Senate committee delays ICE director vote following union opposition

Senate committee delays ICE director vote following union opposition

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today postponed a vote on the nomination of Ronald Vitiello to become director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said “there are some issues” that continue to delay the vote when announcing the decision during a committee meeting.

A union that represents more than 7,000 ICE agents urged the committee this week to reject Vitiello’s nomination.

The National ICE Council, which endorsed President Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016, cited controversial comments Vitiello posted to Twitter. Union president Chris Crane said in a letter to lawmakers that Vitiello “lacks the judgment and professionalism to effectively lead a federal agency.”

In one 2015 tweet, Vitiello, a long-time Border Patrol official, suggested the Democratic Party should be renamed the “the liberalcratic party or the NeoKlanist Party.”

Vitiello called the tweet a “mistake” and a “joke” during a confirmation hearing before the committee in November.