NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, January 26, 2025

Episode Date: January 27, 2025

Trump immigration crackdown expands as ICE begins Chicago operation; New breakthrough keeps Gaza ceasefire in effect; Rain storm batters L.A., threatening mudslides as residents return after wildfires; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the new immigration operations today and the latest threat from President Trump after one country refuses to take some migrants in. Federal agents on the move in Chicago and in Los Angeles, while in Colorado going after alleged members of a dangerous Venezuelan gang. Our correspondent on the ground with President Trump's borders are. Any collateral arrests today? The president threatening tariffs and more against the country of Colombia after they rejected two U.S. flights carrying migrants. The new response

tonight. The breakthrough late today in the Middle East to keep that ceasefire alive. Plus, families of the hostages freed this weekend now speaking out. And the firestorm after President Trump suggests Gaza should be, as he put it, cleaned out. The major rainstorm pounding Los Angeles. Families just allowed back into their homes, told to be ready in case they need to evacuate again for flooding and mudslides. Flu cases surging. Why it's so much more dangerous than COVID this season. All as the CIA says COVID may have been the result of a Chinese lab leak.

How police are now avoiding high-speed chases because of this technology. And if you want to press fire now. Like something out of a James Bond movie. And there's good news tonight. The college player who worked so hard getting the surprise of a lifetime. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. We are coming on the air with a new push on those immigration enforcement operations. The president long promised a new fallout, not just here at home, but around the world. I want to show you

some of the images coming in from across America. In Colorado here, DEA agents early this morning taking 50 people into custody. And this from Los Angeles, dozens of federal agents taking part in operations there today. We're also getting new pictures like these of planes carrying migrants out of the country. Some of those flights sparking an international standoff with President Trump tonight slapping tariffs on Colombia. That's after that country refused two U.S. deportation flights with the Colombian president suggesting migrants should not be treated as criminals. It's a volatile moment here at home and internationally. And our Gabe Gutierrez is on the ground tracking the operations in Chicago.

Tonight, President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration is expanding. Not just ICE officers, but other federal law enforcement agencies sweeping across the country. In Colorado today, targeting the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Agua, making nearly 50 arrests. And the Washington Post tonight, citing four people with knowledge of the ICE briefings, reports quotas have been set of at least 1,200 to 1,500 arrests per day nationwide. Is that what you're hoping for? Look, we want to get as many criminals as possible, so there's no number on it. Tom Holman is Trump's border czar. He's in Chicago tonight overseeing a major enforcement operation

even as the deportations spark international backlash. Columbia's president turning away two U.S. military aircraft with deportees, writing on social media, a migrant is not a criminal and should be treated with the dignity a human being deserves. President Trump is now threatening Colombia with urgent and decisive retaliatory measures, slapping a 25 percent tariff on all Colombian goods coming to the U.S. and revoking the U.S. visas of Colombian government officials. Good. The country needs to take back their citizens. We've got a strong president who will demand action. If they don't act, then there'll be consequences. At the U.S. southern border, more troops arriving as ICE has arrested hundreds of

undocumented immigrants nationwide each of the past few days. The Biden administration also arrested hundreds of migrants a day, but so far, the numbers under Trump are higher. The start of what the White House calls an unprecedented mass deportation campaign. One change ICE agents now allow to make arrests in sensitive locations, like schools and churches. Do you plan under certain circumstances to go into churches and schools at some point? I'll never say never. If there's a national security threat that we know is in a certain place on a college campus, well, we're going to get that national security threat. Here in Chicago, immigrant communities are on edge. This one

holding a workshop today about civil rights. This asylum seeker from Venezuela now worried about her future. Many people are fearful, she says. That's why they're not leaving their homes. Gabe Gutierrez is joining us now from Chicago. And Gabe, some late-breaking details tonight with the Colombian president now laying out his own tariff threat. Yeah, that's right, Hallie. Late today, Colombia's president said that he would impose a 25 percent tariff on U.S. goods. He's also offering his presidential plan to bring back the border migrants. Ali.

Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. To the Middle East now and the development late tonight, a breakthrough that could help save the ceasefire agreement, which earlier today seemed on the verge of collapse. The talks now clearing the way for American hostages to be released. Ralph Sanchez reports from Tel Aviv. Tonight, a breakthrough in crisis talks to keep the Gaza ceasefire on track, ending a deadlock between Israel and Hamas over the fate of Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud.

The 29-year-old is a civilian, and Israel says she should have been released ahead of the four female soldiers who were freed yesterday. Israel warning that until Yehud's freedom is secured, it won't allow thousands of Palestinian civilians to return to northern Gaza. The road's already clogged with families desperate to go home. But tonight, Israel says a last-minute deal will see Yehud released on Thursday, along with soldier Agam Berger and a third unidentified hostage. Three more hostages will be freed on Saturday. And in return, Palestinian civilians can start heading back north tomorrow. And after those emotional reunions yesterday, the families of the four freed soldiers tonight speaking out. We are so grateful to have Karina here with us.

She is only beginning to process what she's been through. A very special thanks goes to President Trump. But the president also causing a diplomatic storm, suggesting U.S. allies Egypt and Jordan should take in most of Gaza's population. I mean, you're talking about probably a million and a half people. And we just clean out that whole thing. Jordan's foreign minister tonight rejecting the idea. The U.S. also awaiting the release of American hostage Keith Siegel. We met his wife Aviva, herself a former hostage, last year. It's very difficult for me to think about, keep they alone without me. Raf Sanchez is joining us now from Tel Aviv. And Raf, President Trump's Middle East envoy is set to head to Israel this week.

That's right, Hallie. Three Middle Eastern officials tell us Steve Witkoff will make his first trip here since the Trump administration took office. And he's talking about going to Gaza, which will be a first for a senior U.S. official. Ali. Raf, thank you. In Los Angeles, a major rainstorm is pounding that city right now, just as families return home after those devastating wildfires. Now, the threat of flooding and mudslides means some are being warned to be ready in case they need to evacuate again. Steve Patterson has the latest. Tonight, after the most tragic trial by fire Southern California has ever faced, now a new threat. The rain.

A major rainstorm expected to sit on top of the region Monday, will all but extinguish what remains of any flames. But in the burn-scarred hillsides of the Palisades, rain triggered this debris flow, cutting off roads for fear of landslides. And as the water rushes underneath it, the foundation gets less and less stable. Firefighters forced to pivot from fighting fire to fighting floods. Our station is getting filled with water. We met Palisades Fire Captain Eric Nakamaru as his crews work to prevent his own station from going underwater. They're pumping water out over here. Right now we're pumping the water out of the station. Parts of the station are flooded right now. And the worry here is real. Experts say land moves about seven times faster on a burn scar than on land with vegetation. And as you can

see, much of this area is blackened. The first heavy rain we get, we're very concerned. Lisa Guerrero's Malibu home survived the fire, but she's worried about what could happen next. There's a hill in front of us that's about to come down, and then there's a hill behind us that could come down on us. Crews scrambling to build barriers around some of the worst-hit areas, worried about toxic chemicals in the debris that could flow into nearby waterways, even the ocean. A flood of new concerns facing a community already living through the worst-case scenario. Steve is joining us now from the Pacific Pal palisades and steve the worst of the storm hasn't even hit yet right yeah hallie forecasters say the worst of it is expected tonight with some of those watches

expiring tomorrow shifting the anxiety from scenes like this to scenes like this where homeowners say they still have so much left to lose hallie steve patterson live for us in southern california thank you to the surge now in flu cases across the country and the fear that some hospitals may not be able to handle the influx of patients. If there is a silver lining, it's that COVID cases are down. Marissa Parra explains why. Tonight, a rising number of Americans are feeling the fury of the flu. Me and my husband have had a 101 fever for three days. CDC data this month reports over 6,600 flu deaths and 160,000 hospitalizations. While the flu is surging, COVID cases are down. Here's why. Doctors say COVID strains, for the most part, have become less severe over time.

And this year, COVID peaked most recently in August. COVID is milder this year with about half the rate of hospitalizations now than exactly a year ago. But the flu always peaks in the winter, spreading more easily this season with a combination of lower flu vaccination rates, record travel, a bitter cold winter season driving people indoors together with little competition this season from COVID-19. It was just this week that the CIA made a big switch on their previous COVID-19 assessment. And just days after President Trump's CIA chief took his post, the agency now saying they believe with low confidence that the

pandemic's origin was more likely a Chinese lab leak. And even though COVID hospitalizations are down from this time last year, doctors are still feeling the strain. Is there a valid concern about the possibility of hospitals reaching capacity at this rate? There is always a concern about hospitals reaching capacity, especially when flu cases are just overwhelming. So even those one to 10 extra hospitalizations from the flu can literally break a hospital's capacity. All the more reason to protect yourself today. And it's not too late for protections like getting the flu vaccine. That, paired with washing hands more frequently and wiping down surfaces, can all help drive down the strain

and keep your guard up. Marissa Parra, NBC News. Still ahead tonight, Elon Musk's message to a far-right party as the world's richest man leans into international politics. And check out this new police chase technology, how officers can launch these GPS trackers at suspects' cars. We are back with Elon Musk's new global push as the billionaire Tesla CEO takes his politics beyond Washington. So what is the endgame for the world's richest man? Here's Von Hilliard. I'm very excited for the AFD. Tonight, growing criticism over a virtual appearance by Elon Musk.

Musk beaming into a campaign event this weekend for Germany's far-right party known as the AFD. But it's this apparent reference to Nazi Germany's history that is drawing attention. I think there's like frankly too much of a focus on past guilt and we need to move beyond that. Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents. His comments quick to receive backlash. The chair of Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims, calling it an insult to the victims of Nazism and a clear danger to the democratic future of Germany. The remarks coming less than a week after Musk posted a series of Nazi related puns online in response to criticism over this gesture he made

at an inauguration event, which some have interpreted as a Nazi salute. The Anti-Defamation League appearing to initially defend Musk, saying he made an awkward gesture, not a Nazi salute, but later called out his series of Nazi jokes, saying they only served to minimize the evil and inhumanity of Nazi crimes. Musk describing what he did as moving his hand from my heart to the audience. NBC News reached out to the White House for comment, but did not hear back.

Musk, who has already played a key role in President Trump's administration, has appeared to support and endorse far-right parties across Europe, like Germany's AFD. In 2017, the AFD adopted a 2017 election manifesto, which included a section on why Islam does not belong to Germany. Musk has also spoken out in support of the UK's Reform Party, which helped initiate the Brexit campaign, and said this about Italy's far-right prime minister. Meanwhileiorgio Maloney is someone that I admire. Meanwhile, some MAGA allies, like Steve Bannon, have chided Musk over his criticism this week of an AI tech announcement at the White House in support of visas for high-skilled foreign workers.

And Vaughn is joining us here in Washington. Vaughn, President Trump hasn't spoken directly about Musk addressing that German party, but he still seems to be backing him. Right, Hallie. Even just last night aboard Air Force One, President Trump reiter't spoken directly about Musk addressing that German party, but he still seems to be backing him. Right, Hallie. Even just last night aboard Air Force One, President Trump reiterated that Musk will have an office at the White House complex leading Doge, that unit intended to cut government costs. So as of right now, Elon Musk isn't going anywhere. Ron Hilliard, thank you very much. Appreciate that. We're back in a moment with the future of police chases and the new cutting edge technology that may make them safer.

Plus, the stunning museum heist. Look at this. Literally blowing off the doors and the ancient artifact these thieves ran off with. We're back with pretty wild new video of a museum heist caught on camera in the Netherlands. You've got to look at this. That white flash you just saw, that smoke, that's the door blowing open at the Drents Museum in Assen, about two hours away from Amsterdam. Officials say the thieves took golden bracelets from ancient Rome and a 2400 year old golden helmet. Police are still looking for whoever did it. Here in the U.S., a new twist

that may cut down on how many high speed police chases there are as police use new technology to try to track down suspects without putting anyone else at risk. And as Stephen Romo shows us, it seems like something out of a spy movie. Police chases are dangerous. Officers and suspects racing at high speeds can result in crashes like this. And this police car colliding with a vehicle spinning out of control. Sometimes with deadly results. On average, more than one person dies every day in the U.S. due to a police pursuit, with innocent bystanders making up more than a third of those deaths.

But now there's a high-tech solution, straight out of a spy movie, designed to end these dangerous chases with just the push of a button. So they just mount right on the front of the vehicle, I see. At this Massachusetts State Police training facility, we got an up-close look. Now I'm going to fire. It's called the StarChase system. Like a very advanced Nerf gun. Exactly right. It's just like Nerf. A laser-guided GPS tracker that can be fired at a fleeing vehicle.

See that green laser? Watch again. You can see it leaving the launcher and here attaching to the vehicle. That allows police to then safely find the suspect. Star chase deployed. Good hit. Instead of hitting the gas to keep up. Just like that. Get into high high speed chase before it starts. The tracker looks like this smaller than a soda can with a strong adhesive to attach to the vehicle it's fired at. It's loaded into this launcher at the front of the police vehicle. I'm simply going to lift this up and I'm going to insert this projectile into its location

so I hear a little bit of a click. And from this panel inside the cruiser, then it's ready to fire. On this closed course, trooper Derek DeRusso showed us how he would use it during a typical pursuit. That black car is being driven by another trooper, but in our scenario it's a suspect who refused to stop. We're gonna arm the system now so it's ready to go. That beeping noise tells us the tracker is armed and ready. We're just gonna dip out behind them right here. If you want to reach up to the fire button and if you want to press fire now yeah definitely uh definitely easy the tech is even helpful during traffic stops when a trooper is outside the cruiser the tracker can be launched with this fob

if the suspect tries to take off the company that makes star chase says it's being used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the country, and Massachusetts State Police are already seeing results. Deploying the devices 76 times since they started using them in May of last year, and now they hope to expand their program. Technology to make the road safer for officers and the rest of us. Stephen Romo, NBC News. When we come back, there's good news tonight about the surprise that brought this basketball player to tears. There's good news tonight about hard work paying off and the student athletes who took their shots now getting the surprises of a lifetime. Lipscomb University guard Jack Ingold always dreamed of being on the Bisons basketball team.

He started out as team manager in Nashville, and after years of hard work, We talk a lot about core values. this surprise from coach Lenny Acuff, written inside a book. You're humble, you're driven, you're committed, you're responsible. And as of tonight, you're, you're, you're, you're so sc your team and you open that book.

That is a moment that I will look back on for the rest of my life and be overwhelmed just at the magnitude of the moment, the support from my teammates, the support from my coaches. Coach, let me ask you, how do you see this idea of perseverance and persistence? I want to be like Jack. What a blessing he's been to everyone around him. Stories like Jack's. Learn yourself a scholarship, baby. Bouncing through college basketball programs across the country.

Scholarship celebrations for walk-on athletes who were not recruited, but who tried out for the team. You just got a full scholarship. I'd like to place you on a full scholarship. For player after player, well-deserved rewards for their hard work on the hardwood. At Cal State Bakersfield, junior Allie C got this note from her coach. Congratulations, you're now on full scholarship. The Roadrunner's Guard, surrounded by her teammates.

At first I was in shock. Like I thought it was like, I didn't believe it. It was a really special moment. Student athletes showing the world how to win on and off the court. This program is to me so much bigger than basketball. It's the impact it has made on me as a 22-year-old kid is immense. The university and the basketball program alike, it's been life-changing. Life-changing indeed.

That's nightly news for this Sunday. Lester will be back tomorrow. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great week.