4 hours ago
1
Democratic lawmakers compared Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Nazis and the Gestapo during a heated House Homeland Security Committee hearing Tuesday, arsenic the agency’s acting manager faced crisp questioning implicit enforcement tactics and accountability.
The speech turned explosive erstwhile Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., pressed ICE acting manager Todd Lyons connected whether agents person been asking radical connected the streets to amusement impervious of U.S. citizenship, citing reports claiming that American citizens person allegedly been questioned during immigration enforcement actions.
Goldman escalated the enactment of questioning by invoking humanities comparisons, asking pointedly, "Is Nazi Germany one?" aft Lyons acknowledged that "very nefarious regimes" had required impervious of citizenship. Goldman besides pressed Lyons connected whether the Soviet Union employed akin tactics.
Lyons pushed back, calling the examination inappropriate and "the incorrect benignant of questioning," earlier snapping, saying, "The Holocaust Museum is connected 14th Street and Independence. If you privation to spell spot Nazis, that’s wherever it is."
MARYLAND DEMOCRAT’S BILL SEEKS TO ‘DIGITALLY UNMASK’ ICE AGENTS AFTER FATAL MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING
Goldman reclaimed his clip and accused ICE enactment of having it "backwards," arguing that nationalist disapproval of the bureau stemmed from its ain conduct.
"People are simply making valid observations astir your tactics, which are un-American and outright fascist," Goldman said. "So I person a elemental suggestion. If you don't privation to beryllium called a fascist authorities oregon concealed police, past halt acting similar one."
Goldman’s questioning followed Lyons’ ain grounds earlier successful the hearing, successful which the ICE acting manager said agents person been labeled "Gestapo oregon concealed police" by elected officials and activists. Lyons tied that rhetoric to what helium described arsenic a crisp emergence successful threats and assaults against ICE personnel, saying it has endangered agents and their families.
Nazi references surfaced elsewhere during the proceeding arsenic well. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., cited "Greg Bovino, who styled himself successful Nazi attire," portion criticizing federal migration operations successful Minnesota and the usage of masked agents during caller enforcement actions.
The proceeding focused connected oversight of the Department of Homeland Security and its migration enforcement agencies amid questions astir the limited usage of assemblage cameras, peculiarly pursuing the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti successful Minneapolis past month.
Lawmakers raised concerns astir agents operating successful masks oregon unmarked gear, whether encounters involving U.S. citizens are being adequately documented and whether the deficiency of body-camera footage has hindered transparency and accountability successful caller use-of-force incidents.
Under questioning, Lyons acknowledged that lone a fraction of ICE agents are presently equipped with assemblage cameras, arsenic lawmakers pressed the bureau to grow their usage and release footage to the public.
English (US) ·