Federal authorities released fourth-grader Elizabeth Zuna, who was detained by immigration officers in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights, according to the school district's superintendent, Zena Stenvik, on Tuesday. Zuna and her mother were taken into custody by ICE on January 6 while on their way to school and were held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, Stenvik said in a statement.
Zuna's release came amidst ongoing concerns regarding immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota. Paul Schnell, the state's Department of Corrections Commissioner, stated that there had been "conversations" with the federal government regarding a possible de-escalation of immigration enforcement in the state, but details remained "sketchy." Homan had previously indicated plans to reduce the number of ICE and Border Patrol agents in the Minneapolis area, but a specific timeline was not provided. Schnell also expressed concern about reported tactics used by agents.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, a judge placed temporary restrictions on federal officers' use of tear gas and projectile munitions at protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. U.S. District Judge Michael Simon's temporary restraining order, in effect for 14 days, prohibited federal officers from using chemical or projectile munitions unless an individual posed an imminent threat of physical harm. The order also restricted officers from firing munitions at the head, neck, or torso unless deadly force was legally justified. Simon wrote that the nation "is now at a crossroads."
In Los Angeles County, detectives investigated a possible connection between the death of former NFL player Kevin Johnson and three other homicides of unhoused individuals in the Willowbrook community near Compton. Johnson, 55, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders in the 1990s, was found dead on January 21 at an encampment. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that he died from "blunt head trauma and stab wounds." The L.A. County Sheriff's Department stated that the four homicides occurred between October 2025 and January 2026 and remained under active investigation.
In Australia, a 13-year-old boy, Austin Appelbee, was hailed as a hero after swimming 2.5 miles to shore to seek help for his mother and two younger siblings, who were swept out to sea. The incident occurred on Friday, and Austin swam for hours to raise the alarm. "I think, at one point, I was thinking of 'Thomas the Tank Engine,' you know, trying to get the happiest things in my head, trying to make it through, like, not the bad things that'll distract me," Austin said Tuesday. Naturaliste Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland described Austin's efforts as "superhuman."
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