♪ >> ERIC: THE ONGOING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IS ONE OF THE TOPICS WE ARE GOING TO COVER WITH TONIGHT'S FIRST GUEST.

DEMOCRATIC U.S.

HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR SERVES MINNESOTA'S FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WHICH INCLUDES MINNEAPOLIS AND SEVERAL SURROUNDING HENNEPIN COUNTY SUBURBS.

REPRESENATIVE OMAR AND REPRESENTATIVE CRAIG HAD AN APPOINTMENT AT THE WHIPPLE BUILDING EARLIER TODAY.

AND HERE TO TELL US ABOUT THAT IS REPRESENTATIVE OMAR.

A BIT OF A SURPRISE WHEN YOU GOT THERE?

>> IT TRULY WAS.

I MEAN, THE PURPOSE OF THESE OVERSIGHT VISITS NOT BEING SCHEDULED IS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEE TRULY WHAT IS TAKING PLACE HAD.

WHEN YOU SCHEDULE, THEN THERE'S A LOT OF TIME TO PREPARE AND WE FOUND OUT TODAY, BECAUSE WHEN WE GOT THERE, THERE WAS LITERALLY NO ONE, NOT A SINGLE -- >> Eric: NO DETAINEE.

>> NOT A SINGLE DETAINEE.

AND THE THING THAT WAS FASCINATING ABOUT THAT WAS WHEN WE IRST ENTERED, THEY TOLD US THERE WERE TEN.

AND AS WE MADE OUR WAY THROUGH, OH, THE TEN GOT PICKED UP EARLIER IN THE DAY.

THEN THEY'RE, LIKE, THERE MIGHT BE FIVE.

AS WE MADE OUR WAY THROUGH, I ASKED THAT WE BROUGHT, YOU KNOW, CONFIDENTIALITY RELEASE FORMS OR PRIVACY RELEASE FORMS, I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE TO THE FIVE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE IN CASE ANGIE AND I MIGHT BE ONE OF THEIR REPS.

AND THEN THEY SAID, OH, WE CAN'T LET YOU INTO THE CELL -- WE CAN LET YOU INTO THE CELL AND HAVE YOU TALK TO THEM.

I SAID, I DON'T NEED TO GO INTO THE CELL.

I CAN SLIDE THE PAPERS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK THROUGH THE GLASS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY MADE US SIT THERE, THEN AFTER A WHILE, THEY WERE, LIKE, ACTUALLY, THE LAST DETAINEES EFT AT 11:30.

AND OUR VISIT WAS AT 12:00.

>> Eric: SO WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS SITUATION THEN?

>> I THINK THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE THEY DID THE SAME THING TO SENATOR TINA SMITH WHO HAD HERS SCHEDULED EARLIER IN THE MORNING AT 10:00 A.M., I THINK IT WAS PURPOSEFULLY DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO, ONE, SEE WHAT ACTUAL CONDITIONS DETAINEES WOULD BE HELD F THERE WERE ANY THERE, AND, TWO, TO AVOID EITHER THEM SPEAKING TO US OR US SPEAKING TO THEM.

AND I THINK, THREE, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT US TO REPORTING THE KIND OF DETAINEES THEY MAY HAVE IN THERE.

>> Cathy: I'M WONDERING ABOUT THE .C.E.

DRAWDOWN IN YOUR DISTRICT.

IS IT OBVIOUS THATTING AGENTS ARE LEAVING?

>> IT IS NOT OBVIOUS.

AND TODAY THAT WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD WITH THEM.

THEY TOLD US THAT THE NUMBERS HAVE GONE FROM 3,000 TO UNDER 500.

BUT THAT'S I.C.E.

AGENTS.

THEY WOULDN'T TELL US HOW MANY OF THE BORDER PATROL AGENTS THAT MIGHT STILL BE IN THE STATE.

THEY ALSO WOULDN'T TELL US HOW MANY OF THE HI IS AGENTS THAT MIGHT STILL BE THERE.

THEY TOLD US 00 OR SO.

THEN WHEN WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WOULD WE STILL BE SEEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE REPORTING WHERE THERE WAS THESE MASS RAIDS IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY TELL IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE, THEY'RE STOPPING PEOPLE, AND THEY SAID, NO, WE'VE GIVEN A DIRECTIVE FOR PEOPLE NOT TO BE PROFILED, FOR THEM NOT TO BE RANDOMLY STOPPED, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO BE TARGETED.

BUT EARLIER IN THE MORNING, WE ALREADY HAD REPORTS WHERE THEY WERE BEING STAGED IN SCHOOLS, IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, IN FRIDLEY, IN MY DISTRICT, IN CRYSTAL, NEW HOPE, OTHER SAYS PLACES.

AND -- AND OTHER PLACES.

AND CERTAINLY HEAVILY IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS.

WE ALSO HAD INCIDENTS WHERE THEY'RE DOING THAT IN CHURCHES AND PLACES OF WORSHIP.

>> Cathy: WHICH, OF COURSE, TOM HOMAN DENIED.

>> YES, WHAT THE DIRECTOR TOLD US, THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN.

IF CITIZENS SEE THIS HAPPENING, THEY SHOULD DOCUMENT IT, AND THAT WE SHOULD COME BACK WITH THAT DOCUMENTATION, SHOW TO THEM, IN WHICH I RESPONDED, I ALREADY HAVE LOTS OF DOCUMENTATION.

WHERE POLICE CHIEFS HAD TO RESPOND.

SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THAT DOCUMENTATION WITH THEM.

>> Eric: DO YOU SUPPORT ABOLISHING I.C.E., DO YOU WANT TO REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING?

>> YES, I MEAN, I.C.E.

IS A CREATION THAT REPLACED I.N.S.

AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ACTUAL AGENCY WITH ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE GOING FORWARD THAT CAN ACTUALLY CARRY OUT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT THAT IS BOTH HUMANE AND LAWFUL.

>> Cathy: I'M CURIOUS, DO YOU THINK WE MIGHT SEE AGENTS AGAIN, MIGHT WE SEE AN INCREASE IN AGENTS IN THE MONTHS TO COME AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE ELECTION?

THERE'S SOME FEAR OF THAT.

>> YES, ACTUALLY, RIGHT AFTER I LEFT WHIPPLE, I WENT TO COLUMBIA HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL, AND MANY OF THESE STUDENTS WERE ASKING ME, YOU KNOW, HOW CONFIDENT DO YOU FEEL NOW THAT THEY'RE SAYING THEY'RE LEAVING THAT THEY MIGHT COME BACK BECAUSE WE'RE FEARFUL OF THAT.

AND WE KNOW THAT BACK IN JUNE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE SURGE, THEY TOLD US THEY WERE DRAWING IT DOWN AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO END THAT OPERATION.

AND THEN MONTHS LATER, WE NOW HAVE METRO SURGE.

AND, SO, WE'RE NOT CONFIDENT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP 'PAYING ATTENTION, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BECOME COMPLACENT, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT SEE THIS LEVEL OF SURGE THAT KIND OF REALLY CREATES TERROR AND HAS ESTABILIZED BOTH OUR ECONOMY, OUR STUDENTS' ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE TELLING US THERE'S 80% PARISHIONER ATTENDANCE THAT'S DOWN, ESPECIALLY IN CATHOLIC CHURCHES BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE BEEN TARGETING, KNOWING THAT A LOT OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY ATTENDS CATHOLIC CHURCHES.

>> Eric: YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BOYCOTT THE STATE OF THE UNION?

>> I'M NOT BOY COGHT THE STATE OF THE UNION.

>> Eric: DEMOCRATS SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN THAT OPTION.

>> YOU KNOW, I HAVE NEVER REALLY BOYCOTTED BECAUSE I THINK IT IS OUR HOUSE, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW TRUMP TO CHASE US OUT OF OUR HOUSE.

>> Eric: THE HOUSE CHAMBER.

>> YES, THAT'S OUR HOUSE, IT'S NOT HIS.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE THERE.

I'M ALSO TAKING, YOU KNOW, FOUR MINNESOTANS, FOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE BEEN DEEPLY IMPACTED, PHYSICALLY HARMED BY THE OPERATION, AND I WANT THEM TO BE THERE TO LOOK PRESIDENT IN THE EYE AS A REMINDER THAT HE HAS MOBILIZED AND WEAPONIZED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGAINST HIS OWN CITIZENS.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE YOU COMING OVER.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> Cathy: GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> Eric: GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WE WANT ALL OF YOU AT HOME TO KNOW THAT WE CONTINUE TO INVITE ALL MEMBERS OF MINNESOTA'S CONGRESSIONAL