minnesota is already underway that has been kicked off.

BASH: It's happening now. ALVAREZ: That is happening now, where they are targeting Somali immigrants. Now the administration is saying that they're going to take a targeted approach. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is taking the lead on this one, and that is generally how they work. But that doesn't mean that other immigrants who may be seeking status aren't going to be swept up in these enforcement actions.

So, this is something that the cities are certainly on alert floor for, and Minnesota in particular is home to the largest diaspora of Somalis, and the majority of them are U.S. citizens. And that is where the concern really lies is, could others be swept up, even if they're released after the fact that it can still be a chilling effect on these cities.

In addition to that, also launching today is New Orleans. Now New Orleans is going to be led by border patrol, the top border patrol official, Gregory Bovino, who was in Chicago, Charlotte, Los Angeles. So that operation might look different, that might look more like those heavy handed, aggressive tactics that we've been seeing in those cities.

BASH: And just quickly go back the way, so at the top, because that's new about Minneapolis.

ALVAREZ: Yeah.

BASH: Are you hearing about the size and the scope? Or maybe we know, as we mentioned, who the targets are, but any more information about what they're doing as they go in there?

ALVAREZ: So, we don't have as clear a number in terms of how many they're trying to arrest, like we do for New Orleans, for example. The operations often vary in scope, but I will say, with ICE, they sometimes can happen more under the radar because they are taking that targeted approach, and that is what my sources are telling me, which is different from that very public push that border patrol often does on the streets when they land and Home Depot parking lots or grocery stores and they sweep a lot of people.

So these two operations may look different, but I will tell you, Dana, that everything has sort of flipped on its head this year in the way that the administration conducts immigration operations, because the White House has wanted to see more of that public push and more of that effect on these immigrants, so that they too can be fearful and just voluntarily depart, which is ultimately their end goal.

BASH: OK, let's drill down on the Somalis who these ICE agents who say are now involved in the operation, it is ongoing currently in Minneapolis. And remind people who may have missed it what President Trump said. Specifically, he said a lot of things about the Somali immigrants in the Somali community in Minnesota but listen to what he said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They contribute nothing. I don't want them in our country. I'll be honest with you. Somebody said, oh, that's not politically correct. I don't care. I don't want them in our country. Their country is no good for a reason. We're going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country. Ilhan Omar is garbage. She's garbage. Her friends are garbage. These aren't people that work. These aren't people that say, let's go, come on, let's make this place great. These are people that do nothing but complain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Kristen, is there anybody who you talk to behind the scenes at the White House who is saying, Mr. President, maybe you shouldn't be saying those things.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: There are people in his orbit who have said that to him, but it's not as though anyone in that room is going to say that you shouldn't be saying those things. I mean, he's being honest when he says, oh, people say you shouldn't say that as politically, it's not politically correct. That's generally how someone's going to approach with him. Oh, don't say it like that. That's not politically correct.

BASH: It's beyond politically incorrect.

HOLMES: What we're saying -- what we're hearing now is a lot more similar to the language we heard him use in his first term, this kind of really insulting rhetoric when it comes to immigrants. And that's not to say that he has had some kind of flowery, you know, rhetoric, but for that or this term on immigrants. But this is something that he has wanted to do, and it seems as though he's been almost emboldened by the shooting of the national guardsmen

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And when you talk about Somalis. Look, we heard him talk about this on the campaign. This was one of the things he talked about when he talked about immigration, but then he linked it to this shooting in the moments after the shooting, when he came out to speak about it, which had absolutely nothing to do with the shooting of that national guardsman. So that's what I mean when I say emboldened. It's as though they're almost taking this event and now linking their actions and their rhetoric to what happened.

ALVAREZ: And seizing on it as national security interest that has been the overarching theme of this immigration agenda. And it paves the way for them to do even more like you are mentioning.

HOLMES: It gives them a reason, and it gives them a way to point to an incident and say, this is why we're doing it. Just remember, they're very aware of all the litigation that they are facing on so many of these immigration issues. Now they can look at a specific event and say, well, now we're doing this for, as you said, national security.

BASH: And there's -- I mean, there's something else that has happened and is currently happening in Minnesota with some members of the Somali community, which are allegations and prosecutions, criminal prosecutions of fraud from in and around the COVID era, a scheme in particular. So far, 37 people have pleaded guilty. Five have been convicted. But I believe almost all of them are not just American citizens who are naturalized, but American born citizens of Somali descent.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: And that makes the point that this is hardly a new phenomenon in Minnesota. I mean, to your point, it is the largest collection of Somali Americans now. I mean, but this has been generations old in Minnesota. I mean, the history of immigration in Minnesota it's actually quite interesting. I mean, because of the Lutheran church and other religious groups.

I mean, for decades, have been welcoming people from all walks of this global life, and so for the president to suddenly seize upon it, I think that the tone we heard, you're right. I mean, he has said so many similar things, but sitting in the cabinet room yesterday, the racist nature of it was striking. We're not just only talking about a duly elected member of Congress, but also it seemed to me that he was trying to sort of get the attention on this when he's frustrated by the economy, when he's frustrated by so many other issues here.

This is a way that has worked for him to talk in these racist terms, but the politics in Minnesota are actually quite interesting. I mean, there are several interesting races there, the governor's race, obviously, a Senate race as well, other House races, not to make it about politics, but we are an Inside Politics here. So, the--

BASH: Go for it.

ZELENY: The fallout from this, I think, is not necessarily helpful to some Republicans. They have long recognized many of these immigrants as very helpful to Minnesota. Of course, there are some criminal issues, and they are being prosecuted here, but talking in this way is not helpful even to some of the president's allies.

SEUNG MIN KIM, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST & WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, AP: Right, right. What I found so striking too, about in addition to every -- what everyone is at the table is just how, you know, his officials try to emphasize that the immigrants who are targeting are the immigrants who shouldn't be here, who have criminal records, who are a threat to society. But then when the president himself speaks, he generalizes it for all immigrants.

And I think, and obviously, the message comes from the top, and that's why he doesn't often make that distinction. He generalizes in the way that he did with the Somali immigrants last night. And I do think, one thing that was said over Thanksgiving that's been a little bit overlooked is in one of his social media posts. He said that he was going to de naturalize citizens who, quote, I believe, undermine domestic tranquility. I don't know what that means, so like--

BASH: Oh, it's very hard.

KIM: Right, right.

BASH: Naturalize anyone. KIM: Exactly. And I think that's just, you know, I'm sure that strikes a fear with, you know, naturalized citizens who don't know what this means, who fear that they might be at stake if they anger the administration.

BASH: Well, Priscilla, you've also been doing, you know, you're a very busy person. But you've also been doing -- reporting more broadly on the way the different avenues that the administration is taking to crack down on every form of immigration in the U.S. Travel restrictions on 19 countries, all asylum cases stopped, canceled TPS status for numerous countries, stopped all refugees except White South Africans from South Africa, restrict work and student visas and reexamine green cards.

ALVAREZ: I think today really crystallizes what this immigration agenda was actually always about the president, always talked about mass deportation. But the officials that were working to work this behind the scenes had a much bigger plan at play, and that is, I think, what we're seeing today. It's not only two aggressive operations at New Orleans and in Minnesota, but there's also the halting of immigration applications for nationals of 19 countries of concern, as they have been labeled by the Trump administration.

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That is massively disruptive in addition to everything you said because those are people who have been going through the legal immigration system, who are in the cusp of being naturalized, who are trying to get green cards, who suddenly can't. And this is also true for asylum decisions, which have also been put on pause.

It is these incremental changes that are happening very quietly that are disrupting the entire immigration system. To the point when, where I talk to immigration attorneys, they genuinely don't know how to advise their clients, because they might advise them one thing at 1 pm and then have to change what they said at 5 pm the same day.

So, this has become the administration sort of crack down, not only in what we see publicly, but across the entire system. And it's a -- that's why I started this conversation with everything's been turned on its head. That's exactly what it's been, and that was the point for these officials coming in from the very beginning.

BASH: All right, everybody stand by. We're going to take a quick break. Up next. We are going to dive into the breaking news that happened just this morning. President Trump said, he is going to issue another pardon, but this time it's for a sitting democratic congressman. You heard that right. And you can also want to hear what the Democratic leader said about that to our Pam Brown in the last hour. Don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BASH: Breaking news, President Trump announced he is pardoning Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife, who both face federal -- at least faced federal bribery and conspiracy charges. CNN's Manu Raju is on Capitol Hill. And Manu, you just spoke to the congressman. What did he say?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. He's making very clear that he plans to move ahead. As he said, quote, nothing has changed, and we're told that that means that he plans to run for reelection as a Democrat. Because there had been a lot of speculation that in the aftermath of Trump delivering this rather stunning pardon to a Democrat in a battleground district from South Texas that perhaps that quay or may decide to change parties, become a Republican or not run for reelection and give Republicans a huge pickup opportunity in that key district.

But just moments ago, he came out and told reporters that, in his view, quote, nothing has changed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HENRY CUELLAR (D-TX): First of all, I want to thank President Trump for this. Actually, he took behalf of my wife and my family. I want to say thank you. I think the facts have been very clear about this. But I would also say, I want to thank God for standing during this very difficult time with my family and I. Now we can get back to work. Nothing has changed. We will continue working hard. In fact, right now I got another congressman. We're working on some legislation, but I just want to -- for now, that is my statement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: And the question would be how Republicans ultimately react to this because Cuellar has been someone who cycle after cycle has been at the top of the GOP target list, hoping that they can knock him out of the district, even after he was indicted back in 2024. He ran for reelection in that race. He's one of the more conservative Democrats in the House Democratic Caucus, but has managed to hang on, despite the opposition from the right, despite the campaigning by Republicans and even facing challenges from the left, potentially facing even a primary challenge in this coming cycle.

But what he's indicating to his office, telling our colleague, Elon Kim that, yes, indeed, he plans to run for reelection as a Democrat, and now has these charges cleared because of Trump's decision to give clemency, which could give him a boost in a very narrowly fought race here as the House majority is on the line.

BASH: I just want to underscore that news that you just brought us, not only is he happy, obviously, but that, we weren't sure if he was going to run again, much less run again as a Democrat or potentially as a Republican, as you just laid out there, or an independent. He is going to run for Congress again in this -- he's a Democrat in a Trump one district. He's going to run as a Democrat.

RAJU: Yes indeed. And that had been the question and concern from Democrats too, that perhaps there was some deal that was cut where he would not run for reelection, but he's indicating that he is running. Dana?

BASH: OH. Great stuff. Manu, thank you so much. Appreciate it. And my panel is back now. And Isaac Dover joins the conversation. What's your sense about why this happened.

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: I think it's pretty clear why it happened. There's a letter that the Congressman's daughters wrote to President Trump that appealed very much to him and his sense of Biden going after Cuellar. It didn't really get into much about the crimes that the Congressman was indicted for.

And in fact, indeed, you see the post in which the president announced the pardon. He didn't say anything about the crimes. $600,000 in bribes that the Congressman is accused taking for acting on behalf of foreign countries. He's a floor speech, other things that he did. It's just in what the president said about that he feels like this was the Biden administration going after Cuellar because he had been a critic of their border policy.

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So, I think once again, it shows what we see over and over in foreign relations and pardons, of just how easy it is to appeal to the president, and you go after the things that he cares about, and he'll do what you want him to do.

BASH: And I just want to underscore the news about Cuellar saying that he is going to run again and run as a Democrat because it wasn't clear. And so, it was so unclear that the Democratic leader was on with Pam Brown just last hour. Mickie, it was pretty obvious that he was appealing to Cuellar, please don't do this. Watch?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Do you agree with the president's pardon here? Do you think that that was a good thing then?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (DNY): I don't know why the president decided to do this. I think the outcome was exactly the right outcome.

BROWN: Well, Congressman Cuellar, we should note, is one of a handful of House Democrats who sits in a district President Trump won in 2024, so now he has this presidential pardon. Have you had any conversations with the congressman about him potentially switching to the Republican Party?

JEFFRIES: I think Congressman Cuellar is a highly valued member of the House Democratic Caucus. And I expect that he'll continue to remain a highly valued member of the House Democratic Caucus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOVERE: But what he's trying to say there is, I would like to be the speaker of the House. BASH: That was -- that was quite a moment.

ZELENY: I mean, it certainly was. But the reality here is that switching to run as a Republican, even if he would have the president's backing, is by no means a way to stay in. I mean, the best way to likely stay in for the congressman is to run as a Democrat.

BASH: Yeah.

ZELENY: I mean, so the history is filled with party switchers who have a short shelf life after that. So, I think that that is one point there. But I think the bigger point to Isaac's point, just the ability to appeal to the president's senses there. There I think of how many people now are writing letters, said to him to try and get out. This is going to become a full-time job.

HOLMES: But this is my only thought to this. I agree. Obviously, we know with Donald Trump flatter, you get to everywhere, but someone had to put that letter in front of President Trump. And there is a reason, a very specific reason, that that letter got put in front of President Trump. So, we saw the George Santos letters. It's not as though President Trump saw them. Ed Martin put those letters in front of President Trump for a reason.

The question now is, what was the reason when you was the person? I don't have the answer right now. This came out of what seemed to be nowhere. It's something that he had posted about a year ago saying, it was all about Biden. And of course, once he read the letter, it does appeal to him on every level. But is there something more to it?

BASH: James Blair, Political Director, call me.

HOLMES: I don't know. And I don't need the switching parties or anything like that, but there was a thought behind this to get that letter.

ZELENY: I think it models the pardon news. I mean the news this week, the president is under attack and under some criticism for the Honduras president being pardon. So just adds more to that, I think is probably--

BASH: And real quick as they bring you in, you mentioned George Santos, former member of Congress who was expelled. Chris Collins was convicted of insider trading. Duncan Hunter Jr. was accused of violating campaign laws. Michael Grimes, tax fraud. Those are just some examples. Those are all Republicans who got presidential pardons from Donald Trump.

KIM: Exactly. What I find really fascinating too, about and speaking of things that are going to get even more muddled, is the Republican strategy to defeat Cuellar. I mean, I just did a quick search for NRCC queer in my email inbox and inbox, and they have been constantly trying to get him ousted for many, many cycles. Now, they don't necessarily always attack him over his legal issues, but the fact that he now has effectively a Trump seal of approval, I'm sure, complicates the messaging for the NRCC in that district. BASH: Yeah. All right, everybody, don't go anywhere, because still ahead on Inside Politics, the president calls his predecessor sleepy Joe, but he looked like he at least was trying really hard not to nap during yesterday's cabinet meeting. Stay with us.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Now, most people would struggle to pay attention during a two hour plus meeting, but President Trump is not most people. He said this at the start of said meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I had one day where I didn't do a news conference. There's something wrong with the president. You people are crazy. I'll let you know when there's something wrong. There will be some day that's going to happen to all of us. But right now, I think I'm sharper than I was 25 years ago, but who the hell does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, soon after that statement, the president appeared to be struggling to stay awake as his cabinet members went around the table and touted his accomplishments. His eyelids got heavy. He does a slight head bob again. We've all been there. At one point, he even appears to be holding his head with his fingers. The White House said that the president was listening attentively and running the meeting. My panel is back again.

KIM: Again, like you've said, we've all been there. And we actually -- are one of our photographers, caught rust boat, the OMB director, doodling during the meeting. So, it was a very long meeting. But I do think, I mean you're -- there's a lot more observations of his tendencies now, and a little bit and more scrutiny of especially how his day goes? What his you know, what his activities are, how he appears in public, especially because that was such a vital point of attack from Republicans against Joe Biden.

And the White House has been really trying to get the message out there, to try to dispute that narrative. Obviously, they talk a lot about the New York Times article that touched on this. And they took a pretty kind of remarkable step earlier this week of releasing those Oval Office logs. That really aren't traditionally, traditionally released to kind of catalog what he precisely did in a given 12-hour day.

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