Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith calls for 'meaningful restraint' of 'lawless' federal agents

Amna Nawaz:

Well, for another perspective now, we're joined by Democratic Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota.

Senator, welcome back to the "News Hour." Thanks for joining us.

And let's just begin with a reaction to the latest news, this report that Governor Walz, President Trump had a good, productive call, in their own words, that Greg Bovino, some agents are going to be leaving Minnesota imminently and that Tom Homan is on his way in. What, if anything, do you think that changes on the ground?

Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN):

Well, it's so interesting.

Clearly, there is an attempt by the White House and the president and the people around him to de-escalate the situation. It's a dramatic turn of events from just this weekend, when the attorney general sent a letter to the governor saying that the only way to end this attack on Minnesota was if the governor were to, among other things, turn over our voter rolls.

So I think what has changed is the tragic killing of Alex Pretti and the pressure that the White House is feeling from Americans and certainly from their allies in the Republican Party who are saying, this just cannot stand.

It's interesting, because, earlier today, I was out in the neighborhoods talking to people, and it's still very, very tense. I had to hold up visiting one mutual aid spot because an ICE raid was happening right there. And so there is still complete fear and anxiety on the streets tonight as ICE agents' roving vans continue to terrify people in my community.

Amna Nawaz:

And we know, as a result of all this, you and other Democrats, as Lisa was reporting, are saying you will oppose a funding package for DHS.

So give us your latest take. Is this fight worth a partial government shutdown to you?

Sen. Tina Smith:

I think we are very, very firm, as Democrats in the Senate, that we cannot just stand by while this federal police force in Minnesota and places elsewhere in the country, but particularly in Minnesota, where they are shooting and killing United States citizens, people who are peacefully demonstrating and exercising their constitutional rights.

So we are quite firm about this. And the only sensible thing to do is for the leader, the Republican leader, to understand that he needs to break aside the -- break apart the five bills that I think many Democrats would support and allow us to deal with the challenges at Homeland Security and put some meaningful restraint on this lawless behavior of this agency. That's the path forward.

And I have to say, Amna, I have had some conversations with some of my Republican colleagues over the last day or so. I can't say that they're all on board, but I have heard a lot of concern from them about what's happening here. And that gives me some hope that we can find a good path forward.

Amna Nawaz:

So could you get a little more specific for us? What does a meaningful restraint look like here? I mean, the question is, what's the ask?

Because the last time Democrats pushed for those enhanced health care subsidies, and that led to the longest government shutdown in history, you still didn't get the subsidies, right? So what leads you to believe that you will get what you want if you push for another shutdown now?

Sen. Tina Smith:

Well, let's start from the idea that these federal agents who are part of ICE and customs and border control should not be allowed to just randomly detain and arrest U.S. citizens.

Let's start from the fact that they should not be allowed to barge into, breakdown the doors of people's homes and cart them off with no warrant. These are just fundamental, commonsense kinds of protections, the same kinds of rules that local law enforcement have to follow in every single city in this country.

So it's hard for me to believe that, at the end of the day, Republicans in the Senate would shut down the government because they would refuse to put those kinds of commonsense guardrails on this agency that has clearly run amok in Minnesota and in other places around the country.

Amna Nawaz:

And in your conversations with your Republican colleagues, are they saying they'd be willing to support those kinds of measures? You mentioned sort of a shift you have seen after the death of Alex Pretti. Is that something they would support?

Sen. Tina Smith:

Well, I mean, I can't predict what they will do.

And, certainly, far be it for me. But I will tell you that it's -- there's sort of this coalition of the horrified that has developed around what's been happening here in Minnesota. And it includes law enforcement, who see (AUDIO GAP) doing is so deeply damaging to their own credibility in their communities.

It is people who care about Second Amendment rights, the outrage that I have heard from Minnesota gun owners who've said, wait a minute, this man was carrying, lawfully carrying, a firearm as a Second Amendment right, and you're saying that he could be killed for that?

The level of rejection of this behavior of ICE is growing, not diminishing. And I think Republicans in Congress are hearing that as well, and that is leading them to look for a way forward that can put an end to this.

Amna Nawaz:

That is Democratic Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota joining us tonight.

Senator Smith, thank you for your time. Really appreciate it.

Sen. Tina Smith:

Thank you.