California Democrat Sen. Alex Padilla, in response to a question about a group arrested for planning to attack an ICE facility in Texas, told CNN this morning: “I do have concern when there are no requirements for ICE agents or other federal agents involved with the immigration enforcement actions to not even identify themselves.”
“If you’re a member of a working-class immigrant community, and you see unmarked cars roll into your community, people getting out of those cars with no identifiers that they are law enforcement, and literally not just detaining, in your mind, maybe kidnapping,” he warned.
DANA BASH, CNN: Officials are looking for a suspect who appeared to fire a gun at a federal agent during a raid. A few days before that, 10 people were arrested after opening fire outside an immigration detention facility in Texas, injuring a police officer. Authorities say it was a planned ambush.
Earlier this week, a man with a rifle in tactical gear was shot dead after firing at Texas Border Patrol, at least the facility. Are you worried that heated rhetoric around this and around the policies are actually putting law enforcement agents at risk?
SEN. ALEX PADILLA: First, let me just denounce any violence. Any violence against law enforcement is unacceptable.
Do I think heated rhetoric is part of what’s causing this response? Sadly, yes. And we have seen this administration escalate and escalate and escalate in all ways and matters, whether it’s the tactics of — with which they’re going about immigration enforcement. There’s a smarter, more effective way to do this than what they’re doing.
BASH: Well, they say that it’s the Democrats’ rhetoric, some calling ICE agents secret police, comparing them to the Gestapo.
PADILLA: Well, I wouldn’t use those words, but I do have concern when there are no requirements for ICE agents or other federal agents involved with the immigration enforcement actions to not even identify themselves.
I mean, if you’re a member of a working-class immigrant community, and you see unmarked cars roll into your community, people getting out of those cars with no identifiers that they are law enforcement, and literally not just detaining, in your mind, maybe kidnapping.
So that’s why Senator Booker and I have this bill to require that identification for ICE agents or anybody involved with immigration enforcement. It’s for the safety of the officers and agents, as well as safety for the community… and to protect against people exploiting the circumstances, impersonating ICE agents and getting involved with burglary, theft, kidnapping, sexual assault and worse.
BASH: The president, as you know, says that they wear masks to protect their own identity from people who want to go after law enforcement.
