U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, denounced the Trump Administration’s recent surge in immigration enforcement on July 20, following fatal shootings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Houston, Texas, and Biddeford, Maine.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin said, “Roughly a year ago, President Trump made good on his ‘MASS DEPORTATION NOW!’ promise. It was a campaign pledge when he unleashed ICE into cities across the country to carry out his brutal immigration crackdown. In its wake, including in the City of Chicago, the so-called ‘worst of the worst’ … He said it over and over and over again. Turns out, the ‘worst of the worst’ didn’t fit in that category at all.” Durbin continued by stating that some targeted individuals were U.S. citizens or legal residents with no prior criminal history.
Durbin recounted that tensions increased after previous killings during ICE raids led to public outcry and a temporary reduction in such operations. However, he said these efforts have resumed under Stephen Miller and Secretary Mullin at the Department of Homeland Security: “But now, Stephen Miller and Secretary of [the] Department of Homeland Security Mullin are quietly resuming these efforts, with immigration arrests surging this month to the highest levels in this Administration.”
The senator described how Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was not an intended target but was killed during an operation; witnesses were detained rather than interviewed for investigation purposes. He also discussed Joan Sebastian Guerrero’s death at the hands of an ICE agent who had been hired despite having a history of domestic violence and mental health issues.
“DHS quickly rushed to claim that both shootings were justified, without any body-worn camera footage or any serious investigation,” Durbin said. He criticized what he described as insufficient oversight: “According to The New York Times… just yesterday… FBI would no longer investigate alleged assaults by immigration agents… this change will sharply limit law enforcement scrutiny of ICE agents.”
Durbin concluded his remarks by calling for more transparency: “At a time when the American people are demanding more transparency and answers, the Administration gives us less. We mourn the loss of these beloved community members, and Senate Democrats will continue to call for an end to these fatal raids.” The Senate Judiciary Committee has significant influence over federal law enforcement oversight through its legislative duties as well as responsibilities regarding civil rights and public safety nationwide, according to its official website.