Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to “turn up the heat” with traffic stops following confusion with the White House about whether vehicle stops would continue.
Mullin hosted a press conference on Friday meant to focus on election security, but the department head faced questions about ICE operations following two officer-involved shootings of illegal immigrants in one week.
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He was asked if ICE officers would face consequences if they violate the Department of Homeland Security’s use-of-force policy and change course on how officers conduct immigration enforcement.
“When I say, ‘turn down the temperature,’ I turn down the temperature with you guys,” Mullin said, pointing at reporters. “We’re turning up the heat on the streets. We’re out there working harder than we ever have because we’ve empowered our law enforcement to do their job.”
On Wednesday, acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis called on “sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down” regarding the rhetoric about ICE, which she claimed is “fueling vehicle attacks against federal officers.” In both ICE-involved shootings in Maine and Texas, the agency said the deceased were attempting to “weaponize” their vehicles.
Mullin disputed the idea that whether ICE officers will face consequences following shootings is in question.
“What I’m trying to do is remove us from the headlines every single day,” he said. “I don’t pick and choose which laws I’m going to enforce. I enforce our nation’s laws. That means I’ll enforce it with our own agency, and I’ll enforce it with the criminals on the streets.”
The secretary’s remarks follow the department’s appearing not to be on the same page with the Trump administration. On Tuesday, an internal DHS announcement directed ICE officers to avoid pursuing vehicles when making arrests. President Donald Trump then publicly undercut Mullin and demanded the traffic stops continue, and Mullin’s remarks on Friday seem to suggest he will comply with the president’s order.
ICE SITS FROZEN AMID TRUMP-MULLIN TRAFFIC STOP DEBACLE
The dispute over the manner in which illegal immigrants are arrested follows ICE directing its officers to focus on upping their arrest numbers, according to reporting by the New York Times.
According to documents reviewed by the outlet, ICE detained over 10,000 people over the course of five days at the end of June. The arrests occurred during check-ins with immigration authorities, during traffic stops and on the street, and happened without loud public scrutiny as the agency looks to reach the White House’s deportation quota.
