Politics
Democrats plan expanded congressional probes into fatal immigration agent shootings
NPR reports that Democrats, with a new congressional majority, plan subpoenas over fatal immigration agent shootings, while DHS calls the effort political.
The short version
- NPR reports Democrats plan to widen congressional probes into fatal shootings by immigration agents after midterm wins.[NPR]
- Cases cited include Alex Pretti, Renee Good and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, plus at least seven other deaths.[NPR]
- Democrats could use subpoenas to compel testimony and demand internal documents, and DHS dismissed the push as political shenanigans.[NPR]
- Major funding changes would require a veto-proof majority that Democrats lack, and DHS did not respond to NPR's status request.[NPR]
Key facts
- Democrats gained a congressional majority in the midterm elections and plan to widen probes of fatal shootings by immigration agents.[NPR]
- Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last January.[NPR]
- An ICE officer killed Renee Good a few weeks before Pretti's death.[NPR]
- An ICE officer killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston in July.[NPR]
- Federal law enforcement officials have given little indication they are progressing in investigating the deaths of at least seven other people killed by federal immigration agents since last year.[NPR]
- DHS did not respond to an NPR request for the status of those investigations.[NPR]
- Rep. Jamie Raskin said Congress will use every tool at its disposal to investigate ICE.[NPR]
What remains uncertain
- It is unknown whether the planned congressional probes will produce results, since federal officials have shown little sign of progress in existing investigations.[NPR]
- Legal experts say Democrats lack the veto-proof majority needed for major changes such as clawing back ICE funding.[NPR]
- DHS and the White House dispute the planned investigations; the White House called them sham investigations, a claim attributed to the administration rather than established.[NPR]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.