U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois joined her Democratic colleagues in blocking funding for the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday.
The test vote came as Democrats are threatening a government shutdown this weekend, when the federal government is set to run out of money.
Duckworth said on NPR's Morning Edition she called for an independent investigation for any use of force by immigration agents in the spending bill. Her request was denied.
“The inserted language that there will be no independent investigation of ICE. That for me was the last straw,” Duckworth said.
Duckworth made the request after aggressive actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] agents in Chicago, and before the two fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
Democratic leaders have said they want to overhaul ICE.
Roving patrols
Duckworth wants to limit the coverage areas in which border patrol agents can search for undocumented immigrants. She said 100 miles from any U.S. border, the current policy, is too much for these roving patrols.
“That is a long way for ICE to have unfettered access. I think that if they are going to do their border mission, then it should be reduced to one air mile because right now, they can range all the way… halfway across my state,” Duckworth said.
Duckworth said new video circulating online that shows Alex Pretti confronting immigration officers and kicking their SUVis causing Republicans to continue their campaign of victim blaming.
“If you were to bring this into court and said this guy was out there protesting before, the judge would throw this out,” Duckworth said.
That incident happened 11 days before Pretti was shot and killed by Customers and Border Protection agents.
