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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge will hear arguments Thursday on whether he should extend an order that protects Minnesota refugees who are lawfully in the U.S. from being arrested and deported.

Immigration Enforcement Minnesota

U.S. District Judge John Tunheim blocked the government from targeting these refugees last month, saying the plaintiffs in the case were likely to prevail on their claims "that their arrest and detention, and the policy that purports to justify them, are unlawful."His Jan. 28 temporary restraining orderwill expire Feb. 25 unless he grants a more permanent preliminary injunction.

Refugee rights groups sued the federal government in January after the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in mid-December launched Operation PARRIS, an acronym for Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening.

It was billed as a "sweeping initiative" to reexamine the cases of 5,600 Minnesota refugees who had not yet been granted permanent resident status, also known as green cards. The agenciescited fraud in public programsin Minnesota as justification.

Operation PARRIS was part of the Trump administration's broader immigration crackdown that targeted Minnesota, including the surge of thousands of federal officers into the state. Homeland Security said it was itslargest immigration enforcement operation ever. It also sparked mass protests after the shooting deaths ofRenee GoodandAlex Pretti.White House border czar Tom Homanannounced last weekthe surge was ending, though asmall federal presencewould remain.

The lawsuit alleges that ICE officers went door to door under Operation PARRIS arresting refugees and sending them to detention centers in Texas, without access to attorneys. Some were later released on the streets of Texas and left to find their own way back to Minnesota, they said.

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The judge rejected the government's claim that it had the legal right to arrest and detain refugees who haven't obtained their green cards within a year of arriving in the U.S. He said that would be illogical and nonsensical, given that refugees can't apply for permanent residency until they've been in the U.S. for a year.

Tunheim noted in his order, which applies only in Minnesota, that refugees are extensively vetted by multiple agencies before being resettled in the U.S. He wrote that none arrested in the operation had been deemed a danger to the community or a flight risk, nor had any been charged with crimes that could be grounds for deportation.

The judge cited several cases involving plaintiffs named in the lawsuit, including one man identified only as U.H.A., a refugee with no criminal history. He was admitted into the U.S. in 2024 and was arrested by ICE while driving to work on Jan. 18 this year. "He was pulled over, ordered out of his car, handcuffed, and detained, without a warrant or apparent justification," the judge wrote.

Tunheim stressed that the refugees impacted by his order were admitted into the U.S. because of persecution in their home countries. He prohibited further arrests under Operation PARRIS and ordered that all detainees still in custody from it be released and returned to Minnesota.

"They are not committing crimes on our streets, nor did they illegally cross the border. Refugees have a legal right to be in the United States, a right to work, a right to live peacefully — and importantly, a right not to be subjected to the terror of being arrested and detained without warrants or cause in their homes or on their way to religious services or to buy groceries," he wrote.

"At its best, America serves as a haven of individual liberties in a world too often full of tyranny and cruelty. We abandon that ideal when we subject our neighbors to fear and chaos," he continued.

In afollow-up orderFeb. 9, Tunheim rejected a government motion to lift the temporary restraining order.

When she reached out to Jeffrey Epstein in 2013, Ditè Anata knew the Manhattan wealth manager could easily help a Juilliard student cover her housing costs. Anata, an international model with a top agency, also apparently knew Epstein well enough to implore him to avoid any less-than-professional dealings.

More:Epstein pulled strings, paid tuition across world for kids of powerful

She told Epstein she'd mentioned to the student's "mum" how generous Epstein was with artists and how he played the piano.

"I skipped all my experiences that shocked me so please," she wrote on Aug. 20, 2013, "be nice and behave your best :) If you feel like you can't be official I would rather you not help her."

Anata did not know the student at the prestigious performing arts college in New York City, but she told USA TODAY she knew Epstein was a philanthropist who supported "talented individuals and artists."

She also knew Epstein had spent roughly two years in custody after pleading guilty to solicitation of prostitution and hiring minors to engage in prostitution. But Anata explained to USA TODAY that Epstein told her that those charges were "politically motivated and set up by his adversaries."

That same day, a person whose name is redacted wrote to Epstein that a family friend had come through with New York accommodations and she would not need to contact "Juilliard's Residence Hall." The email does not explicitly link the housing solution to the Juilliard student, but it references a conversation with someone named Ditè.

"It is wonderful to know, that there are still such kind and generous people in the world like you, who value and support Arts and Science" the Aug. 20, 2013, email read. "I was delighted to hear from Dite, that you yourself love playing the piano!"

More:Who is in the Epstein files? A look at the latest names

Epstein kept the correspondence going,inviting his correspondent to dinner with a famous movie director and a prominent composer. The email correspondent replied that it would be a "great honor for me to participate."

USA TODAY reached out to the former student discussed in Anata and Epstein's email exchange, whose name surfaced in the final batch of court documents released by the Justice Department last month.

The former student's attorney, Brittany Henderson, declined to answer questions about the housing situation, but said her client "endured substantial abuse at the hands of Epstein." Henderson requested anonymity for the former student, which USA TODAY granted, as it does not identify people who report sexual abuse.

More:Six years after Jeffrey Epstein's death, hundreds of women push for justice

Anata told USA TODAY she did not have any information about what transpired after she'd asked Epstein for help. Juilliard said it did not receive payment from Epstein, and the student never lived in campus housing.

Among themillions of pages from the Epstein files the DOJ released following a mandate from Congress, the email exchange between Anata, Epstein and the Juilliard student illustrates how the now-globally notorious sex offender served as an opportunity broker for powerful people. Emails show he arranged to help the relatives of celebrities like Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn, or politicians like Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States. They also came from lower-profile people hoping to change their circumstances.

In exchange, the people asking favors told Epstein they felt they owed him and promised to reward him in various ways for his largesse.In the messages reviewed by USA TODAY, none of the people who appear to be currying favor with Epstein are connected to allegations of Epstein's illegal acts, including sexual misconduct, and they have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

A USA TODAY review of hundreds of files shows Epstein or entities tied to him paid at least $840,000 to cover students' costs at 28 different schools.

Jamie Raskin, a constitutional law scholar and Democratic Maryland congressman, has been pushing the feds for more transparency about Epstein's ties to America's elite universities. In January, he requested documents be released showing how Epstein and potential co-conspirators arranged for women to attend Columbia and New York University and paid their tuition after they were accepted.

"By doing so, Mr. Epstein not only lured young women who he and his co-conspirators would come to sexually abuse and rape, he also ensured his victims were indebted to him and less likely to come forward to report crimes to law enforcement," Raskinwrote in a letterto NYU President Linda G. Mills.

The trove of documents released last month revealed Epstein's largesse extended beyond these New York colleges. A USA TODAY review of hundreds of files shows Epstein or entities tied to him paid at least $840,000 to cover students' costs at 28 different schools, according to a Deutsche Bank document in the Justice Department files. In addition,USA TODAY found Epstein arranged for tuition payments for dozens of people at other schools across the country, including large public universities, for-profit art colleges and elite private universities.

Marquee celebs, prominent academics sought with school costs

Sometimes Epstein covered school costs for his staffers or the children of his friends. In other cases, the Deutsche Bank report described the recipients as "Russian" or "Swedish" models. Their names were redacted. The newly released files also show that additional payments, beyond those shared by Deutsche Bank in September 2019, were made a few months after Epsteindied in federal custody.

Epstein, for example, arranged to pay 10,000 pounds for Reinaldo Avila da Silva, the husband of British politician Peter Mandelson, to attend an osteopathic program.

"It feels so right to be doing this," da Silva wrote Epstein after he'd begun his studies, in an email message on Sept. 28, 2009. "It has increased my understanding of the body in every aspect already."

The Health Sciences University, which houses the Uco School of Osteopathy, the former British School of Osteopathy, told USA TODAY that the institution did not receive money directly, "from Epstein, his businesses, or any of his known business associates."

The General Osteopathic Council, a regulatory body in Britain,issued a news release Feb. 2saying it was "aware of media reports that the husband of Peter Mandelson, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, was in receipt of funds from Jeffrey Epstein to fund an osteopathy course in the UK in 2009."

The organization went on to say that da Silva did not graduate and was ineligible to practice osteopathy in the UK. Mandelson was fired from his role as the British ambassador to the United States in 2025 after his ties to Epstein became apparent.

Mandelson's attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

Epstein made similar overtures to Hollywood titans.

In 2018, he wowed Caroline Lang, then a Warner Bros. executive based in France, when he appeared to promise he would cover tuition for a person with the same name as her daughter.

Epstein writes: "to confirm her tuition is my treat."

"Waouh!!! I am spoiled!!!!! Great!!!!" Lang wrote back.

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It's unclear based on the emails whether Epstein paid the tuition. USA TODAY attempted to contact Lang but did not receive a response.

Epstein wielded not only his checkbook in service of his charges, but also his Rolodex.

In 2016, Epstein personally appealed to the president of Bard College, Leon Botstein, to help secure admission for Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn's daughter.

David Wade, a spokesperson for Botstein, provided a statement, saying, "Jeffrey Epstein was a serial liar who apparently took credit for the sun rising each day."

The statement went on to say Allen and Previn's daughter was "accepted on the merits of her own qualifications for admission."

As for the university president's connection to Epstein, Wade said that Botstein "regrets enormously pursuing this fundraising connection," but "seeking more philanthropy was the only reason that their paths crossed."

Botsteinhas since faced calls to resign, according to Mid Hudson News.

Allen's manager did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

Epstein was also known to broker openings for academics and their children. For example, Joscha Bach, a former MIT professor who now works as an AI researcher, asked Epstein repeatedly to fund his children's private education at schools including Alef-Bet Child Care Inc., a "play-based day care" in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the German International School Boston, "a bilingual independent school serving students from preschool – grade 12." The newly released emails show that Bach received at least $48,000 to cover education expenses.

Bach told USA TODAY scientists he knew had introduced him to Epstein. He said that he was aware of Epstein's past convictions, but fellow academics told him that the financier had changed.

When he accepted Epstein's help, Bach was studying artificial generative intelligence, a topic for which he told USA TODAY he struggled to find research funding. He was "confronted with the choice of accepting Epstein's offer to fund the stay of me and my family in the U.S., or to leave academic research behind."

"I decided to take his offer; I would not have been able to support the move, cost of living, day care or cost of the German school from my postdoctoral salary," Bach told USA TODAY.

He added that Epstein "never expected anything in return" other than access to the "minds of individuals he found interesting." He said he'd never observed Epstein commit illegal activity or sexual crimes. Bach said that Epstein's second arrest "came as a shock."

Had he been aware of that activity, Bach said, "I would have ceased all interactions."

Where else did Epstein cover tuition?

The Deutsche Bank document in the Epstein files provides a concise accounting of the range of schools at which Epstein covered tuition.

They include many payments for Epstein's staff members' relatives: roughly $19,900 for one employee's relative to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University, a private college in New Jersey; and $10,000 for another person's relative to attend Mississippi College, a private Christian institution in a suburb of Jackson.

Dina Schipper, a spokesperson for Fairleigh Dickinson, said the university was aware these expenses were reflected in the files and that it had records of three tuition payments from a Jeffrey Epstein account in 2015. She said the university had no records or knowledge of any connection to Epstein in any other capacity.

Beyond the Deutsche Bank report, USA TODAY's review uncovered documents showing Epstein paid tuition at primary schools, private universities, for-profit colleges and a coding boot camp.

A correspondent whose name was redacted by the DOJ sought help in covering the tuition for massage school. The student had nowhere else to turn, the message said.

"I am of course more than happy to do anything for you in return. miss you a lot. Xo," the aspiring student wrote in a 2009 message, written a year after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution and hiring a minor to engage in sex.

Another correspondent, whose name was also redacted by the feds, sought Epstein's help paying for an education at Sotheby's Institute of Art New York, a for-profit college, in 2019. In an email, Lesley Groff, identified as Epstein's assistant, communicated with Sotheby's about the student's tuition payment.

Amanda M.F. Bakale, general counsel of Edconic, said the company that runs the institute was not previously aware Epstein had sent the payment, but she subsequently confirmed its veracity.

"It is not uncommon for individuals other than the student to complete the payment form (employers, parents, etc.)," Bakale wrote.

The attorney said that the school hadn't received any inquiries from law enforcement tied to the payment.

Sometimes, Epstein's quid pro quo was explicit

In dozens of exchanges where power brokering like this played out, Epstein's motivations occasionally showed through. In some cases, he laid out explicit conditions for what he wanted in exchange for fronting tuition money. In April 2017, he wrote in an email to a person whose name was redacted that he would provide $30,000 for tuition, but it came with a caveat.

"You will need to provide three assistants. 10k per. If you don't you will have to repay," he wrote.

Even with this explicit condition, the person asking the favor seemed eager to push forward with the deal. The email correspondent said he or she was "crossing my fingers for" the student whose name was redacted. Separately, the correspondent noted that he or she was planning an ad campaign and would be hiring "females under 24 based in NY/Paris."

It's unclear if the campaign ever ran.

Chris Quintana is an investigative reporter at USA TODAY. He can be reached at cquintana@usatoday.com or via Signal at 202-308-9021. He is on X at @CQuintanaDC.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Epstein files reveal how he cultivated power figures to his benefit

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Former South Korean PresidentYoon Suk Yeolwas found guilty of leading an insurrection on Thursday and sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in 2024, a ruling that marks a dramatic culmination of the country'sbiggest political crisis in decades.

South Korea Martial Law

The conservative leader was ousted from office after he declared martial law and sent troops to surround the National Assembly on Dec. 3, 2024, in a baffling attempt to overcome a legislature controlled by his liberal opponents.

Judge Jee Kui-youn of the Seoul Central District Court said he found Yoon, 65, guilty of rebellion for mobilizing military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the Assembly, arrest political opponents and establish unchecked power for an indefinite period.

Martial law crisis recalled dictatorial

past

Yoon's martial law imposition, the first of its kind in more than four decades, recalled South Korea'spast military-backed governmentswhen authorities occasionally proclaimed emergency decrees that allowed them to station soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles on streets or in public places such as schools to prevent anti-government demonstrations.

As lawmakers rushed to the National Assembly, Yoon's martial law command issued a proclamation declaring sweeping powers, including suspending political activities, controlling the media and publications, and allowing arrests without warrants.

The decree lasted about six hours before being lifted after a quorum of lawmakers managed to break through a military blockade and unanimously voted tolift the measure.

Yoon was suspended from office on Dec. 14, 2024, after being impeached by lawmakers and wasformally removedby the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been under arrest since last July while facing multiple criminal trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe punishment.

Yoon's lawyers reject conviction

An expressionless Yoon gazed straight ahead as the judge delivered the sentence in the same courtroom where former military rulers and presidents have been convicted of treason, corruption and other crimes over the decades.

Yoon Kap-keun, one of the former president's lawyers, accused the judge of issuing a "predetermined verdict" based solely on prosecutors' arguments and said the "rule of law" had collapsed. He said he would discuss whether to appeal with his client and the rest of the legal team.

Former President Yoon claimed in court that the martial law decree was only meant to raise public awareness of how the liberals were paralyzing state affairs, and that he was prepared to respect lawmakers if they voted against the measure.

Prosecutors said it was clear Yoon was attempting to disable the legislature and prevent lawmakers from lifting the measure through voting, actions that exceeded his constitutional authority even under martial law.

The court also convicted and sentenced five former military and police officials involved in enforcing Yoon's martial law decree. They included ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year jail term for his central role in planning the measure, mobilizing the military and instructing military counterintelligence officials to arrest 14 key politicians, including National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik and current liberal President Lee Jae Myung.

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In announcing Yoon and Kim's verdicts, Jee said the decision to send troops to the National Assembly was key to his determination that the imposition of martial law amounted to rebellion.

"This court finds that the purpose of (Yoon's) actions was to send troops to the National Assembly, block the Assembly building and arrest key figures, including the National Assembly speaker and the leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties, in order to prevent lawmakers from gathering to deliberate or vote," Jee said. "It's sufficiently established that he intended to obstruct or paralyze the Assembly's activities so that it would be unable to properly perform its functions for a considerable period of time."

Protesters rally outside court

As Yoon arrived in court, hundreds of police officers watched closely as Yoon supporters rallied outside a judicial complex, their cries rising as the prison bus transporting him drove past. Yoon's critics gathered nearby, demanding the death penalty.

There were no immediate reports of major clashes following the verdict.

A special prosecutor had demanded the death penalty for Yoon Suk Yeol, saying his actions posed a threat to the country's democracy and deserved the most serious punishment available, but most analysts had expected a life sentence since the poorly-planned power grab did not result in casualties.

South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen as a de facto moratorium on capital punishment amid calls for its abolition.

Jung Chung-rae, leader of the liberal Democratic Party, which led the push to impeach and remove Yoon, expressed regret that the court stopped short of the death penalty, saying the ruling reflected a "lack of a sense of justice."

Song Eon-seok, floor leader of the conservative People Power Party, to which Yoon once belonged, issued a public apology, saying the party feels a "deep sense of responsibility" for the disruption to the nation.

The office of current President Lee Jae Myung did not immediately comment on the ruling.

Other officials sentenced for enforcing martial law

Last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring the measure.

The Seoul Central Court had previously convicted two other members of Yoon'sCabinetin connection with the martial law debacle. That includesPrime Minister Han Duck-soo, who received a 23-year prison sentence for attempting to legitimize the decree by forcing it through a Cabinet Council meeting, falsifying records and lying under oath. Han has appealed the verdict.

Yoon is the first former South Korean president to receive a life sentence since former military dictatorChun Doo-hwan, who was sentenced to death in 1996 for his 1979 coup, a bloody 1980 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju that left more than 200 people dead or missing, and corruption.

The Supreme Court later reduced his sentence to life imprisonment, and he was released in late 1997 under a special presidential pardon. He died in 2021.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was not injured after being involved in a two-car crash in downtown Charlotte on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details of the accident.

A police report was not immediately made available.

Ball appeared to be driving through an intersection when his camoflauge-colored, custom-made Hummer collided with another vehicle shortly before 5 p.m., accordingvideo obtained by WSOC-TVin Charlotte. The station later posted video of Ball, wearing anaqua-colored Hornets hoodie, getting out his truck and into another car before being driven away. Police were on the scene at the time.

There was no information available on the person in the other car involved in the collision, although video showed that driver calmly get out of his car and begin walking toward Ball's truck. Video showed the left front tire of Ball's truck was missing.

The Hornets held practice earlier in the day.

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Charlotte, which has won 10 of its last 11 games, is scheduled to host the Houston Rockets on Thursday night as teams return from the All-Star break.

Ball is just the latest to professional sports athlete to be involved in a car accident in Charlotte.

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newtonfractured his backfollowing a 2014 crash in which he flipped his black pickup truck near Bank of America Stadium — less than a mile from where Ball's accident occurred.

And in 2024, Panthers current backup quarterback Andy Daltoninjured his thumbwhen he was involved in a two-car accident in Charlotte.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Kenny Atkinson was able to do something on Wednesday for the first time since theCleveland Cavalierstraded forJames Hardenon Feb. 4.

Cavaliers Nuggets Basketball

The Cavaliers held their first practice in a couple of weeks after returning from the All-Star break and began gearing up for the second half of the season.

"We only have one practice. I think your first reaction is, 'Man, we've got to do all these things,' but just try to keep dialing back and keep it as simple as possible and then kind of add as we go," the Cavaliers coach said. "It's like, how can we reduce it to the things that matter? I think we accomplished that."

Harden had only film sessions and walk-throughs during his first three games with Cleveland, but the 17-year veteran proved to be a quick study. He is averaging 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists along with two double-doubles with the Cavaliers.

Jaylon Tyson said he didn't realize how much of a defensive presence Harden could be until he was his teammate.

"The offensive part, nothing's really surprised me, but defensively, he's actually pretty good. He got a couple blocks. He's definitely not what you call a cone," Tyson said.

All-star guardDonovan Mitchellhas three straight games with at least 30 points, but knows there is still an adjustment period going on with Harden.

"We haven't even gotten to playing a two-man game together and what that looks like. So I think as we build, you'll start seeing that as well. But I think the biggest thing now is we found something that works," Mitchell said.

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Most of Wednesday's prepractice film session and practice was devoted to defense. The Cavaliers are tied for the third-worst 3-point defense in the league, allowing 37.2% from beyond the arc, and are in the middle of the league in most categories.

Atkinson said they went back to some of the stuff installed during training camp to get newcomers Harden, Dennis Schroeder, and Keon Ellis up to speed, and to provide a refresher course for the veterans.

Atkinson added that it is likely Evan Mobley and Dean Wade could return to the lineup on Thursday. Mobley, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, has missed the last seven games due toa left calf strain, while Wade was sidelined for three games due to a sprained left ankle.

The Cavaliers have won all three games with Harden in the lineup. Cleveland is also on a five-game winning streak going into Thursday night's game against Brooklyn. It is 17-5 since Dec. 29 and has a league-best .772 winning percentage during that span.

Cleveland (34-21) is fourth in the Eastern Conference, but is only 1 1/2 games behind Boston for second. The game against the Nets begins a stretch of five in seven days, including a trip toOklahoma Cityon Sunday and a home game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

"We all have to make sure we're locked in and ready to go," said Mitchell, who is fifth in the league in scoring at 29.0 points per game. "This is no easy stretch. You can look up and be in bad shape right off the bat."

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Dan Hurley and the Huskies suffered a rare, bad loss at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday night.

No. 5 UConn fell apart down the stretch and allowed Creighton, which has struggled all season in a down year in Omaha, to pick up a very solid 91-84 upset win. That was by far the biggest victory of the season for the Bluejays, who sit at just 14-13 and need some help in order to even make the NCAA tournament.

The loss for UConn was just the team's third all season, but it both put their hopes at claiming a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament in serious risk and opened the door for Rick Pitino and St. John's to take the Big East title. The Red Storm survived a scare of their own later on Wednesday night and beat Marquette 76-70 in Milwaukee to take the lead in the conference standings.

Creighton had no issue keeping up with UConn all night. The Bluejays entered the locker room tied with the Huskies, and then mounted a huge 14-5 run in the second half while shutting down UConn's offense almost completely. They forced a stretch in which the Huskies missed 10 of 11 shots, too, and briefly pushed their lead to 12 points before cruising to the seven-point win.

Blake Harper likely sealed the deal after he drilled a huge corner 3-pointer just seconds after a Silas Demary layup on the other end. Harper's bucket pushed Creighton's lead to 10 points with just 90 seconds left.

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Josh Dix led Creighton with 21 points and eight rebounds, and Nik Graves added 18 points. Harper finished with 12 points off the bench.

The win seemingly came out of nowhere for the Bluejays. They entered Wednesday night's game having lost six of their last eight. The only wins during that stretch came by a combined two points. They were just 1-8 against Quad I teams up until this point, too.

An NCAA tournament bid is likely out of the question for Creighton, however, unless it manages to knock off No. 17 St. John's on Saturday in New York and goes on a run in the Big East tournament. Wednesday's win, however, was a big step to getting that done.

Braylon Mullins led UConn with 25 points and six rebounds, and Demary added 17 points and nine assists. Star Alex Karaban was held to just two points after he shot 1-of-6 from the field, marking his worst output of the season.

UConn, after starting the season winning 22 of its first 23 games, has now lost twice in its last four after falling at St. John's last week. And if they aren't perfect, or close to it, the rest of the way, securing a top seed in the NCAA tournament could be out of reach.

The rematch between the two teams leading the Big East next week is suddenly that much more important heading into the conference tournament.

SYDNEY, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Australian police said on Thursday they had launched an investigation after a threatening letter was sent to the country's largest mosque, the third such incident ‌in the lead-up to the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The letter sent to Lakemba ‌Mosque in Sydney's west on Wednesday contained a drawing of a pig and a threat to kill the "Muslim race", local media ​reported.

Police said they had taken the letter for forensic testing, and would continue to patrol religious sites including the mosque, as well as community events.

The latest letter comes weeks after a similar message was mailed to the mosque, depicting Muslim people inside a mosque on fire.

Police have also arrested and charged a 70-year-old ‌man in connection with a third ⁠threatening letter sent to Lakemba Mosque's staff in January.

The Lebanese Muslim Association, which runs the mosque, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) it had written to the ⁠government to request more funding for additional security guards and CCTV cameras.

Some 5,000 people are expected to attend the mosque each night during Ramadan. More than 60% of residents in the suburb of Lakemba identify as ​Muslim, according ​to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Bilal El-Hayek, mayor ​of Canterbury-Bankstown council, where Lakemba is located, ‌said the community was feeling "very anxious".

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"I've heard first-hand from people saying that they won't be sending their kids to practice this Ramadan because they're very concerned about things that might happen in local mosques," he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the recent string of threats.

"It is outrageous that people just going about commemorating their faith, particularly during the holy month for Muslims of Ramadan, are subject to this ‌sort of intimidation," he told ABC radio.

"I have said repeatedly ​we need to turn down the temperature of political discourse ​in this country, and we certainly need ​to do that."

Anti-Muslim sentiment has been growing in Australia since the war in ‌Gaza War in late 2023, according to ​a recent report commissioned by ​the government.

The Islamophobia Register Australia has also documented a 740% rise in reports following the Bondi mass shooting on December 14, where authorities allege two gunmen inspired by Islamic State ​killed 15 people attending a Jewish ‌holiday celebration.

"There's been a massive increase post-Bondi," Mayor El-Hayek said. "Without a doubt, this is ​the worst I have ever seen it. There's a lot of tension out there."

(Reporting ​by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)