- RAWSTORY.COM - Raw Story - 02/Jul 20:55

‘Deranged!’ House Dem blasts White House over apology demand

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) took aim at the White House on Wednesday for its demand that she apologize for accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of “acting like a terrorist force,” and instead, demanded an apology of her own.“What is deranged, cruel and outrageous is that literally, we are seeing ICE agents – I assume they're ICE agents, they say they are (but) they don't have any identification – coming and disappearing people on the streets of the United States,” Jayapal said, speaking with CNN’s Brianna Keilar.“I never, in a million years, thought that that was something that I would see here in America, and so I think it is the U.S. administration that has to apologize to U.S. citizens that have been rounded up – legal permanent residents, people with legal statuses – by masked men who are kidnapping them and deporting them.”Jayapal’s comments on Ice, made on Monday, sparked outrage from the White House, which would go on to demand she apologize and blamed her, in part, for the increased violence against ICE officers.“Dangerous smears by deranged leftists like Jayapal radicalize their supporters to violently attack and obstruct federal law enforcement,” said White House Spokesperson Abigail Jackson in a statement. “Because of comments like Jayapal's, assaults against ICE agents have increased by 500% this year. And that number will go even higher if Jayapal doesn't stop with her smears.”According to The New Republic, which obtained raw data on assaults on ICE officers, there were 79 assaults on ICE agents between Jan. 21 and June 30 of 2025, up 10 from the same time period last year, with some critics calling into question the use of percentages in the agency’s reporting.Nevertheless, Jayapal stood firm behind her comments and pressed the White House to issue an apology of its own to Americans for how President Donald Trump’s deportation policies have been carried out.“It's unconstitutional, it's illegal, and it is absolutely terrorizing people, including small businesses, farmers,” she said. “The White House owes an apology to the American people for what they are doing.”Watch the video below or use this link.