In response to the deaths of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is urging his Republican counterparts to "rein in" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
"ICE is completely and totally out of control and it needs to be reined in, which is why we need dramatic reform at the Department of Homeland Security," Jeffries told Morning Edition.
On Wednesday, Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck E. Schumer sent a letter to their GOP counterparts, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, urging them to reform ICE. It included a list of several guardrails for federal agents — such as prohibiting masks and requiring that immigration enforcement officers wear body cameras to hold them accountable for their interactions with the public.
It is unlikely that Johnson and Thune will agree to every demand. Many republicans say they will support some changes — like ICE agents wearing body cameras. But some GOP members draw the line at getting rid of masks. Republicans haven't completely shut down the overall proposal, yet, but they will have a short amount of time to negotiate these terms.
Jeffries discussed Democrat's push to reform ICE with NPR's Steve Inskeep.
Click the play button in the blue box above to listen to the full conversation.
Copyright 2026 NPR
