Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas made pointed remarks Tuesday during a House Judiciary Committee markup hearing, accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement of racial bias in its operations.
Crockett claimed ICE agents have been detaining Native American or “indigenous folk” while overlooking what she called “colonizers.” She tied the enforcement efforts directly to race, saying the push under the current administration comes down to “whiteness” and “white supremacy.”
“ICE been roundin’ up indigenous folk but NOT the COLONIZERS,” Crockett stated in the hearing. She added, “So what this is about is whiteness. Everything that this administration has pushed has been about white supremacy.”
The comments came as the committee worked on pending legislation tied to immigration enforcement. Crockett has been a vocal critic of ICE tactics since the Trump administration ramped up deportation operations earlier this year.
Background on Recent ICE Activity
Federal agents have conducted large-scale operations in several cities, including Minneapolis, as part of broader efforts to remove people in the country illegally. Tribal leaders in Minnesota and other states have raised concerns that Native Americans were stopped, questioned, or briefly detained because agents mistook them for recent immigrants based on appearance or names.
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Some tribal members reported needing to carry tribal identification cards to prove U.S. citizenship during encounters with ICE. Officials from tribes like the Standing Rock Sioux and Red Lake Nation have pushed back, emphasizing that enrolled members are American citizens with rights that predate modern immigration law.
Critics of Crockett’s remarks argue that enforcement focuses on legal violations, not race, and that mistakes happen in any large operation. Supporters of stricter immigration controls point to criminal records among some of those targeted and say the focus should stay on public safety and border security.
Crockett’s Broader Criticism of ICE
Crockett has compared ICE actions to historical “slave patrols” in past interviews and hearings. She has argued that aggressive raids and detentions echo past abuses and disproportionately affect communities of color. In earlier statements, she has also claimed white supremacists pose a greater threat than illegal immigrants committing crimes. Her Tuesday comments fit that pattern. She framed the administration’s immigration priorities as driven by racial animus rather than rule of law or national security.
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Reactions and Context
The clip of Crockett’s remarks quickly spread online, with conservative voices highlighting it as evidence of extreme rhetoric from Democrats on immigration.
Others defended her as drawing attention to real cases of overreach and profiling.Immigration enforcement remains a top issue heading into the 2026 midterms. The Trump administration has prioritized mass removals, while Democrats like Crockett call for oversight, accountability, and reforms to prevent what they describe as abusive tactics.
