The next is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 1, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by Texas Republican Congressman, Michael McCaul. Good to have you ever right here.
REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL MCCAUL: Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So we’re on this partial authorities shutdown presently, however Speaker Johnson mentioned on one other community this morning, he expects it could finish by Tuesday. A few of your Republican colleagues, although, have mentioned that they’ve situations for getting on board. Republicans have a one seat majority at this level. Is he- is he overconfident? He has your vote?
REP. MCCAUL: Effectively, he has my vote. I imply, we voted for this final time. The Democrats, most of them voted for this. For the Democrats to show round and vote in opposition to it on Tuesday, simply to close down the federal authorities, is mindless to me in any respect. I feel the speaker- the trick is getting it by way of the Guidelines Committee, and I imagine that the speaker wouldn’t do this if he did not have the votes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, you realize why we’re on this state of affairs and why these Democrats are actually objecting?
REP. MCCAUL: Proper.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Due to what occurred every week ago–
REP. MCCAUL: –Proper–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –out in Minneapolis, when Alex Pretti this–
(CROSSTALK)
REP. MCCAUL: –However the DHS apportion is taken out of this. The DH apportion is taken out of that appropriation–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Proper, simply now with two-week persevering with resolution–
REP. MCCAUL: –To have reforms to DHS–
MARAGRET BRENNAN: –To have reforms. So let’s discuss that. As a result of the Trump administration has modified personnel. They put Tom Homan now out in Minneapolis. The borders czar. They took out of that place Greg Bovino, who had been working Border Patrol. The Justice Division has additionally mentioned it is opened a civil rights investigation into why federal brokers shot Pretti. Secretary Noem now says the FBI is taking on the probe into what occurred. Are your issues about what occurred in Minneapolis happy?
REP. MCCAUL: I’ve referred to as for a full investigation. DOJ has opened that investigation. Civil rights division would have jurisdiction over this. Look, I imply, Bovino went in there with these roving patrols. He escalated the state of affairs. He escalated the strain between the general public and regulation enforcement. He put his brokers able they need to by no means have been put in. They haven’t any coaching for crowd management. Their job is to go in and take away legal aliens, violent felons from the USA, and get them out of right here. And so, you realize, Tom Homan is a consummate skilled. He is been doing this for a very long time. I’ve identified him for a very long time. He is going to return to the core mission of ICE, and that is focused regulation enforcement operations, not roving the streets inflicting chaos.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However we have not heard him say, or the administration say, that they are truly going to alter ways to do what you simply mentioned.
REP. MCCAUL: Effectively, I imagine in his press convention, he did discuss de-escalation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REP. MCCAUL: He talked about going again to focused, you realize, regulation enforcement operations.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Does that imply ending warrantless arrests? Is that the way you perceive it?
REP. MCCAUL: Administrative warrants have been round for an extended time–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Sure–
REP. MCCAUL: –to signal by a immigration decide order of elimination. To go in, faucet round prisoners below ICE detainers. That may proceed. The thought of an administrative order being- warrant getting used to interrupt into a house that has not been the follow of ICE. And I do not assume Mr. Homan goes to proceed that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, we heard actually- you are proper. Warrantless residence entries are unconstitutional. Fourth Modification protects all folks, no matter citizenship, from unreasonable search and seizures. However, and we have seen the documentation from the Trump administration, their coverage does enable for these so-called collateral arrests, the place ICE officers perform warrantless arrests of unauthorized immigrants who are usually not the targets, however people who who’re encountered throughout an operation, and so they is likely to be making an attempt to depart the scene. Ought to the premise there be modified? Is that too broad?
REP. MCCAUL: Look, the goal is a goal. The goal’s the violent offender. You recognize, there, there are many these to spend all our time and assets on. After they do arrest the goal, if there are unlawful aliens with the goal, they’re caught within the internet, and since they’re within the nation illegally, they’re eliminated. And I do not assume that follow will change, however the roving patrols–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Effectively they did change them as a result of prior administrations interpreted flight threat as not probably exhibiting up for a court docket appointment. The Trump administration interpreted it because the man may go away the scene, and so they justified a few of these warrantless arrests and encounters below that. Is that too broad? As a result of that is a part of this roving group that you just’re speaking about.
REP. MCCAUL: Appropriate and due course of applies to all individuals below the Structure. It could apply to them as properly. In the event that they’re caught within the internet, although, they must be handled. Look, that is getting into entrance of courts proper now–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –And Democrats need to argue about this. They need adjustments.
REP. MCCAUL: Yeah, and the courts are throwing out plenty of these circumstances, truly, and you’ve got violations with U.S. residents being arrested unlawfully. So the American folks assist the deportation of legal aliens, violent offenders. What they do not assist is extreme use of drive, and I imagine Bovino crossed the road. I feel the president was right in telling him to get out of there. I might advise–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Does he nonetheless have a job?
REP. MCCAUL: Effectively, he is going again to his prior station.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
REP. MCCAUL: However I might advise the secretary and the president to contain Tom Homan, and he ought to have been there from day one–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Why wasn’t he?
REP. MCCAUL: –and to make the most of his experience and his expertise.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why was he minimize out by Secretary Noem?
REP. MCCAUL: I do not know all of the internal workings inside DHS on that. I can let you know although he’s the consummate skilled relating to ICE elimination operations.
MARGARET BRENNAN: A federal decide in Texas has ordered that this five-year-old boy, Liam Ramos, be launched, alongside together with his father, from ICE custody. He had been detained by federal brokers out in Minneapolis. His image went viral. The decide who ordered the discharge particularly referenced concern about traumatizing youngsters. He isn’t the one child being detained below present insurance policies, and with this specific case, the administration claimed one thing that was not backed up in court docket, proper? They claimed the daddy was making an attempt to flee and that he was right here illegally. He was right here below a coverage honored by the final administration. They used an app on a telephone to assert asylum. That was a authorized course of. So now they’re out of this detention facility. However, however does not that elevate to you concern that there are kids who’re getting caught within the crosshairs? That there does must be, maybe from Congress, some guardrails right here being placed on Homeland Safety and what they’re doing?
REP. MCCAUL: I feel that’s a part of the reform course of we’ll be taking a look at. I feel there are–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –However it’s a must to drive it, or do you belief DHS to do it?
REP. MCCAUL: I- we will, we will go the legal guidelines. I feel the issue is conditions like these give a black eye to- truly regulation enforcement officers are simply making an attempt to do their jobs. And, look, the mission, I feel, is to get violent felons in a foreign country. Most individuals assist that. It is a president- the primary concern the president received the election on. What I fear about is popping a successful concern right into a legal responsibility. I nonetheless imagine the American folks need us to take away harmful, violent criminals from the streets, however they do not need to see these photos of youngsters and other people being dragged out of their automobiles and U.S. residents. These extreme use of forces circumstances have to cease. And I feel Tom Homan will de-escalate the state of affairs, as I have been calling for for weeks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman McCaul, thanks to your time as we speak.
REP. MCCAUL: Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be proper again with much more Face the Nation.
