A TV interview with former Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman James Schwab was interrupted on Wednesday when federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s Office knocked on Schwab’s front door.
Schwab told CBS News, the outlet conducting the interview, that the agents wanted to talk with him about “the leak with the Oakland mayor.”
Schwab resigned from his post at ICE in March, saying the Trump administration told him to “lie” about an incident that provoked a public spat between government officials and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, according to CBS News.
Schaaf in February warned residents in her city of an impending raid in the San Francisco Bay area targeting illegal immigrants.
The move angered Trump officials including Attorney General Jeff Sessions and acting ICE Director Thomas Homan, who claimed Schaaf had helped more than 800 illegal immigrants evade the agency.
President Trump criticized Schaaf in March, calling her a “disgrace” and vowing to investigate the situation.
“We ended up arresting 232, which is 16 percent higher than our highest estimates. So internally, that was considered a success … But what they publicly said was that she let people go,” Schwab told CBS News.
Schwab added Wednesday he was comfortable with ICE’s original statement, which qualified their assertion that Schaaf had assisted “some” illegal immigrants elude the authorities.
But he drew the line at remarks Sessions made a week later that saddled Schaaf with full responsibility for the alleged evasions.
“I could not fathom staying at an organization that was OK with lying to the American public. I hate that. In 17 years in the military, at the Department of Defense as a civilian, at NASA, and now at Homeland Security, I have never been asked to lie. I have never been asked to perpetuate a lie, which is the same as lying,” Schwab continued.
But Schwab, a registered Democrat who also worked for ICE during the Obama administration, pushed back on speculation he collaborated with the mayor by telling her about the raids before they happened.
“No. I’ve never met her before. I never contacted Libby Schaaf,” Schwab told CBS News. “Never. I would never tell her. I would never tell anyone.”
A DHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
Watch the exchange below:
WATCH: Our interview with former @ICEgov spokesperson James Schwab was interrupted by a surprise visit from government agents.@JamieYuccas reports ➡️ https://t.co/QlDGflrdP4 pic.twitter.com/4shmAqutD8
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) June 28, 2018
