ICE

TikTok users have been complaining of not being able to upload content about ICE ... and thousands of people have left the platform as a result.

FYI ... a mostly American-owned joint venture took over TikTok's U.S. assets last week, with “decision-making authority for trust and safety policies and content moderation.”

Misinformation about changes to TikTok's new terms of service spread shortly after the transfer from China-based company ByteDance ... and users started being prevented from uploading content about Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The apparent blackout has become a hot topic ... and Democratic Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy called suppression of anti-Trump and anti-ICE content a threat to democracy.

TikTok denies intentional censorship. TikTok told TMZ a power outage at a U.S.-based data center caused a service disruption, and said that's continuing to impact American users. The company says issues are "unrelated to last week’s news."

TikTok of course could censor anti-ICE content, operating as a private company.

U.S. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino is leaving Minneapolis as soon as Tuesday, Jan. 27 ... after weeks of unrest across the Twin Cities in response to harsh immigration enforcement activity at the hands of federal agents under Bovino's authority.

Trump Administration officials told CNN Bovino is set to return to El Centro, California, where he formerly served as the chief of the Border Patrol's sector in that Southern California region -- about 100 miles east of San Diego, and 18 miles north of the Mexican border -- on Tuesday. An unspecified number of agents are also set to depart Minneapolis as well.

Administration officials were upset about the way Bovino and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem handled the fallout from the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti Saturday. A senior official said discussions about having Bovino leave Minneapolis began that afternoon.

The Atlantic reported Monday evening Bovino would lose his title as commander-at-large and was expected to retire in the near future, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Bovino hadn't been "relieved of his duties" on X ... and described him as "a key part of the President's team and a great American."

President Donald Trump will still be keeping an eye on the situation in Minnesota ... and he announced he was sending Border Czar Tom Homan to the state yesterday.

Bovino's tenure in Minneapolis has been marked by tension ... three people in the Minneapolis area have been shot -- two fatally -- by federal agents since the first week of January.

Amid rising tensions in the States, some ICE agents are getting out of Dodge ... U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will play a role in providing security in Italy during the 2026 Winter Olympics, which start in February.

The federal agents will not be running immigration enforcement, but will instead help provide diplomatic security during the Games in Milan, according to the Associated Press, a role they've also played during past Olympics.

As you might expect, given recent headlines surrounding the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, not everyone is rolling out the red carpet for ICE ... including the mayor of the host city, Milan, who isn't happy.

Notable figures from across the sports world continue to speak out on the Alex Pretti shooting ... with several NBA superstars condemning what happened in Minnesota over the weekend.

Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Haliburton, and Karl-Anthony Towns – as well as the NBA Players Association as a whole -- have let their thoughts be known in the aftermath of a pair of U.S. citizens being shot by officers.

"I don’t know the whole situation of the people that got murdered, but I do know this is BS," Mitchell told reporters after Cleveland’s win over Orlando on Monday. "It’s BS. That's just been my standpoint on it."

Anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota became unwilling astronomers Monday night ... taking in the full moon when a man dropped his pants and slapped his butt cheeks up against a hotel window.

The impromptu peep show took place at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Maple Grove, Minnesota, where demonstrators -- who believed outgoing United States Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino and other federal agents were inside -- protested from the curb outside.

Their message wasn't well-received by one guy in the hotel standing near a window with a group of his pals ... who decided to lodge a counter-protest of his own -- by mooning the crowd.

Jimmy Kimmel and his late-night colleague Stephen Colbert ain't backin' down against the Trump admin ... ripping into the Department of Homeland Security and ICE following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti over the weekend.

Jimmy gave an emotional plea to Americans to watch the video of Pretti's demise in Minneapolis ... describing the federal agents who killed Pretti as a "gang of poorly-trained, shamefully-led, mask-wearing goons." It's all in the clip -- he says Americans must agree that the chaotic video of Pretti's shooting death is not the "law and order" Trump supporters voted for ... and the proof is all there.

He then chokes up as he lets the city of Minneapolis and Pretti's family know they're not alone.

Melania Trump is urging demonstrators in Minneapolis to keep things peaceful as outrage over federal agents' fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday continues strong in city streets.

The First Lady appeared on "Fox & Friends" Tuesday morning to share her message, noting she's "against violence" and "calling for unity." Notably, she did not address the DHS agents Donald Trump deployed in the city ... solely the protestors.

Melania also said her husband had a "great call" with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey about de-escalating the protests in the city. The prez said in a Truth Social post Monday that he had a productive call with Walz, claiming they "seemed to be on a similar wavelength."

Chris Madel is ending his run for the governor's seat in Minnesota ... because of his own Republican Party's "retribution" on the citizens of his home state.

The attorney, who was running as a Republican, posted a video on X Monday declaring he's dropping out ... he says he still supports deporting "the worst of the worst" from Minnesota -- the original stated goal in the ongoing Operation Metro Surge undertaken by ICE and CBP agents in the Twin Cities.

But Madel thinks President Donald Trump's approach to immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and St. Paul is an "unmitigated disaster." He stated plainly ... "I cannot support the national Republicans' stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so."

He said winning a statewide election in Minnesota is "nearly impossible" in the current political climate.

The video comes two days after Alex Pretti was shot to death by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis. That's the third time federal agents have shot a civilian in the city since the start of the year -- Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent on January 7, and an unidentified man was shot in the leg by a federal agent a week afterward.

Several Republicans in Congress have called for a full investigation into Pretti's death in the days since he was shot, reports NPR.

The Department of Homeland Security has no plans to steer clear of the Super Bowl, despite tension and unrest after the shootings in Minnesota ... telling TMZ Sports, "Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement were reportedly set to carry out immigration enforcement at Super Bowl LX on February 8 in Santa Clara, CA ... but with the controversy surrounding the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, would Homeland Security back off?

Dean Cain is swooping in to defend the federal immigration agents who killed Alex Pretti ... like Superman coming to rescue Lois Lane.

The 'Lois & Clark' star joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday, and we asked him about Saturday's fatal interaction between Pretti and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis.

Dean, who is volunteering for ICE and helping with recruiting, doesn't have a problem blaming Pretti ... he says the nurse was playing with fire by, in his eyes, resisting and impeding Border Patrol while armed with a handgun.

A doctor who claims he witnessed the Alex Pretti killing says the Border Patrol agents who shot him were more interested in counting bullet holes than performing life-saving measures.

The Minneapolis pediatrician gave sworn testimony saying he did not see Pretti attack Border Patrol agents or "brandish a weapon of any kind" ... and he says "there was absolutely no need for any violence, let alone lethal force by multiple officers."

In his testimony, which is part of a lawsuit against DHS, the doctor -- whose identity is redacted -- says ... "At first, the ICE agents wouldn't let me through. But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, and I could tell that the victim was in critical condition. I insisted that the ICE agents let me assess him."

A GoFundMe campaign launched to help the family of Alex Pretti has blown past the $20,000 goal ... currently at an astonishing $1.2 million as of Monday morning -- and climbing.

As you know ... Alex was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent Saturday morning while protesting the agency's presence in Minnesota. His slaying has sparked massive backlash, with many saying that he was killed in cold blood. The Trump Administration disagrees.

Titled "Alex Pretti is an American Hero," the GoFundMe was started by YouTuber Keith Edwards ... and he says Alex’s father, Michael, is the beneficiary and already has access to funds.

Border Czar Tom Homan's going to get hands-on with the tense situation in Minnesota ... because he's being sent there by President Donald Trump.

POTUS announced his plans for Homan on Truth Social Monday morning, saying Homan "knows and likes many of the people" in Minnesota ... without specifying whom he was referring to.

Trump described Homan as "tough but fair" and said he would directly report to him during his time in Minnesota. Trump did not indicate what Homan will do in his capacity there.

Billie Eilish isn’t sitting this one out -- she’s calling out fellow celebs for staying silent about ICE and CBP in the wake of Alex Pretti’s shooting death ... and resharing a clip of her brother Finneas to show how easy it is to speak up.

In an IG post Sunday, Billie posted a selfie with a baffled look and the caption, "Hey my fellow celebrities, u gonna speak up? Or..." -- clearly putting quiet A-listers on notice.

Billie’s been loud on plenty of political fronts before ... so it’s no shock she posted to rally support and to judge the silence surrounding Saturday's shooting.

Anti-ICE protestors were seen going full throttle against federal agents Sunday night ... smashing glass windows and vandalizing a hotel where ICE and other federal agents were believed to be staying.

Video from the scene shows dozens of protesters swarming the Home2 Suites by Hilton in Minneapolis, crowding the front entrance and attempting to force their way inside.

Following viral online reports of agents staying at the hotel near the University of Minnesota campus ... a crowd gathered and grew increasingly aggressive, setting off fireworks, banging trash cans, blowing whistles, and screaming.

At one point, protesters are seen smashing exterior windows -- with “ICE OUT,” “F*** ICE,” and “ICE KILLS” spray-painted in red -- and hurling snowballs at ICE agents.

Border Patrol agents didn't disengage after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti -- new video shows chaotic confrontations with bystanders continuing in the streets of Minneapolis.

As we reported ... newly released footage from the deadly encounter already appeared to undercut the government’s version of events. Now, additional video shows agents going back and forth with civilians in the aftermath, including tackling another man to the ground as bystanders filmed.

In the new clip, agents are seen restraining a man while people nearby shout and record the scene. Moments later, an agent approaches a woman, who appears to be standing off to the side, doing nothing more than filming. The agent pulls out what appears to be bear spray and forcibly takes her phone. Chaos erupts for roughly a minute as voices yell and the situation spirals.