The heads of U.S. immigration enforcement agencies are set to testify before Congress on Tuesday, facing questions over the implementation of President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda. The hearing comes amid heightened scrutiny following the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis by Homeland Security officers, and a broader backlash against policies critics argue violate the rights of immigrants and American citizens alike.
Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Rodney Scott, head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will appear before the House Committee on Homeland Security. Their testimony occurs as public support for the agencies' enforcement methods wanes, but as they benefit from increased funding from a spending bill passed last year that expanded immigration enforcement nationwide.
The administration maintains that activists and protesters are escalating attacks on officers, and that enforcement operations enhance public safety by targeting criminals and threats. Under Lyons, ICE has undertaken a major hiring surge and intensified arrests and deportations across U.S. cities. Lyons is expected to face questions about a memo he signed authorising officers to forcibly enter homes without a judicial warrant, a departure from previous policy and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches.
Scott's agency has also taken a more prominent role in interior enforcement, a shift from its traditional border security duties. This has led to controversy, particularly involving a team of Border Patrol agents led by Commander Gregory Bovino, who conducted operations in several cities often accused of indiscriminate questioning. Bovino insists his targets are intelligence-led and that force is used only when warranted. Following the fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent and a CBP officer in Minneapolis, Bovino was reassigned and Trump's border czar Tom Homan assumed control.
USCIS has faced criticism for additional vetting of already-admitted refugees and pausing decisions on asylum cases. The hearing coincides with a congressional debate over whether to fund the Department of Homeland Security without restrictions on officer conduct.
