Democratic Lawmaker Calls Federal Employees ‘Thugs’
During a recent House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Representative Shri Thanedar, a Democrat from Michigan, audibly criticized federal immigration officials, labeling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as “thugs.” His comments came while discussing oversight concerning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Thanedar didn’t hold back. He expressed frustration with ICE during the hearing, stating, “I’ve heard and seen enough,” and conveyed his dissatisfaction with ICE agents operating in communities. “They’re running around in our cities, causing illegal activity,” he remarked, directing his words at Acting ICE Commissioner Todd Lyons.
“ICE and CBP thugs roam our streets,” he continued, alleging that they are “attacking our communities” and targeting individuals based on their accents and skin color. In a passionate tone, he claimed they were, disturbingly, even using children as bait.
Lyons defended the agency’s actions, stating that they had made roughly 379,000 arrests, which included some 7,000 gang members and 1,400 individuals linked to terrorism. He noted the alarming rise in death threats faced by federal employees, a reported increase of over 8,000%.
Thanedar, who previously supported legislation to dissolve ICE, shifted his confrontation towards both Lyons and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott. He questioned whether they thought President Trump might grant them a pardon before leaving office, similar to past pardons given to political allies.
Scott responded with assurance, affirming his pride in his service. “I’m not going to speak for President Trump,” he said, but highlighted his commitment to protecting the nation.
Representative Eric Swalwell of California chimed in, querying Lyons about his potential resignation, noting his military background. He elaborated on various distressing cases, such as a six-year-old child, mistakenly believed to be non-citizen, facing deportation.
Swalwell pointedly challenged Lyons, asking him to choose between standing with vulnerable children or those committing acts of violence. However, when Lyons was directly asked if he would resign, he replied simply, “No, I won’t.” He added that ICE had attended to the needs of the child in question after being abandoned.
