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The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers slammed Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for comparing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations to the Gestapo, which was a police force in Nazi Germany.
“When you compare the old films of the Gestapo grabbing people off the streets of Poland, and you compare them to those nondescript thugs… it does look like a Gestapo operation,” Lynch said at the House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday where Walz, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker were facing questions over their state’s immigration policies, particularly on compliance with federal authorities.
The White House’s rapid response account slammed the remarks as “disgusting.”
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Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., slammed Lynch’s remarks as “sick.”
“Comparing lawful police activity by our nation’s brave law enforcement officers to Nazi Germany’s Gestapo is sick. Securing the border and mass deportations are 80/20 issues, but Democrats refuse to give up the virtue signaling. To Democrats, illegal aliens > Americans,” the Arizona lawmaker posted to X.
“This is the type of dangerous rhetoric inciting violence across the country,” the RNC Research’s X account said.
Walz was also criticized at the hearing for his similar comments about ICE at a University of Minnesota law school commencement address last month.
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“I’m gonna start with the flashing red light — Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets,” Walz said at the time. “They’re in unmarked vans, wearing masks, being shipped off to foreign torture dungeons. No chance to mount a defense. Not even a chance to kiss a loved one goodbye. Just grabbed up by masked agents, shoved into those vans, and disappeared.”
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Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., directly called out his remarks, including a post from May 2018 in which Walz said that he will “support policies that keep law enforcement from enforcing federal laws that everyone knows are broken.”
“Given the attacks on ICE agents that took place in Los Angeles over the weekend, don’t you regard your dangerous inflammatory rhetoric as a problem?” Emmer asked.
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“So, sir, it saddens me that you refuse to express regret from comparing ICE to Nazis,” he later added, saying ICE agents are “brave Americans.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) echoed Emmer’s sentiment.
“Governor Walz’s comments comparing ICE agents to the Nazi Gestapo is SICKENING. ICE agents put their lives and safety on the line to arrest criminal illegal aliens let into our country,” DHS posted to X.
The Trump administration’s ICE arrest goals and Democratic leaders continue to be at odds, especially when it comes to state and local authorities’ compliance with federal immigration enforcement. ICE currently has a daily goal of 3,000 arrests of people in the country illegally.
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