"No One Is Safe Under Donald Trump": Rep. Delia Ramirez on DHS, Birthright Citizenship, Cuba & More
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Mark Wayne Mullen, a Trump loyalist and former MMA fighter, was confirmed as DHS Secretary despite a contentious record and criticism over his temperament.
- ❖Mullen's predecessor, Kristi Noem, faced calls for impeachment due to disastrous immigration raid handling, violent use of force by federal agents, and a $220 million self-promotional campaign.
- ❖Congress member Delia Ramirez describes Mullen as 'incompetent' and 'anti-immigrant,' leading a 'violent agency' responsible for killing American citizens and assaulting individuals.
- ❖TSA has confirmed sharing passenger data with ICE, leading to incidents like a Guatemalan woman and her daughter being tackled at a San Francisco airport.
- ❖Mullen believes children born on U.S. soil to undocumented parents should be deported with their parents, a stance that challenges the 14th Amendment's birthright citizenship.
- ❖The Trump administration's sanctions on Cuba are causing widespread starvation and blackouts, with Congress member Ramirez accusing Trump of 'warmongering' and seeking regime change.
- ❖Concerns are high about ICE agents being deployed to polling stations, which Mullen has not condemned, leading to fears of election interference and voter intimidation.
- ❖Congress member Ramirez advocates for abolishing DHS and codifying birthright citizenship through the 'Born in the USA Act' to protect constitutional rights and ensure free elections.
Insights
1New DHS Secretary Mullen's Controversial Record and Temperament
Mark Wayne Mullen's confirmation as DHS Secretary is highly contentious. He is criticized as a Trump loyalist with an 'anti-immigrant' stance and a history of aggression, including a public confrontation with a Teamsters president and comments appearing to condone a violent attack on Senator Rand Paul. Congress member Ramirez asserts Mullen is 'incompetent' and ill-suited to lead an agency with a 'use of force problem,' highlighting his defense of officers involved in fatal shootings and his predecessor's controversial actions.
Trump praised Mullen's MMA fighter background (). Senator Rand Paul questioned Mullen's temperament after Mullen stated he 'understood' the violent attack on Paul (, ). Congress member Ramirez called Mullen 'incompetent' and 'quick to go to aggression' (, ). Mullen defended the ICE officer who fatally shot Renee Good ().
2DHS Actions: ICE at Airports and Potential Election Interference
The Department of Homeland Security, through its agencies like TSA and ICE, is actively using data sharing and physical deployment to target individuals. An incident at San Francisco International Airport, where a Guatemalan woman and her daughter were tackled based on TSA-shared information with ICE, exemplifies the perceived aggressive tactics. There are also significant concerns about the potential deployment of ICE agents to polling stations, which Mullen has not condemned, raising fears of voter intimidation and election interference.
TSA interim administrator confirmed under oath sharing data with ICE (). A woman from Guatemala and her daughter were taken down at San Francisco airport (). Mullen has not condemned ICE agents being deployed to the polls, stating they 'will be at the polls' if problems arise (, ).
3Threats to Birthright Citizenship and International Sanctions
Mullen's stance that U.S.-born children of undocumented parents should be deported with their parents directly challenges the 14th Amendment's guarantee of birthright citizenship. This position is seen as a dangerous disregard for the Constitution. Additionally, the Trump administration's severe sanctions on Cuba are causing widespread humanitarian crises, including blackouts and starvation, which Congress member Ramirez labels as 'warmongering' and an undeclared war, advocating for congressional intervention.
Mullen stated U.S.-born children of undocumented parents 'should go where their parents are' (). Congress member Ramirez is the lead sponsor of the 'Born in the USA Act' to codify birthright citizenship (). The Trump administration has spent months tightening sanctions against Cuba, leading to nationwide blackouts and starvation (, ).
Lessons
- Advocate for the 'Born in the USA Act' to codify birthright citizenship, ensuring constitutional protections for all individuals born in the U.S.
- Support efforts to defund or dismantle the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its agencies like ICE, as proposed by Congress member Ramirez, to curb perceived overreach and violence.
- Demand congressional oversight and legislative action to prevent the deployment of ICE agents or other paramilitary forces at polling stations, safeguarding free and fair elections.
- Pressure elected officials to challenge and reverse 'warmongering' foreign policies, such as the tightening sanctions on Cuba, that lead to humanitarian crises and destabilization.
- Engage with state and local authorities to ensure robust protections for voters and to counter any federal attempts at voter intimidation or suppression.
Quotes
"Mark Wayne Mullen is a Trump loyalist, is anti-immigrant, incompetent, has never served in the Homeland Security Committee... and is quick to go to aggression."
"Donald Trump wants people traveling around the country to live in fear if they don't do as he says. Agents at airports is not going to stop there... This agency of terror needs to be dismantled."
"If you're born in this country, you're a United States citizen. Whether you were born here 42 years ago like I was or you were born here last week."
"No one is safe under Donald Trump. No one is safe when a Congress is weak as it is today."
"There is no reason for ICE agents to be at the polls... We have a responsibility in the Senate and the House right now to ensure that not one more dollar goes to DHS. We should be abolishing it."
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