WEST PALM BEACH, United States: Aggressive US immigration raids which have sparked protests and allegations of rights violations have not gone far enough, President Donald Trump said in a CBS interview released Sunday.
Trump was interviewed Friday by CBS’s “60 Minutes” program, his first sit-down with the broadcaster since it agreed to a $16 million settlement with him.
The Republican president had sued the Paramount-owned organization over a 2024 pre-election interview with his Democratic opponent, former vice president Kamala Harris.
Asked by interviewer Norah O’Donnell if raids conducted by his Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have “gone too far,” the 79-year-old president replied: “I think they haven’t gone far enough.”
He claimed “liberal judges” appointed by Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had “held back” immigration operations, according to the interview extract posted on X.
O’Donnell noted documented instances of ICE agents tackling suspected immigrants, deploying tear gas in neighborhoods and smashing open car windows.
“You’re okay with those tactics?” she asked.
“Yeah, because you have to get the people out,” Trump said.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has pushed for a massive wave of deportations, a hallmark of his 2024 presidential campaign.
Protests sparked by increased ICE raids have caused unrest across the country, particularly in Democratic-led cities where Trump’s administration has launched “surges” of agents.
Trump has sought to deploy National Guard troops to back up the agents and protect immigration facilities in the cities, sparking lawsuits from local officials claiming he has overstepped his authority.
His administration has deployed troops in Los Angeles, while similar efforts in Portland and Chicago have been temporarily blocked by federal courts.
Trump says US immigration raids ‘haven’t gone far enough’
https://arab.news/85mk7
Trump says US immigration raids ‘haven’t gone far enough’
- Protests sparked by increased ICE raids have caused unrest across the country, particularly in Democratic-led cities where Trump’s administration has launched “surges” of agents
Lufthansa adds more flights to Asia, Africa as Middle East war reshapes air travel
- Airlines across Europe have been redirecting capacity after suspending services in the Middle East
- Lufthansa said the move also helps meet demand on long-haul routes that Middle Eastern carriers cannot currently serve
LONDON: Lufthansa said on Friday it was shifting capacity from 10 canceled Middle Eastern destinations to routes such as Singapore and Bangkok as it contends with disruption from the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Airlines across Europe, including budget carrier Wizz Air , have been redirecting capacity after suspending services in the Middle East.
Lufthansa said the move also helps meet demand on long-haul routes that Middle Eastern carriers cannot currently serve.
Airline stocks have slumped this week as US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran — and retaliatory strikes by Iran across the Middle East — have disrupted long-haul flights and sent oil prices soaring.
“The war in the Middle East proves once again how exposed air traffic is and how vulnerable it remains,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said in a statement. He added the outlook was uncertain, particularly for jet fuel costs.
The schedule changes came as the German group reported better-than-expected 2025 results, saying stricter financial management and fleet renewal had helped contain costs and lift profits. Its shares rose as much as 4 percent, before reversing to trade down 1.2 percent at 1246 GMT.
The company said demand on routes to and from Asia and Africa had risen strongly since the conflict began on Saturday, and it would stick with its focus on expanding long-haul services. Spohr said new flights to Asia would launch in days.
Lufthansa did say how many services it had canceled because of the conflict.
While carriers face costs for rescheduling and rerouting, the biggest impact for those outside the Middle East is expected from surging fuel prices. Brent crude futures have jumped more than 20 percent this week.
Spohr said Lufthansa was well hedged in the short term. The group hedges fuel up to 24 months ahead and was 85 percent hedged as of December 31, according to its annual report.
RESILIENCE
European carriers, including Lufthansa, benefited from slightly lower fuel bills in 2025. Lufthansa’s fuel bill fell 7 percent, helping support earnings as passenger demand stayed firm.
“Last year we were able to significantly increase the Group’s operating profit and achieved the highest revenue in our history. Our results demonstrate the resilience and stability of the Group,” Spohr said.
Lufthansa reported an adjusted operating profit of 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion), compared with 1.9 billion euros forecast in a company-compiled analyst poll and up from 1.6 billion euros in 2024. The group also posted an operating margin of 4.9 percent, up from 4.4 percent a year earlier.
Lufthansa aims to lift operating margins to 8 percent-10 percent between 2028 and 2030 from 4.4 percent in 2024, but strikes by workers, including the most recent on February 12, have made it harder to boost profitability.
Bernstein analyst Alex Irving said ongoing weakness in the passenger airline segment persisted, but that strong performances in Cargo and Lufthansa Technik helped lift profits.
The carrier said the outlook for 2026 was unclear due to geopolitical uncertainty. It projected capacity growth of 4 percent, alongside increased revenue and profit margin.
