Democrats press Rep. Andrew Garbarino for hearing on Minnesota killing by immigration officer
Long Island Rep. Andrew Garbarino is chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Credit: Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker
WASHINGTON — Democrats are demanding that Rep. Andrew Garbarino bring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to testify before a U.S. House committee he heads after the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by a federal immigration officer.
"Contrary to Secretary Noem’s press statements," the Democrats write on a letter to he Homeland Security Committee chairman, "there has been no evidence shared so far that would justify the shooting" of Renee Good on Wednesday by "a masked immigration agent."
"The perpetrator must be held accountable, and Secretary Noem must answer for this shooting as well as other recent acts of violence by her officers and agents," the top Democrat on the panel, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and other panel Democrats tell Garbarino.
In a response, Garbarino said Thursday night the Homeland Security Committee "intends to hold hearings with senior DHS (Department of Homeland Security) officials in the coming months where members may ask questions regarding various topics."
But he stopped short of saying that Noem would be called to explicitly testify about Wednesday's shooting, or that the panel will be doing any independent fact-finding. "The FBI is actively investigating Wednesday’s shooting, and the results of that investigation will be reviewed by this Committee," he said.
Garbarino had earlier released a similar statement that, "There should and will be a full investigation, and I will continue to monitor the FBI’s findings throughout that process."
But he also said that until knowing all the facts, he would not "judge a situation like this," and "The safety of our law enforcement officers and the communities they serve must always come first."
In their letter, Thompson and other committee Democrats go on to tell Garbarino that, "Republicans who continue to sit idly by as the Trump administration violates our communities and hurts Americans are as culpable as President (Donald) Trump himself for the harm he is causing our great country."
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