WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today took to the Senate floor in solidarity with the peaceful protestors in Minnesota and across the United States. Senator Welch called for Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to resign, citing her leadership of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has used inhumane tactics and excessive force in Minnesota and other states. In his remarks, the Senator emphasized that the Trump Administration has allowed Sec. Noem and ICE to spin out of control, turning the function of immigration enforcement into a paramilitary force.
“Folks in Minnesota—it’s 20 degrees below zero—they’re out in the streets, they’re out protesting peacefully, they’re out providing coffee and cocoa and warm soup to each other to get through this. Why are they doing it? You know what? They care about the right of assembly. They care about the First Amendment. They care about their Constitutional rights. The reason they’re doing this is they care about each other,” said Senator Welch. “In this United States Senate, our job is to care about every single American. And we have an agency that is totally out of control with a leader that is, I would say, incompetent. But the cruelty of that remark, to dismiss two people—innocent people who died—as domestic terrorists, tells me there’s not an inkling of acceptance of responsibility that goes with the enormously important job of being Secretary of Homeland Security.”
Watch his remarks here:
Senator Welch is an outspoken voice opposing Secretary Noem’s leadership of DHS. The Senator called for Noem’s resignation in July, citing her mishandling of FEMA and handling of President Trump’s cruel and illegal mass deportation campaign. This week, Senator Welch demanded that if Noem does not resign as Secretary she should be fired or impeached by Congress.
Last week, Senate Welch announced that he would vote against any government funding package that provides additional funding for ICE. The Senator will speak on the Senate floor about DHS’ escalating violence again on Thursday evening.
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