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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Good morning. Immigration officials make a forceful defense of their work on Capitol Hill.
In the wake of the unprecedented border crisis of the previous administration, ISIS stepped into the breach to enforce the law.
Measles cases are surging and on course to eclipse the highs we saw in 2025. And why Trump's Commerce Secretary Howard Letnick is facing pressure over Epstein encounters. It's Wednesday, February 11th. I'm Cecilia Ley in for Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today.
The country's top immigration officials testified in Congress for the first time since two high-profile killings of American citizens in Minneapolis. Their appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee could not have come at a more delicate time for DHS.
Friday is the deadline for Congress to fund the department and avoid a partial government shutdown, and Democrats are holding out for more reforms of ICE. At the heart of the hearing was the recent fatal shootings of Rene Good and Alex Preddy. Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell asked Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons about their deaths.
But while Lyons said the loss of any life was unacceptable, he wouldn't get into specifics.
Will you apologize to the family of Rene Good for being called a domestic terrorist by the president and his leadership?
No, sir.
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Chapter 2: What is causing the surge in measles cases in the U.S.?
Why not? Sir, I welcome the opportunity to speak to the family in private, but I'm not going to comment on any active investigation.
He also said his officers were facing a hostile environment and difficult working conditions.
The families of ICE personnel have been made to feel unsafe in their homes. I know this firsthand because my own family was targeted. But let me send a message to anyone who thinks they can intimidate us. You will fail. Despite these perils, our officers continue to execute their mission with unwavering resolve. and we are only getting started.
ICE remains committed to the fundamental principles that those who illegally enter our country must be held accountable.
Lyons wouldn't commit to unmasking ICE agents, a core demand from Democratic lawmakers. Earlier this week, a federal judge blocked California's law banning masks for ICE, ruling it unconstitutional. Lyons did say that body camera footage from Minnesota would be released.
That's one thing that I'm committed to is full transparency. And I fully welcome body cameras all across the spectrum and all of our law enforcement activities. It is a body cam footage will be released.
He said that about a quarter of ICE's 13,000 officers have been assigned body cameras and another 6,000 are in the process of being deployed. Body cameras were one area where some Republicans found common ground with Democrats on potential ICE reforms. The other was the idea of roving patrols, which Republican Representative Michael McCaul brought up.
I believe that these roving patrols should be done at the border rather than in the major cities of the United States. So when the president decided to remove Agent Bovino, And put in Tom Homan, who I've known for years, a consummate professional, law enforcement professional.
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Chapter 3: How did immigration officials defend their actions in Congress?
I commended the president. And what has been done since Mr. Homan came into the job? We now have targeted law enforcement operations.
According to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Homan is preparing to remove ICE agents from the state within days. As for other ICE reform efforts, there are just a few short days left for members of Congress to negotiate. If there's no deal, immigration enforcement would carry on, but DHS agencies like FEMA, the Coast Guard, and TSA would face a shutdown.
As Congress scrutinizes the tactics of ICE, polling suggests growing public anxiety about the presence of officers in towns and cities. A recent national NPR poll found that 65 percent of those surveyed said that ICE enforcement has gone too far. And a Reuters poll found that approval for Trump's immigration policy has been declining in recent months.
The president promised to bring border crossings down from the record levels seen under the Biden administration. An analysis from Pew last week showed migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border were now at their lowest levels in 50 years. But some Republicans have raised concerns that ICE's heavy presence might be erasing what they see as policy wins for target voters.
Republican Senator Tom Tillis warned that the agency's conduct was starting to hurt the party. He said this to reporters last month.
It's just amateurish. It's terrible. It's making the president look bad on policies. They're not talking about securing the border.
Most of the coverage has focused on mainly Democratic-run cities where ICE protests and incidents have developed. But there are also signs of conflicted feelings in some smaller towns, like Freud in northeast Montana, which is about 50 miles from the U.S.-Canada border. It's home to fewer than 200 people.
In the last election, most people who voted voted for President Donald Trump. 75% of voters supported him. It's an agricultural community, and most people there either work on farms or in the schools or bank or other local businesses.
That's Nora Mabee, a reporter for the Montana Free Press. She told us about the case of Freud resident Roberto Orozco Ramirez. In 2009, he'd been removed from the U.S. because Border Patrol claimed he had gang affiliations. He returned to the U.S. and was arrested last month for reentering and threatening a federal officer.
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