Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett unloaded during a “shadow hearing” on Friday, tearing into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with a series of blistering accusations that culminated in her labeling the agency’s recent tactics as “pure racism.”
Speaking to a room occupied solely by Democrats—a point she sharply noted—the freshman congresswoman leveraged her background as a civil rights attorney to frame the current immigration crackdown not as a partisan policy dispute, but as a fundamental moral failing.
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“I’m insensed as an American, I’m embarrassed as a human, I’m infuriated,” Crockett declared, her voice rising. She dismissed the traditional political divide, arguing that the treatment of migrants and U.S. citizens alike has moved beyond “right or left” to simply “right or wrong.”
The hearing, organized by Democrats in the absence of official GOP proceedings, focused on allegations of racial profiling and civil rights violations. Crockett wasted no time cutting to the heart of the matter, asking the panel a series of rhetorical questions about whether it was acceptable to arrest individuals based on skin color or accents.
“I’m not really sure what is going on with ICE right now, but I can tell you… this is pure racism,” she said. “I don’t know why we want to tinker around with it and pretend as if it’s something other than what it is.”
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Crockett drew heavy historical parallels throughout her remarks, invoking imagery of the Civil Rights Movement and darker chapters of history. She described current enforcement actions as reminiscent of “door-to-door” searches where people had to hide in attics, and law enforcement attacks involving dogs and fire hoses.
In her most searing critique, she took aim at both the executive branch and the judiciary. “I know my good black history,” Crockett stated. “This looks like modern-day slave patrols, and they have been sanctioned by this Supreme Court.”
She went on to blast the high court for what she described as giving permission to profile individuals based on appearance and speech. The congresswoman also highlighted the collateral damage of these policies, citing “record numbers” of U.S. citizens allegedly caught in the dragnet—specifically mentioning a victim named Renee who had been “brutalized.”
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Pivoting to the Trump administration, Crockett characterized the current leadership as a “domestic abuser” and “cowards” who fear resistance. She urged a unified front among Black, White, and Latino communities, warning that the country is on a “sinking ship” where constitutional rights are being stripped away.
“We will not stand for it, otherwise our democracy will fall,” she concluded, before the hearing moved on to accommodate lawmakers rushing to catch flights.
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