Leaders of major immigration agencies testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, facing scrutiny following recent events, including shootings involving federal agents. The hearing, which included testimony from the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons; Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow, came in the wake of increased calls for congressional oversight of immigration operations, according to CBS News.
The focus of the hearing was partly spurred by the January 7 shooting of Renee Good and the January 24 shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, as reported by CBS News. All three agencies fall under the Department of Homeland Security. The officials had been invited to testify before the committee.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced it was targeting five additional Republican-held districts to flip in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, according to ABC News. The committee is focusing on districts won by President Donald Trump in 2024 by a margin of 13 points or less, citing recent Democratic successes in special elections as evidence of a favorable political environment. "Democrats are on offense, and our map reflects the fact that everyday Americans are tired of Republicans broken promises," the DCCC stated, as reported by ABC News.
In other political developments, Maryland Governor Wes Moore is facing questions about the accuracy of a story he shared about his family's history, specifically regarding his grandfather and the Ku Klux Klan, according to Fox News. Moore, who has been mentioned as a potential White House contender, had previously stated, "I am literally the grandson of someone who was run out of this country by the Ku Klux Klan," as reported by Fox News, quoting a 2023 Time Magazine interview.
Also, Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, alleged that the Biden Department of Justice bypassed constitutional safeguards by subpoenaing phone records of sitting members of Congress, according to Fox News. Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., planned to question executives from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile about the disclosure of the phone records during a hearing.
Finally, Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas defended her use of "fiery 'clapbacks'" in the current political environment, according to Fox News. When asked if politicians should prioritize accuracy over such rhetoric, Crockett responded, "I think that in this moment," as reported by Fox News.
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