Southwest
CNN anchor spars with Oklahoma superintendent over ICE raids on schools: 'Just answer my question'
CNN host Brianna Keilar battled Oklahoma State School Superintendent Ryan Walters over his openness to potential ICE raids on schools.
During a segment on Tuesday’s “CNN News Central,” Keilar played a clip of Walters saying on a local outlet that he would not rule out raids on schools if the Trump administration deemed it necessary.
“If that’s what President Trump sees fit as there’s an illegal immigrant population there that needs to have enforcement to remove them from the schools, absolutely,” Walters said in the interview. “We will work with him to make sure that he‘s able to carry that out.”
“Do you think that would be traumatic for students in schools? And I’m talking about all students,” Keilar asked him, in response to the clip.
Oklahoma State School Superintendent Ryan Walters voiced his support for any immigration policy President Donald Trump would enforce. (ICE)
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“My big concern is what illegal immigration has done to our education system,” Walters began. “It has caused mass chaos. We aren‘t able to get the resources—”
“Can you just answer my question please, superintendent?” Keilar interjected.
She followed up, speaking slowly, “Do you think it would be traumatic for students to witness a raid in their school and students forcibly removed from their school? Do you think that would be traumatic?”
Walters answered, “I think what would be traumatic is if you didn‘t give President Trump the information necessary to keep families together. So what you would prefer is to just deport the parents and have the kids have no idea what happened to their parents? What we‘re—”
“That’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking you….That’s not at all what I’m asking, superintendent,” Keilar interrupted again.
CNN host Brianna Keilar asked Walters to respond to his comments appearing to support ICE raids on schools. (CNN screenshot)
Keilar repeated her question to which Walters reiterated his support for any decision Trump made on immigration policy. When she interrupted him again, Walters attacked the question.
“You are asking me a question, a hypothetical, when we’re dealing—” Walters said.
“It’s not hypothetical. You made it clear it’s not hypothetical. You said it’s not hypothetical, sir,” Keilar said.
“I told you about a terrorist in our school last year, and your defense would say you wouldn‘t remove him because he’s a terrorist in a school,” Walters said. “Of course, we’re going to take it on a case by case basis. We’re going to work with the Trump administration. We have fentanyl deaths over 600 times up in our state. Of course, we’re going to deal with that.”
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An Afghan national was arrested in October in Oklahoma for plotting to commit a terrorist attack on Election Day with an underage co-conspirator.
The Oklahoma Board of Education, which includes Walters, voted in support of requiring parents to prove their child’s citizenship status. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Keilar closed the segment by asking Walters if he would only remove students who are suspected terrorists.
“I’m saying that we’re going to work with the Trump administration to enforce their anti-illegal immigration policy,” Walters said. “That includes giving them information about students in our schools, families enrolled in our schools so they can make the decisions on how to deport families together and how to identify criminals in our school system.”
The Oklahoma Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday in favor of a proposal to require parents to report on their child’s citizenship or immigration status. However, the proposal would need to be approved by the state legislature and governor before it can take effect.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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