House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized U.S. immigration enforcement during an appearance on The View Monday, claiming that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is targeting “law-abiding immigrant families” rather than violent offenders, as promised.
Pressed by co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin on whether he supports calls from some Democrats to “defund ICE,” Jeffries stopped short of endorsing the idea but stressed the need for stronger accountability.
“I definitely think we need aggressive oversight when it comes to the overly aggressive behavior we’re seeing from ICE and DHS,” said Jeffries, D-N.Y. “Donald Trump and Republicans said they’d go after violent felons, but instead they’re targeting families, even deporting citizens—including children battling cancer. That’s not who we are as Americans.”
‘Unprecedented Flood of Extremism’
Co-host Ana Navarro asked Jeffries what message he had for Latinos disillusioned by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
“We’re witnessing an unprecedented flood of extremism unleashed on the American people from the very beginning of Trump’s presidency,” he said. “It’s a turbulent time—but I believe in the resilience and goodness of the American people. We’ll come out stronger.”
Jeffries’ comments follow weeks of renewed ICE activity, including high-profile workplace raids and controversial deportations. Critics within the Democratic Party say these efforts lack transparency and disproportionately affect non-criminal immigrants.
Reform and Protection for Dreamers
Jeffries also reiterated Democratic priorities on immigration: protecting DACA recipients, supporting farm workers, and overhauling the current system.
“As House Democrats, we’re committed to securing the border, yes,” he said. “But we’re also committed to fixing our broken immigration system and defending dreamers, farm workers, and law-abiding immigrant families.”
His remarks come as Congress remains deeply divided on immigration, with the Trump administration continuing its hardline stance and Democrats calling for a more humane and structured approach to enforcement.
