Crockett warns of nationwide protests over ICE shooting: 'State-sanctioned execution'
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, warned that nationwide protests will erupt unless an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer involved in a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is identified and prosecuted, calling the incident a "state-sanctioned execution" as she accused Republicans and the administration of ignoring deadly misconduct.
Tensions flared during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on bail reform Thursday as Democrats criticized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE officer in Minneapolis the day before.
Crockett escalated her criticism during the hearing, warning lawmakers that protests would spread nationwide without criminal accountability.
"There are gonna be protests around this entire country because of the state-sanctioned execution that we all saw unfold unless there is some kind of justice that takes place, and we get the name of that officer and that officer is prosecuted," Crockett said.
The remarks came amid sharp partisan exchanges as the committee debated public safety and bail reform.
Democrats used the hearing to press DHS officials over the shooting and the lack of publicly available information about the officer involved.
"Long story short, we are sitting in the judiciary and no one on that side of the aisle seems to care that this particular person, whose name we don’t know at this point, became the judge, jury, and executioner," Crockett said, taking a dig at Republican lawmakers. "I don’t know how you square that."
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Crockett accused Republicans of minimizing the shooting and shielding federal law enforcement from scrutiny despite calls for transparency.
She argued that officers should be held to the same legal standards as civilians when deadly force is used.
"A child has lost her mom, and y’all want to pretend that it is okay," Crockett said while becoming emotional. "Is there anyone that will stand for the very people that elected us and sent us to Congress?"
Her comments drew audible reactions in the hearing room as she described the impact of the shooting on the victim’s family.
Crockett framed the incident as a moral issue, urging lawmakers to prioritize accountability over politics.
"I remember when Charlie Kirk got killed. Do you remember what our response was?" Crockett asked. "Our response wasn’t to sit there and pretend like it was okay."
She went on to question whether law enforcement officers are treated differently when lethal force is involved.
"Is it okay because you have a badge?" she asked. "Because the last time I checked, allegedly no one is above the law. Can y'all not just have a little bit of courage and humanity?"
Crockett later referenced comments made by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who sharply criticized ICE following the shooting while investigations remain ongoing.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Crockett for comment on her remarks.
During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Frey called DHS’s explanation that the officer fired his weapon in self-defense "bull----" and told ICE to "get the f--- out" of Minneapolis.
"The mayor of Minneapolis told y’all to get the f--- out," Crockett said. "Yet y’all are the ones — it is this administration — that is bringing crime to their streets."
Crockett’s remarks prompted vocal objections from Republican lawmakers over the repeated use of profanity during the hearing.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., joined the exchange, asking one lawmaker, "Are your princess ears okay?"
"Are we offending your princess ears? Are they that soft?" Swalwell continued.
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The exchange capped a tense hearing marked by repeated clashes over immigration enforcement and public safety.
The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly released the name of the officer involved or announced whether any disciplinary action has been taken.
Frey later appeared on CNN Wednesday night, where he doubled down on his remarks after being asked whether he was stoking discord in Minneapolis.
"I’m so sorry if I offended their Disney princess ears, but here’s the thing – if we’re talking about what’s inflammatory, on one hand you got someone who dropped an f-bomb, and you got someone who killed somebody else," Frey said. "I think the most inflammatory action is killing somebody. And so, once again, let’s be real and just be honest and straight up about what’s happening here. This is not OK."