North Carolina Republican Sen. Ted Budd is urging the Trump administration to rethink how it enforces immigration laws, arguing that current tactics fail to distinguish between undocumented immigrants who are committing crimes and those who are otherwise working and following the law.
In an interview with Bloomberg News, Budd said immigration enforcement should focus on people who pose public safety threats, rather than casting a wide net.
"Everyone probably knows somebody that is here from another country — maybe they didn't come in the right way," Budd said. "Being here illegally is a problem, but you want to make sure you differentiate between those who came here the right way, they had the best of intentions, they're coming and being a part of this great America that we know and love ... and those that are here illegally and are here to commit crimes."
Budd's comments come a day after he was one of eight Republicans who joined Democrats in voting against a government spending bill that included more than $64 billion for the Department of Homeland Security.
Budd said he supports immigration enforcement but believes Congress should negotiate Department of Homeland Security funding separately from the broader spending package, and urged the administration to change its strategy.
"I think people are OK with enforcement, but they don't like the tactics," Budd said. "Let's make them less visceral. Let's make them effective."
Budd said also he opposed the bill in part because it included funding related to abortion services and transgender care for minors. And he said Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents should be equipped with body cameras and receive additional training.
The vote follows Budd's recent statement calling the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents a "tragedy" that warrants a full investigation, which he repeated while speaking to Bloomberg.
"Anytime there's a death like this, and something got escalated to that point, I think it's fair to all involved, including law enforcement, to take a look at how this could be prevented in the future," he said.
Despite criticizing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and senior Trump advisor Stephen Miller this week, North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis voted in favor of the DHS funding bill.
