Rep. Nadler: GOP should condemn detention of aide at Manhattan office
Joined by Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Judiciary Committee's ranking Democrat, Nadler demanded Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, stand up for the congressional staffer who was handcuffed Wednesday during protests at the Varick St. building that houses both the Nadler office and an immigration courthouse.
'We call on you, as chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, to condemn this aggressive affront to the separation of powers and the safety of members of Congress, our staff, and our constituents,' the letter said.
Jordan didn't immediately respond.
The Department of Homeland Security said the Nadler aide, who was never arrested, was briefly detained as part of a wider security check to protect federal employees in the building during the protest.
But Democrats say the detention is part of an aggressive policy by the Trump administration to squelch public opposition to its plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
'These types of intimidation tactics are completely unwarranted and cannot be tolerated,' the lawmakers wrote to Jordan. 'The decision to enter a congressional office and detain a congressional staff member demonstrates a deeply troubling disregard for proper legal boundaries.'
Nadler, who was the Judiciary chairman until this year, has been irate over the incident since it happened. He accused DHS of 'lying' about it, especially a claim that the female staffer was 'harboring rioters.'
Along with congressional action, he's calling for a probe into what he considers an abuse of power to target opponents of the Trump administration, but Democrats believe that is unlikely to happen.
'They barged in … and they then said that she pushed back and they shackled her and took her downstairs,' Nadler told CNN on Monday. 'She was obviously traumatized.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
a few seconds ago
- Fox News
New Mexico mayor signs executive order to 'counteract' Trump's immigration enforcement
Albuquerque, New Mexico Democratic Mayor Tim Keller signed an executive order on Monday to push back on President Donald Trump's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement throughout the country. "From day one, I made it clear that we will not be intimidated by harmful federal policies—and we've never wavered from our commitment to civil rights and public safety," Keller said in a statement on the order. "This Executive Order makes it clear that we will not stand by silently as our neighbors and friends are living in fear, and we will protect due process for all people living in our City." A press release explained how the new order buildings on the city's "immigrant-friendly policies" and "expands citywide protocols to counteract the harmful impacts of federal immigration actions, including proposals like H.R.1 ('One Big Beautiful Bill')." The order "reaffirms that no City department, agency, or employee shall use City resources to assist in federal civil immigration enforcement, including raids, detentions, or information-sharing, unless legally required." This includes requiring departments to report any ICE activity at city facilities, prohibiting staff members from supporting secret ICE activities and requiring ICE to "clearly identify its officers" in public areas. In addition to barring cooperation with ICE agents unless legally necessary, Keller's order requires city departments to "identify services and assistance for families impacted by federal actions, particularly related to housing, healthcare, employment, and education" and expand "virtual access to services to support safe interaction with government systems." Keller claimed in the order that immigrants generate $12 billion annually for New Mexico and that 16% of Albuquerque small businesses are immigrant-owned. He did not distinguish between legal or illegal immigrants but instead said it was the city's duty to "serve all residents with dignity—regardless of immigration status." Keller added that city councilors are planning to introduce legislation to codify his order into law once they return from recess. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Keller added, "The City actively partners with community organizations to ensure that services, including housing, healthcare, employment, and education assistance are accessible to those impacted by federal immigration actions. These services are provided to all residents and neighbors, regardless of immigration status. We do not inquire about immigration status when offering assistance." "Albuquerque is proud to welcome immigrants and values the rich diversity of our community. Our focus remains on fostering safety, inclusion, and support for everyone who calls our city home," the spokesperson said. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell signed a similar executive order in May that required city departments to report federal immigration communications to the city of Nashville's Office of New Americans. He has since come under Congressional investigation for allegedly blocking immigration authorities. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also made headlines over her vocal opposition to ICE raids in her city, joining a lawsuit to stop them earlier this month.
Fox News
a few seconds ago
- Fox News
Thune vows to 'grind down' Democrats as Trump's nominees face 'unprecedented' Senate obstruction
The Senate's top Republican is voicing mounting frustration with Democrats for stalling President Donald Trump's civilian nominees, something Senate Majority Leader John Thune called "unprecedented." "This is the first president in history who has never had, at this point in his presidency, a civilian nominee approved either by unanimous consent or voice vote in the Senate," Thune said Thursday during an interview on the "Brian Kilmeade Show" on Fox News Radio. The stalled nominations include undersecretaries for major federal departments such as Education, Labor and Agriculture, along with judges and ambassadors. Thune accused Senate Democrats of "delaying, obstructing, [and] blocking" the confirmation process at nearly every step, leading to significant slowdowns. As frustrations grow, Thune said he's not ruling out canceling the Senate's August recess to push through key confirmations, something President Trump has put pressure on Thune to do. "As we head into the August break we need to get a whole bunch more confirmed, and we intend to do that," he said, adding that his strategy is to "wear them down," referring to his Democratic colleagues. "Because of the way the Democrats are playing in their Trump Derangement Syndrome, they're putting up an unprecedented level of obstruction," he added. "I think the only way to beat that is to just grind them down." President Trump echoed those sentiments on Truth Social. He urged the Senate to remain in session through the upcoming break. "Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed," Trump wrote last week. "We need them badly!!!" Responding to the president's post, Thune said he understands the White House's urgency. "I totally appreciate the president's frustration with what's happening on the nominee front," he told Kilmeade. Still, he noted that the confirmation rate under Trump's second term is roughly double what it was during his first, and ahead of where President Joe Biden stood at the same point in his presidency. However, Thune argued that Democrats are making the process harder than it needs to be. "There's nothing about this that is easy, but it should be a lot easier than it is," he said, arguing there's a benefit to having lawmakers return to their home state and constituents. Earlier this month, tensions between lawmakers hit a breaking point when Democrats walked out of a Judiciary Committee meeting in protest of Trump nominees Emil Bove for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Jeanine Pirro for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Sen. Dick Durbin claimed that some Democrats were denied the chance to speak, leading to the walkout. "Today, Chairman Grassley blocked Democratic members from discussing the controversial records of nominees like Emil Bove and Jeanine Pirro, shut down debate, and forced votes for no apparent reason," Durbin said in part. "My question is this: what are my Senate Republican colleagues trying to hide?" Earlier this year, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer supported a strategy to delay all of President Trump's Cabinet nominees who didn't have full, unanimous support in the Senate. He also used a chamber procedural move to stall some federal prosecutors in committee.
Fox News
a few seconds ago
- Fox News
Senate Majority Leader John Thune Urges Lawmakers to Work Through August Recess
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., joins Brian Kilmeade Show to discuss Democratic obstruction of President Donald Trump's civilian nominees and how the president's spending bill could impact the U.S. economy. Click here to read more and watch
