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Hakeem Jeffries: “House Republicans are deciding to shut down the Department…”

Featuring: Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic | U.S. House New York, 8th Congressional District

WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues

Published February 18, 2026 | Video Starts at 01:03

… in cold blood like Renee Nicole Goode or Alex Preddy, or to violently target law abiding immigrant families, which we know is taking place all across America. The American people … House Republicans are deciding to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. … this country should be fair, it should be just, and it should be humane. That's not what's happening right now in the United States of America. (01:03–01:21)

CLAIM

Asserts that House Republicans are responsible for a decision to shut down DHS.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Hakeem Jeffries

“Republicans are the ones who decided to pass this one big ugly bill, rip health care away from millions of Americans, enact the largest cut…”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 04:21-04:34
“Passing a $186 billion cut to SNAP, which also happens to be the largest cut in American history.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 04:40-04:49
“Gave ICE a $75 billion slush fund so mass and untrained agents could be violently unleashed in American communities.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 04:52-05:03
“The Trump tariffs are causing everyday Americans to pay thousands of dollars more in additional expenses per year.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 13:03-13:11
“This is day five of the Trump Republican shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 00:06-00:14
“This is day five of the Trump Republican shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 00:06-00:14
“Republicans have decided that they would rather shut down fema, shut down TSA, and shut down the Coast Guard, then get ICE under control.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 00:17-00:29
“The American people know that ICE needs to be reined in.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 00:29-00:35
“Democrats have given our Republican colleagues an opportunity to [fix the problem].”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 01:08-01:14
“ICE needs to be reformed in a dramatic, bold, meaningful and transformational manner.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 01:35-01:43
“If that doesn't happen, the DHS funding bill will not move forward.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 01:43-01:51
“It's our view, and I believe this is the view that has been clearly and decisively shared by Governor West Moore, that the best course of…”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 02:41-02:58
“There should be a restoration of the prohibition against the excessive use of force.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 06:09-06:16
“There should be independent investigations so that when ICE or CBP agents violently break the law, state and local authorities have the…”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 06:15-06:33
“Sensitive locations should be off limits. That includes, but is not limited to, schools, hospitals, houses of worship and polling sites.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 06:34-06:46
“ICE agents should identify themselves, that body cameras need to go on and masks need to come off.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 06:49-06:58
“An ICE agency that is completely and totally out of control.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 07:28-07:32
“ICE needs to conduct itself like every other law enforcement agency in the country.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 08:56-09:00
“Mandating judicial warrants before ICE agents can storm private property or rip everyday Americans or law abiding immigrant families from…”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 10:03-10:13
“We need a dramatic change in policy. We also need a change in personnel.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 10:16-10:20
“There should be a prohibition against racial profiling, ethnic profiling, and language profiling.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 10:40-10:48
“Housing costs in the United States of America are completely and totally out of control.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 11:58-12:02
“Republicans have made the situation worse in part by their inaction.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 12:02-12:07
“Donald Trump said it would happen on day one. And the real state of the economy right now is that housing costs haven't gone down, they've…”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 12:13-12:25
“We need to build more housing that is affordable to working class Americans, middle class Americans and everyday Americans.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 13:18-13:27
“Republican policies have failed on the economy, lowering costs, housing costs, health care, and immigration enforcement.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 14:10-14:23
“The real state of the economy is failing, the real state of health care failing, the real state of immigration enforcement failing.”
WATCH LIVE: Hakeem Jeffries Holds A Press Briefing As Partial Government Shutdown Continues | Uploaded February 18, 2026 | 17:58-18:08