Trump official blames ICE’s public backlash on Democrats, not agents’ fatal shootings

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Jump to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleJasmine FernándezTuesday 01 September 2026 22:34 BSTControversial far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos is detained by ICE in LouisianaDepartment of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused Democrats of using rhetoric to unfairly demonize Immigration and Customs Enforcement and President Donald Trump's administration.Speaking in New York, Mullin stated that federal immigration agents would only be deployed to polling locations to address active threats or execute specific warrants.“ICE’s job is immigration custom enforcement,” Mullin said. “That’s their job. And so, if we’re doing something, we’re doing that specifically for immigration custom enforcement.”The agency’s operational conduct has faced intense national focus following two separate fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. Renée Good, 37, was shot and killed inside her vehicle by an ICE agent on January 7, while Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot multiple times and killed weeks later on January 24 by Customs and Border Protection officers deployed alongside immigration enforcement teams.Critics and civil rights advocacy groups rejected Mullin's defense, arguing public backlash stems directly from ICE's operational practices rather than political rhetoric.In fullDHS head Markwayne Mullin claims it’s Democrats and ‘fear-mongering’ that make ICE look badMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in