Latest news with #D-N.Y.
Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Lawmakers are right to try to bar ICE agents from hiding their identities
The images are jarring. Across the country, federal law enforcement officers in plain clothes and wearing ski masks and balaclavas are seizing and detaining protesters, students and even elected officials. These scenes evoke images of government thugs in violent regimes disappearing opponents. This is not how policing should look in a democratic society. Which is why everyone — regardless of political affiliation or stance on immigration enforcement — should support bills being introduced in Congress to address this growing problem. Three pieces of legislation — under consideration or expected soon — would prohibit masking by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, including one Thursday from Reps. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and one expected Friday from Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). These are obvious, common-sense measures that shouldn't need to be codified into law — but given the reality today, and what's being done on streets across the country, they clearly do. In the United States, those tasked with enforcing the law are public servants, answerable to the people through their elected representatives. Wearing uniforms and insignia, and publicly identifying themselves, are what make clear an officer's authority and enable public accountability. That is why U.S. policing agencies generally have policies requiring officers to wear a badge or other identifier that includes their name or another unique mark, like a badge number. That is why — not so long ago — one of us wrote a letter on behalf of the Justice Department to the police chief in Ferguson, Mo., to ensure that officers were readily identifiable during protests. This letter was sent by the federal government, in the middle of the federal civil rights investigation of the Ferguson Police Department, because ensuring this 'basic component of transparency and accountability' was deemed too important to hold off raising until the end of the investigation. Exceptions have long been made for scenarios such as undercover work — but it has long been understood that, as a general rule, American law enforcement officers will identify themselves and show their faces. This foundational democratic norm is now at risk. In February, masked ICE officers in riot gear raided an apartment complex in Denver, one of the first times Americans saw agents hide their faces on the job. In March, the practice came to widespread attention when Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk was snatched by plainclothes ICE officers, one of them masked, while walking down a street in Somerville, Mass. Throughout the spring, bystanders captured videos of masked or plainclothes ICE enforcement actions from coast to coast, in small towns and big cities. ICE says it allows this so officers can protect themselves from being recognized and harassed or even assaulted. ICE's arguments just won't wash. Its claims about how many officers have been assaulted are subject to serious question. Even if they were not, though, masked law enforcement is simply unacceptable. At the most basic level, masked, anonymous officers present a safety concern for both the individuals being arrested and the agents. People are understandably far more likely to disregard instructions or even fight back when they think they're being abducted by someone who is not a law enforcement officer. If the goal is to obtain compliance, masks are counterproductive. It's far safer to encourage cooperation by appealing to one's authority as a law enforcement officer — which almost always works. Related, there is a very real and growing threat of law enforcement impersonation. There has been a disturbing uptick in reported incidents of 'ICE impersonations,' in which private individuals dress as ICE or law enforcement officials to exploit the trust and authority invested in law enforcement. Just this month, the assailant in the recent assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker was posing as a police officer. Other examples are abounding across the country. As Princeton University noted in a recent advisory, when law enforcement officers are not clearly identifying themselves, it becomes even easier for impostors to pose as law enforcement. Replicas of ICE jackets have become a bestseller on Amazon. Most fundamentally, masked detentions undermine law enforcement legitimacy. Government agencies' legitimacy is essential for effective policing, and legitimacy requires transparency and accountability. When officers hide their identities, it sends the clear message that they do not value those principles, and in fact view them as a threat. Federal law currently requires certain clear accountability measures by federal immigration enforcement officials, including that officers must identify themselves as officers and state that the person under arrest is, in fact, under arrest as well as the reason. That should sound familiar and be a relief to those of us who are grateful not to live in a secret police state. But those words are cold comfort if you are confronted by someone in street clothes and a ski mask — with no way to know if they are who they say or whom to hold accountable if they violate your rights. ICE officials cannot be allowed to continue to enforce our laws while concealing their identities. Transparency and accountability are what separate democracy from authoritarianism and legitimate law enforcement from the secret police in antidemocratic regimes. The images we are seeing are unrecognizable for the United States, and should not be tolerable for anyone. Barry Friedman is a professor of law at New York University and author of 'Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission.' Christy Lopez is a professor from practice at Georgetown University School of Law. She led the police practices unit in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice from 2010-2017.
The Hill
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Seven Democrats vote for GOP resolution condemning LA protests
Seven House Democrats on Friday voted in favor of a GOP-led resolution to condemn anti-immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles, siding with Republicans on demonstrations that became a flashpoint in President Trump's immigration crackdown. The seven defectors are all moderate Democrats in swing districts. They include two California Democrats, Reps. Jim Costa and Adam Gray, who are both located in the agricultural Central Valley. Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Donald Davis (D-N.C.), Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.), and Jared Golden (D-Maine) also voted for the resolution. Cuellar, who represents a district on the southern border, has also been notably outspoken in urging Democrats to respond to immigration issues. Gray, who won election in November by fewer than 200 votes, told The Sacramento Bee that the resolution was 'far from perfect.' 'Messaging bills like this have no real force of law and simply express the sentiments of Congress— including the sentiment included in today's resolution that Congress is grateful for the first responders and public safety officers who keep us safe day in and day out,' he said. He also condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in California as 'terror-inducing.' The resolution was introduced and cosponsored by nine California Republicans representing districts across the state. It described the protests as escalating into 'violent riots' with 'acts of arson, widespread looting, property destruction, and vandalism' and condemned acts of violence against law enforcement. The resolution also castigated local leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), for failing to control what it called the 'rapidly escalating disorder.' Protests in Los Angeles began earlier this month in response to federal immigration raids on a series of local businesses. Trump responded by calling in the National Guard, and later Marines, to the Southern California city to restore order. The mobilization prompted condemnation from Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), and other local officials, who said that they had a handle on the situation. Newsom and Bass have charged that Trump's move only served to inflame protests. The Los Angeles Police Department made over 500 arrests over the course of the demonstrations, which were largely confined to a few blocks near federal buildings downtown. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) urged her members to vote against the measure Friday morning, calling it a 'partisan resolution to score political points.'
The Hill
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Gillibrand calls for Mamdani to denounce ‘intifada' comments
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called on New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to denounce the phrase 'globalize the intifada' as he appears to be the likely Democratic nominee for the office. Gillibrand said in response to a question from a caller during an appearance on radio host Brian Lehrer's show on WNYC that she's heard from New York constituents who are 'extremely alarmed' by some public statements Mamdani has made defending those who call for global intifada. 'This is a very serious issue because people that glorify the slaughter of Jews create fear in our communities. The global intifada is a statement that means destroy Israel and kill all the Jews,' she argued. 'These are the kinds of things that, if Mr. Mamdani is elected our mayor, we'll need to assure all New Yorkers that he will protect all Jews and protect houses of worship and protect funding for not-for-profits that meet the needs of these communities,' Gillibrand continued. The meaning of the phrase has caused significant debate, particularly since Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and throughout the war that has ensured. It also became a point of criticism directed at Mamdani leading up to this week's Democratic mayoral primary. Many pro-Palestinian activists have said the phrase means Palestinians fighting for their rights and liberation from Israeli occupation. Many pro-Israel activists and many Jewish people view it as calling for violence against Jews, referencing the first and second intifadas that took place in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, during which Palestinians in both Palestinian territories and Israel engaged in an uprising in which significant violence occurred and many on both sides died. Mamdani faced criticism as the primary approached over an interview he gave last week in which he said 'what I hear in so many is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' He made a comparison between those calls for intifada and the Warsaw ghetto uprising the took place during the Holocaust in which Jews fought back against the Nazis and some escaped. He cited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., saying the museum used the word 'intifada' when translating the Warsaw Uprising into Arabic, as intifada means 'struggle.' This led to the museum issuing a rare statement denouncing the comparison, calling it 'offensive to survivors.' Mamdani has responded to the criticism by maintaining that he would be a major for all New Yorkers and is committed to protecting his Jewish constituents against rising antisemitism. Gillibrand said she had spoken to him about this issue and he agreed to work with her to protect all residents of the city. 'These are things that he has assured me in my one conversation that he will protect everyone, but I understand why people are concerned because of past statements,' she said. 'This is just an issue that I will work with him on, for sure.' Gillibrand also made references to Mamdani using the word 'jihad,' but her communications director later said in a post on X that she misspoke and her concern was Mamdani's refusal to denounce 'globalize the intifada.' 'As a leader of a city as diverse as New York City, with 8 million people, as the largest Jewish population in the country, he should denounce it,' she said, referring to the intifada phrase. 'That's it. Period. You can't celebrate it. You can't value it. You can't lift it up. That is the challenge that Jewish New Yorkers have had certainly since Oct. 7. It is exactly what they have felt.' Gillibrand said she's not endorsing Mamdani right now but congratulated him on his victory in the primary. The Hill has reached out to Mamdani's campaign for comment. Mamdani seems all but certain to become the Democratic nominee for mayor, scoring a major upset against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani hasn't formally been declared the winner yet, but Cuomo conceded the primary and Mamdani declared victory. Cuomo has been considering whether to continue in the general election as an independent, which he has qualified for.
Politico
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Muslim Democrats ask leaders to denounce Islamophobic attacks on Zohran Mamdani
All four Muslim Democratic House members are denouncing 'racist smears' against Zohran Mamdani from lawmakers in both parties since his New York City mayoral primary win, according to a statement provided first to POLITICO. 'The vile, anti-Muslim and racist smears from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle attacking Zohran Mamdani cannot be met with silence. These hateful, Islamophobic, and racist tropes have become so entrenched and normalized in our politics,' said Reps. Andre Carson of Indiana, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Lateefah Simon of California in a statement. The lawmakers said that 'at a time when we are facing increased violence against elected officials, we cannot allow the attacks on Zohran Mamdani to continue' and asked for elected leaders to speak out on them. Mamdani, who would become New York's first Muslim mayor, has faced attacks from GOP lawmakers after his primary win this week. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) tied him to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) called for him to be deported, among others. The left was also concerned about since-clarified comments from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) about Mamdani's rhetoric about Israel. Critics of the democratic socialist have called some of his comments about Israel, including his defense of the phrase 'globalize the intifada,' antisemitic, which he's denied. The Muslim lawmakers have sought a more forceful pushback from their leaders to the GOP attacks and have privately approached Democratic leadership about doing so. Speaker Mike Johnson didn't answer a question from a reporter Friday asking him to respond to the remarks from Mace, Ogles and others.
Fox News
10 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
Top moments from the Trump-Biden debate that changed the course of the 2024 election
Former President Joe Biden's disastrous presidential debate with now-President Donald Trump one year ago Friday changed the course of the 2024 election. The octogenarian Delawarean appeared on-stage tired and with a raspy voice, while some of his responses were at times unintelligible, leading to Trump landing several wisecracks in response. While giving a response about wealthy Americans paying sufficient taxes, Biden said there are at least 1,000 billionaires – first muttering "1,000 trillionaires" – in the U.S. and that they purportedly pay only 8.2% in taxes. "If they just paid 24%; 25%, either one of those numbers, they'd raise $500 million – billion I should say in a 10-year period. We'd be able to wipe out the debt," and "all those things we need to do [with] child care, elder care." His response went on for several more seconds, transitioning into a sidewinder about making every person eligible for "what I've been able to do with COVID," before mumbling for several seconds and declaring, "We finally beat Medicare." When moderator Jake Tapper turned to Trump for a response, he said: "Well, he's right, he did beat Medicare, he beat it to death." Biden also claimed to have reduced illegal immigration at the southern border by 40% over the course of his term. "It's better than when [Trump] left office. And I'm going to continue to move until we get the total ban on the total initiative relative to what we can do with more Border Patrol and more asylum officers," Biden said. "I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either," Trump replied. Trump also sharply criticized Biden for "destroy[ing] our country," and that he came out with a "nothing" border plan to score a few political points. The current president also labeled Biden "a Palestinian" – a title he also bestowed on Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is Jewish – in relation to how they have responded to the Israel-Gaza conflict, after Biden accused him of disrespecting the military. Biden said his late son, former Delaware Attorney General Joseph Beau Biden III, contracted glioblastoma from being stationed near burn pits in Iraq. He went on to accuse Trump of the widely-debunked "suckers and losers" line about World War I casualties buried in a French cemetery. "My son was not a loser, he was not a sucker – you're the sucker, you're the loser," Biden fumed, speaking sternly through gritted teeth. "First of all, that was a made-up quote – suckers and losers – they made it up; it was in a third-rate magazine," Trump replied. The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg cited multiple anonymous sources in publishing the bombshell allegations in September 2020.
