Since the beginning of the Trump administration, few federal agencies have been as visible, or as controversial, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
During the last two plus years of the Obama administration, Sarah Saldaña led the agency. She’ll be in Kansas City for an event with American Public Square on Wednesday called “Breaking The ICE On Immigration Enforcement And Federal Power.”
On KCUR’s Up To Date, Saldaña said it is “a very sad situation” to see the tactics that are being used by ICE under President Donald Trump.
“I was mildly surprised at the beginning of this administration, when I saw what I was seeing on TV. But it developed into horror, because (they’re wearing) masks on an ordinary operation. (They’re) fully armed, more than fully armed, in my opinion, and out on the streets," she said.
"This is not the way one needs to go about enforcing the laws under the immigration statutes. And then it just tumbled and, quite frankly, descended into a horrible place in Minneapolis that has been a nightmare.”
Saldaña told KCUR that she is hopeful that ICE will not continue to use those kinds of tactics moving forward.
As the agency’s former director, she supports the core mission of immigration enforcement. Her former boss, President Obama, was famously called the “Deporter-in-Chief” by immigrant rights groups for the scale at which ICE deported people during his administration.
“(ICE) is an integral part of our national security. Let's not forget the visa overstays who were part of the 9/11 tragedy. So it's important to have ICE,” she said. “But we did not use the tactics that are being used now.”
- Sarah Saldaña, former ICE director
Event: Breaking The Ice On Immigration Enforcement And Federal Power, 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 15 at the Medallion Theater, 300 E 39th St, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.
