Congress is sharply divided over Democrats' demands for passage of funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
But most of the left's opposition to immigration enforcement actions is "animated" by their hostility toward President Donald Trump, Sen. Bill Cassidy said on Newsmax Thursday.
While one of the major demands — requiring officers to wear body cameras — has met with approval from both sides of the aisle, the Louisiana Republican told Newsmax's "Bianca Across the Nation" that "some of the other stuff they're asking is just clearly unmoored."
For example, he said that Democrats oppose Trump's call to allow federal immigration officers to use administrative rather than judicial warrants while arresting illegal aliens, but approved of the warrants' use when former President Barack Obama was in office.
"When Obama does it, it is OK, but when Trump does it, it's not OK," said Cassidy. "That's a double standard. It's just animated by dislike of President Trump."
Cassidy also noted that some of the Democrats want federal law enforcement officers to remove their masks, which he said could expose agents and their families to harassment.
"What they don't tell you is that in the past, radical far-left people have taken identification of federal law enforcement and they have doxed them," the senator said. "They have followed their children to the ball game, they have followed them home, they have otherwise threatened their families."
As for making body cameras mandatory for ICE and DHS agents nationwide, Cassidy said he supports the move and that funding is available to implement it.
"I think it's a great idea," he said, noting that there is money allocated through legislation to buy the devices.
"What we've learned is when local law enforcement wears those cameras, it protects local law enforcement as much as anybody," Cassidy said.
Cassidy also addressed a new Senate investigation into New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration, saying the rollback of executive orders previously used to address antisemitism could weaken protections for Jewish students at colleges and universities.
A U.S. Senate panel has launched an investigation into Mamdani's administration, citing "serious concerns" about the rescission of executive orders related to antisemitism and boycotts of Israel.
As chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Cassidy said his panel has oversight of educational institutions and he sent Mamdani a letter Wednesday asking whether voiding the executive orders could hamper enforcement of civil rights law and risk the loss of $2.2 billion in federal funding.
Cassidy said antisemitism appears to be increasing, and said the prior order helped protect Jewish students.
"Does anyone think that antisemitism has decreased? Absolutely not," Cassidy said. He said the previous order "protected Jewish students" and said rescinding it "appears to be adhering to a prejudice," adding, "In this case, it's terribly wrong."
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