Overview
A concentration of federal enforcement actions, executive directives, extreme winter weather, and diplomatic activity shaped the week of Jan. 19–25, 2026. Major items in this period include multiple DHS/ICE enforcement announcements and agency performance claims; the White House executive order aimed at limiting large institutional purchases of single‑family homes; a large winter system (“Winter Storm Fern”) that produced widespread snow, ice, and power outages; and at least one fatal shooting by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. The State Department announced several calls and travel plans by senior officials.
Homeland Security and immigration enforcement
- DHS/ICE public releases and daily roundups (Jan. 19–22) highlighted expanded enforcement. DHS materials for the period credited the administration with large increases in removals and other enforcement measures, including a DHS statement that “nearly 3 million” noncitizens left the U.S. during the administration’s first year (an alleged 2.2 million self‑deportations and ~675,000 removals), an ICE claim of tens of thousands of criminal‑alien arrests and more than 7,000 gang arrests, and USCIS reports of ~196,600 Notices to Appear issued since Jan. 20, 2025. These figures are reported in DHS press releases and agency statements cited by the administration.
- DHS/CBP enforcement statistics in the week: DHS/CBP materials cited southwest border apprehensions of 90,084 in the administration’s first year and a USBP daily average of ~251 encounters under the current administration (contrasted in DHS statements with a 5,110 daily average it attributes to the prior administration). The administration also reported CBP collected $297 billion in total customs revenue through the end of December 2025.
- ICE operations: ICE announced weekend arrests (Jan. 16–18) and separate actions including lodging detainers for three MS‑13 suspects charged in the murder of a 14‑year‑old in College Park, Maryland (case details and timing set out in DHS releases). DHS releases described the suspects’ prior local arrests and noted that some had previously been released from custody before federal detainers were filed.
- Context and incentives: DHS and White House press materials for the week emphasize enforcement and border metrics that support the administration’s immigration agenda. Those releases are primary sources for the claims above; independent data series (CBP public statistics and other federal data portals) are the typical sources used to verify monthly and daily encounter counts.
White House policy: restricting large investors in single‑family housing
- On Jan. 20, 2026 the White House issued an executive order titled “Stopping Wall Street from Competing with Main Street Homebuyers.” Key directives: Treasury must define “large institutional investor” and “single‑family home”; HUD, Agriculture, VA, GSA and FHFA must issue guidance to avoid transferring single‑family homes to large investors and to promote sales to owner‑occupants; the Attorney General and FTC are directed to review acquisitions by large investors for anticompetitive effects; HUD must expand disclosure requirements for single‑family rentals in federal housing programs; and the administration will prepare legislative recommendations to codify the policy.
- Incentives and likely effects: the order targets institutional investor participation in single‑family markets, aiming to shift sales toward owner‑occupants and increase regulatory scrutiny of buy‑and‑hold strategies. Agencies were given short timelines (30–60 days) to develop definitions and guidance, which will reshape compliance, disclosures, and procurement/sales practices for federal asset managers and GSE‑related programs.
Winter Storm “Fern” (Jan. 23–25)
- Impacts: A large winter system labeled Winter Storm Fern brought heavy snow, freezing rain and record‑cold air across large swaths of the U.S. from Jan. 23–25. The system produced multi‑state ice accumulations, heavy snow in parts of the Midwest and Northeast, widespread travel disruptions, flight cancellations and more than 1 million reported power outages at peak in some outlets’ tallies. Multiple states and localities issued travel advisories or declared states of emergency; the federal government published a winter‑storm resource hub.
- Human toll and infrastructure: outlets reported storm‑related fatalities and numerous closures; utilities and transportation agencies mobilized crews and issued safety guidance. Federal and state emergency declarations were used in several jurisdictions to free resources for response.
- Sources: contemporaneous coverage from national outlets and the National Weather Service provided situational updates and rolling reporting on impacts and outages.
Minneapolis: fatal shooting involving federal immigration agents (Jan. 24)
- Incident: On Jan. 24, federal immigration agents shot and killed a man in south Minneapolis during an operation. Local law‑enforcement statements and video released by witnesses prompted public protests and renewed scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement and use of force. Minneapolis officials and state leaders acknowledged the involvement of federal officers; the incident followed other deadly federal‑agent shootings in the city earlier in the month.
- Reporting: major wire services and local reporting provided on‑the‑ground accounts, video, and statements from city officials and DHS/ICE. Investigations by local police and federal oversight channels were reported as beginning in the days after the shooting.
- Context: the shooting intensified debate in Minneapolis and elsewhere over federal enforcement presence, officer accountability, and policies governing the deployment of immigration enforcement personnel in large cities.
Diplomacy and State Department activity
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio: the department posted a Jan. 25 call between Secretary Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al‑Sudani; Rubio commended Iraq for transferring and detaining ISIS suspects and urged rapid repatriation and legal processing of foreign fighters, discussed Iraq’s government‑formation process, and warned that an Iraq aligned with Iran would not be able to prioritize Iraqi interests or sustain a U.S.–Iraq partnership (per State Department readouts).
- Other State activity: Secretary Rubio also spoke with Azerbaijan’s foreign minister (Jeyhun Bayramov) during the period; Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau announced travel to Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti (Jan. 24–Feb. 1) to engage on commercial ties, regional security, humanitarian issues and U.S. business interests.
Treasury, sanctions and related federal actions (weekly items)
- Administration materials and daily roundups referenced Treasury actions and sanctions related to Iran and other targets during the week. The administration also continued to highlight tariff revenues and trade enforcement as part of broader trade and economic messaging.
Other federal notices and agency items
- FEC: announced an in‑depth online webinar for political party committees on March 3–4, 2026 (registration details and fees listed in the FEC notice).
- DHS leadership messages: Secretary Kristi Noem issued a message summarizing the agency’s first‑year priorities and accomplishments (enforcement, Coast Guard seizures and operational metrics), and DHS public materials reiterated hiring and training investments (FLETC) and Coast Guard activity.
- White House appearances and travel: the administration published several event items for the week including President Trump’s Davos engagements and other public appearances; the White House also announced that First Lady Melania Trump would ring the NYSE opening bell on Jan. 28 and promoted related youth and online‑safety initiatives.
What to watch next
- Implementation of the Jan. 20 executive order on single‑family housing: Treasury and HUD guidance and any FTC/DOJ reviews will determine near‑term market effects and legal exposure for institutional buyers.
- Federal investigations and oversight of the Minneapolis shooting: local and federal inquiries may produce evidence, policy changes, or new guidance on the deployment and rules of engagement for federal immigration officers.
- Winter Storm Fern recovery and federal emergency actions: follow‑up on declared emergencies, power restoration timelines, and any official federal disaster declarations affecting assistance.
- DHS data and verification: administration enforcement claims will be cross‑checked against public CBP, ICE and USCIS data releases and independent analysis over coming weeks.
Sources cited in this roundup are government releases listed in the seed set (DHS, White House, State Department) and contemporary coverage for the week from national and regional outlets documenting Winter Storm Fern and the Minneapolis shooting.