700 ICE agents to leave Minnesota
Global News Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 8.2K Ratings
🗓️ 5 February 2026
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
President Trump orders the withdrawal of hundreds of federal agents involved in the contentious immigration crackdown in Minnesota. In an interview with NBC, he says that "maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch" but insists the enforcement effort will remain "tough".
Also: the last nuclear weapons treaty between Russia and the United States expires, leaving the world without a framework designed to prevent nuclear war for the first time in decades. We meet the Ukrainian war widow who moved her husband's grave, fearing Russian forces would seize their hometown in the eastern Donbas. Saudi Arabia introduces passports for camels to better manage the country's prized herds. The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces scrutiny over his former ambassador Peter Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The BBC launches emergency radio programming to help Iranians access information more easily. Colombia's largest drug cartel suspends peace talks with the government after President Gustavo Petro agreed with Donald Trump to attack its leader. And why all Olympic curling stones originate from an uninhabited Scottish island.
The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:05.4 | This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:11.5 | I'm Will Chalk, and in the early hours of Thursday, the 5th of February, these are our main stories. |
| 0:17.7 | President Trump speaks of the need for a softer touch on immigration enforcement |
| 0:21.8 | as hundreds of federal agents withdraw from Minnesota. The last nuclear weapons control |
| 0:28.3 | treaty between the United States and Russia has expired, raising fears of a new arms race. |
| 0:34.5 | As Russia and Ukraine take part in the second round of US-led peace talks, the chances |
| 0:39.8 | of a breakthrough remained slim. Also in this podcast, here in the UK, did the official security |
| 0:49.9 | vetting he received mention Mandelson's ongoing relationship with the paedophile Jeffrey |
| 0:56.2 | Epstein. The Prime Minister Kirstama is facing big questions. |
| 1:05.0 | It's not traditionally been Donald Trump's style to be conciliatory or to call for a soft-touch approach to immigration. |
| 1:13.2 | But the US president appears to have admitted sending in federal agents en masse to Minnesota to carry out immigration raids hasn't worked. |
| 1:21.7 | Last month, two American citizens were shot in confrontations with masked agents during weeks of protests about the actions of |
| 1:29.2 | ICE and other officers deployed to the state. President Trump has been speaking to NBC News. |
| 1:35.3 | What did you learn? I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch, |
| 1:43.8 | but you still have to be tough. |
| 1:45.2 | These are criminals. We're dealing with really hard criminals. |
| 1:49.1 | But look, I've called the people. I've called the governor. I've called the mayor, spoke to them, had great conversations with them, and then I see them ranting and raving out there. |
| 1:58.0 | The U.S. Borders'ar Tom Homan had earlier announced the withdrawal of 700 |
| 2:02.4 | immigration agents from Minnesota after he said state and local officials agreed to cooperate by |
| 2:08.1 | turning over arrested immigrants. But to put that in perspective, around 2,000 agents will remain there. |
| 2:14.7 | So what do the people of Minnesota make of this? The 700 draw down, okay, it's a positive step, but we need two more steps and get them out of here |
... |
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