Full Breakdown
Sen. Jim Justice Urges Pause on ICE Immigration Sweeps
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Call for a Policy Re-assessment
Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) told Politico that the current Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are removing long-time community members and that the administration should acknowledge mistakes and scale back. He argued that and that “to get better, the first thing you got to do is admit you’re doing something wrong.” “Before you know it, you get people that get carried away in their job and whatever it may be, and all of a sudden, then you're dragging people away that have lived on your street corner for 15 years, and I don't know that we need to be doing that stuff,” — Sen. Jim Justice “To get better, the first thing you got to do is admit you're doing something wrong,” — Sen. Jim Justice
Background and Ranching Concerns
Justice’s remarks followed complaints from ranching groups in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma that recent ICE raids are costing cattle producers millions of dollars and disrupting supply chains. Those groups contend that the sweeps target workers essential to the agricultural sector, a point highlighted in Politico’s coverage of the issue.
Official Statements & Responses
- ICE Guidance: Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported that ICE officers had been instructed to stop arresting immigrants without criminal records. The administration later labeled that directive a “miscommunication” and reversed it.
Broader Republican Reactions
Other Republicans have voiced similar unease. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) has publicly criticized the administration’s immigration enforcement, and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) accused President Trump of “betrayal” of Latino voters for the same policies. These statements underscore a growing intra-party debate over the balance between immigration control and economic impact on local industries.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Before you know it, you get people that get carried away in their job and whatever it may be, and all of a sudden, then you're dragging people away that have lived on your street corner for 15 years, and I don't know that we need to be doing that stuff,” — Sen. Jim Justice
- “To get better, the first thing you got to do is admit you're doing something wrong,” — Sen. Jim Justice