James Comer Praises ICE at Airports Because ‘It’ll Drive Democrats Crazy’
Rep. James Comer (R-KY) endorsed President Donald Trump’s deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to airports because doing so will incense Democrats.
On Sunday, the president announced that ICE agents would be sent to airports across the country to assist the Transportation Security Administration amid the agency’s funding shortage due to the ongoing partial government shutdown. TSA employees who show up to work are doing so without pay. More than 400 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began.
Congressional Democrats have offered to fund Department of Homeland Security agencies such as TSA, but not ICE and Customs and Border Patrol, whose agents have been conducting sweeping immigration raids across the country. In January, federal immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in separate incidents in Minneapolis.
Republicans have insisted that funding for DHS must also include money for ICE, which is enjoying a windfall of funds thanks to last year’s Republican-backed spending package.
“It’s terrible what the Democrats have done,” Comer said on Fox Business on Monday. “The truth of the matter is, the Democrats want to disrupt the economy as much as they can because they know the number one issue in the election is the economy. So, the Democrats, who have always tried to hold themselves as the best representative party for the federal employees, they don’t care.”
Comer went on to say he welcomes ICE’s deployment to airports because it will drive Democrats mad.
“And I think it is terrible what is happening,” he continued. “I’m glad the president’s putting ICE in there for a multitude of reasons. That’ll drive the Democrats crazy, but at the end of the day, somebody’s got to step up and ensure that our air travel continues, or you are going to see further damage to our economy, which again, in my opinion, is what the Democrats want.”
The ICE deployment appears to have done nothing to alleviate long security lines at airports. Social media users have posted a slew of videos featuring ICE officers milling about at various airports across the country, and it is unclear what agents are supposed to be doing.
Watch above via Fox Business Network.
New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!
Comments
↓ Scroll down for comments ↓