Proposal Would Fix Chaos at American Airports, Mandate ICE Standards Consistent with Other Federal Agencies, Target Enforcement on “Worst of the Worst”
Senate Democrats have tried 10 times to pass legislation to fully fund TSA so the officers could get paid and relieve the abominable lines at airport security, to fully fund FEMA, the Coast Guard, and cybersecurity, more important than ever in light of heightened terror threats since Trump’s unprovoked, illegal Iran War. But each time, Republicans have blocked it.
Think of it. When Americans are most vulnerable, Trump and the Republicans are willing to let national security collapse in order to continue to allow ICE illegally detain, arrest, incarcerate in inhumane concentration camps, without any accountability.
And now, when Republicans are ready to say “uncle,” Trump has told them he does not want them to work with Democrats. Think of it – that’s more than half the country that he doesn’t care about, especially since his approval rating is now around 36%.
What is more, since he came up with the brilliant idea (like a paper clip!), which actually came from a woman calling in to a talk show, to install the ICE thugs at airports, under the pretense of relieving the burdens of the TSA agents who remain on the job despite not being paid in a month, he has actually fallen in love with the fact that the ICE agents aren’t helping relieve travelers’ misery at all (in fact, they are like SCABs in a union action), but are in place to continue extra-judicial, unconstitutional arrests, detentions, deportations.
Trump has also tied passing any new legislation to the Congress passing his SAVE Act, whose singular purpose is to suppress voting by disenfranchising potentially millions of women, Blacks, seniors, college students, and anyone else who tends to vote for Democrats. So Trump has little incentive to adopt this legislation proposed by Congressmen Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). But good try, guys.
Meanwhile, I’m sick of people blaming Democrats or “Congress,” instead of putting the blame for the chaos, confusion, misery, suffering, and impending collapse of our economy, democracy, national security by Trump and his Republican enablers. –Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com
Washington, D.C.— Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) announced that they are working on bipartisan legislation to immediately re-open the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while advancing commonsense reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
At a moment when Washington remains deadlocked, the Suozzi-Fitzpatrick effort offers a serious bipartisan path to restore full DHS operations while pairing that action with targeted reforms to improve public trust and strengthen accountability within ICE.
“People are standing in long lines at our airports, TSA agents are not getting paid, FEMA is going unfunded, and Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated that instead of solving problems, politicians in Washington are pointing fingers. Congressman Fitzpatrick and I are trying to cut through the dysfunction, isolate the problem areas where negotiations have stalled, and work together to get things done,” said Congressman Suozzi.“Ultimately, ICE is a law enforcement agency that needs to be held to the same professional standards as every other law enforcement agency in the United States. Unfortunately, ICE has been operating in a fashion I believe is illegal and immoral. It’s not a radical idea to ask them to answer to the same safety and transparency requirements as every other police officer and federal agent in the country.
“Protecting the American people is among the first obligations of government, and that means ensuring the Department of Homeland Security is fully funded and fully operational. It also means ensuring that those entrusted with enforcing the law operate under clear, consistent standards that preserve public trust. I have long believed that, at its core, law enforcement is a social contract built on trust on both ends. This effort would restore DHS operations, reinforce clear and uniform standards across federal law enforcement, and keep enforcement focused on the most serious threats to public safety. That is how we restore the mission, strengthen enforcement, and renew public confidence in the institutions charged with protecting the American people,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick.
The proposed reforms are being developed to fully restore DHS operations while establishing ICE standards consistent with those of other law enforcement agencies. In shaping this effort, the Congressmen have engaged directly with federal law enforcement officials, while drawing on Congressman Fitzpatrick’s more than 15 years as an FBI Agent and Congressman Suozzi’s experience overseeing the nation’s 11th largest police department as Nassau County Executive.
The legislation would require that all federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE, are held to the same high standards and policies as it pertains to training requirements, the use of body cameras, independent investigation of use-of-force at scenes, clear outer identification of the agency engaged in the enforcement action, cooperation with local law enforcement, and a prohibition of masks during enforcement actions coupled with tougher penalties for doxxing. It would also lay out stronger warrant requirements and rules governing activity in sensitive locations to ensure enforcement resources are focused on the “worst of the worst.”
Last week, the Senate failed to advance DHS funding for the fifth time, extending a stalemate that has left the Department unfunded since February 13 and is taking a serious toll on TSA staffing, airport operations, and DHS’s ability to fully carry out its mission. At the same time, the deadlock has made clear that any durable solution must not only reopen DHS, but also address the need for credible, commonsense reforms that strengthen accountability within ICE.