The high-profile fatal shootings of two Americans by immigration agents will be center stage at hearings on Capitol Hill this week. Representative from ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and Citizens and Immigration Services will appear before Paul's Homeland Security panel Thursday.
While Republicans have largely defended the president and his administration's aggressive immigration tactics, Paul has criticized the enforcement operations that led to the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. He told Spectrum News he's not ready to call for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's resignation, but he'll be playing close attention to how the agencies under her watch respond under questioning.
"We're going to ask them some pointed questions... In each of these instances, was this the proper use of force. If they are either glib or not acknowledging there's a problem, I think then the next thing will be to ask Sec. Noem to come in," he said.
Noem is scheduled to testify before the House and Senate Judiciary committees next month.
"I have not come to a conclusion yet, but I do want answers to me need to be that we're going to do things differently, (that) we're going to do a better job," Paul said.
The hearings take place against the backdrop of a Democratic push to rein in immigration operations inside a Homeland Security spending bill. And the clock is ticking. DHS funding expires on Friday.