(WATCH)
María Teresa Kumar spoke on the alarming pattern that the American public has witnessed under the leadership of Secretary Noem.
On the Use of Masks by ICE and Impersonation Risks
"You're starting to see a lot of copycat folks trying to present themselves as ICE agents... there's a couple of incidents where women are now declaring that they thought these people were ICE... sadly, some of the women were actually assaulted."
Kumar stressed the urgent need for transparency and safety, emphasizing that Americans should not feel at risk simply for how they look.
"Right now what we're witnessing under ICE and sadly under Secretary Noem is everybody feels at risk... simply because they look Latino or they look like they may be undocumented."
The Mental Toll on Families
During the segment, Kumar highlighted the mental health toll on children living with fear that their undocumented family members may be caught in the administration’s enforcement dragnet.
"This is not only a public health crisis, but it’s also about how we want to conduct ourselves when we say we’re abiding by the law."
A Civil Liberties Crisis
"What we’re seeing right now every single day—it’s theatrics, but it’s not solving the issue."
Kumar called for a Congressional oversight hearing, urging Americans across political affiliations to act:
"79% of Americans right now, regardless of political stripes, believe that we should find a decent solution for immigration."
"Call your member of Congress and demand oversight... these are our civil liberties... and they may start with immigrants, but they're not gonna end with immigrants."
With 27 vulnerable Republican seats in the upcoming midterms, Kumar noted the power of public pressure:
"If Republicans are serious in solving the issue, then have that conversation, have a policy that they propose, and then we can negotiate like adults."
