By Damian Paletta
Good morning. Things might get a little scary on Friday the 13th.
That's when a short-term funding law for the Department of Homeland Security expires.
Standing in the way of a deal: Democrats and Republicans are brawling over nearly every aspect of U.S. immigration enforcement, with the GOP pushing a particular focus in the past 24 hours on "sanctuary cities," jurisdictions that won't cooperate with federal immigration officials. White House officials say a lack of local cooperation was at the core of the recent chaotic weeks in Minneapolis. Minnesota officials argue that the White House's sudden intervention in their state trampled on states' rights and was counterproductive.
The term "sanctuary" is loosely defined and it can be used to refer to states, counties, and cities. The Justice Department last year said there were 12 sanctuary states (plus Washington, D.C.), four sanctuary counties and 18 sanctuary cities. Other estimates put the number of cities much higher.
Bipartisan immigration policy has escaped Washington lawmakers for, well, decades. These enormous issues won't get resolved in the next 10 days.
That said, expect intensity and fire in the coming debate, as Republicans and Democrats marshal arguments they think will resonate with their core voters, voters they are trying to wake up ahead of November's midterms that are now less than nine months away.
This is an edition of the Politics newsletter, bringing you an expert guide to what's driving D.C. every day. If you're not subscribed, sign up here.
People and Policies I'm Watching
Obamacare. Top Senate negotiators said an effort to renew expired Affordable Care Act subsidies -- the issue that sparked the longest-ever U.S. government shutdown -- had fallen apart.
Ro Khanna. The top Democrat on a House committee overseeing U.S.-China competition has launched an investigation into a $500 million investment by an Abu Dhabi royal in a Trump family cryptocurrency company.
Trump's Thursday: The president's day includes an appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. ET, an intelligence briefing at 11 a.m. and an evening announcement scheduled for 7 p.m.
What I'm Following
Nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran are on. The agreement to hold the talks Friday in Oman capped a drama over what would be discussed but restarted a diplomatic dance that might yet end with President Trump ordering airstrikes on Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Rubio said American conditions for agreeing to negotiations included assurances that the talks would cover more than Iran's nuclear efforts -- such as Tehran's crackdown on protesters.
Congress has a whistleblower complaint against Tulsi Gabbard. The Trump administration has disclosed to select lawmakers the classified government-whistleblower complaint against the director of national intelligence, but significant portions were redacted. The Journal reported Monday that the complaint had stalled for months within Gabbard's Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Tensions linger in Minnesota amid drawdown of immigration agents. The agents have maintained an aggressive and widespread enforcement posture across the Twin Cities in recent days, even as White House border czar Tom Homan said 700 agents would be pulled out of the state, leaving about 2,000 to continue operating.
What Else Is Happening
-- Sen. Tim Scott (R., S.C.), the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee,
said he doesn't think Fed Chair Jerome Powell committed a crime in
testimony (in a hearing chaired by Scott) that is central to an explosive
DOJ investigation.
-- The Supreme Court cleared California to use a new congressional map that
is projected to add five Democratic-leaning House seats in the 2026
midterms.
-- The Trump administration plans to make it easier to discipline -- and
potentially fire -- senior career officials across the government,
affecting about 50,000 federal workers.
-- Ryan Routh, the 60-year-old Honolulu man who was convicted last fall of
attempting to assassinate Trump in 2024, was sentenced to life in prison.
-- The Washington Post is cutting one-third of its staff, slashing hundreds
of jobs across the newsroom and other departments.
What I'm Reading
-- Is Gavin Newsom Peaking Too Soon? (New York Magazine)
-- Trump's DOJ Dismisses Complaint Against Casey DeSantis's Hope Florida
(The Floridian)
-- Trump's Triumphal Arch Is an Important Rebellion Against Post-Modern
Thought (The Federalist)
This Week in Washington History
Write two or three sentences about a significant event in political history that happened the same week as this edition of the newsletter. Bonus points if the event relates to current events. You can also relate the historical item to current events and link to a recent story.
About Me
I'm Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal's Washington coverage chief. I've covered Washington for 22 years as a reporter and editor. I've covered the White House, Congress, national security, the federal budget, economics and multiple market meltdowns.
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 Dick Streuly. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 05, 2026 06:57 ET (11:57 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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