Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) pushed back Wednesday on “CNN News Central” against the suggestion that she had supported ending the government shutdown as part of a fight over ICE, saying that was never her position.
Co-host Kate Bolduan raised recent developments involving ICE agents in Maine and Texas, noting that Tom Homan had blamed Democrats and the shutdown for delays in getting body cameras to ICE officers after the shootings. Bolduan framed Shaheen as part of a small group of Democrats who broke early from most of the party to press for reopening the government rather than holding out for an ICE overhaul.
Shaheen interrupted to dispute that characterization. “No, that’s not correct,” she said, adding that she “was never one of those people who pushed to end the shutdown on ICE.” Shaheen said ICE did need reform and argued she had voted consistently toward that goal. She accused Homan and the administration of using the shutdown as an excuse for failing to implement reforms and distribute body cameras more quickly, saying they had “plenty of money” and should have acted “months ago.”
