NPR
Top immigration officials to testify before Senate as a potential DHS shutdown looms
+798 words added -251 words removed
By
Ximena Bustillo
,
Sam Gringlas
From left, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney and Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons are sworn in to testify during a Images hide caption
top officials of are the Senate Committee on Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services the the the by the the in he to the the of ICE the use of to the the is to the the of of from a broader to the of to the
Several Democrats on the committee were quick to call for funding to be separated after two U.S. citizens, including Pretti, were killed in Minneapolis. They have laid out a list of demands that includes mandating the use of body cameras and judicial warrants, banning the use of masks and arrests in hospitals, schools and churches.
support for the and have
Democrats produced legislative text over the weekend encapsulating their key demands. The White House responded with a counteroffer that top Democrats have described as "incomplete and insufficient."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has described the talks as making progress, though he has acknowledged that they are all but certain to not bear fruit before the Friday deadline, when funding runs out and members in both chambers are set to leave for a week-long recess.
But most Democrats, even a number of them who continued voting with Republicans last fall to end the government shutdown, say they will not support another short-term DHS funding measure even if it means a lapse in funding for the department.
"We are asking our colleagues and the White House to work with us," Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., told reporters on Tuesday. "Unfortunately we're not seeing that."
If lawmakers don't reach a deal this week, another stopgap bill to fund DHS in the short term would be needed. A lapse in funding would affect agencies inside DHS, like the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency — potentially affecting air travel and disaster response.
During Tuesday's hearing, all three agency leaders hedged in response to questions about whether their operations would be affected if DHS shuts down on Friday. Edlow of USCIS reminded lawmakers that his agency is funded primarily by the fees people pay when they submit various forms and applications, so his employees would still get paid.
ICE and CBP both got a huge infusion of cash from Congress in Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer — making ICE the highest-funded U.S. law enforcement agency. That funding could allow the agencies to continue working with pay as they did during the last shutdown in the fall.
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− U.S.
+ Director of USCIS Joseph Edlow,
− Scott, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Joseph
− Edlow,
+ Scott
− U.S.
+ Thursday
− House
+ hearing
− Homeland
+ on
− Security
+ oversight
− Committee
+ of
− hearing
+ the
− on
+ Department
− Tuesday.
+ of
− Samuel
+ Homeland
− Corum/Getty
+ Security. Chip Somodevilla/AFP via Getty
− The
+ Three
+ Homeland Security
+ faced a barrage
− the
+ questions
− three
+ from
− federal
+ Senate
− agencies
+ lawmakers
− that
+ over
− oversee
+ their
− immigration
+ use
− enforcement
+ of force policies and how federal officers
− slated
+ trained
− to
+ in
− testify
+ deescalation,
− before
+ as the fallout continues from the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis last month.
Thursday's oversight hearing by
− today
+ began
− as
+ with
− their
+ a
− department
+ rebuke
− is
+ by
− one
+ Chairman
− day
+ Rand
− away
+ Paul,
− from
+ R-Ky.,
− a
+ who
− potential
+ asked
− shut
+ leaders
− down.
+ from
− Enforcement acting Director Todd
− Lyons,
+ Enforcement,
− Commissioner Rodney Scott
− Director
+ (USCIS)
− Joseph
+ to
− Edlow
+ watch
− are
+ frame-by-frame
− appearing
+ video
− before
+ of
− panel.
+ events
− They
+ leading
− also
+ up
− testified
+ to
− before
+ the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
Paul then asked
− House
+ officials
− Homeland
+ if
− Security
+ the
− Committee
+ use
− earlier
+ of
− this
+ force
− week.
Watch
+ on display in
− hearing,
+ video
− set
+ —
− for
+ from
− 9
+ women
− a.m.
+ being
− ET
+ shoved,
− Thursday,
+ the
− live:
Thursday's
+ close
− hearing
+ use
− was
+ of
− called
+ pepper
− for
+ spray, to the ultimate shots fired at Pretti
+ Border Patrol — were justified tactics. And he asked if any of
− committee's
+ actions
− chairman,
+ were
− Rand
+ "deescalatory."
"It's
− Paul,
+ clearly
− following
+ evident that
− killing
+ public
− of
+ trust
− 37-year-old
+ has
− Alex
+ been
− Pretti,
+ lost.
− who
+ To
− was
+ restore
− shot
+ trust
− multiple
+ in
− times
+ ICE
− by
+ and
− federal
+ Border
− immigration
+ Patrol,
− officers
+ they must admit their mistakes, be honest and forthright with their rules of engagement and pledge to reform," Paul said
− Minneapolis.
During
+ his
− a
+ opening
− town
+ remarks.
"It's
− hall
+ terrible
− this
+ police
− week,
+ work,
− the
+ but
− Kentucky
+ there
− Republican
+ has
− previewed
+ to
− the
+ ultimately
− hearing,
+ be
− noting
+ repercussions.
− that
+ I think
− wanted
+ [Pretti] is retreating at every moment," Paul said. "He's trying
− focus
+ get
− on
+ away, and he's being sprayed in
− use
+ face.
− of
+ I
− force
+ don't
− by
+ think
− federal
+ that's
− agents.
"I'm
+ de-escalatory.
− going
+ That's
− to
+ an
− ask
+ escalatory thing."
Sitting at
− head
+ witness table were ICE acting Director Todd Lyons, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott and Joseph Edlow, director
+ USCIS. Lyons testified that 37
− on
+ officers
− Thursday,
+ had
− what
+ been
− is
+ investigated in
− appropriate
+ last year for
− force?
+ force
− Some
+ and
− of
+ detailed
− these
+ the
− are
+ changes
− women
+ to
− being
+ new
− thrown
+ officer training as the agency onboarded 12,000 new recruits. But in response to questions about Pretti's death, they declined
+ provide specifics on
− ground
+ ongoing
− where
+ investigation but noted that body camera footage would eventually be released.
The three DHS officials appeared before
− woman
+ committee
− probably
+ as their department
− maybe
+ one
− saying
+ day
− something
+ away
− nasty,
+ from
− something
+ a
− bad,
+ potential
− or
+ shutdown
− protesting,
+ and
− but
+ as
− you
+ the
− shouldn't
+ Trump
− throw
+ administration
− somebody
+ has vowed
+ continue reducing its immigration enforcement presence in Minneapolis.
On
− ground
+ issue
− for
+ of
− being
+ use
− obnoxious,"
+ of
− he
+ force,
− said,
+ the
− adding
+ committee's
− that
+ top
− he
+ two
− had
+ leaders
− concerns
+ were
− with
+ largely in agreement Thursday that
− use
+ actions
− weapons.
+ officials
− "Something's
+ in
− got
+ Minnesota
− to
+ went
− be
+ too
− done
+ far.
− better."
Last
+ Consensus
− month,
+ beyond
− the
+ that,
− Senate
+ however,
− stripped
+ was
− funding
+ harder
− for
+ to
− the
+ find.
Democrats,
− Department
+ several
− Homeland
+ which
− Security
+ successfully advocated last month to strip DHS
− federal
+ government
− spending
+ funding
− package.
+ deal,
− With
+ focused
− the
+ on
− agency's
+ use
− baseline
+ of
− funding
+ force,
− due
+ engagement
− to
+ with
− expire
+ U.S.
− Friday
+ citizens
− at
+ and
− midnight,
+ training.
Sen.
− lawmakers
+ Bernie
− are
+ Moreno,
− now
+ R-Ohio,
− considering
+ urged
− potential
+ Paul
− changes
+ and Democrats
− immigration
+ not
− enforcement
+ jump
− at
+ to conclusions over
− behest
+ actions
− Democrats,
+ the
− who
+ agents
− have
+ involved
− refused
+ in the Pretti shooting.
"I find it outrageous that we are going into a path where watching a video on social media is enough
− fund
+ indict people," Moreno said.
Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and James Lankford, R-Okla., focused on
− agency
+ threats
− without
+ law
− reforms.
+ enforcement officials face amid an increasing spotlight on their operations.
− DHS's
+ DHS'
+ since
− Republicans
+ The
− have
+ three
− shown
+ officials
− scattered
+ were testifying for the second time this week — they also appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday.
And for the second time this week, the officials declined to
+ the claims made by Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem in the immediate aftermath of Pretti's death — namely her accusation that he was a domestic terrorist.
When asked if he, or anyone under his command, had provided information to lead to that conclusion, CBP Commissioner Scott said no. Both Scott and Lyons said they could not "speculate on what someone else would say" or why Noem thought that at the time.
When pressed on similar comments made by top White House officials, Lyons said, "any comments that are made publicly, privately, text, email, or Instagram posts, whatever is going to put a bias on the investigation."
During the hearing there was also testimony from Keith Ellison, the attorney general of Minnesota, and Paul Schnell, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections. They faced questions about local law enforcement collaboration with federal immigration officers and the protests against the surge that continued
− some
+ weeks.
"I
− proposals,
+ want
− such
+ to
− as
+ be
− body
+ clear
− cameras.
+ that
− But
+ there is a legitimate need for immigration enforcement and for addressing those people who represent, in particular, a threat to public safety," Schnell said. "But I think what we want is to return to
− parties
+ days
− remain
+ where
− deeply
+ there
− divided
+ is
− around
+ close
− other
+ collaboration
− potential
+ ...
− reforms
+ where we can focus on key issues of community
− negotiations
+ public safety across our country."
As their testimony began, White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced from Minnesota that President Trump has agreed that the immigration surge in the state will conclude.
Last month, the Senate stripped funding for the Department of Homeland Security from a broader federal spending package. With the agency's baseline funding due to expire Friday at midnight, lawmakers are now considering potential changes to immigration enforcement at the behest of Democrats, who
− been
+ refused
− faltering.
+ to fund the agency without reforms.
+
Republicans have shown scattered support for some proposals, such as body cameras. But the parties remain deeply divided around other potential reforms and negotiations have been faltering.