Rep. Jerry Nadler said Tuesday that Americans could be “justified” in shooting masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents if they believed they were being attacked by criminals rather than federal officers, escalating Democratic criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown during a heated House Judiciary Committee hearing. Nadler text
The New York Democrat argued that aggressive, often masked enforcement tactics are fueling fear in communities and creating dangerous confrontations.
“If you were attacked by a masked person, you might think you were being kidnapped,” Nadler said. “You would be justified in shooting the person to protect yourself,” he told lawmakers.
Nadler accused President Donald Trump’s administration of unleashing what he described as “fascism in our streets,” pointing to recent shootings involving ICE agents as evidence of escalating violence tied to immigration operations.
He cited the death of Renee Good as an example of what he characterized as agents targeting people without cause.
“We see people being shot, for what? For driving a car?” Nadler said.
He also described raids in which officers allegedly entered homes without warrants and removed people without allowing them to dress. “We see the ICE goons break into people’s homes without a warrant,” Nadler said. “We see them drag out a man — an American citizen in his underwear in the snow — without even permitting him to get dressed.”
The comments followed the fatal shootings of Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month, incidents that sparked protests in Minnesota and across the country. Some Democratic lawmakers have since renewed calls to abolish ICE.
In response to the unrest, Trump reshuffled immigration leadership in Minnesota, removing Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino and replacing him with longtime immigration hard-liner Tom Homan.
The president dismissed suggestions that the administration was scaling back raids. “No, no, not at all,” Trump said when asked last week whether enforcement actions would ease.
Republicans on the committee condemned Nadler’s remarks as reckless, arguing they could encourage violence against law enforcement officers carrying out federal duties.
The exchange underscored deepening political divisions over immigration enforcement as the administration presses ahead with its toughest crackdown yet.
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I don’t know about the term ‘justified’, as it implies a legal outcome that is far from settled or certain. But such a legal defense would be understandable and articulable, and certainly sympathetic and rational. I would not be surprised by an exoneration should someone face these circumstances and react as if they were not being attacked by law enforcement agents, especially under ‘stand your ground’ standards like with have in AZ law. We have too many documented cases of impersonation of federal agents under current conditions already on the books, to easily discount the liklihood of an aquital. Plus, with SYG laws, the State has to overcome a presumption of justification beyond a reasonable doubt, which is quite a bit more difficult for the State than a mere affirmative defense of self defense.
100% agree. These masked thugs are J6ers. As the chief of Police in Philadelphia stated at a news conference, real law enforcment do not wear masks.
That’s certainly the reason these yahoos are wearing masks, not doxxing per se to target the agents personally for harm or harrassment (which is bullshit) but to avoid their being doxxed, or publicly outted, as those who have less than savory or sympathetic backgrounds: failed LEOs with severe disciplinary histories, former anti-government militia members, and outright former criminals.
I agree with representative Adler. If a masked person broke through my door and not showing any judicial warrant and if I had a gun which I do not I would shoot him. It’s not the best response, but it is certainly understandable because these people are not carrying anything identifying them as official.
I strongly recommend people NOT do that. But that being said, I lawfully keep a shotgun for this very purpose, and under the right circumstances, it’s something that I might feel compelled to do for my safety and that of my family. These bozos are playing with fire and don’t believe they can’t possibly get burned: they are dead wrong.