The Department of Homeland Security issued a strong condemnation of Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) after she compared Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pre-Civil War “slave patrols.” Crockett’s remarks, made during a recent interview on The Breakfast Club, have sparked bipartisan concern and drew immediate response from DHS officials who called her language dangerous and dehumanizing.
Crockett, speaking about immigration enforcement, claimed that ICE functions similarly to historical slave patrols. The comment was framed as a criticism of how the U.S. government handles illegal immigration, but it drew sharp pushback from DHS. Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin appeared on America Reports to respond, calling Crockett’s comparison “dehumanizing” to ICE agents and accusing her of giving radical activists “a permission slip to act violently.”
McLaughlin emphasized that ICE officers serve under difficult and often dangerous conditions. Many of those arrested by ICE have criminal records, she noted, and the agency plays a critical role in protecting national security and upholding immigration law. She called Crockett’s remarks “wrong” and “disgusting,” arguing that such rhetoric does not reflect the reality of the agency’s mission or the professionalism of its officers.
This latest episode highlights growing tensions around immigration enforcement and public discourse.
