Schumer: Immigration Enforcement 'Reminiscent of a Dictatorship'

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., says immigration enforcement in the U.S. "is reminiscent of a dictatorship."

Schumer was joined on Wednesday by House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York at a media briefing where they criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions nationwide.

During the briefing, Schumer said Americans have seen, "pictures of these goons beating people, pushing people, and even shooting and killing people."

Jeffries described Immigration and Customs Enforcement policies as dangerous. "ICE is completely and totally out of control. Immigration enforcement should be just, it should be fair, and it should be humane. That is not what is taking place right now."

The Democrat leaders outlined several policies they demanded be implemented to address what Jeffries described as absolute requirements for Democrats.

"Dramatic changes are necessary at the Department of Homeland Security," said Jeffries, "with respect to its enforcement activities, so that ICE and other agencies are conducting themselves like every other law enforcement agency in the country, not in so many instances in a rogue or lawless manner."

Their demands include requiring enforcement agents to wear body cameras, mandating judicial warrants for arrests, and prohibiting agents from wearing masks.

Jeffries said enforcement agents wearing masks has been "horrifying the American people."

Schumer went further in his assessment of enforcement actions. "What the hell is going on in our cities?"

Schumer said so-called roving patrols by enforcement agents must be stopped. "You can't just stop anybody on the street. You can't just pick them up and not even tell them why they're picked up, put them in some dark place, no access to a lawyer or a phone or anything else. You can't."

Schumer said legislation would be introduced in both chambers of Congress within 24 hours to address Democrat concerns, "because this is turning America inside out in a way we haven't seen in a very long time."

Administration border czar Tom Homan announced as many as 700 enforcement agents were being pulled from Minnesota, which he described as a hotbed of enforcement activity and violent anti-enforcement protests. He attributed the move to local police departments in the state agreeing to support ICE enforcement.

Homan also reiterated support for enforcement, saying increased violence against enforcement agents will result in arrests and federal prosecution.

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