Cortez Masto Calls ICE ‘Lawless’

Nevada’s senior U.S. senator, Catherine Cortez Masto, criticized federal immigration authorities Tuesday, calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement “lawless” and pledging to withhold support for additional funding unless Congress enacts sweeping reforms.

Speaking at a news conference alongside community leaders, the Democrat denounced recent ICE operations in Minneapolis and other cities, accusing the agency of overreach and civil rights violations.

President Trump has made immigration enforcement a central priority since returning to office in 2025, with senior adviser Stephen Miller reportedly setting aggressive deportation targets.

In Minnesota, a recent surge of ICE agents led to thousands of arrests but also the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Video footage in both cases has raised questions about agents’ accounts of the incidents.

Republicans quickly pushed back. Republican National Committee spokesman Nick Poche accused Cortez Masto of contributing to border security problems during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Cortez Masto warned that stepped-up immigration enforcement in Nevada could harm the state’s tourism industry, citing what she described as economic fallout in Minneapolis following increased ICE activity there.

The senator said she would only support future ICE funding if several conditions are met, including prohibiting agents from wearing masks and requiring visible identification such as badges and nametags; mandating judicial warrants before entering private homes rather than relying on administrative warrants; requiring agents to wear body cameras and preserve footage for public release; and implementing de-escalation training similar to standards used by local police departments.

The debate comes during a broader funding standoff within the Department of Homeland Security. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Congress last summer provided ICE with billions of dollars beyond its usual budget, allowing the agency to continue operations.

However, funding for several other DHS components, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has not been renewed.

Many employees at those agencies are classified as essential and must continue working without pay until funding gets restored, while others face furloughs.