Immigration Officials Defend Actions Amid Scrutiny
WASHINGTON – Top immigration officials from the Trump administration appeared before Congress on Tuesday to address concerns and defend their agencies’ work. This comes after recent events in Minneapolis, where two American citizens were fatally shot.
Todd Lyons, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), faced tough questions from the House Homeland Security Committee. He was joined by Rodney Scott, who leads Customs and Border Protection, and Joseph Edlow, who heads U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Lawmakers questioned the officials on several key issues related to immigration enforcement.
Defending Officers’ Actions
Lyons and Scott were questioned about the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. However, they said they couldn’t answer specific questions because of ongoing investigations.
Lyons declined to apologize for how some in the administration had described Good, saying he would rather speak to the family privately.
Masks and Officer Safety
The issue of immigration officers wearing masks was also discussed. Democrats have said masks can make officers seem unaccountable, while Republicans have emphasized that masks are needed to protect officers and their families from being targeted. Lyons stated he supports officers who choose to wear masks for their protection.
Body Cameras
Lyons and Scott confirmed that many immigration officers are now using body cameras. Lyons said that footage from Minneapolis would be made public, as he supports transparency in law enforcement activities.
Concerns About a Government Shutdown
The hearing took place as a potential government shutdown loomed, which would specifically affect the Department of Homeland Security. Republicans, including Rep. Michael Guest, pointed out that Democrats are threatening to block funding for the department unless there are more restrictions on ICE.
The agency heads agreed that a shutdown would harm national security. Lyons said it would specifically hurt task forces that work on transnational crimes and terrorism.
ICE and the World Cup
Lyons was asked if ICE would pause operations during the FIFA World Cup, due to concerns that visitors might be worried by ICE’s activities. However, Lyons declined to make that commitment, saying ICE is focused on ensuring a safe event for everyone.
Guarding Voting Precincts
When asked whether the officials had been asked to deploy personnel to guard voting areas, both Lyons and Scott answered in the negative.
