Trump administration live updates: Kristi Noem says ICE ‘absolutely not’ halting operations in Chicago for holidays after governor’s pleas

When asked about pausing the operations, Noem said the department was “absolutely not willing” to pause any enforcement, claiming it was keeping cities and children safer.

“The fact that Governor Pritzker is asking for that is shameful and I think unfortunate that he does not recognize how important the work that we do is,” Noem said.

The news, published in the Federal Register Thursday, was anticipated.

The plan was reportedly presented to the White House by officials from the State Department and Homeland Security would give preference to English speakers and Europeans, proposals that refugee groups and advocates say undermine the nation’s moral and legal fabric.

Vice President JD Vance is facing sharp criticism after he told a group of college students in Mississippi that he hopes his Hindu wife, second lady Usha Vance, will give up her own faith and become a Christian.

“I honestly do wish that because I believe in the Christian gospel, and I hope eventually, my wife comes to see it the same way,” he said.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker appealed to senior members of the Trump administration who are overseeing federal immigration operations in Chicago, asking them to “pause” for Halloween weekend to allow children to safely trick-or-treat.

“The Department of Homeland Security claims their highest priority is to protect children, so today I have to ask them, please live up to those ideals,” Pritzker said in a press conference Thursday morning.

“They’ve disrupted everything for more than two months already. Give the children and the families of Illinois a break.”

Pritzker, who has been pushing back against the administration as they send federal agents from various agencies and seek to send members of the National Guard into Chicago.

“Can we agree there is no imminent threat that should disrupt their holiday?” Pritzker said. “No child in America should have to go trick-or-treating in fear that they might be confronted by armed federal agents and have to inhale tear gas.”

“I honestly can’t even believe that I have to make this plea. This is not the America I know.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson continued to support the Trump administration’s claims that there is no funding for SNAP, otherwise known as food stamps.

“When it comes to SNAP, some of the Democrats have argued that you can use this contingency fund, but the truth is, there’s no legal mechanism to do it,” Johnson told reporters.

Lawmakers have said the administration has always been able to tap into those funds – though Johnson and others say they, legally, cannot.

When asked why Trump was not using the same strategy to tap into SNAP funds as he did in the first term, Johnson asserted the administration is doing “exactly what it did in the first term.”

In 2018, the Department of Agriculture said it would use a provision to allow it to make payments within 30 days of a government funding lapse.

Without funding for SNAP, millions of beneficiaries who rely on the program could be at risk of going hungry.

While speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump hailed his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “a 12.”

“On a scale from zero to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.”

The Trump administration recently removed a decorated admiral from his post as head of naval research in the Office of Naval Research and replaced him with a 33-year-old former DOGE employee, according to the Bulwark.

Rear Admiral Kurt Rothenhaus, who has served as chief of naval research since June 2023, was reassigned to an unknown position. Rachel Riley, a former partner at McKinsey & Co., who also worked on DOGE-related matters in the Department of Health and Human Services, is in charge.

“Dr. Rachel Riley is serving as the Chief of Naval Research,” a Navy spokesperson told USNI News.

“She brings deep acquisition, technology, and organizational expertise to the job, and we are pleased to welcome her to the team. We thank Rear Adm. Rothenhaus for his service as he is enroute to his next assignment. We do not have additional information to share at this time.”

Means, a vaccine skeptic, is widely considered a controversial pick to be the U.S.’s top doctor. She was likely to face tough questions from senators who are apprehensive about her role.

President Donald Trump is expected to return to Washington, D.C., Thursday afternoon from his trip around Asia.

Early Thursday morning, Trump briefly spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One, where he praised Chinese President Xi Jinping and the deal the two struck to lower tariffs, expand access to rare earth minerals, and promote soybean sales from American farmers.

The president also touched on his recent Truth Social post claiming the U.S. would begin testing nuclear weapons again, claiming the decision had “nothing to do” with China.

“It had to do with others,” Trump said.

“I say well, if they’re going to test, I guess we have to test.”

Once returning to the White House, the president will join First Lady Melania Trump in celebrating Halloween – an annual tradition for the president and first lady.