US immigration chiefs faced tough questions in Congress over Trump’s mass deportation campaign and Minneapolis raids. Democrats demand reforms while Republicans defend enforcement, as DHS funding hangs in the balance
US immigration agency chiefs were grilled by Congress on Tuesday over President Donald Trump’s sweeping deportation campaign and the recent fatal shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons opened the hearing, stating, “The president tasked us with mass deportation, and we are fulfilling that mandate.” Lyons appeared alongside Rodney Scott, head of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Joseph Edlow, director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, reported AFP.
Scott highlighted border enforcement achievements, claiming CBP “spent the last year rebuilding what was an intentionally broken border” and that the US now has “the most secure border in our nation’s history.”
The heads of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday. Among the questions they faced was whether the tactics used by their agents… pic.twitter.com/z9ukbuz2Nq
— PBS News (@NewsHour) February 10, 2026
Democrats demand reforms, Republicans push back
Democrats sharply criticised the administration’s tactics, calling them unlawful and unconstitutional. Representative Tim Kennedy said the agencies had shown “complete and utter disregard for the law and the Constitution.”
Republicans defended enforcement efforts. Representative Eli Crane accused Democrats of attempting to “demonize ICE and Homeland Security.”
The clash comes as Minneapolis has seen thousands of federal agents conducting raids in recent weeks. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he expects the operation to end soon, describing it as “days, not weeks and months, of this occupation.”
Fallout from Minneapolis shootings
The crackdown has sparked widespread protests, intensified by the deaths of
Renee Good and
Alex Pretti less than three weeks apart. Lyons declined to apologise during questioning, citing ongoing investigations.
Democrats are calling for reforms, including ending mobile patrols, requiring warrants, and prohibiting agents from concealing their faces. They have also threatened to block the 2026 DHS funding bill if concerns are not addressed.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticised the White House’s proposed countermeasures as “incomplete and insufficient” and said further details are needed.
If negotiations fail, DHS could face a funding gap starting Saturday. While ICE and CBP could continue operations under last year’s funding, other sub-agencies like FEMA could be affected.
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