Immigration agency leaders testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday for the first time since two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis last month. The hearing came as congressional funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire Friday.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott, and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow faced questions from both parties about enforcement tactics, officer training, and oversight following the deaths of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, in separate incidents.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats used the hearing to criticize immigration enforcement tactics and push for stronger oversight measures. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) pressed Lyons on how many ICE officers have been fired for misconduct, though Lyons declined to comment on personnel matters.
Several Democrats called for abolishing or dismantling ICE entirely. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) asked Lyons to commit to unmasking officers in the field, which Lyons refused. Democrats also proposed requiring officers to display identifying information like last names on uniforms and prohibiting face coverings.
Democratic lawmakers highlighted concerns about U.S. citizens being detained during enforcement operations. NPR witnessed multiple instances in Minnesota where immigration agents questioned people about their status, with the state's attorney general saying U.S. citizens were detained. A 2021 Government Accountability Office report found that over a five-year period, U.S. citizens had encounters with immigration officers that could lead to arrest and even deportation.
Democrats want body camera requirements codified into law. While Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said the department is sending body cameras to every field officer in Minneapolis and plans to expand the program nationwide as funding allows, Democrats argue this needs legislative backing.
What the Right Is Saying
Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) called the deaths of Good and Pretti "unacceptable and preventable," while also criticizing what he described as rushed conclusions about law enforcement. He called for a "complete" investigation and said public trust suffers when officials rush to judgment.
Republicans generally described ICE's work as "remarkable" and defended officers' use of face masks, arguing that banning them would make it easier for people to dox federal agents. The administration has made this a common refrain in response to Democratic proposals.
However, some Republicans shared Democratic concerns. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said he believed "roving patrols should be done at the border rather than in the major cities of the United States." He applauded leadership changes in Minneapolis as "returning to the original mission of ICE."
Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas) pushed for body cameras, and Lyons pledged that body camera footage of enforcement in Minneapolis would be released to the public. Scott pleaded for Congress to fully fund the body camera program for CBP, noting that while there has been money for physical devices, there haven't been personnel to implement the program.
What the Numbers Show
ICE has 3,000 body cameras for 13,000 officers. Only half of CBP's 20,000 officers have body cameras. The agency received funding for physical devices but not for the personnel needed to fully implement the program.
ICE officers undergo three months of training, including 47 days at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in Georgia. Law enforcement officers certified in the past received shorter training modules focused on topics like the Immigration and Nationality Act.
ICE received a large infusion of cash from Congress in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer, making it the highest-funded U.S. law enforcement agency. USCIS is funded primarily by fees people pay when submitting forms and applications, meaning its employees would still get paid during a shutdown.
The Bottom Line
The hearing revealed deep partisan divisions on immigration enforcement, with Congress appearing to inch toward another stopgap bill to fund DHS in the absence of broader agreement. Any lapse in funding could most affect non-immigration agencies inside DHS, like the Transportation Security Administration and FEMA, potentially impacting air travel and disaster response.
Lyons emphasized that U.S. citizens should not be concerned about deportation or detention, though he drew a distinction between being "arrested" — which he acknowledged could happen to a U.S. citizen — and being "detained" on a longer basis. He declined to comment on ongoing investigations into the Minneapolis deaths.
The hearing underscored how the Minneapolis shootings have become a focal point for broader debates about immigration enforcement tactics, officer accountability, and the balance between security and civil liberties. Both parties are now watching whether body camera footage from Minneapolis will be released as promised.