LIVE: US starts sending illegal immigrants back home

US authorities arrest hundreds of illegal immigrants

US authorities have arrested 538 illegal migrants and deported hundreds in a mass operation, according to press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Trump says he plans to reach out to North Korea's Kim Jong Un

President Donald Trump said in an interview that he will reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who he described as a “smart guy.” Trump was being interviewed on Fox News by Sean Hannity, who asked the president if he planned to talk to his North Korean counterpart. Trump said he would. “I got along with him,” Trump said of Kim. “He's not a religious zealot.” 

Trump says Saudi Arabia's one move would end Russia-Ukraine war ‘immediately’

US President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Saudi Arabia and the other Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations to reduce oil prices, asserting that lower prices would help bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an immediate end.

Addressing the World Economic Forum being held at Davos, Switzerland virtually, Donald Trump said he was surprised that it did not happen before his election.

"I am also going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil. You have to bring it down which, frankly, I am surprised they didn't do before the election. That didn't show a lot of love by them not doing it. I was a little surprised by that. If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately," Trump said in his address.

Apart from the oil prices, the Republican leader also wants the interest rates to go down. According to him, the OPEC nations are, to a certain extent, responsible for what’s happening in Ukraine.

"Right now, the price is high enough that the war will continue. You have to bring down the oil price, you have to end that war. They should have done it long ago. They are very responsible, to a certain extent, for what's taking place. Millions of lives are being lost. With oil prices going down, I'll demand that interest rates drop immediately and likewise they should be dropping all over the world," Trump added.

Trudeau says Americans will pay more whenever Trump decides to impose tariffs on Canada

Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday American consumers will pay more whenever President Donald Trump decides to apply sweeping tariffs on Canadian products.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday that he still plans to tariff Canada and Mexico at 25% rates starting as soon as Feb. 1. Trump previously threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he took office but the tariffs weren't applied on day one.

Trudeau said if Trump does go forward "whether it be back on Jan. 20th, on Feb. 1st or Feb. 15th as a Valentines Day present, or on April 1st or whenever” Canada will respond with retaliatory tariffs and "prices for American consumers on just about everything will go up." “We don't think he wants that,” Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.

By targeting America's second largest trading partner after Mexico, Trump risks upending the markets for autos, lumber and oil — all of which could carry over quickly to consumers.

The premier of oil-rich Alberta, Danielle Smith, said Americans in some states could pay more than a dollar per gallon more for gas if Trump puts the tariff on Canadian oil.

Despite Trump's repeated claim that the U.S doesn't need Canada, nearly a quarter of the oil America consumes per day comes from Canada.

America's northern neighbour also has 34 critical minerals and metals that the US is eager for and is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium.

"The US should be working even more with Canada on our energy, on our critical minerals, on the goods they need to deliver the economic growth that Donald Trump has promised,” Trudeau said.

Confirmation hearing for Kash Patel as FBI Director set for Jan 30

Kash Patel will appear before a US Senate committee on January 30 for a confirmation hearing to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Patel, 44, is the highest-ranking Indian-American nominated by President Donald Trump in his administration. If confirmed, he would be the first-ever Indian American to lead the most powerful American investigation agency.

"The Nomination of Kashyap Pramod Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" has been scheduled for January 30, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced on Thursday.

Patel would replace Christopher Wray. He is considered to be a loyal supporter of Trump. “I love the American dream. My story's pretty simple, it's unique, and some of you share in it,” Patel, the former federal prosecutor, said during an inauguration event for Trump early this week.

“My parents were born and raised in East Africa. My father in the 1970s fled a genocidal dictatorship in Uganda, where he saw 300,000 of his countrymen murdered, where he saw what lawlessness would do if it was allowed to break through the system of constitutional justice,” he said.

“He fled like so many others. He married my mother. They moved here. They waited in line. They stood in line because the American dream was worth standing in line for. That dream is woven into the fabric of this nation. And our immigration policy is the greatest in the world,” Patel said.

But dreams and hopes aren't enough and Americans have to get to work, Patel said.

"We have got to accept the realities that too many of you know from your communities. President Trump launched in his first term priorities of national security, law enforcement, economy, and global diplomacy. But now, we have to retread some of that,” he said.

US lawmaker criticises policy for ageing out children of H-1B visa holders

A powerful US lawmaker has criticised the policy affecting children of H-1B visa holders who "age out" their immigration status upon turning 21.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

Children of H-1B visa holders who turn 21 before their parent secures a Green Card can lose their dependent status and age out of the ability to obtain a permanent resident card.

A Green Card allows a non-US citizen to live and work permanently in America.

“The extensive Green Card backlogs for high-skilled workers mean that H-1B visa holders must wait decades and even centuries before a Green Card is available to them,” Congressman Jerrold Nadler, senior Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee, said during a Congressional hearing on restoring immigration enforcement.

“Right now, if both parents have H-1B status, a child was born abroad, but who has lived in the United States for nearly their entire lives must leave the country when they turn 21 unless they have their own immigration status,” he said on Thursday.

Putin should make deal with Ukraine, Zelenskyy ready to negotiate: Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin "should make a deal" with Ukraine, US President Donald Trump has said and asserted that they would meet as soon as they can.

Earlier, he warned his Russian counterpart to end the 'ridiculous war' in Ukraine or face high tariffs and further sanctions. Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, said this on Truth Social on Wednesday, a social media platform owned by him.

Talking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, the president said, "I think he (Putin) should make a deal." When asked if he thinks that sanctions on Russia will force Putin to negotiate, he said, "I don't know." "Russia should want to make a deal. Maybe they want to make a deal. I think, from what I hear, Putin would like to see me. And we'll meet as soon as we can. I'd meet immediately. Soldiers are being killed on the battlefield," he said.

"That battlefield is like no battlefield since World War II... and I have pictures that you don't want to see. Soldiers are being killed on a daily basis at numbers that we haven't seen in decades. It would be nice to end that war. It's a ridiculous war," the US president said.

In response to another question, Trump said Ukraine is ready to make a deal. "He's (Volodymyr Zelenskyy) ready to negotiate a deal. He'd like to stop. He's somebody that lost a lot of soldiers. So did Russia. Russia lost more soldiers, they lost 8,00,000 soldiers," Trump added.

Called out Russian President Putin by name in the social media post on Wednesday, Trumpp argued that he always had a good relationship with the leader, but that it was time to settle "this ridiculous War!" He also warned that if there was not a ceasefire deal soon, he would “have no other choice” but to impose tariffs, taxes and sanctions on "anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries." PTI 

World Economic Forum: Trump tells businesses to manufacture in US or face tariffs

US President Donald Trump on Thursday addressed the World Economic Forum where he offered business leaders low taxes if they manufacture their products in the US, while threatening them with tariffs if they don’t.

Addressing the forum’s Annual Meeting here through video conferencing, Trump also said he is going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down oil prices and asserted that if prices come down Russia-Ukraine war will end immediately.

Throughout the world, food prices went through the roof, he said and he took immediate action to control inflation in America.

"United States has the largest amount of oil and gas in the world and I'm going to use it," he said.

"I promise to eliminate 10 old regulations for every new regulation... I am going to pass the largest tax cuts in the American history to help our people," he said.

At the same time, if a business doesn't manufacture its products in America, there would be tariffs to pay, he warned.

Many companies globally have already announced billions of dollars worth of investments to set up their facilities in America, he said. "We will restore common sense among Americans," he added.

"I will make America manufacturing superpower and the world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto," he said.

The president, who was sworn-in on January 20, said a golden age of America has begun with his second term and the entire world would soon be more peaceful and prosperous.

US Secretary of State Rubio to travel to Panama, countries in region

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would travel to Panama and several other countries in the region later next week, his spokesperson said on Thursday.

“Secretary Rubio will travel to Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic starting late next week,” State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.

Rubio, 53, was sworn in as the Secretary of State on Tuesday. He had his first multilateral meeting with his counterparts from Quad countries – Australia, India and Japan. He had his first bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

On Wednesday, Rubio had telephonic calls with his counterparts from over half a dozen countries, including South Korea, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia. He also spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. PTI 

Senate confirms John Ratcliffe to lead CIA, giving Trump his second Cabinet member

The Senate has confirmed John Ratcliffe as CIA director, giving President Donald Trump the second member of his new Cabinet.

Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during Trump's first term and is the first person to have held that position and the top post at the CIA, the nation's premier spy agency.

The Texas Republican is a former federal prosecutor who emerged as a fierce Trump defender while serving as a congressman during Trump's first impeachment. The vote was 74-25.

At his Senate hearing last week, Ratcliffe said the CIA must do better when it comes to using technology such as artificial intelligence to confront adversaries including Russia and China. He said the United States needed to improve its intelligence capabilities while also ensuring the protection of Americans' civil rights.

Ratcliffe said that if confirmed, he would push the CIA to do more to harness technologies such as AI and quantum computing while expanding use of human intelligence collection.

"We're not where we're supposed to be," Ratcliffe told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Democrats raised questions about Ratcliffe's objectivity and whether his loyalty to Trump would prompt him to politicize his position and blind him to the duties of the job. Concerns from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., forced the Senate's Republican leaders to postpone Ratcliffe's confirmation vote, which originally was scheduled for Tuesday.

Former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was confirmed earlier this week as secretary of state, the first member of Trump's Cabinet.