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NTSB Report Blames Systemic Failures for Deadly Midair Collision; Immigration Enforcement Sparks Political Conflict
Washington D.C. – A yearlong investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that "deep" systemic failures were to blame for the January 2025 midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft, according to an NPR News report. Simultaneously, a political rupture over immigration enforcement threatened a partial government shutdown, and the involvement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics drew criticism from Italian leaders, according to Time magazine.
The NTSB released its investigative findings on Tuesday, citing multiple system-wide failures as the cause of the deadly crash. Further details of the specific failures were not available in the provided source material.
Meanwhile, in Congress, Senate leaders were navigating a potential partial government shutdown driven by a political divide over immigration enforcement and the funding of the Department of Homeland Security, Time reported. With funding for a large share of the federal government set to expire after midnight on Friday, Republicans and Democrats remained deadlocked over a six-bill appropriations package that included money for Homeland Security. Democrats were demanding changes to that portion of the bill in the aftermath of a deadly shooting in Minneapolis involving federal immigration agents, signaling they were prepared to let funding lapse if their demands were ignored.
The controversy surrounding immigration enforcement also extended to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commander Gregory Bovino, who, according to Time, has served as a public face of an immigration crackdown. Bovino has been overseeing thousands of detentions and deportations in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Minneapolis. The killings of two residents by federal agents in Minneapolis within less than three weeks led to mass protests and criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, Time reported.
Across the Atlantic, the news that ICE agents would aid security operations at the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics sparked outrage among Italian leaders, according to Time. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala told Italian media outlet RTL Radio 102 that ICE is "a militia that kills... a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips. It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt." Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed to TIME that ICE agents would support U.S. security operations at the Winter Games, which are being held from Feb. 6-22. McLaughlin clarified that "ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries."
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