President Trump's top immigration enforcement officials on Tuesday defended their officers before a House panel whose members grilled the officials on their agencies' heavy-handed tactics.
Why it matters: It wasn't just the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were both killed in Minneapolis in January, that the agency heads had to answer for, but a broader pattern of use of force incidents.
- "You are supposed to be making people safer, instead your agents are being unnecessarily violent. And that is why the Trump administration has lost the trust of the American people on immigration," said Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.).
- "Understand, it's not just the actions of the agents in the field. It is the lack of accountability from the top that has caused public trust to erode," Magaziner said.
Driving the news: Tuesday's was the first oversight hearing with the three heads of the top immigration enforcement agencies: Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Director Joseph Edlow.
- They faced questions about the shooting of Miramar Martinez in Chicago, a U.S. citizen who was accused of obstructing law enforcement. But the charges were dropped after video evidence showed otherwise.
- Another member asked about a case in Chicago where border patrol agents threw pepper spray into a moving car. The chemical spray injured an infant in the car.
- Multiple members demanded to know the protocols to avoid U.S. citizens and lawful residents from being stopped or detained by agents over their immigration status. This is the subject of multiple lawsuits.
- The administration officials mostly declined to answer questions about specific incidents, but defended their officers and the efficacy of their trainings.
What they're saying: "Men and woman of ICE out there today are following the law as its written," Lyons said.
- Both Lyons and Scott declined to answer questions about the Good and Pretti shootings, citing the ongoing investigations.
- "The loss of any life is unacceptable. And my heart, prayers, thoughts go out to anyone tragically losing his life, especially of a child since as I've suffered personal loss in my life, but I'm not going to comment on the investigation," Lyons said.
Between the lines: Rep. Eli Crane (R-Az.) asked the agency heads why there's been so much public pushback and "riots" around enforcement when other administrations have deported more people at faster rates without these incidents.
- Scott blamed the rhetoric and political climate.
Zoom in: In congressional negotiations over immigration enforcement reforms, congressional Democrats are pushing for all agents to wear body cameras.
- Lyons said that roughly 3,000 agents in the field have body cameras today out of about 13,000 agents.
- Scott said his agency has about 10,000 agents with cameras but stressed that requirements to use body cameras need adequate funding to be effective.
What to watch: The trio will testify in front of the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday.
