King Discusses ICE Operations in Maine and U.S., Path Forward on Department of Homeland Security Funding Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, in an interview with Margaret Brennan on CBS's Face the Nation, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) shared his thoughts on the ongoing ICE operations across the United States, as well as a possible path forward for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) government funding bill:

Senator King began the interview by talking about the overreaching actions of DHS within American cities.

"The question is not should we enforce the law, or should we be trying to expel dangerous criminals? The question is, how is it done? I did a little research this morning. Obama during his administration, there were something like 2.7 million removals. But you didn't have people roaming the streets with masks on. By the way, I've never seen law enforcement with masks on in my life; where I come from, the people wearing masks are the bad guys. But you didn't have this heavy handed, heavily armed, bulletproof vest kind of thing - and there were no incidents that I could find of the kind that we've seen just in the last few weeks and in Minnesota … and we're having these incidents all over the country. So, it's not necessary. You can enforce the laws against illegal immigration and people that are criminals without ransacking our cities and terrorizing our residents."

Senator King then shared his views on the upcoming votes in the Senate to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"Margaret, I hate shutdowns, and I'm one of the people that helped negotiate the solution to the last the end of the last shutdown - but I can't vote for a bill that includes DHS funding under these circumstances. What they're doing in my state, what we saw yesterday in, in in Minneapolis. I think there's an easy way out: Leader Thune could … separate the five other appropriation bills and put them on the floor. They would pass, I think, overwhelmingly. Then let's take up DHS. Also, if those bills pass, 96% of the federal government is funded, take up DHS by itself. Let's have an honest negotiation, put some guardrails on what's going on, some accountability, and that would solve this problem. We don't have to have a shutdown."

Lastly, Senator King explained his Constitutional concerns over how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is operating in Maine.

"Let me let me put it in the words of the sheriff in, in Cumberland County when they took one of his recruits. He called it "bush league policing." I think that sort of summarizes it. There's no need for this overwhelming show of force. I believe what we're seeing is an attempt to intimidate the American people again, armed people with masks and, telling people they can't photograph what they're doing and intimidating protesters. That's not America. You also you mentioned in your previous interview about [ICE agents] going into houses without any warrant. That's a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment. These people are acting outside the Constitution and are ignoring our laws. We just can't keep supporting that."

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