Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting director Thomas Homan aggressively challenged the federal government, and Representative Nanette Barragan (D-CA) specifically, in a heated exchange during a House Homeland Security sub-committee meeting.
Barragan, on the offensive for Central American immigrants seeking asylum, mocked the attacks from ICE against MS-13 gang members stating, “We love to talk about this issue with the MS-13 gangs. We love to paint immigrants as criminals.”
Her oratory was cringe-worthy, as she quoted The New York Times as her go-to resource on numbers related to the reunification of families abruptly thrust into the immigration courts. Barragan said the rhetoric “in a campaign season” makes her sick, as she directed her ranting at Homan as well as Ronald Vitiello, acting deputy commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, two dedicated and decorated veterans of law enforcement.
Enough is Enough
Homan’s ire began to bubble over during Barragan’s lecture – yes, lecture – as few questions were asked when she accused, rather emphatically, that ICE was anti-immigrant. Homan requested from Chairman McSally (R-AZ), the opportunity to respond to the speech just made, then went on the offensive:
“First of all, no one on this panel is anti-immigrant. We’re law enforcement officers enforcing laws that you all enacted. So, to sit there and say we’re anti-immigrant is wrong. We are enforcing laws. If you think it’s okay to enter this country illegally, shouldn’t be arrested, that’s just wrong. That laws clearly state–you enter the country illegally is a crime. And no one’s up here saying all illegal aliens are criminals–a certain percentage of them are criminals, they commit yet another offense after they’re here.
I have said many times I certainly understand the plight of these people and I feel bad for some of these people, but I have a job to do, I have to enforce the law and uphold the oath I took to enact the laws enacted by you, Congress.”
In one final swipe, Barragan asked Vitiello if agents would routinely wipe video interviews if they found Spanish speakers to be legally in the country. You know, like Hillary bleaching her servers.
Vitiello kept his cool and replied, “There’s a whole policy that surrounds how we use the video. How it’s stored and collected.”
The fact that Barragan has such disdain for law enforcement should not go unnoticed by those who may run against her in a few short months.
Is This the Dems’ Best Message?
The hearing follows on the heels of another Democrat attempting to fearmonger the electorate during this “campaign season” with rhetoric comparing the DACA debacle and immigration policies to those of WWII Germany’s secret police. In a press event outside New York City’s ICE office, Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY) claimed she was in front of America’s Gestapo headquarters, attempting to keep immigration a key talking point heading into mid-terms.
However, if Congress manages to pass one of several bills being bandied about, it may be all for naught. Fingers crossed for Speaker Ryan to control his minions in the House, rally the troops, and take dominion over this immigration nonsense once and for all. Is this too much to ask?
