Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul said Sunday the possibility that some House Democrats could face arrest for their actions outside a New Jersey ICE facility is “obviously” a “very drastic” step in the situation. The Mayor of Newark was already arrested in connection with the protest, sparking outrage among other Democrats.
House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Homeland Security Committee member Rep. McCaul joined CBS News senior political correspondent and host Ed O’Keefe for Sunday’s edition of Face the Nation, and talked mostly about President Donald Trump on the topics of Israel, Ukraine, and foreign affairs.
But on the subject of the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, McCaul seemed cautious.
The Department of Homeland Security and Trump border czar Tom Homan have already indicated there could be arrests coming of several House Democrats — NJ Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rep. LaMonica McIver and Robert Menendez Jr — in relation to the protest at a New Jersey ICE detention center based on bodycam footage from the scene they say shows the Reps. “assaulting” ICE officers.
“You can’t cross that line,” said Homan on Saturday.
McCaul expressed somewhat the same view in his Sunday interview, but with the implicit caveats that he isn’t sure whether they actually did cross it.
“I’m just curious, should ICE be arresting or even threatening to arrest members of Congress?” O’Keefe asked.
“I mean, that’s obviously a very drastic move. I would only do that if they were complicit with a crime,” he said. “I don’t know all the facts behind this. If they were just visiting a detention center, that’s — I’ve done that many times. If they’re disrupting law enforcement, that’s another question.”
McCaul said that it will come down to whether the Democrats impeded law enforcement or were “complicit with gang violence against our law enforcement.”
O’Keefe, for his part, only asked whether ICE should be threatening arrests, but did not ask McCaul if the Democrats should have done what they were were doing.
O’KEEFE: There is one issue, though, back here at home, I want to talk to you about again, because you’re a member of the House Homeland Security Committee. Over the weekend, we saw Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest the mayor of Newark, New Jersey outside a federal detention center, and they’re now threatening to arrest three Democratic members of Congress for allegedly assaulting or touching an ICE agent there on the scene. I’m just curious, should ICE be arresting or even threatening to arrest members of Congress?
MCCAUL: I mean, that’s obviously a very drastic move. I would only do that if they were complicit with a crime. I don’t know all the facts behind this. If they were just visiting a detention center, that’s — I’ve done that many times. If they’re disrupting law enforcement, that’s another question. So, you know, we can peacefully protest in this country, but you cannot be complicit with gang violence against our law enforcement. And I think perhaps that’s what it comes down to.
Watch the clip above via CBS News.
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