WATCH: Sen. Blumenthal’s full Q&A in forum on DHS use-of-force

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, asked questions in a congressional forum Tuesday on the tactics used by Department of Homeland Security agents in carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportations agenda.

Federal immigration agents have been involved in more than a dozen shootings, some fatal, since President Donald Trump began his second term, sparking public outcry over use of force by officers deployed as part of his immigration crackdown.

Families of victims and residents of Minneapolis, where two fatal shootings occurred last month, have demanded more transparency and accountability from the government, which has tried to shut local and state law enforcement out of investigations into the deaths.

The issue became a driving factor behind the partial government shutdown this week. Democrats refused to agree to a government funding deal for a handful of agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, without reforms to ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including requiring agents to wear body cameras, refrain from obscuring their faces and obtain judicial warrants for arrests. Lawmakers approved a short-term measure Tuesday that funds DHS only through Feb. 13, while debate continues over these proposals.

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