By Joshua Jamerson

Good morning. I'm Joshua Jamerson, filling in for Damian Paletta, who's out today.

The Department of Homeland Security is poised to shut down after today because Democrats have refused to fund the agency without a significant overhaul.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky joined Democrats in grilling top DHS officials Thursday about the department's handling of President Trump's immigration agenda. Paul was particularly critical regarding the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen killed by federal officers in Minneapolis.

"There has to ultimately be repercussions," he said. Paul emphasized he was pro law-enforcement but warned ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott that if investigations into the death didn't result in consequences or changes, "I think it destroys the trust in ICE." He called the circumstances that led to Pretti's death "terrible police work."

Senators are leaving Washington for a weeklong recess after Democrats blocked a DHS funding bill, all but assuring a shutdown. Paul voted with his Republican colleagues to keep the department open, but his remarks were noteworthy and they circulated widely on social media because of what they represented: a rare, public rebuke against how the administration has handled immigration enforcement from a prominent, pro law-enforcement Republican.

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People and Policies I'm Watching

Marco Rubio: The secretary of state begins his Europe trip in Germany, where he will participate in the Munich Security Conference. Later, he will travel to Slovakia and Hungary to meet with senior officials.

Inflation. The January Consumer Price Index report is expected to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Trump's Friday: The president is set to travel to Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., for a military family engagement.

What I'm Following

The whistleblower complaint against Tulsi Gabbard touches on Jared Kushner. The highly classified matter is related to a conversation intercepted last spring in which two foreign nationals discussed Kushner, Trump's son-in law who is involved in U.S. national-security initiatives. It couldn't be determined which country the foreign nationals are from or what they discussed about Kushner.

The U.S. covertly sent Starlink terminals into Iran. After Iranian authorities smothered mounting unrest in January by killing thousands of protesters and severely cutting internet connectivity, the U.S. smuggled roughly 6,000 of the satellite-internet kits into the country. It marked the first time the U.S. has directly sent Starlink into Iran.

Kristi Noem stirs chaos inside DHS as she burnishes her personal brand. With former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski at her side, the Homeland Security secretary has staged a headline-grabbing immigration crackdown while sidelining rivals and dissenters.

What Else Is Happening

   -- The Trump administration is ending its immigration crackdown in 
      Minnesota. 
 
   -- The Pentagon is sending the Navy's largest and most advanced aircraft 
      carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Middle East. 
 
   -- A federal judge temporarily blocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's move 
      to censure and demote Sen. Mark Kelly for his part in a video calling on 
      troops to disobey illegal orders. 
 
   -- The brash style of Josh Gruenbaum has shaken up the General Services 
      Administration, earned the trust of Jared Kushner and Trump's foreign 
      policy team -- and sparked a review of possible violations. 
 
   -- The White House and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have shaken up 
      the top ranks at HHS to install more disciplined messengers and smoother 
      operations ahead of the midterms. 

What I'm Reading

   -- Donald Trump Prompts Global Surge in People Viewing U.S. as a Threat (The 
      Financial Times) 
 
   -- Trump Dumps Regulation of Greenhouse Gases in Cars and Trucks (Detroit 
      Free Press) 
 
   -- Cardi B Jokingly Threatens to 'Jump' ICE at Her Concert (TMZ) 

This Week in Washington History

Trump's second impeachment trial took place in 2021. The Senate voted to acquit him on the charge he incited an insurrection at the Capitol. The vote was 57 for guilty and 43 for not guilty; the guilty votes were short of the 67 needed to convict under the Constitution.

About

WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to what's driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if you're reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Joe Haberstroh and Yolanda McBride. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 13, 2026 07:00 ET (12:00 GMT)

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