Over the last few weeks, ICE has been getting put through the wringer, even though the Alex Pretti shooting was at the hands of Border Patrol agents, not ICE agents.
Even so, there has been a big push for more training, as well as Republicans calling out the actions of ICE, saying they do not have “carte blanche” to do whatever they want.
This narrative will only gain momentum after it was announced that an agent was charged with a misdemeanor for being too aggressive during a recent incident in Illinois.
DHS has had a bit of a staffing boom since Trump took over, and there seems to be a belief that many of the agents on the ground now did not receive proper training before hitting the streets.
For example, Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) stated, “The more training they could have, the better it’ll be, because they’re dealing with some strange stuff going on that’s coming at them in a lot of different directions.”
This narrative is catching steam within the GOP, and I believe it is their way of calling out the agents without doing a complete betrayal.
Another example is Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), who stated, “Law enforcement needs training to be aware of how to handle certain situations. It’s hard to sit there and take it and get abused.”
Another narrative being pushed by Democrats is that agents believe they are impervious to any repercussions for their actions, so they are just doing whatever they want in terms of going after protesters and illegal immigrants.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski sounded like a Democrat on this front, rebuking agents for their actions.
She stated that these agents “do not have carte blanche” in carrying out their duties, then added that the Pretti shooting “should raise serious questions within the administration about the adequacy of immigration-enforcement training and the instructions officers are given on carrying out their mission.”
In that same report, it was noted that DHS has blocked local officials from being involved in the investigation of the shooting, so the administration has to be very careful about how it frames its final findings, or all hell is going to break loose, and not just in Congress.
The worst possible news for the Trump administration right now, in terms of the pushback it is receiving from agents, is for an agent to face charges, but that is exactly what just happened in Illinois.
It has been announced that ICE agent Adam Saracco is being charged with a misdemeanor for his reaction to being filmed by a citizen.
Chicago-based attorney Robert Held explained his version of the story, stating, “He put the gas hose down, and he started briskly walking towards me. When he got closer, he broke into a run, and I was stunned. He put his hands on me. He threw me to the ground and aggressively was on top of me, trying to grab my phone.”
The administration claims the officer was off-duty and protecting his personal security. Local officials wanted felony charges, which were denied, but a misdemeanor charge was filed. This may be the most important misdemeanor case in the history of law enforcement because, if this agent is found guilty, it will open the door to a slew of criminal and civil cases against ICE and Border Patrol agents, in my humble opinion.
