Scott hailed efforts on the southern US frontier, saying CBP “spent the last year rebuilding what was an intentionally broken border” and that “the United States... enjoys the most secure border in our nation’s history”.
The Trump administration officials faced a barrage of criticism and tough questions from Democratic lawmakers over the major crackdown on migrants in multiple US cities, which Republican representatives largely defended.
“This administration and the agencies represented before us have shown a complete and utter disregard for the law and the Constitution,” Democratic Representative Tim Kennedy said.
‘Incomplete and insufficient’
Representative Eli Crane, a Republican, pushed back on criticism of immigration enforcement, accusing Democrats of seeking to “demonise ICE and Homeland Security” and blaming them for allowing “illegal aliens” into the country.
In Minneapolis, thousands of federal agents in recent weeks have conducted raids in what the administration claims are targeted operations against criminals. The crackdown has seen detentions of broad categories of immigrants and sometimes citizens.
The operations have sparked mass protests in the city, and the fatal shootings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti less than three weeks apart last month led to a wave of outrage.
When Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell asked on Tuesday if Lyons would apologise to Good and Pretti’s families over the Trump administration’s initial description of them as “domestic terrorists”, he declined, saying he would not comment on active investigations.
Opposition Democrats have been calling for sweeping reforms to ICE operations, including ending mobile patrols, prohibiting agents from concealing their faces, and requiring warrants.
Democratic leaders in Congress are also threatening to block the 2026 funding bill for DHS. The White House has indicated it is willing to negotiate, but its response has failed to satisfy opposition lawmakers so far.
“Republicans shared an outline of a counterproposal, which included neither details nor legislative text,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
They denounced the White House response as “incomplete and insufficient in terms of addressing the concerns Americans have about ICE’s lawless conduct,” and said they were awaiting further details.
If negotiations fail, DHS could face a funding shortfall starting on Saturday. CBP and ICE operations could continue using funds approved by Congress last year, but other sub-agencies, such as federal disaster organisation Fema (the Federal Emergency Management Agency), could be affected.
-Agence France-Presse
