Minneapolis ICE killings have big ramifications for vulnerable New York members of Congress. Here's why.
The chaotic immigration crackdown in Minnesota, in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents killed two American citizens, could lead to another government shutdown as lawmakers from our area re-evaluate their support for the funding bills to keep the country running.
The situation has created a ripple effect, forcing New York lawmakers to jump through hoops to distance themselves from ICE. That's especially true for congressmembers in swing districts concerned about the midterm elections.
DHS now in Senate Democrats' crosshairs
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said Senate Democrats will not vote for funding bills to keep the government open if they include money for the Department of Homeland Security. The deadline is this weekend.
Schumer told CBS News New York he was sickened by what he saw in Minnesota, referring in part to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
"I felt like I was punched in the stomach. I looked at those pictures, those videos, over and over again and said this can't be America. This is some kind of fascist dictatorship," Schumer said.
A lot hangs in the balance. Another government shutdown could send the economy into a tailspin, but it could also affect how voters feel come November and the members of Congress in the swing districts here could pay a big price.
"There's gotta be a de-escalation here"
Republican Mike Lawler, for example, is calling for a bipartisan solution to immigration enforcement and enforcement and reform.
"We should be able to find agreement on some common-sense things like securing the border, like ending sanctuary city policies, like deporting criminal aliens, and like having a pathway forward, not citizenship, but a legal path forward for those who have been here long-term that are undocumented," Lawler said.
Lawler, who represents much of the lower Hudson Valley, is one of the Democrats' key targets in their quest to take control of the House. He has been trying to get ahead of public outrage over the events in Minneapolis, with a call for a non-partisan investigation into what happened and for lawmakers to come together as Americans.
"There's gotta be a de-escalation here and folks have to recognize that, you know, the rhetoric is not helping. Calling ICE the gestapo or calling citizens, you know, domestic terrorists, that is not helping anybody and it needs to stop," Lawler said.
Rep. Tom Suozzi offers mea culpa to his constituents
Other vulnerable local lawmakers in the state have been trying to reposition themselves in the wake of the events in Minnesota.
Long Island Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen are among seven Democrats who broke from their party to help pass a Homeland Security funding bill last week and are now dealing with the backlash.
Suozzi sent an email to constituents, saying, "I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis. I hear the anger from my constituents, and I take responsibility for that."
