In a letter dated June 3, Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., urged Republicans in the House Judiciary Committee to investigate the Department of Homeland Security after agents stormed Nadler’s congressional office and handcuffed one of his aides.
Nadler and Raskin wrote that these “intimidation tactics are completely unwarranted and cannot be tolerated.” They go on to assert that the behavior is a part of a “broader pattern” of the Trump administration’s use of “unlawful, chaotic and reckless tactics.”
According to the letter, DHS agents forcefully entered Nadler’s office on May 25. A video acquired by Gothamist shows DHS agents attempting to enter a non-public area of Nadler’s office, citing the need for a “security check”. A staffer can be heard asking the agent for a warrant, while the handcuffed aide is heard crying in the background. An agent can be heard telling the aide to “Stop resisting.”
The aide was later released and no charges were filed.
In the letter, legislators wrote: “The decision to enter a congressional office and detain a congressional staff member demonstrates a deeply troubling disregard for proper legal boundaries.”
Over the weekend, commenting on the incident, Nadler told The New York Times that the Trump administration is “behaving like fascists.”
Nadler and Raskin’s letter urges the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to condemn the actions and launch an investigation. It’s unclear how Jordan, a strong ally of the Trump administration, will respond.
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