LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Let's take a closer look now at the deal struck between Democratic Senators and the White House with one of those lawmakers, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Good morning, Senator, and welcome back to the program.
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: Good morning to you. Thanks for having me.
FADEL: So this deal is ultimately an extension to negotiate on the reforms your party wants when it comes to ICE. I mean, do you think you will get the reforms you want and get this bill passed, given all the hurdles ahead, 'cause it will have to go back to the House, etc?
BLUMENTHAL: I believe that we're on a path to avoid a shutdown but still have strong, strict reforms and restraints on an out-of-control, lawless and reckless agency that is inflicting physical violence and violation of rights, not only in Minneapolis, but all across the country. And the country is rightly outraged and angry. I am angry at what I have seen on the streets and neighborhoods and communities of America. So I think we will avert a shutdown and have two weeks as an opportunity to impose these kinds of reforms and restraints. But let me be very clear. If we don't get them, DHS will be shut down. I would shut down this agency.
FADEL: When you say shut down this agency, you won't vote for any funding for it?
BLUMENTHAL: I would deny any funding for it if the demands - I view them as demands - are not met because essentially, we are seeking to require masks off, body cameras on, basic respect for constitutional rights and accountability for when those rights are violated, just as would be applied to any use of force standards in state or local law enforcement.
FADEL: Now, President Trump is publicly supporting this deal. Is he supporting the demands that you just lined out, you just outlined there?
BLUMENTHAL: I have no great assurance that he will support these demands. But be very clear that a failure to meet these demands means that the Department of Homeland Security would be shut down. At least my vote would be to end funding for it. What we've done is to separate the other departments like transportation and the Department of Defense, so that Republicans can't make the issue paying our military or enabling passengers to fly safely. The focus will be on DHS and its lawless, unconstitutional actions, including avoidance of judicial warrants and the random sweeps, the draconian break-ins and trashing of people's homes, detention and arrests without judicial warrants. This kind of absolute lawlessness cannot be permitted in America.
FADEL: Is two weeks enough to get - enough time to get everyone on the same page when it comes to DHS and immigration enforcement? I mean, what will these two weeks do?
BLUMENTHAL: I believe that two weeks is more than adequate time for Republicans to agree with us on these strict reforms. And we cannot rely on executive branch action because, frankly, Donald trust - Trump is not to be trusted. He has not agreed to all of these reforms or even any of the significant ones. And so we have actually fought down the period of time to weeks. They wanted longer, but these kinds of overhauls of the agency are readily doable within that amount of time. And a first indication of their good faith is whether there will really be an independent investigation immediately.
FADEL: An investigation into Alex Pretti's killing and Renee Good's killing?
BLUMENTHAL: An investigation into the Pretti and Good killings and other kinds of physical assaults that essentially violate the law.
FADEL: Do you get a sense of - I mean, give me a sense of how many of your Republican colleagues agree with these restrictions on ICE that you're seeking or you believe will come on side.
BLUMENTHAL: You know, that's a great question, and I won't have the answer until I see what they're actually willing to agree to because, you know, we've seen a lot of talk. We now need action. The president is talking about downsizing the force in Minneapolis. We've yet to see it. The kinds of...
FADEL: Well, actually, the president said he doesn't have plans to do that, and Tom Homan said that they do. So it's not even clear that that's the case.
BLUMENTHAL: Well, let's see what happens in Minneapolis and whether Republicans are willing to agree to these reforms because if they don't, DHS would be shut down.
FADEL: That's Richard Blumenthal, Democratic senator of Connecticut. Thank you for your time.
BLUMENTHAL: Thank you.
FADEL: We have asked Trump administration officials and Republican leaders in Congress to join us for an interview. Those invitations remain open. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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