Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he agrees with a suggestion that Democratic senators and New York City police officers travel to Minneapolis to challenge the tactics and training of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, as demonstrations continue following a deadly shooting involving an ICE officer.
Schumer’s comments came during a conversation with MS NOW “Morning Joe” contributor Mike Barnicle, who argued that Democratic lawmakers should show up in person alongside experienced police officers to publicly confront federal agents.
Barnicle pressed Schumer on why Democrats have not organized a group of senators and law enforcement officers to go to Minneapolis and address ICE directly. He framed the idea as a way to demonstrate what he described as proper “law and order” practices, and to call out masked agents in the crowd.
“You are so right,” Schumer responded, saying he has spoken with police officers from across the country about ICE operations.
Schumer went further, claiming that officers he has spoken to believe ICE agents are not sufficiently trained in standard policing methods. He said that lack of training can lead to dangerous outcomes, including deadly incidents, and argued that experienced police departments should be able to tell ICE agents they need “real police training.”
A Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday found that 53% of registered voters surveyed said they believe the Minneapolis shooting was not justified, while 35% said it was justified and 12% offered no opinion.
According to the poll’s crosstabs, 92% of Democrats said the shooting was not justified. Among Republicans, 77% said it was justified. Independents, by a 59%–28% margin, said it was not justified.
Schumer also said Americans are “appalled” by what he described as ICE activity in cities, alleging that people are being detained without clear explanations or timely information about where they are being taken or what they are accused of.
“They don’t tell them where they are. They don’t tell them what they’ve been charged with,” Schumer said, adding that he believes the public is outraged by the broader situation.
Schumer also told the MS NOW hosts he expects Democrats to win the Senate in 2026.
