Durbin Calls Out Trump Administration’s Misguided, Partisan Approach To Immigration

Durbin Calls Out Trump Administration's Misguided, Partisan Approach To Immigration

Durbin: "So rather than costly operations to deport hardworking immigrants with no criminal convictions, I urge my colleagues to come to the table and work with us on a bipartisan basis to reform our immigration system and secure our border in a sensible, humane way."

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor yesterday, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called out the Trump Administration's misguided, partisan approach to immigration.

After an immigration subcommittee hearing led by Senate Judiciary Republicans yesterday, Durbin said: "This [hearing] begs the question-why, now that they are in control, are Senate Republicans continuing to focus on the Biden Administration instead of examining the policies of this Administration? When I was Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, we held not one, but two full committee hearings on the Biden Administration's handling of unaccompanied children… We must do everything in our power to protect these kids, and that requires oversight of the policies in place now."

Durbin then addressed the diversion of resources to low priority immigration enforcement cases, saying: "Just look at yesterday's oversight hearing with FBI Director Kash Patel. Director Patel deflected my questions related to his gutting of a unit in the FBI that was investigating something known as the 764 group-an organization that the FBI described as a 'nihilistic violent extremist' group that seeks to blackmail children to perform vile acts on camera. News reports released yesterday noted that '[n]early every agent on Baltimore's domestic terrorism squad was reassigned this year to work full time on immigration enforcement, forcing them to walk away from investigations of the 764 group... In fact, roughly 20 percent of all FBI agents reportedly have been diverted from their critical national security and public safety roles-including protecting children from extremists and traffickers-to work on President Trump's mass deportation effort. Even worse, the data shows that this Administration is not focusing its immigration enforcement operations on the 'worst of the worst,' as the President says. Instead, they are picking up innocent, law-abiding people."

Durbin then highlighted the atrocious immigration raid at a Hyundai Metaplant conducted by inexperienced agents with respect to immigration enforcement, saying: "Hundreds of agents from across the government raided this factory. The agents-many of whom work on priority counterterrorism and drug enforcement cases-did not have experience in low-priority immigration enforcement operations. They ended up arresting hundreds of South Korean nationals who were in the country to help install equipment at a plant so that eventually American workers could go to work at that factory. Now, the South Korean government is investigating human rights abuses during the raid, and construction on the facility is [reportedly] paused for another year-maybe two."

Durbin continued: "Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau was reportedly forced to express 'deep regret' over the incident in a meeting with his South Korean counterpart… Americans want immigrants who have committed serious crimes to be deported, but raiding factories, like the Hyundai factory, isn't going after criminal gangs or murderers. The Georgia raid demonstrated that the Trump Administration's priority is not public safety, but rather meeting White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller's arrest quotas. Mr. Miller needs a body count to slake his insatiable thirst to punish immigrants. Miller has ordered ICE agents to focus on arresting individuals at Home Depots and 7-Elevens… His targets are not those in President Trump's infamous litany of ['murders, rapists, terrorists, and criminally insane']. Brown skin and a Spanish surname is good enough. In order to meet Miller's quotas, ICE is arresting first and asking questions later. DACA holders, immigrants with lawful status, and even U.S. citizens have been caught up in these disastrous efforts. Even worse, a recent U.S. Supreme Court order has paved the way for ICE raids on any employer who hires someone with an accent for a low-wage job."

Durbin then shared how the Trump Administration's so-called "Operation Midway Blitz" is devastating Chicago, saying: "I have seen the devastating impacts of these policies in my state of Illinois. People are fearful of masked men in unmarked vans who could grab them at any time because of how they look or their voice. Parents are terrified to take their children to school, and businesses are suffering as people are scared to go to work… Now the President is ramping up his immigration raids in Chicago, in the so-called 'Operation Midway Blitz.' This operation is not going to make Illinois safer. In fact, 70 percent of immigrants detained by Trump so far have no criminal convictions. Instead, this effort will deepen the fear in our communities-making hardworking immigrant families frightened to send their kids to school, go to the hospital, or report suspicious activity to the police. The majority of Americans do not support these anti-immigrant actions... Immigrants have been a key part of the American success story at every level. That's why, in Illinois, including in the great city of Chicago, we embrace immigrants as members of our community who pay their taxes and help make our economy thrive and our city strong."

Durbin concluded with a plea for bipartisan immigration reform, saying: "Our nation needs immigrants more than ever. Look at the numbers-if DACA is struck down, experts predict that our economy will lose an estimated $11.7 billion each year in wages… And without continued immigration, the U.S. working-age population will shrink by over six million by 2040... As Americans retire, this could lead to a 23 percent reduction in monthly Social Security payouts to retirees. So rather than costly operations to deport hardworking immigrants with no criminal convictions, I urge my colleagues to come to the table and work with us on a bipartisan basis to reform our immigration system and secure our border in a sensible, humane way."

Video of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

Durbin has been explicit about his opposition to President Trump increasing immigration raids in Chicago and his threats to deploy National Guard troops as a political move to distract from his Administration's failure to lower the cost of living or address constituents' health care needs. He wrote to Attorney General Bondi, DHS Secretary Noem, Department of Defense Secretary Hegseth, and FBI Director Patel requesting immediate information regarding potential actions President Trump would take to send the military to Chicago.

Durbin also visited Naval Station Great Lakes to learn more about DHS plans to position itself at the base. Durbin, along with Senator Duckworth and Congressman Schneider, requested a meeting with DHS, and they were denied, as well as locked out of the office space that DHS intended to use after requesting entry. DHS has not provided any transparency into its plans for how this military base would be used by DHS officials, which component of DHS would be using the base, and whether the use of this base is necessary given existing field offices in the Chicagoland area.

Durbin also filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the lawsuit brought against President Trump for his ongoing misuse of the U.S. military in Los Angeles that began earlier this year.

Durbin also introduced seven amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2026 to enhance congressional oversight over President Trump's expansive use of the military for law enforcement operations in American cities, including without the consent or request of a state's elected officials.

Last week, Durbin met with Cook Country Board of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle, as well as leadership of Cook County Health to discuss the so-called "Operation Midway Blitz" among other things.

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