Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was heckled by socialists while dining at a D.C. restaurant Tuesday evening over the administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy.
The Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America posted video of a group of protesters yelling at Nielsen, with one saying she's a "villain" that should be locked up.
“How can you enjoy a Mexican dinner as you’re deporting and imprisoning tens of thousands of people that come here seeking asylum in the United States?” one protester is heard yelling. “We call on you to end family separation and abolish ICE.”
Another protester also took issue with where Nielsen chose to eat: “In a Mexican restaurant, of all places! The f-----g gall!”
At numerous times during the video the protesters yell in unison “shame”, “no border, no walls, sanctuary for all”, and “abolish ICE.”
The protesters also played audio of children crying at the facilities after reportedly being separated from their parents.
“How does that make you feel?” one activist asks. “Do you hear the babies crying?”
“End Texas concentration camps,” the group then chants.
The activists posted a statement on Facebook defending their heckling of the secretary.
“We will not stand by and let Secretary Nielsen dine in peace, while she is directing her employees to tear little girls away from their mothers and crying boys away from their fathers at our border," they wrote.
“Secretary Nielsen and everyone else who has carried out these brutal and cold-blooded orders to rip apart families should never be allowed to eat and drink in public again. These barbarous acts must end and those at the helm must be held accountable. While Secretary Nielsen’s dinner may have been ruined, it is nothing compared to the horrors she has inflicted on innocent families,” the statement said.
DHS press secretary Tyler Q. Houlton issued a statement on Twitter about the incident.
“While having a work dinner tonight, the Secretary and her staff heard from a small group of protestors who share her concern with our current immigration laws that have created a crisis on our southern border,” he said. “.@SecNielsen encourages all - including this group - who want to see an immigration system that works, contributes to our economy, protects our security, & reflects our values reach out to Members & seek their support to close immigration loopholes that made our system a mess. The Secretary has been working with Members of Congress for months in search of a solution and she will continue to do so this week.”
While having a work dinner tonight, the Secretary and her staff heard from a small group of protestors who share her concern with our current immigration laws that have created a crisis on our southern border.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
.@SecNielsen encourages all - including this group - who want to see an immigration system that works, contributes to our economy, protects our security, & reflects our values reach out to Members & seek their support to close immigration loopholes that made our system a mess.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
The Secretary has been working with Members of Congress for months in search of a solution and she will continue to do so this week.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
After the heckling, Nielsen can be seen leaving the restaurant.
DHS Secretary Nielsen just got driven out of a Mexican restaurant here on 14th Street by activists. DSA, I believe. pic.twitter.com/lTKutryXBO
— Osita Nwanevu (@OsitaNwanevu) June 20, 2018