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TRANSCRIPT
A highly charged congressional hearing of the US House Committee on Homeland Security has underlined how deep divisions over immigration enforcement have become in the United States.
The session followed the fatal shootings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti, two U-S citizens killed by federal immigration officers during enforcement operations in Minneapolis earlier this year, incidents that have triggered protests and intense scrutiny of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE.
Senior Trump administration immigration officials testified at the hearing, facing tough questioning from members of Congress over accountability, transparency, and the human cost of enforcement.
Opening the hearing, the Republican Party chairman of the committee, New York Congressman Andrew Garbarino, framed the issue as one of officer safety and rising hostility toward federal law enforcement that led to the deaths.
He's warned that political rhetoric and local resistance were putting officers at risk.
“We have seen state and local jurisdictions refuse to protect federal law enforcement officers, and obviously, we have now seen the deaths of two American citizens in Minnesota. This is all unacceptable and preventable. The safety of law enforcement and the communities they serve and protect must always come first. When officials or elected leaders rush to conclusions about law enforcement or their fellow Americans, public trust suffers.”
Democratic Party members of the committee rejected that.
Their highest-ranking member, Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, accused the Trump administration of abusing its power and creating fear in communities.
He says the hearing marks the beginning of a broader reckoning.
“This hearing is just the start of a reckoning for the Trump administration and its weaponisation of DHS against American citizens and the principle our country stands for. DHS, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, must be held accountable for its lawlessness immigration operation. They are reckless, creating chaos in our communities, terrorising adults and children alike.”
Senior Trump administration officials pushed back forcefully.
Rodney Scott, the commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, defending the administration’s record and credited President Trump’s leadership and funding priorities.
“This is what having a secure border looks like. None of this would have been possible without the vision and leadership of President Trump and the historic investments made in border security. The one big, beautiful bill, a 65-billion-dollar investment, is enabling CBP to modernise border infrastructure, deploy advanced technology, and grow our workforce.”
He continued....
“As recent events have demonstrated, though, our officers and agents are increasingly facing an unprecedented level of aggressive interference and intimidation when executing the laws that you have asked them to enforce. These attacks on federal law enforcement personnel are coordinated and well-funded. This is not peaceful protest. No law enforcement officer should be put at personal risk simply for doing the job that we have asked him to do.”
Mr Scott says he took action following the second shooting death, that of Mr Pretti.
“I've called for de-escalation after the two deaths, the two shootings that took place. I believe that these roving patrols should be done at the border rather than in the major cities of the United States.”
The focus then shifted to ICE itself with Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, telling the hearing the agency was simply carrying out the president’s orders.
“The President tasked us with mass deportation and we are fulfilling that mandate. Thanks to the resources provided by this Congress, we are ramping up detention capabilities and removal flights daily. In the last year alone, we conducted over 475,000 removals.”
The tone hardened when Democratic congressmen questioned how ICE operates on the ground.
Mr Thompson pressed Mr Lyons on transparency, asking how many ICE agents are actually equipped with body-worn cameras.
Mr Lyons acknowledged that only around 3,000 of roughly 13,000 field agents currently have cameras, a disclosure that drew audible frustration in the room.
New York Congressman Dan Goldman accusing ICE leadership of misrepresenting public anger, arguing that criticism is a response to agency tactics, not the cause of hostility.
GOLDMAN: "You said in your opening statement that references to ICE as the Gestapo or the secret police encourages threats against ICE agents.
LYONS: "One hundred percent."
GOLDMAN: "The problem is you have it backwards, sir. People are simply making valid observations about your tactics, which are un-American and outright fascist. So I have a simple suggestion: if you don't want to be called a fascist regime or secret police, then stop acting like one.”
The hearing reaching one of its sharpest moments when New York Congressman Tim Kennedy asked Mr Lyons whether ICE would require agents to unmask and wear clearly identifiable uniforms.
KENNEDY: “The Constitution does not give your agency the right to hide their faces while they kill Americans. Will you commit, yes or no, to immediately unmasking every agent conducting immigration enforcement and requiring them to wear standard uniforms with identifiable badges?
LYONS: "No."
KENNEDY: "That's a sad response. Your answer is completely unacceptable. People who are proud of what they do aren't hiding their identity. We're a nation of laws, and you, your boss, Secretary Noem, and Donald Trump are not above the law.”
