Robert Cerna, the performing director of the ICE discipline workplace in Dallas, Texas, spoke with “CBS Night Information” anchor Tony Dokoupil Wednesday on the strain surrounding immigration enforcement motion in cities throughout the U.S.
Their dialog got here hours after an ICE agent shot and killed a girl in Minneapolis. Cerna mentioned he could not touch upon the investigation however referred to as it “a tragic occasion.”
Listed here are 5 takeaways from their dialog:
On the strain round ICE in cities throughout the nation
Dokoupil famous the strain and turmoil surrounding ICE motion throughout the U.S. and requested: “Are you involved that the mission of ICE might not have the ability to be carried out in a manner that’s each efficient and protected for everybody concerned?”
Cerna mentioned “that is a priority daily that we face,” however added that he isn’t involved that the mission cannot be achieved as a result of “we’re dedicated to this public security mission.”
On masking
Cerna mentioned ICE officers are wearing masks for his or her safety and for the safety of their households, citing doxxing and harassment.
“All of us took an oath to serve this nation and to implement immigration legal guidelines,” he mentioned. “And that is all we’re doing.”
On anger in the direction of ICE
Dokoupil requested: “What do you assume explains the general public anger there may be in the direction of ICE?”
“I actually do not know,” Cerna mentioned. “I simply assume that the general public won’t have all the data that they should know so far as the kind of work that we’re doing, the legal aliens that we’re getting off the streets and we’re shifting again to their residence international locations. Quite a lot of instances, , all that’s missed however we’re doing a variety of nice work.”
On controversial ICE movies
Dokoupil requested Cerna what he’d say to the general public about movies that seem to point out ICE using excessive force, together with utilizing pepper balls and dragging protesters.
Cerna mentioned there’s typically “extra to what’s on that video,” together with no matter occurred beforehand and instructions given by ICE officers.
“What’s occurring proper now’s…I assume since we’re ICE officers, they do not, they do not really feel that we’ve the authority that we really do have.”
Dokoupil famous that ICE is getting bigger, not smaller, and requested how the company will perform its mission “in a manner that’s safer and fewer tumultuous than it’s proper now.”
Cerna mentioned it is a “exhausting query” and that ICE officers practice to “make arrests within the most secure manner doable” however that individuals “are being extra reckless once we’re attempting to make these arrests.”
“Now, what lots of people do not perceive is … there could be somebody that we’re, we have focused, we have recognized, we have situated that particular person, and now we’re making an arrest. And that particular person, , would possibly simply be dealing with a removing again to their residence nation. However after they recklessly ram into our autos, now they’re assaulting an officer… They’re placing themselves in peril and … they’re placing themselves in additional of a threat to getting prosecuted for that assault.”
His message to People
When requested what he needs each American to know, Cerna mentioned: “We’re all half .. of this group. I imply, we’re, we’re fathers, we’re moms, we’re brothers, we’re sisters. We have now a household, and all we’re doing is we’re, we’re implementing the immigration legal guidelines as they’re written and, , that is all we’re doing … we took an oath to do that, this mission, and that is what we’re doing, and we’re doing it to the very best of our potential.”
