A sharp political standoff over immigration enforcement and election rules is intensifying in Washington
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WASHINGTON — A sharp political standoff over immigration enforcement and election rules is intensifying in Washington, with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries warning that aggressive federal actions could undermine civil liberties and democratic norms as the United States heads toward the November elections.
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Jeffries said Democrats will not support funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless Republicans agree to sweeping reforms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which he said has grown “completely and totally out of control.”
“Not at this point,” Jeffries said when asked whether Democrats would accept anything short of their full list of demands. “We start with a basic premise that taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, not brutalize or kill American citizens like Renee Nicole Good or Alex Pretti.”
Jeffries said immigration enforcement “should be fair, it should be just, and it should be humane,” arguing that “dramatic changes are necessary to the manner in which the Department of Homeland Security officers are conducting themselves before any funding bill should move forward.”
The top Democratic leader said that his proposals include mandatory body cameras for agents, a ban on masks, judicial warrants before searches of private property, and the ability for state and local authorities to independently investigate and prosecute violations of the law by federal officers.
“Judicial warrants should absolutely be required before ICE agents can storm private property and rip everyday Americans out of their homes in such a violent fashion,” Jeffries said. “That shouldn’t be controversial.”
With five days remaining before a deadline to fund DHS, Jeffries acknowledged that ICE and Customs and Border Protection already receive significant funding under legislation passed last year. Still, he said tying reforms to spending bills was the only way to change enforcement behavior.
“That’s the way that you change behavior,” he said, adding that Democrats have not heard back from the White House or Republican leaders on Capitol Hill. “The ball is in the court right now of the Republicans.”
Jeffries warned that failing to act would amount to “the explicit decision to shut down the Coast Guard, shut down FEMA, and shut down TSA,” calling such an outcome “very unfortunate.”
The Democratic leader also pushed back against President Donald Trump’s renewed calls to nationalize elections and require proof of citizenship to vote, proposals Republicans are advancing through legislation known as the SAVE Act.
“We know that states are the ones who are empowered to conduct elections,” Jeffries said, noting that states already set their own voter identification rules. He accused Republicans of attempting “clear and blatant voter suppression.”
“What Donald Trump wants to do is try to nationalize the election, translation, steal it,” Jeffries said. “And we’re not going to let it happen.”
Jeffries also condemned a racist video President Trump posted and later deleted that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. Trump has declined to apologize, blaming a staffer for the post.
“He definitively needs to apologize,” Jeffries said. “It was a disgusting video.”
Asked about reports that Trump sought to rename major transportation hubs after himself in exchange for releasing frozen infrastructure funds, Jeffries said it was “another example of Donald Trump trying to force presidential graffiti down the throat of the American people.”