by Garth Meyer
Congressman Ted Lieu held a telephone town hall Jan. 29, taking questions about U.S. Immigration Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol actions in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Lieu visited the state after Renee Good was shot, and participated in a hearing with a police chief.
“We cannot be complicit in funding ICE, supporting this rogue agency,” he said.
A Democrat representing Los Angeles County (36th District), Lieu noted that 206 members of his party voted in Congress to restrict ICE funding, sending the question to the Senate, where, during that time, Alex Pretti was killed by ICE agents.
“I call for an operational stand-down by ICE and border security,” Lieu said, referring to a practice he knew from four years of active duty in the Air Force and 21 years in the reserves.
He issued a letter asking for the stand-down along with other veterans in Congress.
The Congressman also said Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem should resign, and if she does not, he supports an impeachment inquiry.
He quoted Abraham Lincoln: “Public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed.”
“They’ve lost the public sentiment on ICE and border patrol,” Lieu said. “I also want to note that murder has no statute of limitations.”
Questions from callers began, one of whom said that the Democrats needed to fight harder against President Trump.
“We did shut down the government, the longest ever in U.S. history,” Lieu said, and “passed an extension of ACA (Affordable Care Act) tax credit. We got 17 Republicans to join us. Now it’s on the Senate side.”
To another question, he said, “There’s no evidence that (ICE) ever deported an adult U.S. citizen.”
Mary from Rancho Palos Verdes asked how the Democrats are preparing for when they resume power (in Congress).
“I do think we will flip the House,” Lieu said as part of his answer.
He described being in Minneapolis as “horrific and inspiring at the same time. It’s -9 degrees and they are outside protesting, knowing they may be near ICE and Border Patrol agents who are armed.”
“Trump and J.D. Vance have already lost,” Lieu continued. “If you look at poll after poll. Even a Fox News poll had Trump at -10 on immigration and ICE at -20, -27.”
A question about boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean came next; why did the Congressman vote to support a $900 billion Department of War appropriations bill?
“I led a letter to investigate Secretary Hegseth for murder or war crimes,” Lieu answered, adding that most Democrats supported the appropriations bill.
“It wasn’t a stand-alone bill,” he said. “It had a lot of other pretty good appropriations bills with it.”
Lieu noted that to stop the boat strikes, if Hegseth is not prosecuted, the Secretary may be by a future administration.
Ethan in El Segundo asked about facial recognition apps; what steps will Democrats take to protect from their misuse?
Rep. Lieu announced that he has introduced legislation to ban federal agents from using it to identify protesters, etc.
“Hopefully we flip the house and we can reintroduce the bill,” he said.
A man called in from Los Angeles.
“I am Latino. I am brown,” he said. “Is it okay to go around without a passport and just my REAL I.D.? I am in the process of getting a passport.”
“It is painful for me to say this, but I’m not sure it’s okay with just a REAL I.D. because that doesn’t show citizenship,” Lieu said, emphasizing that it is unconstitutional to ask someone (to show their legal status) based on appearance.
“That is the America we should be living in,” he said.
Daniel from Harbor City asked what Lieu and the Democrats were doing to get their duties back in Congress, as opposed to President Trump’s executive branch taking precedent.
“I think the Supreme Court will likely restrict (some) of these tariffs,” he said.
Lieu pointed out that he is part of a working group on reforms to stop a future, “smarter” version of a president like Trump.
“We’re actively looking into that question that you raise,” he said.
In concluding comments, the congressman further told of ICE and border patrol as “two rogue, out of control agencies.”
“The American people have already spoken and Trump and Vance have lost. You see even more Americans show up in protest and marching. It’s very clear that the American people have had it.” ER
Just like the national debt. Kick the can down the road for another generation – or work to fix it? Clearly Ted Lieu is a kicker.