Top officials from U.S. immigration agencies testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on February 10, 2026, amid criticism over tactics following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. The hearing occurs as Congress faces a Friday deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security, with Democrats demanding reforms to enforcement practices. Partisan tensions highlighted divides, though some bipartisan concerns emerged on training and oversight.
The House Homeland Security Committee convened on February 10, 2026, to question acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow. This marked the first congressional appearance by immigration agency leaders since the shootings of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, both 37-year-old U.S. citizens, by federal officers in Minneapolis. Republicans and Democrats invoked the incidents, with Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., calling the deaths "unacceptable and preventable" and urging a complete investigation.
Democrats criticized enforcement tactics, including roving patrols and use of force, while Republicans defended operations but shared concerns. Lyons deflected questions on the shootings, stating he would "not comment on any ongoing investigations." He emphasized that U.S. citizens should not fear detention, noting ICE officers are trained under the Immigration and Nationality Act. In response to queries on training, Lyons described a three-month program including 47 days at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in Georgia.
Bipartisan agreement surfaced on body cameras, with Lyons pledging release of Minneapolis footage and Scott urging full congressional funding for CBP's program, where only half of 20,000 officers are equipped. ICE has 3,000 cameras for 13,000 officers. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated cameras are being sent to every Minneapolis field officer, with nationwide expansion as funding allows. Democrats seek to codify this in law.
Partisan rhetoric intensified: Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., asked Lyons if he considered himself religious and how Judgment Day would treat him "with so much blood on your hands," prompting Garbarino to admonish her for breaching decorum. Separately, Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., likened ICE to the Gestapo, leading Lyons to suggest he visit the Holocaust Museum, adding that such labels contribute to a 1,000% increase in assaults and 8,000% surge in death threats against agents.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, voiced concerns over roving patrols in cities, praising the replacement of Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino with White House border czar Tom Homan for de-escalation. Lyons reported that since Homan's arrival, protests subsided, and local authorities arrested 54 anti-ICE protesters overnight without ICE involvement.
The hearing coincides with DHS funding negotiations expiring Friday. Democrats issued 10 demands, including bans on masks, requirements for identifying information and judicial warrants. The White House sent a counterproposal Monday, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it "incomplete and insufficient." Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans a short-term funding bill as backup. A 2021 Government Accountability Office report noted prior detentions of U.S. citizens, and recent polls show two-thirds of Americans believe ICE has "gone too far."
Funding lapses could impact non-immigration DHS agencies like TSA and FEMA, though ICE and CBP received $70 billion last summer.
