Dem senator's stunt goes sideways after GOP lawmaker torches him at immigration hearing
After Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., attempted to embarrass Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem by asking a handful of legal immigrants arrested by ICE to stand up during a Capitol Hill hearing,...
By Fox News · Fox News
After Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., attempted to embarrass Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem by asking a handful of legal immigrants arrested by ICE to stand up during a Capitol Hill hearing, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., sarcastically requested all the Americans killed by illegal immigrants to stand up before noting that they can't because their lives have been snuffed out. The backfired stunt came during a Tuesday hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee and Noem, who was grilled by both Republicans and Democrats over her time leading DHS's work, with a particular emphasis on the agency's role in supporting President Donald Trump's border security and deportation directives. "Madam Secretary, for a year, you maintain that no U.S. citizens have been arrested or detained by ICE or CBP after hearings that I conducted in the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation, as the ranking member. You admitted, finally, in a letter written to me, just last month, that, in fact, U.S. citizens have been detained and arrested," Blumenthal said when it was his turn to grill Noem. "You put the number at 38," he continued, "Far more American citizens have been arrested by ICE and CBP, probably in the hundreds, perhaps the thousands. Have you met with any of the American citizens who have been detained or arrested by your agency?" DEMOCRATS ACCUSE ICE OF TARGETING DREAMERS WHILE DHS HIGHLIGHTS GANG MEMBERS, CHILD RAPISTS ARRESTED THIS WEEK Noem shot back that the individuals Blumenthal was speaking of may have been folks that were obstructing law enforcement, but Blumenthal seemingly ignored Noem's response and continued unabated. "I'd like to introduce you to three of them – Leo, Javier and Marimar, would you please stand?" Blumenthal asked before launching into the details of their false arrests. "Wouldn't you agree with me that no U.S. citizen simply working lawfully should be arrested?" ANGEL DAD SLAMS DEMOCRATS FOR REFUSING TO STAND FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS…