Congressman Criticizes ICE and DHS Deportation Tactics
On Thursday, Congressman Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) expressed concerns that under the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are targeting “innocent people, primarily American citizens” in their deportation efforts.
During a segment on “CNN News Central,” host Sarah Sydner highlighted comments from DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who stated that recent ICE raids aimed to catch “the worst of the worst.” Magaziner, however, didn’t hold back in his criticism, asserting, “Absolutely not. And they’ve been lying about this from the beginning.” He recalled Secretary Noem making similar promises a year prior, suggesting that the reality had not matched the rhetoric.
Magaziner emphasized that ICE operations are mistakenly targeting vulnerable groups. “They are going after grandmothers and children,” he said, adding that a 4-year-old U.S. citizen with cancer was deported, preventing her from receiving necessary treatment. He mentioned the case of three American children aged 2, 4, and 7, who were deported from Louisiana alongside their undocumented mother, according to a report from April, which noted the child’s critical health condition and lack of medical contact.
In response, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected these allegations, claiming that the mother voluntarily took her children with her during her deportation and that they returned to a family member.
Magaziner stated, “This is a misleading headline,” contending that the focus should indeed be on detaining violent criminals and not innocent individuals. He noted that around 70% of people detained by ICE this year had no criminal convictions. “By all means, get rid of the worst of the worst. But what’s happening now is that Stephen Miller is indiscriminately setting deportation targets,” he argued, emphasizing that the current approach is flawed and often unjustly affects innocent individuals.
He raised concerns that such strategies divert vital resources from pressing issues like terrorism and retail theft, asserting that DHS, which should encompass more than just immigration enforcement, is instead going after “gardeners, grandmothers, and children.” He concluded that he sees little reason to believe that the administration would adjust this approach anytime soon.
Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS, ICE, and the White House for comments but has yet to receive a response.
