GOP concerns grow after 2 ICE shootings in a week

Congressional Republicans and administration officials are demanding answers about the latest killings involving federal immigration officers, bemoaning a lack of bodycam footage and a failure to properly train officers for dangerous confrontations.

Congress has been clamoring for more information after two ICE-involved shootings in Texas and Maine, where officers attempted to serve warrants and fatally shot two foreign nationals who were behind the wheel. None of the officers involved in the shootings had body cameras, despite pledges from former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February that those devices would be distributed to the ICE workforce with funds allocated by Congress.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in a brief hallway interview called it a "mistake" that the officers lacked body cameras to document the scene and said "it would be wise" for DHS to distribute them to the workforce as fast as possible.

Republicans — including top officials in the administration — are concerned that the lack of video evidence of the shootings will end up damaging President Donald Trump's ambitious crackdown on unauthorized immigration by making it difficult to set the narrative or identify issues in tactics. Lawmakers also said more training may be needed to ensure ICE officers understand when they can and cannot use deadly force.

The shootings pose a test for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who has pledged to keep his agency out of the headlines even as he steps up enforcement under Trump's direction.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a sometimes critic of the administration's approach to immigration enforcement, said "something has to change" and emphasized that the deaths of civilians could not continue.

Frustrations are also growing in the administration. One administration official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to speak freely about the response to the shootings, said more training is needed for vehicle stops. The official also expressed concerns about how the lack of that footage could hurt DHS' ability to explain what happened in the shootings or potentially defend officer conduct.

"We could figure out what really happened, and control the narrative. Or at least figure out, if it is our fault, then somebody is going to pay the price for that," the official said. "But without the body camera, it's who knows."

A second administration official said there is "growing concern that we will lose support for common sense interior enforcement because of the missteps in Minneapolis and the never-ending one of encounters going bad."

Noem was ousted following public outcry over her leadership of DHS and her widely panned response to immigration officers killing two American citizens in Minneapolis in January.

Already, the department has taken a different approach under Mullin. In contrast to the department's aggressive public relations blitz against Alex Pretti and Renee Good — the two victims of the Minneapolis shootings whom top administration surrogates branded "domestic terrorists" in the days after their deaths — the department issued clinical social media statements about the two shootings in Texas and Maine.

"Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Mullin, the border is totally secure, dangerous illegal immigrations are being deported, and Americans are safer," said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson. "Secretary Mullin will continue to enforce federal immigration law as effectively as possible."

Mullin, in a statement, insisted that "Our #1 goal is to keep our officers safe and get criminals OFF our streets" and said ICE officers are facing a greater number of vehicle-related assaults.

And about the lack of body cameras, DHS said in a statement that "back-to-back Democrat shutdowns" meant the officers had not yet been issued the devices. DHS also emphasized it remains committed to deploying body cameras at a time when ICE officers are being threatened more often.

"The process of purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras to all of our ICE field offices was interrupted by the Democrats' multiple government shutdowns. Body cameras have been deployed to more than half the field offices with the remaining half to receive them in the next 60 days," the statement continued.

The administration has also insisted the shootings are aberrations. White House border czar Tom Homan, who led ICE in the first Trump administration, said in a Fox News interview Tuesday that the officers involved were "well trained," arguing the shootings represented "a bump in the road" for the agency.

But the administration's calmer than usual response has not mollified Democrats, who remain deeply skeptical of Mullin. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, called it "unacceptable" that the cameras were not distributed and said he would be following up with Mullin and DHS for more information on the shootings.

DHS briefly paused "non-urgent vehicle stops" Tuesday — a move which Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) attributed in a social media post to a phone call she had with Mullin. The DHS inspector general and the FBI are probing both shootings, leaving the matter in the hands of a watchdog which has largely resisted pressure from DHS leadership.

Complicating matters, however, Trump posted on social media Wednesday that pausing the stops is "playing right into the criminal's hands."

But for now, many other Republicans are keeping their powder dry, hoping to review the findings of independent investigations into the shooting before judging.

"I've got to go back and see how they got it wrong," said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who sharply broke with Noem over the Minneapolis shootings. "I'm not going to judge this until I see the facts."

Many Republicans expressed significant confidence in Mullin — who just months ago served in Congress — and his ability to continue improving the DHS' public image.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) referenced that goal when asked about the shootings, calling them an "exception" to that effort.

Tillis, for his part, insisted he "trusts Mullin" and said he would speak to the secretary.

Democrats, meanwhile, say the shootings underscore a central criticism of Mullin's leadership: ICE's problems go beyond the optics of immigration enforcement, and the agency needs significant overhaul or reform to prevent the inappropriate use of force.

"Between the secretary and ICE director, the rank-and-file people have yet to get the message, because these two killings fly in the face of what we've been hearing as members of Congress," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Collins told reporters Tuesday that though the money was allocated earlier this year for body cameras, DHS could not make the necessary acquisitions until the partial government shutdown ended. She also reiterated that she pushed for money for deescalation training in spending legislation for DHS.

Others are asking questions about what exactly is going into the training ICE officers are receiving.

"It's not necessarily that they're not receiving the adequate training, but are they covering everything that should be trained — that they should be getting trained on? Are there things that need to be added to the training curriculum?" said a person close to the administration. "Whether you support more enforcement, like I do, or the ones that don't want any level of enforcement — I think we can all agree we don't want people getting killed on the streets."

And at least some immigration hardliners are wondering aloud whether the guidelines ICE has received around the use of force need to be revised.

"Is there more to it than just ICE officers having to work under extreme duress? Or is there a problem with the use of force policy?" said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank which favors restrictions on legal immigration and wider efforts to combat unauthorized immigration. "I am starting to think it's the latter. I think there's a problem with ICE's directives on what they're doing."