Senators confront DHS leadership on 'violent and excessive' tactics after Minnesota unrest
WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, sharply criticized the administration’s immigration enforcement operations during his opening statement, saying that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must be reined in and held accountable.
“In communities all across the country, Americans have seen on video, with their own eyes, as law enforcement officers from the Department of Homeland Security have tackled and beaten US citizens in the streets, as they have broken windows and yanked US citizens from their cars, as they've been pepper-sprayed in the face at point blank,” Peters said.
Gary Peters accuses DHS for loss of life of two US citizens
He further alleged that DHS officers had "shot and killed" two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were exercising their First Amendment rights.
Peters said the hearing comes at a “critical time,” as Congress considers reforms aimed at increasing oversight of DHS law enforcement officials and their supervisors.
While he said that he looked forward to questioning immigration enforcement leaders, he stressed that “at the end of the day, they all answer to Secretary Noem.”
He argued that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must testify before the committee and the American public, accusing the department of undermining trust between communities and federal agencies.
“Today’s hearing is about holding DHS accountable for the terror that they have unleashed in our communities through these violent, excessive and unprofessional tactics,” Peters said.
Rand Paul says Constitutional rights don’t vanish during unrest
Committee Chairman Sen Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, opened the hearing by addressing the unrest in Minnesota and the deaths of Good and Pretti. He urged lawmakers on both sides to avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could further escalate tensions.
“Both parties have weaponized the term ‘domestic t*******t’ to target those with opposing views, and it needs to end,” Paul said.
He emphasized that filming government officials in public was a constitutional right and should not be treated as an act of aggression. Americans exercising that right, he said, should not face the risk of lethal force.
“The First and Second Amendment are not suspended in periods of unrest,” Paul said.
While expressing support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the removal of dangerous migrants with criminal records, Paul acknowledged the need to restore public trust.
“We must acknowledge when federal agents are placed in chaotic crowd-control situations, that the risk of tragedy increases,” he said.
He also warned that limited cooperation from state and local authorities, along with escalating rhetoric from any level of government, could worsen volatile situations.
Tom Emmer blames Minnesota’s ‘sanctuary’ policies
Rep Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican, described the unrest in Minneapolis as “unnerving” and “heartbreaking,” calling any loss of life “tragic.”
“But make no mistake, it was all a direct result of radical sanctuary state and city policies in Minnesota,” Emmer said, arguing that such policies had turned the state into a “safe haven for criminal illegal aliens.”
He criticized Democratic leaders, including Gov Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, saying that the crisis was preventable.
“It didn’t have to be this way,” Emmer said. “The chaos in Minneapolis was entirely preventable had local law enforcement been allowed to work with federal law enforcement from the beginning.”
He also suggested Democrats were motivated by a desire to protect undocumented immigrants for political support, adding that “Minnesotans deserve answers and accountability.”
The first panel of witnesses included Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Rep Tom Emmer, state Rep Harry Niska and Paul Schnell, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
A second panel is set to feature Todd Lyons, acting head of ICE; Rodney Scott, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection; and Joseph Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, as lawmakers press for answers over the handling of immigration enforcement and the unrest in Minnesota.
