Mideast Ceasefire, Florida Immigration Session, Congolese City Captured

0:00Hi A. Hello. Good morning, it's Monday. Oh, wait, not good morning. You don't like good morning. You can stuff your good morning in a sack. You're so rude. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are walking back to Gaza City for the first time since the war began. But the joy of return is mixed with bitter sadness. Entire neighborhoods are now reduced to rubble. I'm Leila Faldil, that's A Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News. A new proposal by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would give local law enforcement officials the power of immigration agents. People are going to be afraid of police officers.

0:40People are going to be afraid to report crimes. But with state Republicans calling the proposal premature, which rules are likely to pass. And rebels backed by Rwanda have captured the city of Goma in eastern Congo. The violence has roots in the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s. Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day.

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3:08Rinse. It's time to be great. Today, tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are returning home for the first time in more than a year. This march home to Gaza City and other places in the north is a huge moment for families who've been displaced in the war. It comes after Hamas and Israel agreed last night to an additional exchange of hostages and prisoners and detainees, with more people expected to be freed in the coming days. We're joined now by international correspondent Ava Trawi, who's been following this closely from Dubai. So let's start with the people returning to Gaza City this morning.

3:41Take us back to why they were displaced at all. Hi, A. Yeah, I mean, look, a few days after Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7th of 2023, Israel ordered Palestinians to leave their homes in Gaza City and the north. And so more than a million people heeded those orders, leaving with just a few belongings, and many never imagined it would be 16 months of displacement. And during the war, Israeli forces carved out this miles-wide corridor isolating Gaza City and the north from the rest of the territory. But today, troops partly withdrew, allowing people to return, and this is a direct result of complex talks happening regarding the release of hostages and prisoners in the ceasefire.

4:21And so, A, for the first time since I've been reporting on this war, I could hear a level of joy in Gaza I have not heard before. And you can hear it in NPR producer Anas Baba's voice. I reached him by phone as he was walking among huge crowds back to his home in Gaza City. Have a listen. I only want to walk to my house, to Gaza City, just the happiness inside you is driving you all the way. I'm feeling truly, Aya, that every single step that I'm taking is truly taking me to the heaven, not to Galva. It's just like after all of that patience, after all of that missing for Galva City, now we've been doing it again.

5:03You know, we've been hearing his great reporting on all of this for over a year, so it's really nice to hear the joy in his voice. but what will he be going back to? Yeah, I mean, look, Israeli airstrikes have destroyed tens of thousands of buildings and survivors of these airstrikes tell us that under the rubble, our entire families, thousands of bodies that have not been retrieved. The UN also says there are unexploded bombs amid all this debris, posing a huge risk to people. But Enes says people in Gaza have been living without electricity or adequate shelter for over a year now, displaced in other parts, So they're ready to set up tents atop the rubble of their homes.

5:40And they will be heavily relying on U.N. aid for basics like food and water. And there's also this reality, A. Many people are returning without those they left with. Parents are returning without all of their kids. And children are returning without their parents. Thousands of Palestinians were killed while they were seeking shelter in southern parts of Gaza in the war. All right. Now, what's the reaction in Israel been to the ceasefire deal so far? Well, many in Israel are relieved that hostages are being freed in the ceasefire, and there will be three additional people freed this week. That's out of 90 still held in Gaza, many believe to be alive.

6:14Hamas has already freed seven Israeli women in exchange for nearly 300 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons just in the first week of the ceasefire. But there are also people on the far right in Israel angry with this deal. They want Israel to return to war, and they argue that this deal leaves Hamas in power. It's also worth mentioning, A, this isn't the only ceasefire in place in the region right now. The one that halted fighting between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah group was just extended for three more weeks. That's despite more than 20 people killed in Lebanon yesterday trying to return home to their villages in or near areas still controlled by Israel.

6:49That's NPR's A, Batraoui joining us from Dubai. Thank you very much. Thank you.

7:01Florida is one of several states where Republicans are considering action to help President Trump with his pledge for a mass deportation of immigrants who do not have legal status. Governor Ron DeSantis has called lawmakers to a special session today to take up his proposals, including one that would require local officials to help carry out deportations or face suspension. NPR's Greg Allen joins us now from Miami. So, Greg, what does Governor DeSantis have in mind? Well, you'll recall that DeSantis ran for the Republican presidential nomination against Donald Trump and their rivals. But now they're working together and Trump has expressed support for this special session.

7:38DeSantis says he talked to Trump about his plans on immigration before the inauguration and says illegal immigration has resulted in massive costs to the American people. Clearly, I don't think you could have a stronger mandate for action on the issue of immigration than what we have right now. and Florida leads. Among the proposals that DeSantis wants is one that would require counties and cities to participate in the federal deportation program, and it would give him the authority to suspend any officials who don't comply, including those who are elected. He wants to make it a state crime to enter the U.S.

8:12illegally. He also wants to require people to show ID and their immigration status before sending money back home, which would essentially prohibit anyone who's here without legal status from sending any money in remittances back to their home country. So which Which of these proposals are lawmakers expected to pass? Well, at this point, it's not clear if they're going to pass anything this week. As governor, DeSantis has the authority to convene a special session. But when he called this one, Republican leaders in the state House and Senate pushed back immediately. They said taking up immigration at this time is premature, in their words.

8:44In their letter, the House Speaker and Senate President told DeSantis, when it comes to immigration, we are strong supporters of President Trump and stand ready to follow his lead. So this really isn't just about immigration. This is about a governor who's been accused of being heavy-handed with members of his own party in the past and is now in his last term and might not have the political clout he once did. Florida has a lot of immigrants, Greg. I mean, so what does this mean for them? Well, one out of every five Floridians is an immigrant. The executive orders and actions taken by the Trump administration so far have many immigrant communities here shaken.

9:16Tessa Pettit, who heads the Florida Immigrant Coalition, says if it passes DeSantis' proposal to turn local law enforcement into immigration agents will only increase that fear. People are going to be afraid of police officers. People are going to be afraid to report crimes. That's going to create a very strong divide between law enforcement and community members. Pettit also says blocking remittances will send shockwaves, not just through the immigrant communities here, but also to other countries like Haiti and Nicaragua that depend heavily on money from people in the U.S. Yeah. Now, what's likely to happen this week, you think?

9:51Well, you know, at least for now, Governor DeSantis says he's focused on immigration and could call lawmakers back into another special session if they don't take action now. But Republican leaders say the legislature will meet for its regular session in just over a month, and they want to deal with immigration and other issues on their schedule And during that session, if they have their rights, it's clear immigration is going to be a big issue, though, in legislatures across the country this year. Republican-led states are looking at many of these proposals being considered in Florida. For example, Tennessee's legislature is also meeting today to discuss immigration.

10:25So states led by Democrats are responding. They're going to court to challenge some of the executive orders and policies of immigration coming from the Trump administration. So this is going to be going on for all the year, it looks like. Yeah, the NPR's Greg Allen in Miami. Greg, thanks a lot. You're welcome.

10:47In Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, rebels backed by troops from neighboring Rwanda have claimed control of the eastern city of Goma. After days of intense combat, the Congolese army has collapsed, and the rebel group called M23 say they have captured the city, which is home to some two million people. Emmett Livingstone joins us now from Goma. Emmett, describe a scene for us, where you're at. Streets are completely empty where I am at the moment in central Goma. Over the last few days, artillery could be heard coming from the outskirts of the city. And that transitioned into a constant crackle of small arms fire last night, which I'm still hearing as we speak.

11:23Goma has been without electricity for two or three days. So most people are cowering indoors and struggling to charge their phones. Water shortages are also prevalent and shops are closed. There's been a mass breakout at the prison in Goma, and many soldiers have fled or are in hiding. Though the rebel group is claiming that they're in control of Goma, the government so far hasn't communicated. So tell us more about how this whole conflict developed in the first place and about the rebel group M23. So it's a very complicated story, but zooming way out, a lot of the violence in eastern Congo has its roots in the Rwandan genocide in 1994 between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups, which then spilled over into Congo.

12:00The M23 has its roots in Tutsi-led rebellions in Congo. The group captured Goma very briefly in 2012 and then went underground, but it launched a major rebellion again in 2021. It says that it's fighting to protect minorities. The UN says that the group's latest rebellion, though, has been supported heavily by Rwanda, which has de facto invaded Congo and has thousands of soldiers operating alongside the M23. And they're also using very sophisticated weaponry. On Sunday, they were flying an attack drone over the battlefield. Congo has broken off relations with Rwanda and withdrawn diplomatic staff.

12:34Tell us about why this is happening in this particular region. No one can say for sure why this is happening, and especially why Rwanda is so heavily involved. But analysts say that Rwanda wants a say in eastern Congo, which is an area full of mineral riches. And they point out that Rwanda wants to apply maximum pressure on the Congolese government. And regional dynamics are also likely at play, with Rwanda competing for influence in the region against rival states. So how is the international community responding to this? UN peacekeepers and Western private military contractors have been fighting alongside the Congolese army, as well as troops from African allies such as South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi and Burundi.

13:13But with the collapse of the Congolese army, these defenders are no longer in action. On Sunday night, the UN, the US and France called on Rwanda to withdraw. but so far no international sanctions have been levied on Rwanda. And Rwanda, for its part, says the fighting near the border is a threat to its security and requires it to maintain, and I quote, a sustained defensive posture. At least six UN peacekeepers have been killed, so that's a testament to the severity of the fighting. The military governor of North Kivu province was also killed on the front line. So what happens now? Right now, M23 and Rwanda haven't fully subdued Goma, though it's almost certain that they will.

13:50They're also advancing in the neighboring province of South Kivu, so there's real danger of the conflict growing bigger and bigger. There's also a danger of an all-out multi-state war in Central Africa. Congo hasn't yet declared war on Rwanda, nor vice versa, but the risks of that happening are now ratcheting up. Many worry that the impact on civilians would be catastrophic. That's Emmett Livingstone reporting from Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Emmett, thank you. Thank you.

14:22And one more story before we go. The matchup for Super Bowl 59 has been set. The Kansas City Chiefs will meet the Philadelphia Eagles in two weeks. And because I know so much about sports, I'm just going to bring A in here to explain this to us. What do I need to know? Well, I'm sure you already know this, Layla. But for the Kansas City Chiefs, it'll be their fifth Super Bowl in six seasons. They actually beat Philly a couple of seasons ago in the Super Bowl. But here's the thing. Kansas City is going for its third straight Super Bowl title. That is something no team has ever done in history. Not even the great Tom Brady has been able to do that.

14:58So we'll see. We'll see if the Kansas City Chiefs can actually make history in Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.

15:07And that's a first for Monday, January 27th. I'm Amy Martinez. And I'm Leila Faldil. For your next listen, consider, consider this. The team behind NPR's All Things Considered goes deep into a single news story in just about 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Jerome Sokolowski, Larry Kaplow, Russell Lewis, Jenea Williams, and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Nia Dumas, and Clara Murashima. We get engineering support from Nisha Hainas, and our technical director is Carly Strange. Join us again tomorrow.

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