US immigration chiefs faced heavy criticism in Congress on Tuesday as they defended President Donald Trump’s mass deportation drive and raised questions about the fatal shooting of two protesters in Minneapolis.
Opposition Democrats have been calling for sweeping reforms to ICE operations, including ending mobile patrols, banning agents from hiding their faces and requiring warrants. (Bloomberg)In the wake of the Minneapolis massacre, Trump has acknowledged that a “soft touch” on immigration may be needed, and his administration has announced concessions, including the withdrawal of hundreds of officials from the Midwestern city.
But the issue is far from resolved, with Democrats demanding changes to the way the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducts immigration sweeps and threatening to block its funding, while Trump’s administration has vowed to maintain its deportation efforts with the support of Republican lawmakers.
“The president has given us mass deportations and we’re carrying out that mandate,” said Todd Lyon, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in his opening remarks during a hearing Tuesday overseen by DHS.
He testified alongside US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief Rodney Scott and Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow.
Scott applauded efforts along the southern U.S. border, saying CBP has “spent the past year rebuilding a border that was deliberately broken” and that “the United States … enjoys the most secure border in our nation’s history.”
Trump administration officials have faced criticism and tough questions from Democratic lawmakers over a major crackdown on immigrants in several US cities, which Republican representatives have largely defended.
“This administration and the agencies that represent it before us have shown a complete and utter disregard for the law and the Constitution,” said Democratic Representative Tim Kennedy.
Representative Eli Crane, a Republican, pushed back on criticism of immigration enforcement, accusing Democrats of seeking to demonize ICE and Homeland Security.
Days, not weeksIn Minneapolis, thousands of federal agents have conducted raids in recent weeks that the administration claims are targeted operations against criminals.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that he expects the crackdown — which has seen the detention of a wide range of immigrants and sometimes citizens — to end soon.
“We’re very much in ‘trust but verify’ mode. But it’s my expectation … that we’re talking days, not weeks or months, of this profession,” Walz said.
The operations sparked widespread protests in Minneapolis and the fatal shootings of US citizens Renee Goode and Alex Pretty less than three weeks ago last month sparked outrage.
When Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell asked Tuesday if Lyon would apologize to Goode and Pretty’s families for the Trump administration’s initial description of them as “domestic terrorists,” he declined, saying he would not comment on an active investigation.
Opposition Democrats have been calling for sweeping reforms to ICE operations, including ending mobile patrols, banning agents from hiding their faces and requiring warrants.
Democratic leaders in Congress are also threatening to block the 2026 funding bill for DHS. The White House has indicated it is willing to negotiate, but its response has so far failed to satisfy opposition lawmakers.
“Republicans shared an outline of a counter proposal, which did not include details or legislative text,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
They slammed the White House’s response as “incomplete and inadequate in addressing Americans’ concerns about ICE’s lawless conduct” and said they were awaiting further details.
If the talks fail, DHS could face a funding shortfall starting Saturday. CBP and ICE operations can continue using funds approved by Congress last year, but other sub-agencies such as the federal disaster agency FEMA may be affected.
