▶ 0:00:00sitting before us now to testify under regular order, but was never asked. Today is a distraction from the fact that DHS has been shut down for over 65 days and the security impacts of that are real and the workforce is suffering. Rather than work to reopen DHS, minority has used prior hearings to witnesses who volunteered voluntarily appeared before the committee. Listen to their own words.
▶ 0:00:23On February 10th, minority member said, "The greatest threat to the homeland right now is Department of Homeland Security." Another minority member said, another minority member said, "DHS cannot be reformed. It must be dismantled." And I know the ranking member disagrees with that view, and I appreciate that. But let's be honest, those are not serious positions. DHS was created after 9/11 to break down silos, improve coordination, and help keep the American people safe. Calling to dismantle it ignores why it was created in the first place.
▶ 0:00:52Republicans have voted to fully fund the department three times. Republicans have voted to provide department with more resources for training, body cameras, and internal investigations and This committee was the first between the House and the Senate combined to hold a hearing with federal immigration officials this year. I wish my Democratic colleagues would drop this charade and support reopening the department. That being said, I do appreciate the witnesses being here and providing testimony today. I now recognize the ranking member, the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr.
▶ 0:01:22Thompson, for his opening statement.
▶ 0:01:24Thank you very much. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman. Before we begin, I want to welcome the newest Democratic member of the committee, the gentle woman from New Jerseyy's 11th district, Miss Miha. Uh, Congresswoman Miha is a proud daughter of immigrants, a fierce advocate for labor, and a champion for those in need.
▶ 0:01:47Her firsthand experience dealing with flooding and other natural disasters in her community will be an asset to this committee. We're fortunate to have her. I look forward to working with her again. Welcome. I also welcome our panel of witnesses to this minority day hearing. I will note that it's been 20 years since the committee on homeland security held a minority day.
▶ 0:02:14Over the years, the committee has conducted oversight in countless homeland security issues. But none of these issues were more urgent than Americans being locked up, assaulted, shot, and killed by the Department of Homeland Security.
▶ 0:02:32Under President Trump, ICE and CBP have killed Renee Good, Alex Prey in cold blood and shot, beat, harassed, arrested, or locked up countless more innocent people. Congress cannot stand idly by while Americans are hurt and killed by their own government. That's why Democrats are demanding accountability.
▶ 0:02:57That means holding oversight hearings, obtaining documents, and demanding answers from the Trump administration. Unfortunately, Republicans have done nothing of the sort. Republicans have refused to work across the aisle to enact meaningful ICE and CBP reforms. In doing so, they have forced the longest partisan government shutdown in history.
▶ 0:03:22Less than a year ago, Republicans gave ICE and CBP1 150 billion dollar slush fund paid for with taxpayers dollars with no oversight or strings attached. Now, Republicans want to give them another $70 billion in so Steven Miller, Tom Holman, and Mark Wayne Mullen can do whatever they want with it. It's outrageous.
▶ 0:03:52Congressional Democrats are saying enough is enough. And on this committee in particular, we refuse to allow Republicans to sherk our oversight responsibility. After Republicans refused Democrats request to invite ICE and CBP to our DHS shutdown hearing last month, we requested a minority day hearing with Miller and Holman, the architects of Trump's outofcontrol immigration policies.
▶ 0:04:23Unfortunately, the White House refused to send them to testify today, but that comes at no surprise. Stephen Miller has the blood of American citizens on his hands. And Tom Holman doesn't want to answer questions about why he was recorded by the FBI accepting $50,000 cash in a takeout bag from undercover agents.
▶ 0:04:51They are hiding from accountability today and they are being aided and emedded by congressional Republicans. The most recent example in this appalling uh letter the chairman sent to Miller and Holman discouraging them from attending this hearing. He went so far as to refer to our request as quote a distraction and quote not a serious attempt at oversight unquote.
▶ 0:05:19Imagine calling oversight of the deaths of Americans a distraction and not serious. How ironic for Republicans to call Democratic hearings request unserious when the chairman's seven-page invitation letter was more that of the entirety of Republicans oversight this Congress. It's a shame.
▶ 0:05:43Unfortunately, the Trump administration has ignored Democrats oversight requests all Congress and refused to release critical evidence against ICE and CBP in the death of Renee and Alex. In January, every Democrat on this committee signed a letter to then Secretary Christy known demanding video recordings and other documents in the death of Miss Good and Mr.
▶ 0:06:12Freddy, four months later, that letter is still unanswered. Mr. Chairman, I ask that that letter be included in the record.
▶ 0:06:24We remember them today and our prayers are with their loved ones. I want to thank the witnesses who are here to tell their stories on the record. It takes real courage to do that and we thank them for coming forward. Miramar Martinez, a US citizen and preschool teacher, was shot five times by a border patrol agent after he rammed her vehicle as she drove through a Chicago neighborhood.
▶ 0:06:56Reverend David Black, senior pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, was outside the Broadview ICE Detention Facility praying when DHS law enforcement officers shot him with pepper balls multiple times.
▶ 0:07:13George Reitis, a US citizen and Iraqi combat veteran, was on his way to work last July when DHS agents pepper sprayed him, arrested him, and locked him up for three days before finally releasing him. Ryan Ecklund, a US citizen from Minnesota, was violently arrested and detained for hours without explanation after recording ICE activity from his vehicle.
▶ 0:07:41I asked the clerk to please pray a short video showing what Trump's DHS did to our witnesses.
▶ 0:07:50Just looked down and I looked at my hand and it was full of blood. That's when I realized like I really I actually
▶ 0:07:57Marty Martinez is a teacher's assistant at a Montasauri school in Chicago.
▶ 0:08:01Watch closely as this angle shows pull his own wheel to the left into Martinez's car, contradicting federal statements that she ran into them. will be Army veteran George Retes. You can see some aerial video from back in July. Retis is in that white vehicle there. He's arriving at his workplace as a raid was taking place. Now, agents later broke his window. They pepper- sprrayed him. They detained him in jail for 3 days before releasing him. And though DHS later said in a statement that he had been arrested for assault, he was never charged.
▶ 0:08:32That pastor was David Black. He joins us now. Good morning.
▶ 0:08:35Morning, pastor. So I stepped forward and I prayed for the ICE officers who were and as I was praying audibly uh to them they opened fire on me and shot me twice in the head, another five times on the body at least.
▶ 0:08:47As Simone Ryan Ecklan tells us that he had just dropped off a kid at school. He had headed over to the grocery store to pick up some things when he noticed pretty clearly an ICE vehicle. One of those ICE agents went into the back seat, gave me a choke hold around the uh the driver's headrest. Uh, and those five agents uh pulled me to the street uh put me in cuffs and put me in an unmarked van.
▶ 0:09:12Violence against Americans like we saw on the video must never happen again. Doing nothing is not an option. Mr. Chairman, I'm sorry Mr. Miller and Mr. Holman didn't have the guts to show up and face these witnesses today. I'm sorry they didn't have the guts to answer for the pain, suffering, and loss they've inflicted on people in communities across America.
▶ 0:09:37It's past time for Republicans to realize their oath isn't to Donald Trump. It's to the Constitution and the American people. They need to step up and do their job. join us in ensuring that Donald Trump and his henchmen can never do this to Americans again. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back. Other members of the committee reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record.
▶ 0:10:06I would now like to formally introduce our witnesses, Miss Marmar Martinez. Uh I recognize Mr. T Garcia for 30 seconds to introduce his
▶ 0:10:16Thank you, uh Mr. Chairman uh Gabberino for this opportunity to introduce Marimar Martinez. Marimar is my constituent and a US citizen. She works as a teaching assistant at a Montasauri school. Marimar was shot five times by border patrol agent Charles Exum who bragged about it to his fellow agents.
▶ 0:10:42Despite dismissing the bogus charges against her, the Trump administration continues to lie about Marimar and smear her as a domestic terrorist. I'm proud that Marim was my guest at the State of the Union. I commend her courage for speaking out about what she's endured and I strongly support her pursuit of justice and accountability, including the release of all evidence in her case. Thank you.
▶ 0:11:10Thank you, Pastor David Black, Mr. George Ritz Jr., and Mr. Ryan Ecklund. Thank all the witnesses for being here today. Present, pursuant to committee rule 8C, I ask that the witnesses please rise and raise their right hand. I solemnly swear that the testimony you'll give before the Committee on Homeland Security of the United States House of Representatives will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
▶ 0:11:39So, help you God. All right. We can be uh let the record reflect that the witnesses have answered the affirmative. Thank you. And please be seated. I now recognize Miss Martinez for five minutes to summarize her opening statement. My name is Marimar Martinez. I stand here not only as a survivor of this administration actions, but as a voice for those who cannot be heard.
▶ 0:12:08Those pleading for justice, living in fear, and demanding real change, transparency, and accountability. I am raised and born in Chicago, Illinois. I am a daughter of immigrants, a first generation Mexican American. I learned the values of resilience, community, respect, love, and hope. We build and we dream. That's what immigrants families do. We learn to bloom in places that try to bury us. On October 4, those values were tested when my life was nearly taken by my own government.
▶ 0:12:38On Saturday, October 4, 2025, I left my home. After spending the morning preparing clothes and shoes to donate to my local church, as I drove to the church, I noticed a SUV that appeared consistent with border patrol vehicle that had been invading my Hispanic neighborhood in recent weeks. As I got closer, I saw what appeared to be an Uber light in the front windshield, no front plates as required in Illinois, and an out ofstate license plate.
▶ 0:13:07A uniform border patrol agent. I was aware and concerned of recent incidents in my community. For a short period of time, I followed the vehicle and alerted my community by honking and shouting Laamigra to warn my neighbors about the presence of these agents who have been terrorizing our community over the past few weeks. My vehicle was two to three feet to the left of the Border Patrol vehicle. At one point, Border Patrol agents started to swerve into my lane as we were driving.
▶ 0:13:37I made eye contact with the driver of the border patrol vehicle and watch as he turned his steering wheel once again to his left and so I swept my I immediately froze, slammed on the brakes and stopped my car. The border patrol stopped just one to two car lengths ahead of me. At that moment, I believed I was in danger based on what I knew watching the news coverage of ICE agents and conscious in Chicago that I was in danger.
▶ 0:14:07I drove forward and went around the border patrol agents who jumped out of his car and pointed a gun at me. I moved to the far left lane, striking the curb on the far left side. The next thing I knew, I felt burning sens sensations in my arms and legs. Shortly after, I began to feel sharp impacts and burning sensation. As I continued to drive past the border patrol agents, I could hear my back passenger window window shatter.
▶ 0:14:33I looked down and noticed blood gushing out of my arms and legs and I realized I had been shot multiple times. I managed to drive a mile from where the incident happened and I pulled into a parking lot of a mechanic shop and called 911. At the hospital, I remember seeing multiple agents standing around watching me treated for my wounds. My arms, legs, and chest were all wrapped in dressings. I had seven bullet holes in my body.
▶ 0:15:00I remember the agents rushing the nurses to finish up so they could take me to jail. After being at the hospital for less than three hours, I was discharged and placed into custody of the FBI. Because I had been rushed out of the hospital so quickly, the blood started soaking through the dressings. FBI agent called an ambulance and transported me back to another hospital where my wounds were retreated and I received additional medical care before being released back into FBI custody and taken to prison.
▶ 0:15:30The news in the jail that evening had my story. I was being called the domestic terrorist. They said I ran federal agents. I was in shock if they only knew I was just months away from paying my car. And I I never intentionally damaged my vehicle, much less be crazy enough to hit a law enforcement vehicle. On Friday, I was teaching the young children at the Montasuri school. And on Saturday, my own government was calling me a domestic And I was in federal detention center with bell hose all over my body.
▶ 0:16:00Two weeks before the government dismissed all my charges in my case, I sat in federal courtroom and watched over 20 feet away as the border patrol agent who attempted to kill me testify at a hearing. Charles Exum. Charles Exum was my attempted execu executioner.
▶ 0:16:18Exxon was in the courtroom testifying, explaining why he took his vehicle that I allegedly ran out of the secure FBI evidence garage and drove it back to Maine, where the CBP on-site mechanic was ordered to buff out damages to the vehicle. This was all done prior to me or my attorney having the ability to examine the vehicle. Reason for this was unknown. Watching Charles Exum testify felt deeply eroding.
▶ 0:16:45I grew revering law enforcements witnessing ICE actions however changed that beliefs what I saw did not reflect the values I had trusted despite assurance that these operations will focus on the worst of the worst their actions and statements made on their oath to a different story. The evidence does not show a focus on the most dangerous individuals. Instead, it suggests the patterns of targeting people who fit a certain profile. Individuals are being single out characterized such as their accent color of their skin.
▶ 0:17:14This raises serious concern about fairness, discrimination, and abuse of authority. The lack accountability for these actions is deeply troubling. We the people are tired of this misconduct and demand transparency and accountability. Seeing Charles X on sit in federal courtroom and lie about what happened that day completely eroded all my trust in law enforcement. I know just because
▶ 0:17:37gentle lady's time is expired. I'm sorry, but we have to keep the hearing going. Um, I now recognize Reverend Pastor Black to summarize his opening
▶ 0:17:51Chairman Garberino, Ranking Member Thompson, members of the committee. My name is Pastor Black. I serve a community church on the south side of Chicago. My calling is as ordinary as they come, to preach the gospel and to care for the people of God. I have often felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to minister in places where people are suffering and calling for justice. That is what Jesus taught his followers to do. And like many of you, I happen to be a Bible believing Christian.
▶ 0:18:22I am aware that all of the Republican and most of the Democrat members of this committee are also Christians. I hope that you will receive me today not as a political adversary, but as a sibling and a friend in Christ. The Department of Homeland Security was created to protect our communities from political extremists. ICE and CBP were designed to prevent terrorism, but now they appear to be creating more fear and violence in American communities than the threats they are designed to prevent.
▶ 0:18:54Families across America are sheltering in their homes for fear that a father, mother, or child might be abducted and deported without due process. Chemical warfare is being unleashed by agents of ICE and CBP against citizens and residents of American communities who pose no threat. ICE has shot and killed people who are lawfully recording their operations.
▶ 0:19:19Countless Americans who assemble to peacefully protest these atrocities have been attacked by ICE and CBP with brutal and sometimes deadly force. I am one of them. On the evening of September 19th, 2025, I joined a group of clergy and activists peacefully protesting outside the ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois. I went as a Christian minister in traditional clerical attire.
▶ 0:19:48I approached the building with my arms outstretched and quoted Jesus to the agents, urging them to repent, for the kingdom of God is near. The masked agents opened fire on me, shooting me at least seven times in the head, in the face, and the body with pepper balls, which their manufacturer warns can cause severe or permanent injury or death when fired at sensitive areas like the head and the face.
▶ 0:20:14What was done to me is only a reflection of what is being done to people in my community who have no pulpit and no platform. On a daily basis, I witness the fear and the suffering of those who are being targeted by this violent campaign. People in my community are struggling to pay for food, housing, and health care.
▶ 0:20:36Meanwhile, they are living in fear that a member of their family or community could be taken by ICE, regardless of their citizenship status, simply on the basis of the language they speak or the color of their skin. People have a right to come to America seeking safety. Those of us who call ourselves Christians have a spiritual responsibility to receive them as our neighbors. That is the demand that Jesus places upon us who are his disciples.
▶ 0:21:07Telling us that what we do for those who are strangers, those who are hungry, those who are sick, and those who are imprisoned, we have done for him. There's an effort underway to increase funding for ICE and CBP's abhorrent activities by tens of billions of dollars with funding that has been taken from Medicaid and food programs like SNAP.
▶ 0:21:32This is quite literally an effort to take food out of the mouths of babies to pay for tear gas and bullets for ISIS for ICE to use against Americans. I want to remind members that a budget is a moral document, that what we spend reflects our priorities as a nation.
▶ 0:21:52We must ask whether those priorities are food, health care, housing, and public safety, or whether the priority is to intensify the fear and the violence gripping our nation. As a Christian and an American, I am horrified by the radical evil being perpetrated by my government. Jesus suffered torture and execution to liberate the world from the forces of spiritual evil that oppress it.
▶ 0:22:19Yet many of those calling themselves Christian have built and sustained institutions that dominate, coersse and terrorize. ICE and CBP are two such institutions. They cannot coexist with the kingdom of God.
▶ 0:22:35The only righteous path forward is to abolish these agencies and in contrition and true repentance rededicate their funding to support programs that feed the hungry, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and set captives free. Remember, friends, that what we do for them, we are doing for Christ himself. Let those with ears to hear listen.
▶ 0:23:06Gentleman yields back. I now recognize Mr. Rees, if I got that right, for five minutes to summarize his opening
▶ 0:23:15I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today and provide this testimony. My name is George Rees. I'm 26 years old, a US citizen, a veteran, and a father of two from Ventura, California. Last July, I was wrongfully detained by federal agents during an immigration raid while on my way to work. I did everything right. I identified myself. I told them I was an American citizen. I told them I was a veteran. I pointed at my place of work, which was right behind the barricade they established. None of it mattered in that moment.
▶ 0:23:45My constitutional rights didn't protect me. My service didn't protect me. My citizen my citizenship didn't protect me. I want you to understand exactly what that situation looked like. On July 10th, 2025, I was driving to my job as a security guard at a licensed farmed in Camaro, California. Federal agents, federal immigration agents were lined across the road that led to the farm where I worked. I clearly stated my citiz citizenship and fully complied with officers.
▶ 0:24:12Even though they were all yelling contradictory orders and no one was clearly in charge, agents were yelling at me to reverse, to get out of my vehicle, to pull over to the side, to leave. Yet despite everything do yet despite doing everything right, I was detained and treated as if I had no rights. Agents engulfed my car with tear gas, smashed my window, pepper-sprayed my face, and dragged me out. I was choking on gas, unable to breathe.
▶ 0:24:36And even though I wasn't resisting, I had one agent kneeling on my back and another nailing on my neck while my hands were already behind my back. I was first taken to a Navy base where the agents took my fingerprints, picture, and DNA. I was then taken to a detention center and held for three days without charges. No phone call, no lawyer, no medical care, even though my skin burned from the chemicals. I never even got to shower. Friday morning, I was put on suicide watch.
▶ 0:25:03Suicide watch is a yellow concrete room with a concrete bed and a tiny mattress on top. They leave the lights on 24/7. I'm naked in a hospital gown and the guard watches me. I'm like that in those conditions from Friday morning to the point I was released. I was released with zero charges and no explanation for anything that happened. I missed my daughter's third birthday while in this unjustified detention. After my release, the harm did not stop.
▶ 0:25:30Instead of correcting the record, officials from DHS, specifically DHS spokesperson Trisha Mclofflin, use social media to spread false and misleading statements about me and attempt to justify my detention and undermine my credibility. I was wrongfully detained and then publicly misrepresented by the very agency that violated my rights. That is not transparency. That has damaged control at the expense of the truth. What happened to me is not just a mistake.
▶ 0:25:56It is a failure of process, a failure of account of accountability, a failure of training, and it was a breakdown of the basic responsibility the government has to to the people it serves. We talk a lot in this country about law and order, but law and order only work when the law is applied correctly and when the people enforcing it are held accountable when they get it wrong. Because when federal agents can violate someone's rights and face no immediate consequence, that is not law and order. That is government overreach.
▶ 0:26:22If a US citizen, an army veteran, someone who complied, identified himself, and broke no law can be treated this way, detained without charges, denied basic rights, physically restrained, and then publicly smeared to justify it. that no one in this country is as safe as they believe they are. The Constitution does not apply when it is convenient. Civil rights do not disappear because an agency makes a mistake. And truth does not stop mattering because it is uncomfortable. I'm not asking for sympathy. I'm asking for accountability.
▶ 0:26:48Not just for myself, but for everyone who does not have a platform, a lawyer, or the ability to stand in front of you and tell their story. Because if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. Thank you again for inviting me to testify. I welcome your questions. Thank you very much. I now recognize Mr. Eklan for five minutes to summarize his opening statement.
▶ 0:27:17Chair, ranking member, and members of the committee. My name is Ryan Ecklund. I'm a lifelong Minnesota resident, a business owner, a husband, and a father, and a United States citizen. On January 7th, Renee Good was shot and killed in Minneapolis by ICE. She left behind loved ones, including a young son. And that event was broadcast worldwide and immediately sparked conversations about what immigration agents were really doing in Minnesota.
▶ 0:27:41When my older son asked my wife and I if I was going to come to our east metro suburb of Woodbury, my wife gave what she thought was a truthful answer, that ICE would probably stay in the more densely populated areas and that his friends would remain safe. Just 5 days later, my family and I learned that was not the case. On Monday, January 12th, after dropping my son off at school, I went to the grocery store less than a mile from our home. I saw a vehicle with heavily tinted windows, Texas license plates slowly rolling through the parking lot.
▶ 0:28:10And as they drove by, I noticed men in tactical gear and face coverings. At that moment, I made a decision to grab my phone and record the vehicle as I followed from a safe distance. Now, I've been asked by many people why I made that decision, and the simple answer was and continues to be accountability.
▶ 0:28:29Up to this point, ICE and their presence in the Twin Cities had been well documented, and I felt a strong conviction to continue to hold these individuals and the administration who sent them to spread fear and intimidation accountable for their actions in my own community. As other events showed, the best way to hold federal agents in Minneapolis accountable for their misconduct was by documenting their actions. So that's what I did. Once the vehicle noticed me following, the agents parked in another area and I parked a few spaces away.
▶ 0:28:56An ICE agent in military fatigues came up to my window and took my photo, said nothing, got back into the vehicle and then left the shopping area. I continued to follow them down the road as they then turned into my neighborhood, down my street, and into my culde-sac, driving directly past my house. I realized they had likely used facial recognition software to identify me.
▶ 0:29:18Please consider this for a moment that a government agent used advanced technology to identify and intimidate a US citizen for exercising his First Amendment rights. What purpose does this serve? Remember, these agents were not in pursuit of a violent criminal. They were lurking in a grocery store parking lot at 9:45 in the morning. I followed them out of my neighborhood and an addition an additional vehicle joined the front of our caravan.
▶ 0:29:44Then the agents boxed in my car and five masked ICE agents then approached my vehicle. One of the agents opened my door and another agent came through the back seat and put me in a chokeold. They forced me from my vehicle and onto the ground. I was never ordered out of the vehicle and at no point did any of these men identify themselves. One agent had a knee on my back and another had a knee on my neck and that agent moved and scraped my face on the pavement. My hands were forced behind my back and I was handcuffed and put into an unmarked van and transported to the Whipple Federal Building.
▶ 0:30:13Once at the federal building, I was put into leg irons and into an empty holding cell. And throughout my 9-hour unlawful detention, I was joined by eight additional detainees, each one a US One of the young men who entered after me was an apprentice plumber and said that he was on a new home construction job site in the South Metro when ICE came to the property. And once he declined to shake the shake the ICE agent's hand, he was put into custody.
▶ 0:30:41I was released that evening with no charges and less than two weeks later, Alex Prey, who former Secretary Gnome called a domestic terrorist, was shot 10 times by ICE. The siege on the people of the Twin Cities by their own government has forever altered our state. And in response, motans do what we always do. We show up for one another. We stood up for one another.
▶ 0:31:05We supported our neighbors, delivered food to those who didn't feel safe leaving their homes, and stood with our children at the bus stop so they wouldn't feel scared. We protected and supported our immigrant-owned businesses. And we proved that Minnesota is not a place, but a way of being. The administration hoped the Twin Cities would be a proving ground for that for the forest that was Operation Metro Surge. And instead, they learned why motans have always known when we all do better, we all do better.
▶ 0:31:35We will spend years accounting for the financial toll taken on the Twin Cities and we will spend years recovering from the fear instilled in our valued immigrant communities. But I believe in us. Motans showed the world what courage looks like. When operations like this are carried out without precision and without transparency and without accountability, they impact entire communities. This committee this committee has a responsibility to demand answers and to demand accurate data.
▶ 0:32:04The American people deserve the truth and our citizens demand accountability and only those who want to avoid accountability need to wear masks to do their job. Thank you. Thank you very much. Members will be recognized by order of seniority for their five minutes of questioning. I'll be keeping to the five-minute rule like we've been doing at these hearings. I now recognize the ranking member for five minutes of questions.
▶ 0:32:29Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Um, I think the record needs to reflect that the four witnesses here are all American citizens. Uh, they have every right uh entitled to them that an American citizen uh should have guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.
▶ 0:32:51More importantly though is that issue comes with agencies that are tasked with the responsibility of protecting them. And the stories that I've heard today uh gives validity to why we're having this minority uh hearing today. Uh Republicans don't want to hear the truth.
▶ 0:33:15uh if they did, we could have had a formal hearing uh with these witnesses and whoever they wanted to put in front of us to refute it, but they didn't. So, here we had to pull out a a an arcane law, a a rule where you if you don't get your uh hearing, you have a minority day. So, we're here.
▶ 0:33:45and as a nation of laws, Republicans have shut down DHS for over two months, uh, rather than agree to reform and prevent out of control ICE and CBP personnel from hurting Americans and terrorizing communities.
▶ 0:34:04They have refused to conduct oversight and dismiss hearings as quote a distraction and not a serious attempt at conducting The point that I want to make is almost to the person, everybody that we have as a witness, almost within a matter of minutes, the public
▶ 0:34:35notice from the federal agency was that you were breaking the law. uh somehow those agents were responding to out of control citizens. Well, we showed in the uh film that that's not the case. And uh so Miss Martinez, Mr. Raides, Miss Mr.
▶ 0:35:04Iran, and Reverend Black, you all are worthy of this committee's oversight. So I ask you, do you believe that what you experienced at the hand of your own government is serious?
▶ 0:35:27It's very serious.
▶ 0:35:30So is oversight of ICE and CBP a distraction or does it demand congressional attention? It demands attention.
▶ 0:35:43So, of course, this is a serious issue and of course this committee should be doing its oversight job. It's a shame that Democrats had to force Republicans to hold today's hearing uh and obviously other than the chairman, not a single Republican on this committee showed up. Uh you know, we took an oath to do our duty. these are the rules and for whatever reason uh they chose not to come.
▶ 0:36:12Uh that's so unfortunate. So, Miss Martinez, on October 4th, 2025, you were driving in Chicago when a CBP uh vehicle swiped yours. You were shot five times uh by border patrol agents had seven bullet holes in your body.
▶ 0:36:34Within hours, as I said, DHS put your f photo on the press and falsely accuse you of being a domestic terrorist when in fact you are law-abiding US citizen. The assault charge against you was later dismissed, but DHS has never retracted that press release. The agent who shot you and bragged about it to his buddies and about it is still employed by Border Patrol.
▶ 0:37:04There has been no accountability from DHS. How worried are you that another innocent person might be shot if Congress fails to hold CBP and ICE
▶ 0:37:19Well, look at what happened to Renee. Look at what happened to Alex Petty. is bound to happen sooner or later if we don't hold these um agents accountable for their actions. More people are gonna get hurt.
▶ 0:37:32Absolutely. Mr. Chair, I I yield back.
▶ 0:37:35Gentleman yields back. Just set the record straight. Uh this committee did have oversight have it did have CBP commissioner and ICE both uh here as witnesses. And again, um, the minority could have requested these witnesses to be here under regular order. I'm just again correcting the record there. Uh, I now recognize the gentleman from California, Mr. Ka, for his five
▶ 0:38:01Thank you, Mr. Chair and Ranking member. And I want to thank the witnesses for being here today. I want you all to step back a little bit and think about Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security was created to defend America against foreign terrorists 25 years ago.
▶ 0:38:25Miss Martinez, are you a terrorist?
▶ 0:38:30Mr. Black, are you a terrorist?
▶ 0:38:33No. Congressman
▶ 0:38:34Mr. Reddis, are you a terrorist?
▶ 0:38:37Mr. Ecklund, are you a terrorist?
▶ 0:38:39No, sir. President Trump got elected pledging to deport the worst of the worst criminals in our society. So, I'm going to ask each one of you, Miss Martinez, are you a criminal?
▶ 0:38:56No, I'm not.
▶ 0:38:57Have you ever gotten convicted of a
▶ 0:39:01Pastor Black, what have you been convicted of?
▶ 0:39:04Nothing, sir.
▶ 0:39:05Never been convicted of anything. Mr. read this.
▶ 0:39:10Never convicted of anything.
▶ 0:39:11And you're a veteran.
▶ 0:39:12And a veteran.
▶ 0:39:13Iraq war.
▶ 0:39:14Iraq war.
▶ 0:39:15Thank you for your service to our country. Mr. Ecklund, are you a
▶ 0:39:20No, sir.
▶ 0:39:21Miss Martinez, you're a citizen. Yes.
▶ 0:39:24Mr. Black, you're a citizen. Yes.
▶ 0:39:26Yes, sir.
▶ 0:39:27Mr. Rees, you're a citizen.
▶ 0:39:29Yes, sir.
▶ 0:39:30Mr. Eklan, you're a citizen.
▶ 0:39:31Yes, sir. in what you were doing and what they claimed that made you a terrorist. Were you protecting the worst of the worst criminals in your communities? Miss Martinez?
▶ 0:39:43No, I was not.
▶ 0:39:45Mr. Black?
▶ 0:39:47No, sir.
▶ 0:39:48Mr. Rees,
▶ 0:39:49no. I was on my way to work.
▶ 0:39:50You're on your way to work, Mr. Ecklund?
▶ 0:39:53No, sir. I was on the way to the grocery store. And I'm asking you this because I want to make sure America understands what's going on right now in Homeland Security. Okay? We're not talking about undocumented. We're not talking about the worst of the worst. We're talking about American citizens. Your telephones were taken. Miss Martinez, was your phone taken?
▶ 0:40:15Everything was taken from me.
▶ 0:40:17Pastor Black, was your phone taken?
▶ 0:40:20My phone was not taken. I was not
▶ 0:40:23Mr. Rees, My phone was taken from me and thrown into the vehicle that was left on the
▶ 0:40:30Do you know the federal government is now creating a database that American citizens? Miss Martinez, what do you
▶ 0:40:39It's ridiculous. It's scary.
▶ 0:40:42Mr. Black,
▶ 0:40:44I believe, sir, that it shows contempt for public safety and contempt for the American people.
▶ 0:40:48Mr. Rees,
▶ 0:40:50it's insane.
▶ 0:40:51Miss Mr. It's patently unamerican.
▶ 0:40:54You know, Miss Martinez, back home, when you have an officer involved shooting, there is an investigation. People stop and look and try to see what happened. And those officers that are generally involved in those shootings have remorse. I know I've talked to them. In your case, what did the officer do after he shot you?
▶ 0:41:18He bragged about the shooting practically. like he didn't saw me as human. I was just disposable.
▶ 0:41:24And Mr. Black, when you were beat up, knocked around, did anybody show remorse or was something these situations
▶ 0:41:35Congressman, we could hear the ICE officers laughing as they shot us. And afterwards, the DHS um also posted mocking statements about us.
▶ 0:41:44Mr. Rees,
▶ 0:41:47um what was the question again? I'm After you went through the situation, did any of the officers feel remorse as to apologies? You're an American citizen. Did absolutely nothing wrong?
▶ 0:41:58No, they didn't care whatsoever.
▶ 0:41:59Mr. Ecklund, did anybody show remorse? Apologize for arresting an American citizen for nothing more than your constitutional first amendment right. Did anybody say we're apologies?
▶ 0:42:11No, sir.
▶ 0:42:13On the contrary, Mr. Ekling, you said you were in a cage with other American citizens. Yes.
▶ 0:42:19Who also apparently had no crimes that they committed.
▶ 0:42:26Yes. To the best of my knowledge, all eight people who are in that cell with me were asked without charge.
▶ 0:42:31As this committee in this country, what is going on with Homeland Security? Why is this powerful agency not turning on American citizens? Now, if you followed the news, they are now buying a bunch of software to spy, to eavesdrop, to break into our cell phones without warrants, without any authorization whatsoever. What in God's name is going on?
▶ 0:42:59And I hope people watching this hearing today wake up to this because your stories are the ones I'm hearing back home. You are not isolated incidences. This is happening all over the country. As Mr. Chairman just one last statement, 140 billion last year to homeland security. That's number of years worth of funding in one year and this year they're back for $70 billion more. Wake up America. Mr. Chairman, I yield.
▶ 0:43:30Gentleman yields back. I now recognize a gentleman from Rhode Island, Mr. Magaziner, for five minutes of
▶ 0:43:35Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, one of the really special things about being a member of Congress is that every once in a while you get to meet people who are truly courageous. And the four of are incredibly courageous. You have risked your safety. You have risked your privacy.
▶ 0:43:57You have risked being harassed in order to tell your stories so that other Americans don't have to go through what you all went And I want to thank each and every one of you for having the courage to come here and share your stories so that everyone can know what is going on. Your courage stands in contrast to the absolute cowardice of those who refuse to even listen to your stories.
▶ 0:44:28The cowardice of Steven Miller and Tom H. Homeman who were invited to come here and refused. Steven Miller is a coward. Tom H. Home. Home. Home. Homeman is a coward. Not only have they not come to this hearing, they haven't testified in front of any committee in Congress during this And all but one of our Republican colleagues on this committee did not have the courage to come here today and listen
▶ 0:44:58to your stories. So the American people see what's going on. There are a lot of politicians and White House officials who like to talk tough from behind a podium, but they don't have the courage to listen to the people whose lives have been impacted by the cruelty of this The Department of Homeland Security was established to keep Americans
▶ 0:45:29safe. And instead, under the Trump the department has been used to invade American neighborhoods with masked police, to break into people's homes without warrants, to beat and even kill Americans in the streets. It's wrong.
▶ 0:45:54I want to ask all four of our witnesses, please raise your hand if you are a United States citizen, all four of you, please raise your hand if you have ever assaulted a law enforcement officer. None of you. Please raise your hand if you've ever committed an act of violence against None of you.
▶ 0:46:19Please raise your hand if you have been arrested or shot by a DHS officer. Every one of you. Shameful. Do any of you know has have any of the officers who assaulted you, who shot you, been disciplined in any way? Do any of you know of any examples of that? That's the problem.
▶ 0:46:48the lack of accountability that we've been calling out. I sent a letter two months ago to the head of ICE and the head of Border Patrol to ask them how many of their employees have been disciplined for excessive use of force over the last year and a half. I still haven't received an answer. That lack of accountability is why the American people have lost trust in the Trump administration.
▶ 0:47:16So, look, we need to fund the government, but what we do not need to do is continue to give a blank check to the Trump administration to terrorize people in American neighborhoods. We do not have to do that. Rees, I want to use my last minute here to ask a little bit more about you. Can you tell us about your service in the army, what you did for our country? Um I joined in 2018.
▶ 0:47:46Um I was 18 at the time, deployed to Iraq. Um I was stationed in Iraq for 10 months. Um after that um went back to uh Fairbanks, Alaska, where that's where I was stationed. Um and from there I um changed duty stations to Fort Hood and that's where I finished up my contract and I got out honorably. Um completed my contract, did my service.
▶ 0:48:10Thank you for that service. Uh, on the day you were arrested, were you protesting? Were you harassing officers? Anyway, you were on your way to work,
▶ 0:48:18Yes. Uh, correct. I was on my way to
▶ 0:48:19And you were locked up for how long?
▶ 0:48:21Um, 3 days, three nights.
▶ 0:48:23Were you given an opportunity to call a
▶ 0:48:26Uh, no phone call to a lawyer. No phone call to my family.
▶ 0:48:28United States citizen. You couldn't call a lawyer?
▶ 0:48:31Three days.
▶ 0:48:32You missed your daughter's birthday party. Last question. How did your partner, your your wife, I assume, how did she explain that to your daughter?
▶ 0:48:42Um, no explanation.
▶ 0:48:45That's awful. I'm sorry to all of you. You deserve better. I yield back.
▶ 0:48:49Gentleman yields back. Now to recognize the gentle lady from Illinois, Miss Ramirez, for five minutes questions.
▶ 0:48:56Thank you, chair and ranking member for holding this hearing. I want to especially thank our witnesses for being here today. I want to echo what Congresswoman Magaziner just said. You continue to show up for your communities even when the federal government continues to harm and fail you. And I'll never say for granted what it means to share your stories over and over again. So I wish that you didn't have to keep sharing your story.
▶ 0:49:22I want to thank you for being here today because it's important for this body, this committee that has jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security to hear directly from all of you. And while I am extremely disappointed by the fact that only one Republican is here and so many of my colleagues to the right could not be here to face you and to hear directly from you about their inaction and the impact it's had.
▶ 0:49:50I am grateful that you are still here and that my colleagues will make sure that your stories actually move us into action. It's clear to me that more than ever, DHS remains being the biggest threat to our collective safety. And in spite of that, this week, Senate Republicans are streamlining another reconciliation bill to fund ICE and CBP for another three years for $70 billion.
▶ 0:50:18So instead of doing policy reforms, instead of accountability and justice for you, my colleagues now want to give them $70 billion for more terror. And adding insult to injury, Steven Miller and Tom Hman, the architects of the abuse that we are seeing can't even be bothered to come and face the people in this room who have survived their atrocities or to come and justify to us why we should give them one more dollar. So I want to make sure that the administration hears me.
▶ 0:50:47firing gnome something the people won through their action is not going to change our resolve to conduct oversight and ensure that there is justice and accountability Mark Wayne's attempt to roll back some of Gnome's policies they don't change anything he is still in partnership with Miller and Hman taking a targeted quieted approach to terrorize us won't deter us we know people are still being taken children are being taken at check-ins we have seen with our own eyes what DHS is capable of and we do not
▶ 0:51:17Trump, Miller, and Homeman are willing to weaponize the government against its own people to ensure that anyone who gets in their way, US citizens, end up shot, detained, deported, or in the case of so many others dead. But we're on to them and we're going to hold them accountable and I'm going to make sure of that as so many of my colleagues here will as well. So, Miss Martinez, thank you for being here and thank you for what you shared today.
▶ 0:51:46As someone who has experienced this violence firsthand on your way to work, what would you say to Tom Hman and Steven Miller had they had the courage to actually show up
▶ 0:52:00I will say when is enough enough? How many more children got to be traumatized? How many more families got to be separated? like us Americans, we just want honesty, transparency, and accountability. That's it. That's all we're do. That's all we want.
▶ 0:52:16And Marim, what message do you want Congress, this body to hear as some of my colleagues in this room are asking, okay, one of them are asking for billions more to keep funding these violations of our rights. What would you want them to know?
▶ 0:52:33This is not a performance. This is our lives and we're going through it. We're we're traumatized and we want accountability. We want change and transparency. That's it.
▶ 0:52:44Thank you, Marimar. Based on what we have heard today, I want to ask my colleagues and for my colleagues on the other side that might be in their office watching because they didn't have the courage to be able to show up to confront the people they have harmed, the US citizens they have harmed. How do you justify spending another $70 billion on this dangerous, inhumane, unlawful terror campaign? DHS cannot be reformed.
▶ 0:53:10There is no justice and and any accountability when you're allowing more taxpayer dollars to be spent to keep harming US citizens, children, and families. It must be dismantled piece by piece and something new. A system that honors our rights, respects the constitution, our dignity, and our humanity must be built. So, I want to end in saying this today for this body, for our members of Congress.
▶ 0:53:38It's an invitation to actually hear what we've heard from the witnesses and do something about it. I have a bill by the name of Melt Ice, and we can melt ice and we can dismantle DHS. We just have to have the courage and the willingness to stand up for our constituents instead of covering up for Miller Homeman and Donald Trump. With that, I yield back.
▶ 0:54:02General yields back. Just a reminder, it is a violation of House rules and the rules of this committee to engage in personalities regarding other members or to question the motives of a colleague. I now recognize gentleman from New York, Mr. Kennedy, for five minutes questions.
▶ 0:54:17Thank you. Thank you all for being here today and for your testimony. Your courage and willingness to share your stories is going to help us all hold this administration and Department of Homeland Security accountable for the constitutional abuses we're seeing in our communities all across the country. Yours are just a few of these stories. This committee is incredibly grateful for your testimony today as are the American people.
▶ 0:54:47Your testimony will help the American people truly understand the suffering that the Trump administration has inflicted on our very own people. Thankfully, you are with us today here to tell your stories, but we have to remember and honor the memory of those who we've lost. Alex Prey and Renee Good in Minnesota and Nuru Amin Sha Alam in my hometown of Buffalo, just to name a few.
▶ 0:55:14ICE can no longer continue to operate behind a smoke screen, masks, and a complete disregard for human rights. The Trump administration's dangerous and erratic so-called mass deportation agenda has blown through the limits of presidential authority, repeatedly violated the Constitution, and unleashed a secret police into our communities, targeting lawfully present immigrants, US citizens like
▶ 0:55:45yourselves, workers, children, and United States combat veterans. We invited Steven Miller and Tom Hman here today. They're the architects of this unamerican, unpatriotic, backwards thinking policy and they don't even have the guts to show up and answer questions. It's and it's bush league.
▶ 0:56:09Mr. Reddis, I want to give you an opportunity to set the record straight about the false narratives that DHS has tried to push about you. You're an Iraq combat veteran and you're a US citizen.
▶ 0:56:24Thank you for your service.
▶ 0:56:25Thank you.
▶ 0:56:26After being honorably discharged, you were working a civilian job and simply commuting to work on the day DHS arrested you. Correct.
▶ 0:56:36You were not trying to impede or obstruct federal agents. Correct. As we've seen for the last 16 months through DHS media campaign, they've pedal lies about individuals who've committed no wrongdoing. DHS has tried to justify your arrest and 3-day detention by claiming that you were violent and refused to comply with law enforcement. It's been almost a year since your arrest.
▶ 0:57:03Isn't it true that DHS has not filed any charges against you to show evidence of their claims?
▶ 0:57:08That is 100% correct. Why do you think DHS lied about your
▶ 0:57:15Um, I think they lied about my arrest to fool whoever it is that believes in them to believe that um, what ICE is doing, they're 100% correct and that they're doing nothing wrong. Um, their motive was to try to deter me from speaking the truth and sharing with the world everything that happened to me. Um, they were trying to put fear in me and fortunately from their for them that just doesn't work with me.
▶ 0:57:40The way that DHS law enforcement has treated you, from the use of force during your arrest to the denial of basic hygiene requests while in detention is horrific as much as it's unamerican. And not to mention that your family could not find you. You were disappeared into a system for days on end. Mr. Reddis, why do you feel that it was important for you to come to tell your story to this committee? And what accountability do you think is needed at DHS?
▶ 0:58:07Um, I think it's important to tell my story because stories like mine, stories like ours up here can't just go unheard. Stories that are continuing to happen all over the country. Um, these are just little stories that um, we just get to share. There's thousands, millions of people that are currently going through this as, um, we are. We just have the opportunity to stand here in front of you and tell our stories. That's the only difference. Um, and it's important that we stand up and take this opportunity that they don't have.
▶ 0:58:35Um, what I want for accountability is laws changed with the way um, ICE and federal agents conduct themselves that allow I hope that you guys pass laws that are able to hold federal officers accountable. I mean, you guys probably are aware that federal officials are basically impossible to sue currently um, with all the um, bills getting stripped. Um, so federal agents basically have immunity and that's why they continue to do all this stuff to us because we can't hold them accountable.
▶ 0:59:03And so that's my goal for accountability is that you guys pass a law.
▶ 0:59:07When the American people hear a story like yours and hear that this happened to a veteran who served our country valiantly, they understand that what happened to you could happen to anyone. It's unacceptable and we as Americans deserve better.
▶ 0:59:24I agree with you,
▶ 0:59:25Mr. Chairman. Thank you. I yield back. Gentleman yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Banadar, for five minutes of questions. Uh, thank you, Mr. Mr. Chair, you know, uh thank you all for being here. Thank you all for your courage. Uh 47 years ago, I came to this country escaping poverty with $20 in my pocket and a big And today, what I see is immigrants being demonized by this
▶ 0:59:57For over a year, Trump and his cronies have terrorized our streets. unleashing ICE and CBP agents, detaining innocent people, and killing numerous others, including Renee Good and Alex Freddy. Our witnesses here today are no strangers to this violence.
▶ 1:00:21And I want to again thank all of you for your bravery today in speaking before this committee at my town halls and in conversations with my in Detroit and all over the 13th Congressional District.
▶ 1:00:44I see a constant fear they share in Trump's invading our communities using ICE and other federal They have every right to be fearful.
▶ 1:00:59Over the past year, we have witnessed cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, and others become hotbed for violent immigration enforcement rates and the violation of civil Enough is enough.
▶ 1:01:20I'm tired of Trump's constant violations of our laws and precedents, demonizing immigrants, shredding the Constitution, and inflaming hateful and dangerous rhetoric against his fellow Americans for not wanting to abide by his unjust rule.
▶ 1:01:42The abuses of our rule of law by this administration are historic and And I'm worried that if we don't stop Trump now, more Americans could die. I reiterate my call for Trump to be immediately impeached.
▶ 1:02:01I was the first member of Congress to bring impeachment charges against this president and I'm was one of the members of Congress calling for the 25th amendment to be invoked against him and for the American people to stand together against this tyrant.
▶ 1:02:23Today is a chance to put a face to how Trump's harmful immigrant polish pol policies have impacted American If there is one thing you would want anyone listening to take away from today's hearing, what would you want them to know about how Trump's immigration enforcement policies have impacted each of you
▶ 1:02:57Can we even trust our own government? The actions of this administration and the DHS congressmen are profoundly uncchristian, unamerican, anti-family values. And I am appalled by the hypocrisy of the Republican members of this Congress and this committee who talk about public safety when in fact it's people like Ryan and many people in American communities who are taking responsibility for our own safety while we're being attacked by this administration and its goons.
▶ 1:03:30Your best and the best of DHS is the least that the American public deserve and you have not given us your best.
▶ 1:03:41Um I'm sorry. What was the question again? I'm sorry.
▶ 1:03:44The question is what is it one thing that take away from this hearing from your experiences?
▶ 1:03:51One thing I take away from this hearing is that change doesn't move fast enough.
▶ 1:03:54Yeah. Look look we are a country of You know, we pride oursself in welcoming the best of the best and their contribution to make our country the greatest on earth. And it is really shameful the way this administration has treated the hardworking immigrants who are integral part of this nation. I thank you for you being here. Thank you for your testimony. And Mr. Chair, I yield back.
▶ 1:04:22Gentleman yields back. Now recognize a gentleman from Puerto Rico, Mr. Hernandez, for five minutes of questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have reached a tragic point in the history of our country. It is a point where we need to protect the American people from the American government. What a contradiction in a language that many immigrants in this country will understand.
▶ 1:04:47A shame for the United States of What you've witnessed, what you've experienced is an experience that many people are suffering through in this country. country. I represent Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, back in November, ICE agents shoved a pregnant woman, as a father, as a husband. I find that very disturbing. That rattles me. That worries me.
▶ 1:05:12Around the same time, CBP agents picked up a documented immigrant off the streets of Cabo Rojo, put her on a plane, and sent her to a detention facility in Texas, where she was unable to reach her lawyer for an unreasonable amount of time. As far as we know, none of these agents have been held accountable.
▶ 1:05:33And when nobody's held accountable, these problems don't get fixed, they get This culture of impunity is what led to the tragic deaths of Renee Good and Alex Freddy. It's what led to the tragic outcomes that you all faced in hands of your own government. Thank you for being here today and sharing your experiences. It's it's very brave.
▶ 1:05:57What happened to you and what's happening to many other Americans and people in the United States of America is wrong. It is illegal and it deserves to be on the record in an official proceeding of the United States Now, Miss Martinez, just to get the record very straight, you were shot five times by a CBP agent, correct?
▶ 1:06:20Did the agent have his body camera on?
▶ 1:06:22No, he didn't.
▶ 1:06:24Did the agent and the agents with him steer their vehicle towards you?
▶ 1:06:29They did, and it's proven. You could see it in the in the in the video.
▶ 1:06:34Did they yell expletives and profanities as they were doing this?
▶ 1:06:38They did.
▶ 1:06:39And were they indicted?
▶ 1:06:42Them? No.
▶ 1:06:43Were you indicted? Was the case against you dismissed?
▶ 1:06:48It only lasted like a month and then my charges were dismissed with prejudice. So, so you were shot five times, indicted, dragged through a legal proceeding while the person who shot you has yet to face any sort of accountability. Correct.
▶ 1:07:06How does that make you feel?
▶ 1:07:09It angers me. Like, like I said before, like, can I even trust my own government if there's not going to be accountability? Where's the trust?
▶ 1:07:19How do you think other Americans feel as a result of your experience? I feel many are scared.
▶ 1:07:28How are Latinos feeling?
▶ 1:07:30Oh, they're living in fear.
▶ 1:07:33I I can only imagine. I guess my question in the interest of time for you and for the the remainder of the panel is what would you like Congress to understand and learn from your
▶ 1:07:46that we're not against ICE agents. We're against the injustice. We're against brutality. We want change. We want agents to be held accountable. It's not fair that I was indicted. I went to prison. I've been through hell and back and I fought through my fre. I fought for my freedom. I fought for my voice.
▶ 1:08:06And these agents, Charles Exm has not even been held accountable for his But when it comes to me, I had a fight. We're his. We're what about him? I have not heard nothing. and they have we don't know if he's still working in the job. Honestly, I don't know. And that's what I want. I just want accountability and change. No,
▶ 1:08:30I I I completely agree with you. I think rules and holding people accountable to rules is essential. Uh and it's something that's severely lacking. It's it's one of the great tragedies that agencies that were created to protect the homeland are not protecting the homeland. We are actually needing requiring it's actually requiring us to protect people from those agencies. Their purpose has been completely distorted.
▶ 1:08:59I I congratulate you all for your courage and as I said this is a big shame for the United States of America. Thank you. I yield back. Gentleman yields back. I now recognize the gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss Poe, for five minutes questions.
▶ 1:09:16Thank you, Mr. Chairman. and to our ranking member Thompson. Uh before I begin, let me just once again recognize the bravery of our witnesses and to thank you. Thank you for sharing your stories. You know, we are currently experiencing the longest funding lapse in the history of our government.
▶ 1:09:37Despite the Senate uh passing the Department of Homeland Security funding bill nearly one month ago by unanimous consent, the Speaker Johnson has refused to bring this bill to the House floor. He is stalling because the bill does not include funding for ICE or CBP. Let me be clear, these agencies are out of control. We need serious reforms.
▶ 1:10:05And as all of our witnesses can attest, we cannot give them another dime until changes are made. In my state of New Jersey, recent ICE action highlighted the danger of violence and undisiplined agents.
▶ 1:10:23In Bridton, which is not part of my district, but illustrates the outofc control action throughout New Jersey, an ICE agent recently smashed the car window of uh Deborah Gomez, despite her lawyer repeatedly asking for a warrant. Please play the video.
▶ 1:10:57I want TO SEE THE WAR. LET ME SEE. Let me see. This is why ICE must be reformed. Congress cannot give another penny to the reckless agency which we have which we have accountability. So, let me let me thank our witnesses once again for testifying today.
▶ 1:11:24Um, as I've mentioned, your bravery is is your bravery in the face of ICE violence is courageous and inspirational. It is citizens like yourself that kept so many of your neighbors safe during ICE raids in California, in Illinois, and in Minnesota.
▶ 1:11:45Miss Martinez, in your testimony, you described uh noticing an Uber light in front of the windshield and that and no front license plate, which Illinois state law requires. Um, what is your initial reaction to seeing a vehicle that looked like that looked like an Uber without a license plate?
▶ 1:12:08To me, it was alarming. And it brought like really concerns like you will go that low to like practically be a Uber driver and then um it's funny because if you go to the Uber website on the Uber you could see that it's illegal for them if you're not an Uber driver it's illegal for you to even have a decal.
▶ 1:12:28Right. Right. Absolutely. So I for uh yes or no. Do you think that the agent in the vehicle was intentionally trying to hide their identity and the organization that they belong to?
▶ 1:12:41Of course.
▶ 1:12:42And so this is exactly why this past February I introduced legislation. It's called the plate act that prohibits ICE or CBP from obscuring and removing their license plates. Your testimony highlights the need for my legislation. In nearly 50 days, the opening of the World Cup will begin.
▶ 1:13:06When I asked the ice uh head um Todd Lions, who by the way is uh is uh has submitted his resignation even though he's still with us for the next couple of uh weeks. If he would pause uh enforcement to and around the matches, he refused to do so. This is a question for all of you that are here. Um, yes or no.
▶ 1:13:32Would you feel comfortable attending a World Cup match or fanfest knowing that ICE agents would be present and conducting enforcement uh actions? Miss Martinez, we'll begin with you. Yes or no?
▶ 1:13:46No, I wouldn't.
▶ 1:13:48Congressman, Congresswoman, I don't believe anyone in America is safe as long as ICE continues to exist.
▶ 1:13:54Mr. Red,
▶ 1:13:55no. Absolutely not.
▶ 1:13:58Thank you. Thank you for your answer. And that is exactly why I will continue to demand public assurances that ICE will not conduct raids at the World Cup matches and other events. The public the public deserves the pe this piece of mind. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 1:14:16General lady yields back. I now recognize our newest member of the committee, gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss Maya, for five minutes. Thank you, Ranking Member Benny Thompson for the warm welcome earlier. And thank you, Chairman Gabberino. It's pronounced Analia Mahia, but that's okay. It's a lot of vowels. Um, but thank you both for convening this hearing. And thank you for the witnesses for being here.
▶ 1:14:43It's been 68 days since the Department of Homeland Security shut down. And unlike our Senate counterparts, my House my colleagues uh my Republican colleagues in the House have chosen dysfunction over bipartisan compromise, opting for a two-week vacation instead of serving the people. And respectfully, Chairman, this is not a distraction.
▶ 1:15:08This is in fact an attempt to expose injustice and the failure of my Republican counterparts. A failure that has real consequences. As we've heard today, airports across this country have descended into chaos. TSA a officers have gone unpaid. The Coast Guard is serving without pay. And as usual, the American people are paying the price.
▶ 1:15:33More than 4,000 FEMA employees are still working without pay, many for the third shutdown in less than a year, and soon disaster relief funds will run dry. Why is this happening? Again, because my new my new Republican uh colleagues have prioritized sending more money to ICE and Customs and Border Protection than any meaningful reform.
▶ 1:16:00These are the same agencies that, as we've heard, have turned their weapons against our own communities, terrorizing families and citizens and undermining the trust that has that the American people deserve. What's more, these efforts amount to a campaign against our very own Constitution, whittling away due process and equal protection afforded to all under the 14th Amendment.
▶ 1:16:27Again, I want to remind my new colleagues that the Senate offered a bipartisan path forward funding TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard and while keeping the country running while we negotiate real reforms. But again, my new colleagues, my new Republican um House colleagues have failed the American people. We cannot continue to ignore the human costs.
▶ 1:16:53As we've heard from our from those who have come to testify today, including Miss Marimar Martinez, who is here today, a US citizen shot five times and disgustingly, the agent in question who shot her bragged, "I fired five rounds and she has seven holes." Miss Martinez rightfully speaks of injustice.
▶ 1:17:18Pastor Black rightfully speaks about the failure to meet meet the expectations of the American people. In fact, all of our witnesses are speaking truth to power in this moment. I want to ask all of the witnesses today, what meaningful actions can we as members of Congress and as your fellow Americans in fact do to bring justice not only to you but ensure the full freedoms for the American
▶ 1:17:50a real follow through and actually hold these um agents accountable.
▶ 1:17:57Thank you, Congresswoman. Um with respect to the members who believe in reform, I believe that this department and administration really need an exorcist. That's my opinion as a pastor. um add five words to the bill 1983 and hold federal officials accountable to state and local officials. Uh I would simply ask for accountability for individuals who have an immense amount of uh power to have a commensurate level of accountability.
▶ 1:18:28Is there anything that you would want that you haven't had an opportunity to say to the American people that you would like us to hear? Starting with perhaps Mr. Ecklund
▶ 1:18:39for those individuals who think that what is happening in these communities we've talked about today uh for those who think that it is uh theater or uh exaggerated. That is very much not the case. Uh it's happening to people. Uh ours are just some of the stories. And it's not just happening to the individuals who are actually experiencing these run-ins with ICE. It's happening to our friends, our loved ones, our wives, our children.
▶ 1:19:10Mr. Reddis, Pastor Black, or Miss Martinez, if there's another thing you would like to share.
▶ 1:19:18Thank you for the question, Congresswoman. I I would like people to understand in this Congress and in the United States that what we are facing, the evil we are facing from this administration goes beyond political solutions and goes beyond reform. It requires spiritual solutions and it requires especially those who claim to be of faith and of the Christian faith that I share to show up in the truth and the conviction and integrity of the values of what Jesus taught us.
▶ 1:19:47Because what we do to those who come into our communities, how we treat strangers is how we treat Jesus himself.
▶ 1:19:54Thank you. Thank you. I would like to
▶ 1:19:58General lady yields back. Uh I now recognize the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Carter, for five minutes questions.
▶ 1:20:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. I regret that members of the Trump administration, namely deputy chief of staff and for policy to the president of the United States, Steven Miller and the administration so-called borders are Tom ignored and I underscore ignored the request to appear today and ignored an opportunity to address the American people. Question begs to be answered.
▶ 1:20:36What do you have to hide? Why aren't you willing to listen? Why aren't you willing to defend the actions of your agents? And I'd like to also reflect for a moment procedurally how these committees are usually run. We usually have a Democrat and then a Republican. And it alternates back and forth. But I want you to notice we're going Democrat in succession, one after another. Why? Because my Democratic colleagues didn't even have the decency to show up to listen to you. Republican.
▶ 1:21:06My Republican colleagues didn't even have the decency to show up. Democrats are here. Democrats have shown up. Republicans seats are empty. That means they didn't even care to Four United States citizens who've had their rights trampled, who were nearly killed. Mr.
▶ 1:21:31streets, who is a celebrated serviceman who put his life on the line to go to Iraq to fight for us. It's disheartening to think that my colleagues wouldn't even want to show up. It's disheartening to think that these Republican seats are all empty. Kudos to Chairman Garberino for being here, for at least listening, for giving the time and attention to the stories that have been told.
▶ 1:22:04Whether they accept invitation or not, the hearing remains a crucial opportunity for this committee and the American public to understand the real impact of this administration's dangerous enforcement policies on both citizens and migrants. What we learn here today will help us investigate and hold the administration accountable for its actions.
▶ 1:22:26In my district alone in Louisiana, we've heard heartbreaking stories of children, United States citizens who were deported. We've heard about a child with cancer who was caught up in an enforcement action. We've seen children stay home from school afraid to leave their homes. We've seen businesses shuttered because their owners and fear for their lives.
▶ 1:22:52And most tragically, we've seen deaths, including Honduran oyster man who drowned while fleeing federal immigration agents. But instead of taking action to address these abuses, House Republicans are keeping the entire DHS shut down as the Senate passed bipartisan compromises open. Yet it sat on Speaker Johnson's Mr.
▶ 1:23:19Reitz, I first want to thank you for your service to this country. Unfortunately, hundreds of US citizens like you have been arrested or detained by federal law enforcement officers. Well, we know it's at least 170 thanks to public reporting, but sadly we don't know the actual number because the administration refuses to be transparent and won't even admit it's arresting and detaining citizens.
▶ 1:23:45The very secretary of homeland security sat here and said they had not all though a week later had to admit that one of the witnesses that sat in this very chamber was in fact arrested and then they later dropped charges. Mr. Reeds, can you explain how you tried to prove that you were in fact a US citizen when you were detained?
▶ 1:24:09Um, I offered to give them ID that they that was still in my vehicle. Um, I have my um my military ID. Um, that allows me to get onto military bases. Um, I told them I could prove I could give them all the proof they want. Um, my license, my ID, um, my vehicle.
▶ 1:24:28Did they appear to even care about these things? As you mentioned, you had
▶ 1:24:32No. Um, in fact, they never even asked me for verification of my identity at
▶ 1:24:36So, the fact that you were offering it, they never one asked. Number two, when you voluntarily said, I have it. I'd like to present it. They ignored, which means they really didn't care because they had already determined by the way you look or the way you sound that you must be someone who done something. That is in direct conflict with our Constitution. It's in direct conflict with the very things that they say they're doing when in fact we have witnesses here telling otherwise.
▶ 1:25:05But my Republican colleagues didn't want to hear it. Trump officials didn't want to hear it. Their heads are so deep in the sand of violating the rights of citizens citizens that they just don't care. There's something terribly wrong with that. Mr. Martinez, are you concerned that as US citizen you will continue to be wrapped up in the dangerous immigration enforcement action simply because
▶ 1:25:33gentleman's time is expired.
▶ 1:25:34Can can I mr chair could you just indulge me a second? Let her answer that question, please. As I yield, Miss Martinez, are you concerned that you will continue to be wrapped up in the dangerous immigration enforcement
▶ 1:25:47Yes, I am. I think my whole family is even concerned.
▶ 1:25:51Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield.
▶ 1:25:53Gentlemen yields. I now recognize the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Walkenshaw, for five minutes of question.
▶ 1:25:58Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to Ranking Member Thompson for ensuring that our courageous witnesses could appear today and share their experiences at the hands of President Trump's Department of Homeland Security. Ranking member Thompson also asked that invitations be extended to Steven Miller and Tom Hman to testify today, but obviously they are too weak and too afraid to face this committee. I want to focus on Tom Hman, President Trump's so-called borders are.
▶ 1:26:28He was the architect of the family separation policy that resulted in 5,500 children being forcibly taken from their parents at the border. Last year, reports surfaced that Homeman accepted a $50,000 bag of cash, a bag, a paper bag filled with $50,000 from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for future government contracts.
▶ 1:26:58And Mr. Chairman, in the letter you wrote, Mr. Hman, you suggested he not appear today because Democrats weren't operating on in good faith. I think you would agree it would be a good faith question to ask him whether he accepted $50,000 in a paper bag. I'd be acting in good faith if I asked the borders are that question.
▶ 1:27:18These allegations were serious enough that in 2025, just days before President Trump was inaugurated, a DOJ lawyer told Trump's team that Homeman could not get a security clearance due to the ongoing corruption probe into that bribe that he allegedly accepted.
▶ 1:27:36The American people still do not have an accounting of how or whether he passed a background check and got his security The same official who engineered the family separation policy is now leading the mass deportation machine.
▶ 1:27:54Under his leadership, mass secret police have shot and killed American citizens, dragged pregnant mothers, kneelled on the necks of teenagers, unlawfully detained more than 170 American citizens, including some of our witnesses today, 20 He's directed that masked officers smash down the doors of Americans without a judicial warrant while their families sleep.
▶ 1:28:19Our witnesses today have suffered the consequences of his failed leadership. And your testimony is evidence of what happens when people like Homeman are allowed to operate with impunity and without real oversight. If he's so confident about his decisions, about his leadership, he should be willing to appear before this committee today. We have a video of Mr. Hman. We can play that.
▶ 1:28:47When we go in the community and find that bad guy, many times they're with others. Others are in the country illegally, but may not have a criminal history, but guess what? They're coming, too. The instructions to ICE, it's enforced immigration law. You find an illegal alien, you're going to arrest him. If he's not a criminal, I don't care. You're going to arrest him. Right now, they're demanding mask off. That's a non-starter. We're not even talking about it because until you stop your language, we're not taking the mask off.
▶ 1:29:13I don't care if he's not a criminal. Arrest him. We've been told that the Trump administration's policy is focused on the worst of the worst. But the borders are says arrest them even if they haven't committed a crime. We know arresting American citizens, too, not just those who are undocumented. From family separation policies in the first Trump administration to abusive tactics today, his record is defined by inhumane policies. I want to ask our witnesses, starting with Miss Martinez, if Mr.
▶ 1:29:42Holman was here today, if he had the courage to show up, what would you like to ask him?
▶ 1:29:47Like I said, one is enough. Enough. Um, why bring fear to our kids? How many more of our kids got to be living in fear? How many more families are going to be separated? We just want transparency and honesty. That's it.
▶ 1:30:01Pastor, what would you like to ask Tom Congressman, I believe that every person in the United States has an equal uh entitlement to safety in this country, regardless of their citizenship status. And I find it hypocritical that Mr. Hman, who is a descendant of immigrants who came here seeking safety and prosperity, um would uh would say that only citizens are entitled to um the good things of this land.
▶ 1:30:26Mr. Reis,
▶ 1:30:28I was told if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all. Okay, that doesn't usually that's not usually the rule in this committee. But Mr. Ecklund,
▶ 1:30:38uh I would simply uh ask him for his and then ask him to apologize to every person from the Twin Cities on his way out the door.
▶ 1:30:48Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 1:30:51Gentleman yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Green, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 1:30:56Thank you, Mr. chairman and uh again I compliment you for hearings especially this one and I thank the ranking member as well. Miss Martinez um you suffer great harm both physically and mentally. Are you of a frame of mind to walk through this with me today or would this be too much for you? I could try.
▶ 1:31:27Is it true that you were on your way to church at the time you were detained?
▶ 1:31:32Yes, I was on my way to donate clothes.
▶ 1:31:35Is this something that you do um often or was this a rare occasion?
▶ 1:31:41Yeah, I do it often.
▶ 1:31:43Are you a churchgoing person?
▶ 1:31:45Not really. I just like giving back. And when you were stopped, confronted by this officer, did he give you warnings indicating that he'd like to talk to you? Did he try to deescalate?
▶ 1:32:00No, he did not. He started swerving on my vehicle. He was getting in my lane.
▶ 1:32:06Now, it's been said that you were shot five times. Is this true?
▶ 1:32:12Here's what I'd like for you to do. Can you just point to one of the places where you were shot, please?
▶ 1:32:19I got shot right here.
▶ 1:32:22You You can stand if you'd like to.
▶ 1:32:30Right here. Right here.
▶ 1:32:32Is that an indication of where
▶ 1:32:34it travel? And then I got hit on the
▶ 1:32:38and then I have entry and the exit on my right thigh. And then this one will travel to the back of my hand, Now, this if you'll go back to the microphone, I'd like for your testimony to be recorded.
▶ 1:33:06This officer made a statement, and I'll quote him exact words as I understand it. I fired five shots, five rounds to be more specific, and she had seven I saw the bullet go into your arm and it made an exit.
▶ 1:33:24So, he's counting the number of times the bullet traversed your body in and When the when you were first hit, the first bullet, were you aware that you were shot? No, I thought it was the pepper pellets cuz I seen like before everything that was happening that they were shooting uh people with the purple pellets. So, I thought it was a pepper pellet. But,
▶ 1:33:51and then the second shot, did you were you able to make a distinction between this happened so fast?
▶ 1:33:58Yes. So, at the end of these five were you conscious?
▶ 1:34:05Yes, I was. And I was able to drive a mile. And you drove yourself away from the scene of
▶ 1:34:11safety. Yeah, cuz imagine if I would have stayed, I wouldn't be here to testify. I wouldn't.
▶ 1:34:16How far did you drive?
▶ 1:34:18A mile away. I drove a mile and I stopped at a mechanic shop.
▶ 1:34:22While you were driving,
▶ 1:34:24did you examine your body? Did you look to see?
▶ 1:34:27But what did you see as you were
▶ 1:34:29I just saw blood gushing. That's how when I realized like I've been actually shot right here. This one was gushing and my whole side was cover and blood and I started feeling laded and that's when I realized like I've been shot and I need to stop to call for emergency.
▶ 1:34:47And when you stopped did you make the call to get help or did someone else you did it yourself?
▶ 1:34:52I called. Yeah.
▶ 1:34:55Do you do you think often of this horrible circumstance that you had to endure? Do you think about this
▶ 1:35:01all the time? Do you lose sleep thinking about it?
▶ 1:35:04Sometimes I do.
▶ 1:35:07Do you have nightmares sometimes when you're thinking about it?
▶ 1:35:10At the beginning, I did, but now not
▶ 1:35:15I see tears welling in your eyes as you're talking to me now. Um, it's it's still very painful, I take it.
▶ 1:35:22It is. It's hard like to manage all this and like to even process what happened. You know, I got being shy just for practically for protecting your
▶ 1:35:36Now, you've talked about accountability and transparency.
▶ 1:35:41Do you really want to see someone
▶ 1:35:45Do you want him arrested for what he did to you?
▶ 1:35:48Do do you want a trial so that you can
▶ 1:35:51Yes. Cuz I want the world to like I want the world to see my pain, my trauma. because it's not something to joke about, right? This is my life. We're talking about my life.
▶ 1:36:02Well, that's where I was going to go next as I close. And I I'm out of time. There are many more things I'd like to ask. But uh he this officer indicated that he told his comrades uh to put that in your book, boys. The fact that he put seven holes in you with five rounds,
▶ 1:36:22no empathy, nothing. Like I was disposable to him.
▶ 1:36:26Yes. Well, I my my prayer is that you will have an your day in court. You deserve your day in court. This is not your day in court.
▶ 1:36:36Thank you.
▶ 1:36:36You deserve justice. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Gentlemen, yields back. Members of
▶ 1:36:42Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:36:43I have a parliamentary inquiry.
▶ 1:36:47Where are Steven Miller and Tom Hman? I don't know.
▶ 1:36:54Mr. Chairman, I have a motion at the The clerk reporting the motion.
▶ 1:37:30Do you want to read the motion? M. Ramirez of Illinois moves pursuant to clause 2K-6 of rule 11 to subpoena Steven Miller and Thomas H. Pursuant to clause 2K6 of rule 11. Okay. All 2K6 motions will be held in abance until the end of the hearing.
▶ 1:38:15test. The testimonial part of the hearing has concluded. While the committee votes on previously made motions, the witnesses are excused. Thank you very much for your participation today. The audience will remain seated while the witnesses exit.
▶ 1:38:29Committee stands in recess.
▶ 1:38:32I will close.
▶ 1:38:38Mr. Chairman, point of m
▶ 3:15:52Committee on Homeland Security will come to order. Before we call up the pending motion, I understand the gentle lady has revised it. Yes, Mr. Chairman. I withdraw my motion made prior to the recess and I have a new motion to subpoena Steven Miller and Thomas Hman at the desk for the clerk to report. Okay.
▶ 3:16:10Now call up the gentleoman's motion to subpoena Mr. Miller, Mr. Homeman.
▶ 3:16:15Motion to subpoena offered by Mr. Ramirez of Illinois. Mr. Ramirez of Illinois moves pursuant to clause.
▶ 3:16:20Mr. Chairman, I move the table motion.
▶ 3:16:24Chairman, I'd like a recording. Gentlemen, gentlemen uh moves to table a motion. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no.
▶ 3:16:33The opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the motion is tabled.
▶ 3:16:35Mr. Chairman, I'd like a recorded vote.
▶ 3:16:38A recorded vote is requested. The clerk will call the role.
▶ 3:16:43We're going electronic. Electronically
▶ 3:16:47we are electronically.
▶ 3:16:49Oh, good.
▶ 3:16:51The vote is now open.
▶ 3:16:53Motion to table. Excuse me.
▶ 3:17:03And then flip over.
▶ 3:17:12Hold on. You guys can go.
▶ 3:22:16clerk will report the tally.
▶ 3:22:20Mr. Chairman, on that vote, there were 15 eyes and 14 nos.
▶ 3:22:25The eyes have it and the motion is agreed to. Uh, Mr. Chairman, parliamentary inquiry.
▶ 3:22:31I wonder if um if it's allowable since so many of our colleagues weren't here to listen to the witness's testimony when they gave it, if the witnesses could be given another five minutes. Now that our colleagues can be here to to hear them.
▶ 3:22:43Uh, no, the witnesses were the public portion of this of this was uh was ended earlier. Um, thank you. The members of this committee may have some additional questions. We already went to we are going to we couldn't pursuant to committee rule 70 the hearing record will be held open for 10 uh for 10 days. Uh without objection, this committee stands adjourned.