NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-05-2026 1AM EST

Episode Date: February 5, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Top congressional Democrats are detailing their demands for change at the Homeland Security Department. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, have written a letter to Republican leadership. Their demands seek to rein in federal immigration agents are threatening to block DHS funding when it expires next week. President Trump's orders are Tom Holman says the administration is drawing down the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota by 700. The NPR's Martin Kosti reports

that still leaves 2,000 federal agents in the state. Homan says he's had productive discussions with local officials, especially about ICE getting notifications when county jails are about to release someone with immigration violations. State and city leaders want an immediate end to the entire

operation in Minnesota, but Homan says not yet. My goal with the support of President Trump is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge. As soon as we can, but that is largely contingent upon the end of the illegal and threatening activities against ICE and its federal partners that we're seeing in the community. 2000 active duty troops in Alaska, North Carolina, and Colorado had been on alert for

possible deployment to Minnesota, but they've now been told to stand down. Martin Costi, NPR News. President Trump told NBC in an interview Wednesday that it was his decision to draw down those 700 federal agents from Minnesota. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt was asked Wednesday about President Trump's remarks on nationalizing elections. The President believes in the United States Constitution. However, he believes there has obviously been a lot of fraud and irregularities that have taken place in American elections. Under the Constitution, states and local jurisdictions conduct elections earlier this week. President Trump said that Republicans should take overvoting at least 15 places. He did not specify where.

First Lady Melania Trump. Welcome to freed Israeli-American hostage Keith Siegel to the White House Wednesday. In Paris Franco-Ordoña's report that Siegel was released by Hamas a year ago this month after 15 months in captivity. The meeting was part of celebrations for his one year of freedom following a U.S. brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The first lady met with Siegel's wife Aviva Siegel, who also was held in captivity, just weeks before President Trump took office. Melania Trump says that served as a catalyst to the events that led to Keith Siegel's release. The emotional meeting was featured in the new documentary Melania. The First Lady dismissed questions, though, about whether it was appropriate to promote the movie during an official White House event.

For his part, Keith Siegel said he was eternally grateful to the First Lady and President Trump for bringing him and the other hostages home to their families. Franco, Ordoñez, and Peer News, the White House. This is NPR. The Islamic Academy of Alabama, a K-12 school outside of Birmingham, was thriving. But when it needed public approval to expand, it ran into a groundswell of opposition from Member Station WBHM. Vahini Shuri reports. The Islamic Academy of Alabama opened its doors nearly 30 years ago. Besides offering courses in Islam and Arabic, the school follows state standards and uses state-approved textbooks.

Students were recognized. for academic achievement. But when the school wanted to move into a bigger space to fit its growing student body, the community pushed back. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville from Alabama accused the school of infiltrating the U.S. They want a larger area

where they can build a bigger school, infiltrate more and bring in more young people to teach them the Muslim faith, and I'd be damned if we're going to do that in the state of Alabama. The local zoning board vetoed the school's zoning request. The school has to be a student. has decided not to move forward with expansion for now. For NPR News, I'm Vahini Shori in Birmingham.

The Supreme Court is allowing California to use its new voter-approved congressional map that favors Democrats in this year's elections. The court issued a brief order Wednesday. California Republicans and the Trump administration had sought to block the map in December. The court allowed Texas to use its redrawn map. The regional financial markets in Asia are tracking Wall Street's losses following a route in tech stocks or losing ground in Thursday trading. Japan's midgemarked DK down nearly 9 tenths of a percent.

I'm Jail Snyder. NPR News. Listen to this podcast sponsor-free on Amazon Music with a prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR NewsNow Plus at plus.npr.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.