A House Democrat on Thursday warned immigration agents who have carried out federal laws and directives from President Trump they will “not be safe” when his party is back in control.
“If you are a US government official and you are deporting Americans be warned. When the worm turns you will not be safe because you were just following orders. You do not have to take part in illegal acts ordered by this President’s administration,” Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., wrote on his personal Twitter account.
The initial message did not specify what kind of consequences U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel would face.
[Also read: Florida’s progressive candidate for governor wants to replace ICE with DOJ]
If you are a US government official and you are deporting Americans be warned. When the worm turns you will not be safe because you were just following orders. You do not have to take part in illegal acts ordered by this President’s administration. https://t.co/BLq48HRkbH
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) August 30, 2018
The progressive lawmaker’s tweet was in response to MSNBC host Chris Hayes’ statement regarding a Washington Post report that the State Department had denied passports to American Latinos believed to have fake birth certificates. The State Department shot back and said these incidents have declined under Trump.
Gallego’s office issued a follow-up statement to the Washington Examiner that stated federal employees “who violate the law or the Constitution will not be immune to legal consequences.”
However, the congressman did not indicate if specific laws had been broken.
Select Democrats have called since June to abolish ICE following the family separations that took place in May and June resulting from Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ order to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to refer for prosecution all adults, including those in families who have illegally crossed the border from Mexico.
ICE and the White House did not immediately return a request for comment on Gallego’s tweet.
