Discussion on Government Shutdown and ICE Funding

During Wednesday’s episode of “Morning Joe,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) discussed the potential for a government shutdown related to ICE funding. He emphasized the importance of including measures in the final government funding bill to “prevent ICE from attacking houses of worship, hospitals, and schools.”

Co-host Jonathan Lemire prompted the conversation by asking about the looming deadline for government funding and the contentious issue of the Department of Homeland Security’s budget, particularly concerning ICE, following a recent mass shooting in Minneapolis. He was curious about the sentiments among Jeffries and his colleagues regarding the situation and what might happen next.

In response, Jeffries said, “ICE is completely out of control. Donald Trump had promised that immigration enforcement would focus on violent felons who are here illegally, which is what the public supports. But we categorically oppose the arrests, detentions, and the violent incidents, including the tragic case of Renee Nicole Good. The targeting of law-abiding immigrant families and communities is unacceptable. We will have further discussions soon, but it’s clear there needs to be accountability mechanisms in place. The law was created to ensure ICE operates like any other law enforcement agency in the U.S. That’s not an unreasonable expectation. We believe it makes sense to include warrant requirements in the final bill. ICE must not target houses of worship, hospitals, or schools. That’s the standard in other law enforcement agencies. ICE should establish clear use-of-force standards, as none currently exist. The idea of masked ICE agents using taxpayer funds to harm American citizens is outright unacceptable. These are essential measures we believe need to be implemented to align ICE with the expectations of the American people.”