Senator Murray: Republicans Must Work with Us on Common Sense Reforms to Rein in ICE and CBP

***WATCH: Senator Murray's remarks***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined House and Senate Democratic leaders at a press conference following a bicameral meeting on negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill and delivered the following remarks.

Senator Murray's remarks, as delivered, are below:

"I did not come from Brooklyn, nor did I come from the House, but I did come here as a mom in tennis shoes who today is very angry about what is happening to families in my community and across the country.

"Everyone in America with eyes and ears can see what's been happening in Minnesota and across the country.

"The injustice is clear as day. And what the American people are demanding is equally clear: Law enforcement cannot be lawless-but that's exactly what we have been seeing from ICE and CBP.

"We have seen people that have done nothing wrong-get abducted by masked agents with no warrant and shipped across the country. We have seen peaceful protestors and observers get tear gassed, tackled, detained, and even killed in cold blood.

"And we've seen the Trump administration responses grow more unhinged and infuriating by the day. The lies have become completely detached from reality.

"Enough. We are not going to fund a rogue Department with its unchecked agents and officers. We are going to have accountability at DHS or there will not be Democratic votes to fund a lawless agency.

"If Republicans refuse to make the changes the American people are demanding-they are forcing a Republican shutdown of DHS.

"The chaos, the brutality-all of it happened at the explicit direction of this president and a Republican Congress that wrote him a blank check.

"If Republicans want Democratic votes to fix that-then they need to understand that half-measures won't cut it.

"What Democrats are demanding is reasonable , and it is necessary. End the roving patrols. Hold federal agents accountable, and hold them to the same standards as local law enforcement on basic things like use of force. Get 'masks off,' get body cameras on, and ensure proper identification.

"Democrats are at the table. We are focused on getting a bill-but i t has to be a bill that reins in the abuses that we are seeing by ICE and CBP.

"And I'll just say: Democrats-all of us-we are strongly supporting the mission of FEMA and the Coast Guard in this bill- but the American people are demanding guardrails to rein in ICE and Border Patrol. So that has to happen.

"Americans are demanding accountability; we will settle for nothing less."

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