Rep. Hank Johnson accuses Republican of airing 'hatchet job' video during child separation hearing

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Things got heated during a congressional hearing on family separation at the southern border when Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., played a video that criticized President Biden's recent immigration executive orders.

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., took issue with the video, calling it a "hatchet job," during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy.

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"Letting thousands of immigrants come here illegally serves no good purpose," Higgins said before playing a video for the attendees of the virtual hearing.

As it played, some members could be heard protesting about the video, which claimed that 5,000 construction jobs were lost because President Biden is not continuing border wall construction.

Johnson questioned whether the video had been reviewed by members of both parties, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, R-Mich., said she believed it had been reviewed.

"I would also appreciate in the future that the inquiry be restrained until the video ... has been completed," Higgins said during his remaining time.

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"It just seemed to be a hatchet job put together by a partisan—" Johnson interrupted. 

Higgins and Johnson talked over each other until ranking member Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., cut in.

"Chairlady, get order in the committee, please!" Comer said.

Watch, beginning at 1:31:10:

"If you don't want to be separated from your family, I suggest you don't commit a crime," Higgins said.

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., spoke after Higgins and tied family separation to the evils of slavery before questioning witness Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department Inspector General. Horowitz appeared before the committee to discuss his office's January report on the Trump administration's immigration policy.

"Family separation is rooted in our nation's history," Bush said. "Let's be clear, harkening back to Black children being torn from their mothers' arms at slave auction blocks."

"These historic crimes against humanity ... the scars of White supremacy are a trauma in our nation's DNA. It's a lasting trauma that will stay with these children and their families forever," she continued.

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Biden pledged that he would create a task force to reunite 545 migrant children who were separated from their parents at the U.S. southern border before he was elected.

Fox News' Vandana Rambaran contributed to this report.