Asian American Olympians’ nationality choices cast as “loyalty tests” by media: study
U.S. media coverage of Winter Olympians Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu treated their nationality decisions as measures of allegiance rather than parallel career choices, according to a University of Michigan
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The Rebel Yellow - Issue #180
The Trump administration announced it is ending its 10-week immigration crackdown in Minnesota after deploying roughly 3,000 agents and making over 4,000 arrests; the operation followed the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens and drew judicial condemnation. In Washington, Reps. Ted Lieu and Pramila Jayapal sharply questioned Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files. At the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu each won silver medals, as a new study found U.S. media framed their nationality decisions differently. In Los Angeles, officials warned older Asian residents about ATM robbery risks ahead of Lunar New Year. USC named Beong-Soo Kim its first Asian American president. The Philippine Supreme Court granted same-sex couples property rights in a landmark ruling. UCLA began screening nearly 600 restored Chinatown film prints, and a 1914 Japanese American silent film was added to the National Film Registry.
Trump’s immigration crackdown ending in Minnesota
The Trump administration is finally ending its controversial immigration operation in Minnesota, a weeks-long crackdown that claimed the lives of two U.S. citizens and interrupted those of thousands more.
Latest developments: White House border czar Tim Homan announced the decision at a news conference Thursday, saying, “I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge operation conclude.” Under the so-called Operation Metro Surge, the administration deployed about 3,000 immigration officers into the state to target alleged fraud in government programs involving Somali residents. The crackdown resulted in more than 4,000 arrests, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
About 2,000 agents remain as the drawdown continues into next week. The announcement comes as the Senate on Thursday blocked a funding measure for the DHS, setting up a likely agency shutdown amid partisan disputes over enforcement reforms.
Mistakes made, lasting horrors: The 10-week crackdown escalated after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. Their deaths prompted Trump to replace Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino with Homan on Jan. 26. More than a dozen federal prosecutors in Minnesota also resigned, citing widespread accusations of racial profiling, warrantless searches and civil rights abuses.
The legal and political fallout has been severe. U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel issued a 41-page order Thursday condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for isolating “thousands of people” from their attorneys and violating detainees’ “constitutional right to access counsel.” Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz described the operation as “an unprecedented federal invasion” that inflicted “deep damage, generational trauma, economic ruin and many unanswered questions” on Minnesota. Amid the crisis, Trump’s approval has significantly dropped, with many now saying ICE has gone too far.
What this means for Asian Americans: The Minnesota crackdown has heightened longstanding anxieties about immigration enforcement. Polling shows opposition to Trump’s immigration policies among Asian Americans jumped from 58% to around 70% between March and fall of last year. Those concerns extend beyond immigration status itself. AAPI communities worry that aggressive federal tactics and broadened authority threaten constitutional safeguards for legal residents and citizens, particularly given the documented history of racial profiling and documentation challenges they face.
Following Pretti’s death, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) attended his vigil and denounced ICE as “a rogue, militarized police,” while Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) proposed legislation mandating independent probes of federal use of force. These strong reactions from Asian American lawmakers illustrated how heavy-handed tactics, no matter their official justification, erode trust between AAPI families and the federal immigration system they often must engage with.
Homan will stay in Minnesota to manage the withdrawal, though local officials say the impact on families, businesses and schools will be difficult to repair.
Reps. Lieu and Jayapal press combative Bondi over newly accessed Epstein files
Questions over redactions, prosecutorial decisions and victim protections dominated Wednesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, where Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) joined other members of Congress in grilling Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files during several hours of contentious testimony.
Lieu accused Bondi of lying under oath after she said investigators found no evidence to pursue charges against uncharged third parties, while Jayapal pressed her to apologize directly to survivors present in the hearing room.
Allegations of false testimony
The sharpest exchange unfolded after Bondi defended a July 2025 Justice Department memo stating, “We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.” The memo has drawn scrutiny from Democrats who argue the department prematurely ruled out additional prosecutions tied to Epstein’s trafficking network.
During questioning about individuals referenced in the files, Bondi said there was “no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime.” Lieu immediately responded, “I believe you just lied under oath.” Bondi shot back, “Don’t you ever accuse me of a crime.” Lieu reiterated his charge, telling her, “I got your answer. You said there’s no evidence,” before repeating, “I believe you just lied under oath and this is all on videotape.”
As his time expired, Lieu broadened his criticism. “You have the power to change things to hold these men accountable. And you’re doing the opposite. You’re protecting them,” he said. He added, “There are over 1,000 sex trafficking victims and you have not held a single man accountable,” concluding, “If you had any decency, you would resign right after this hearing concludes.”
The confrontation came amid renewed congressional scrutiny of the Justice Department’s release of millions of pages of Epstein-related records. Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act requiring disclosure of information tied to perpetrators while mandating redactions to protect survivors. Bondi, who assumed office after the law’s passage, has overseen the department’s compliance with those requirements, including decisions regarding redactions and the July 2025 determination not to pursue charges against uncharged third parties.
Survivor impact and redaction concerns highlighted
Earlier in the hearing, Jayapal focused on how the department handled victim privacy and communication with survivors. She argued that while certain names of powerful figures were redacted, some survivor information was released.
Addressing survivors seated behind her, Jayapal said, “If you are willing, please stand. And if you are willing, please raise your hands if you have still not been able to meet with this Department of Justice.” She then stated for the record that “every single survivor has raised their hand.”
Jayapal asked Bondi directly, “Will you turn to them now and apologize for what your Department of Justice has put them through with the absolutely unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information.” After Bondi referenced prior department leadership, Jayapal responded, “This is not about anybody that came before you. It is about you taking responsibility for your Department of Justice and the harm that it has done to the survivors who are standing right behind you.”
She later described the department’s actions as “a massive coverup,” adding, “I wish you would turn around to the survivors who are standing right behind you and on a human level recognize what you have done.” Bondi responded that she would not “get in the gutter for her theatrics.”
Unresolved questions about DOJ credibility remain
The hearing came days after a group of lawmakers were granted access to portions of previously unredacted Epstein-related files in a secure setting on Capitol Hill. Throughout the hearing, several lawmakers challenged whether the Justice Department had fully examined potential misconduct by powerful individuals named in the files and questioned the department’s internal review process.
Bondi frequently deflected criticism by referencing actions taken under prior attorneys general and defending the department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The session ended with Bondi maintaining that the department had followed the law and conducted a thorough review, while Democratic members signaled they were unconvinced by her explanations.
Chloe Kim, Eileen Gu take silver in separate Winter Olympics finals
Asian American star athletes Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu each claimed silver medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in separate finals over the past two days in northern Italy. Kim, 25, finished second in the women’s snowboard halfpipe in Livigno with a score of 88.00, edged by South Korea’s Choi Ga-on late in the competition. Gu, 22, earned her silver in women’s freeski slopestyle after posting 86.58 in her opening run, narrowly behind Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud.
Kim entered the halfpipe final seeking a third consecutive Olympic gold medal after winning the event in 2018 and 2022. Her 88.00 held the top position through much of the final before Choi delivered a 90.25 to secure gold, with Japan’s Mitsuki Ono taking bronze. The result gives the Korean American snowboarding star three consecutive Olympic medals in the discipline.
Gu’s slopestyle final at Livigno Snow Park was decided by narrow margins. Competing for China, the San Francisco-born skier led after her first run with an 86.58 before Gremaud responded with an 86.96 to move into first place. Canada’s Megan Oldham finished third, leaving Gu with her second straight Olympic silver in slopestyle.
Earlier in the Games, Alysa Liu helped Team USA win gold in the Olympic team event with a 74.90-point short program as the U.S. edged Japan by one point overall. Asian American athletes across the lineup included pairs skater Ellie Kam and ice dancer Madison Chock, who earned her first Olympic gold. Still ahead are Gu in women’s freeski halfpipe and Tallulah Proulx in giant slalom and slalom before the Games conclude Feb. 22.
Asian American Olympians’ nationality choices cast as “loyalty tests” by media: study
U.S. media coverage of Winter Olympians Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu treated their nationality decisions as measures of allegiance rather than parallel career choices, according to a University of Michigan study published in January.
The analysis found that while Kim’s representation of the U.S. was framed as a natural extension of the American dream, Gu’s decision to compete for China during the 2022 Beijing Olympics was repeatedly situated within debates over patriotism and U.S.-China tensions. References to loyalty and national alignment appeared far more frequently in coverage of Gu than in reporting on Kim’s Olympic appearances in 2018 and 2022.
