Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith calls CBP and ICE 'illegal agencies'

On 2026-04-22, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith said on CNN’s The Source that Customs and Border Protection and ICE were “illegal agencies.” She also argued Senate Democrats had voted to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security but not those agencies, framing them as abusive and unsupported by Republicans. The statement was directed at the federal immigration enforcement agencies.