Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders could not name a single benefit from the Democrats’ partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during a Tuesday interview.
The Democrats have kept the DHS shutdown going for over a month as the party pushes immigration demands. The extended funding halt has had a major impact on Americans, most noticeably in enormous travel delays as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents have gone unpaid or simply left the job.
On Tuesday’s “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” on CNN, Sanders said Democrats are making a political point with the prolonged shutdown that ICE is “out of control,” but could not name any specific thing that has been achieved.
“Do you believe that Democrats have achieved anything as a part of the DHS shutdown?” CNN host Kaitlan Collins asked.
“They try to make the point that ICE is out of control. ICE is out of control and it needs fundamental reforms,” Sanders said.
“And did they make that point in your view?” Collins asked.
“Well, you’ll have to judge that. I think they’re trying very hard,” Sanders replied.
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The shutdown has caused major travel delays and long wait times in security lines at major airports. Hundreds of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents have quit their positions since they have not received paychecks since the shutdown began. The shortage in personnel has also caused safety concerns and worries about terror enforcement.
Democrats shut down DHS as they demanded that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stop wearing masks, do not enter private property without a warrant, display their identification while conducting an operation and stop racial profiling people. These demands were largely in response to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis during the widespread protests in January.
Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was the only member of his party to support the full-year appropriations bill for DHS. He als supported tech mogul Elon Musk’s offer to pay the salaries of TSA agents during the shutdown, and criticized his party for allowing them to rely on food pantries and community donations due to the shutdown.
President Donald Trump’s administration deployed ICE agents to several airports to help manage the short-staffed TSA agents.
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