Jayapal brings US citizens arrested by ICE to confront Noem

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of violating the rights of American citizens by detaining them, inviting four guests who she said were held in custody to a hearing Wednesday featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Jayapal said the department was “unlawfully detaining U.S. citizens in violation of the Fourth Amendment,” saying each was arrested simply for protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

She introduced Patricia O’Keefe, who the lawmaker said “saw an entire area dedicated to detaining U.S. citizens. An ICE agent also said, ‘You guys have to stop obstructing us. That’s why that lesbian b—- is dead’ – referring to Renee Good,” Jayapal said during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

Jayapal then asked the four invitees, who sat in the audience, a series of questions.

“Raise your hand if you were not charged with any crime following your detention,” she said as each raised their hand. “Not a single one of you were charged with a crime.” 

“Now raise your hand if any of you were not even asked to prove that you were U.S. citizens during your detention. Not a single one of you were even asked about your citizenship status, making it clear that DHS agents simply don’t care that they’re arresting U.S. citizens,” she said as each in the group again raised their hand. 

“Now, please raise your hand if you were detained by ICE simply for legally protesting or monitoring ice activity under your first amendment rights,” she said. All again raised their hands.

Given a chance to respond, Noem said, “Context is critical in each of these situations to know the full range of what happened in each of these situations, before and after the incident and their arrest.”

Jayapal said Noem had rejected “multiple chances to take accountability.”

“DHS is supposed to be protecting our residents and upholding constitutional protections, but you’ve turned that on the head,” she said. “You have actually turned the United States government against its own residents.”

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