Senior US immigration officials told House lawmakers that officers involved in federal operations in Minnesota were trained on constitutional limits, crowd control and the use of force, as Congress scrutinizes two fatal shootings that occurred during enforcement actions earlier this year.
At a House Homeland Security Committee oversight hearing, Chairman
Lyons said deportation officers and special agents are trained at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in “defensive tactics and personal safety,” as well as laws including key Constitutional amendments relating to speech, firearms, searches, citizenship and other rights before being deployed, with additional training once in the field.
Garbarino, a New York Republican, posed a similar question to CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott, who said agents receive ongoing instruction and refresher training when deployed away from the border areas the agency normally patrols.
“Any time we’re deploying them to the interior, they get updated law and law refresher training to include First Amendment and Fourth Amendment,” Scott said.
Operation Metro Surge, in which thousands of ICE and CBP personnel were deployed in Minneapolis and other nearby communities, triggered a broad outcry after two US citizens were killed during enforcement operations. Critics at all levels of government have questioned whether force protocols were properly applied and are seeking greater transparency in reviewing the two fatal shootings.
Garbarino pressed both agencies on the availability of less-lethal options.
Lyons said every ICE deportation officer and special agent is trained in and issued secondary weapons, “which include the Taser, OC spray and baton.” Oleoresin capsicum spray, or pepper spray, is widely used by law enforcement for crowd control.
Scott said CBP agents are similarly required to carry secondary weapons and undergo refresher training “every three months.”
Camera Coverage
Lyons said fewer than a quarter of federal immigration agents currently deployed are equipped with body-worn cameras. About 3,000 of the roughly 13,000 agents in the field have cameras, Lyons said, adding that the agency is working to distribute another 6,000 devices, which would raise coverage to about 70%.
Republicans used the hearing to fault the handling of the Minnesota operation even as they defended enforcement overall.
McCaul praised President
Democrats accused the administration of excessive force and inflammatory rhetoric. California’s
The White House has slowly downsized its presence in Minneapolis, withdrawing 700 ICE agents from the region. It has also drawn down the number of agents in Maine, the site of another surge of immigration personnel.
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