The heads of U.S. immigration agencies faced harsh criticism in Congress on Tuesday as they defended President Donald Trump’s mass deportations and raised questions over the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis.
Trump admitted after the incident minneapolis His administration announced concessions after the killings suggested a “softer approach” to immigration might be needed, including the withdrawal of hundreds of officials from the Midwestern city.
But the issue remains far from resolved, with Democrats demanding changes to how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducts immigration clearances and threatening to block its funding, while the Trump administration vows to maintain deportation efforts with the support of Republican lawmakers.
“The president tasked us with conducting mass deportations, and we are fulfilling that mandate,” Todd Lyons, acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said in his opening remarks at Tuesday’s Department of Homeland Security oversight hearing.
He testified alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief Rodney Scott and Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow.
Scott praised efforts at the U.S. southern border, saying U.S. Customs and Border Protection “spent the last year rebuilding a border that was intentionally breached” and that “the United States… enjoys the most secure border in our nation’s history.”
this Trump administration Officials have faced a barrage of criticism and tough questions from Democratic lawmakers amid a sweeping crackdown on immigrants in several U.S. cities, while Republican representatives have mostly defended the move.
“This administration and the institutions that represent us have shown a complete disregard for the law and the Constitution,” Democratic Representative Tim Kennedy said.
Republican Rep. Eli Crane pushed back against criticism of immigration enforcement, accusing Democrats of trying to “demonize ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.”
“Days, not weeks”
In Minneapolis, thousands of federal agents have conducted raids in recent weeks in what the government says is a targeted operation targeting criminals.
minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday he expected the crackdown, which has included detaining immigrants of all types and sometimes even citizens, to end soon.
“We’re very much in ‘trust but verify’ mode,” Walz said. “But I expect … that we’ll spend days, not weeks or months, discussing this occupation.”
The actions sparked massive protests in Minneapolis, where the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti less than three weeks apart last month sparked a wave of anger.
When Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell asked Lyons on Tuesday if he would apologize to the Trump administration’s initial description of Goode and Pretty’s families as “domestic terrorists,” he declined and said he would not comment on ongoing investigations.
Opposition Democrats have been calling for sweeping changes to ICE operations, including ending mobile patrols, banning agents from hiding their faces and requiring search warrants.
Congressional Democratic leaders also threatened to block the 2026 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. The White House has signaled a willingness to negotiate, but its responses so far have failed to satisfy opposition lawmakers.
“Republicans shared the outline of a counterproposal that includes neither details nor legislative text,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
They condemned the White House’s response as “incomplete and insufficient to address Americans’ concerns about ICE wrongdoing” and said they were awaiting further details.
If negotiations fail, the Department of Homeland Security could face a funding shortfall starting Saturday. CBP and ICE operations are likely to continue using funds approved by Congress last year, but other agencies such as the federal disaster agency FEMA may be affected.
