Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said on Newsmax on Thursday that disputes over cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement are driving enforcement problems in Minneapolis, arguing that "the only place we're having these issues is in Minneapolis because local officials aren't allowing local law enforcement to do their job."
Appearing on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," Mullin said he sees the current flashpoints as a product of cooperation breaking down.
"Well, it's really hard for them [local police] not to cooperate with us. Remember, underneath the Obama administration, they cooperated with ICE. And you didn't see this happen," he said.
Mullin described what he called a simpler process, saying, "local law enforcement or state enforcement would arrest these individuals, and ICE would simply go to the detention centers and pick them up."
He then described a shift he attributed to city and federal policy fights, saying, "The sanctuary cities came in and started fighting [President Donald] Trump in his first term," on this issue.
"They didn't continue fighting [under Joe] Biden because Biden did nothing on immigration when he was in office, and now they've just picked it [back] up," under Trump's second term.
His remarks came as White House border czar Tom Homan said Thursday that the administration could reduce the number of federal immigration officers involved in the Minnesota operation, but tied it to local cooperation.
Homan said he would reduce a "3,000-strong force of agents" if he received "cooperation" from state and local leaders.
"I do not want to hear that everything that's been done here has been perfect," Homan said.
"Nothing's perfect, anything can be improved on, and what we've been working on is making this operation safer, more efficient, by the book. The mission is going to improve because of the changes we're making internally."
Protests have followed the killings of Renee Good, shot Jan. 7, and Alex Pretti, shot Jan. 24.
Mullin emphasized that he was making a city-by-city comparison, saying, "Keep in mind, we haven't had these same issues in St. Louis. We didn't have these issues in Memphis. We didn't have these issues in D.C.," adding, "The only place we're having these issues is in Minneapolis."
"Because local officials aren't allowing local law enforcement to do their job."
Reuters contributed to this story.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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