Immigration Enforcement Chief Slams Congresswoman’s Anti-ICE Diatribe at Hearing

“In Washington, I have stood up to President Trump and House Republicans to fight for our Dreamers, our veterans, our healthcare and our environment, including opposing any oil drilling off California’s coastline. I have also voted twice to move forward with debate to impeach President Trump.” – Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán

During the two previous administrations — Barack Obama’s and George W. Bush’s — whenever the Democrats in Congress denigrated and smeared immigration enforcement and border patrol agents during committee hearings or press briefings, those agencies’ commanders would just grin and bear the insults to their officers.

But that appears to have changed as was evidenced this week by the reaction of President Donald Trump’s top immigration cop who testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee.

While much of the criticism and near-rabid hatred for President Trump stems from their desire for more votes by people relegated to their “plantation,” many Democrats and their media sycophants have pointed to Trump’s directive to enforce existing immigration laws as being meanspirited. They tell the news media that such enforcement is proof the nation’s 45th President is a “racist” and a xenophobe.

Not only are there politicians’ verbal attacks and news media smears, but there are also Democrats who have actually smeared the overworked and underpaid men and women who protect our border. For example, Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-Illinois, called ICE agents the “Gestapo.” Hillary Clinton during her ill-fated presidential campaign, compared them to the Muslim terrorist group ISIS.

Just this week, during a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing, minority member Rep. Nanette Barragan didn’t hold back her dislike for Trump and his law enforcement team. (See YouTube video posted below.)

Rep. Barragan engaged in an obviously pandering speech meant to show her concern over how tough it is for illegal aliens to enter the border states of California, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. She also indulged in rhetoric that demonized law enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection, and other related agencies tasked with stopping such illegal entry into the country.

“We love to talk about this issue of MS-13 gangs. We love to paint immigrants as criminals. That is not the complete facts and that is very offensive for me to see continuing to happen,” Barragan stated.

“It makes me sick to my stomach to keep hearing over and over again, painting the broad stroke and the picture as though these are folks who are coming here to do harm,” she added later.

“How many times have we heard Democrats painting cops with a broad brush stroke? Did they forget how President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Homeland Security and others would denigrate cops and show support for people such as Black Lives Matter, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and ‘Antifa’ who oppose police at every turn,” said former police lieutenant and narcotics enforcement specialist G. Norman Thompson.

When Barragan said she concluded her speech, she then said she was yielding to another committee member. But in a surprise action, Thomas Homan, who is the acting director of ICE, requested time to respond Rep. Barragan’s smears.

Homan stated:

“First of all, no one on this panel is anti-immigrant. We’re law enforcement officers enforcing the laws that you all enacted.”

“So to sit there and say that we’re anti-immigrant is wrong. We are enforcing law. If you think it’s OK to enter this country illegally — you shouldn’t be arrested — that’s just wrong. The laws clearly state, ‘You enter here illegally, it is a crime.’”

“And no one’s up here saying all illegal aliens are criminals. A certain percentage of them certainly are criminals — they commit yet another offense after they’re here. I have said many times that I certainly understand the plight of these people and I feel bad for some of these people, but I have a job to do. I have to enforce the law and uphold the oath I took to enact the laws enacted by you in Congress.”