ICE hearing today live: Senior Trump officials to testify in wake of deadly shootings – UK Times

Todd Lyons, the acting head of ICE, condemned the uptick in assaults and threats against federal immigration agents during his opening statement.

“We are facing the deadliest operating environment in our agency’s history,” he told the committee, stating that assaults on officers have “skyrocketed.”

He said his message to those seeking to intimidate ICE agents is: “You will fail.”

Rodney Scott, the head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, applauded President Trump’s leadership during his opening statement.

“The past year has been one of the most consequential in the history of America’s border security,” he told the commitee. “Under the decisive leadership of President Donald J. Trump, Secretary Kristi Noem, and Border Czar Tom Homan, and thanks to the tireless efforts of the thousands of dedicated public servants who work at our agencies to ensure border security, CBP has fundamentally reversed years of open-border policies, achieving record-low illegal entries between ports of entry.”

“These results reflect a clear commitment to restoring the rule of law, prioritizing the safety of the American people, and empowering our officers and agents to fulfill their critical mission,” he added.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the committee, displayed a large photo of a five-year-old boy who was detained by federal immigration agents.

Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, were detained in Minneapolis and taken to a detention facility in Texas earlier this month.

They were returned to Minneapolis after a federal judge ordered their release.

Ranking member Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, said in his opening statement: “Our job is to conduct oversight, not cover for Donald Trump or his out of control administration.”

“This hearing is just the start of a reckoning of the Trump administration and its weaponization of DHS against American citizens,” Thompson said, adding that, “DHS must be held accountable.”

New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino, the Republican chairing the committee, began the hearing with an opening statement.

“It is our imperative as representatives of the people to be a voice for the people,” he said. “Oversight is important…Informing Congress and the public is not casting accusations, nor is it a punishment.”

He described the recent shootings in Minnesota as “unacceptable,” while stating that “enforcing immigration law is not optional.”

“Everyone should have the same goal of keeping America safe,” he added.

Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, oversees an agency with more than 27,400 people, an annual budget of nearly $10 billion and more than $74 billion in funding from Trump’s sprawling spending bill signed into law last year, The Independent previously reported.

Before he was tapped to lead ICE, he was a top official at the agency’s Enforcement and Removal Operations bureau. He has also shaped logistics for moving thousands of detainees through a sprawling detention center system — and has bluntly compared the movement of people to packages.

Joseph Edlow, who leads USCIS, has reshaped the agency from a predominantly administrative body into a decisive tool for law enforcement.

The agency has created its own law enforcement arm to investigate and arrest immigrants. These new agents are tasked with “making arrests, carrying firearms, executing search and arrest warrants, and other powers standard for federal law enforcement,” according to the agency.

Rodney Scott, the commissioner of CBP, oversees an agency with more than 67,000 employees and a budget of over $19 billion. He previously served as the chief of the U.S. Border Patrol from 2020 to 2021, when former President Joe Biden took office.

Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee are preparing for today’s hearing, which they say will allow for accountability.

“After public outrage and relentless pressure, ICE and CBP are finally forced to testify,” the committee’s Democrats said in a post on X this morning.

“Under the Trump administration, these agencies have racially profiled, assaulted, and killed American citizens,” they added. “Accountability starts now.”

Tuesday’s hearing comes at a pivotal time for Trump’s immigration enforcement operations, with DHS funding set to expire on Friday unless a continuing resolution is passed.

Last week, Democrats in Congress sent a letter to their Republican counterparts, outlining the reforms they seek in order to support a DHS funding measure.

Among the requests are that immigration enforcement agents wear body cameras and IDs — and that they be prohibited from wearing masks. While some measures have bipartisan support, the White House previously described some as unreasonable.

On Monday, GOP lawmakers put forward a counterproposal, which was quickly dismissed by Democrats.

The hearing comes as the American public is broadly opposed to the strategies used by federal immigration enforcement agents, according to recent polls.

According to a February 4 Quinnipiac University survey, 63 percent of Americans disapprove of the way ICE is enforcing immigration laws, while 34 percent approve.

Similarly, a January Siena College poll found that 61 percent of Americans believe the tactics employed by ICE have gone too far.

Democratic members of the House committee have described ICE as a “secret police force” that should be defunded.

“An ICE agent called Renée Good a ‘f****** b****’ after killing her,” the Homeland Democrats wrote on X on February 5. “Another clapped as Alex Pretti lay dying in the street.”

“Trump and Kristi Noem own this,” the Democrats added. “ICE is a secret police force, killing American citizens and we cannot continue to fund it.”

Similarly fiery rhetoric is expected from the committee’s Democratic members during today’s hearing.