ERROL BARNETT:
00:00:34
CBS News immigration and politics reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez is here with me in studio once again to discuss this topic. Camilo, good morning. Good morning. We know that as the president says he understands both sides, you've got federal prosecutors who have subpoenaed the governor, the mayor of Minneapolis because of what they say is a conspiracy to interfere. What is the government hoping to get out of this? Well, Errol, this is a broad, sweeping investigation on a criminal basis by the Justice Department targeting, as you said, Democratic officials, not only the governor and the mayor of Minneapolis, but also the state attorney general, county Officials in that area, and other Democratic leaders. This is the actual subpoena that was sent to the office of Mayor Frey. It demands oral communications, policy, manuals, procedures, directives, commands, instructions, guidance, reference guides, and suggestions related to immigration enforcement in that state of Minnesota and also the extent to which local officials cooperate or do not cooperate with federal immigration agencies like ICE and Border Patrol. Because remember, the central allegation that the Justice Department, Errol, appears to be probing is that local officials like Mayor Frey, Governor Wallace, and Attorney General Ellison are obstructing or impeding federal immigration agents from discharging their duties through their public criticism of those agencies and also actions that the Justice Department may find are interfering with that work. Of course, the mayor, the governor, and other Democratic officials have denied the allegations, saying that they are opposed to the deployment of federal agents on policy grounds, but have urged protesters to remain peaceful. And they believe the justice system is being weaponized and that this is all political intimidation, Errol. And we know that meanwhile, on the ground, things continue to be tense and dangerous. The Trump administration is touting what they call this Operation Metro Surge. But do we have any confirmed data on ICE arrests? How successful, I guess, has it been? What we know, Errol, is that according to the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol and ICE have arrested more than 3,000 people suspected of being in the country illegally. Most of them remain in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings. The open and critical question is, how many of those people arrested have criminal records in the US beyond civil immigration violations? And that's a critical question because we have seen the administration increasingly target people who are here in the country illegally, Errol, but who lack a criminal record despite claims that they are going after the worst of the worst who are in the country illegally. And we have also seen increasingly that Border Patrol agents and ICE are stopping US citizens, in some cases mistakenly arresting them despite having legal status in the US or arresting US citizens who are accused of interfering with ICE and Border Patrol. Yeah, such an important topic. Our viewers show us every day this is very important to them. I know you'll continue to give us the latest. Camilo, thanks.
