Border Czar Brushes Off Democrats on ICE Changes
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents make a traffic stop on Jan. 11 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. (AP Photo/John Locher)
President Donald Trump’s border czar rejected Democratic lawmakers’ demands for changes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a condition for fully funding the Department of Homeland Security, saying agents will continue wearing masks for safety. Democrats, meanwhile, reiterated their broader list of policing reforms, including ending racial profiling and requiring judicial warrants before officers enter private homes, according to Reuters.
“I don’t like the masks either,” border czar Tom Homan said on CBS News’ Face the Nation, adding that threats and attacks against ICE personnel have surged. “These men and women have to protect themselves,” he said.
On CNN’s State of the Union, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are asking federal agents to follow standards common to law enforcement agencies nationwide, according to the Associated Press. “The question Americans are asking is, ‘Why aren’t Republicans going along with these commonsense proposals?’” Schumer said, adding that they mirror practices used by police departments across the country. Homan countered that ICE agents are already operating within federal law.
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said public pressure forced Republicans to negotiate over ICE, even though the agency has enough funding to keep operating.
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin dismissed the standoff as political maneuvering ahead of the State of the Union address, telling CNN, via The Hill, “All this is political theater because the State of the Union is coming up a week from Tuesday.”
The partial government shutdown began Saturday. With both sides holding firm during the Sunday talk shows and Congress not scheduled to return from recess until Feb. 23, no clear path to resolving the impasse emerged.
About Post Author
