Acting ICE director slams Pete Buttigieg's 'misinformed' criticism: 'He is vilifying the wrong entity'

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Acting ICE director slams Pete Buttigieg's 'misinformed' criticism: 'He is vilifying the wrong entity'

The acting ICE directed condemned Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's criticism of his department, calling his rhetoric "misinformed" and "inappropriate."

The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement condemned Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's criticism of his department, calling his rhetoric "misinformed" and "inappropriate."

Mark Morgan took issue with the South Bend, Indiana mayor saying Monday at a campaign event that immigration officials are ordered to carry out "inhumane" and "illegal" policies. Buttigieg called out the Trump administration for the deaths of migrant children in U.S. custody, saying "a child fleeing violence ought to have nothing to fear in the arms of the most powerful country in the world."

During a Wednesday morning appearance on "Fox & Friends," Morgan, who served previously as U.S. Border Patrol chief at the end of the Obama administration, outlined some of the recent accomplishments of his department.

On the homeland security enforcement side of ICE, Morgan said, there were 34,000 criminal arrests last year including 5,000 gang members, thousands of child exploitation and human trafficking cases handled and $1.2 billion in U.S. currency seized from illegal activity.

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"I would love to sit down with this mayor and have him explain to me which part of that is illegal or inhumane," Morgan said, adding that agents are only carrying out their orders.

"He is vilifying the wrong entity. If he doesn't like the laws, go to Congress, change the laws, we'll enforce those laws," he continued.

ICE agents put their lives on the line each day to protect Americans, Morgan said, arguing that Buttigieg's criticism does a disservice to their sacrifice.

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"The dedicated men and women of border patrol, all of CPB, HHS, ICE -- they're working every day, sacrificing so much to safeguard, protect this country, and when you hear stuff like that, it demoralizes them," Morgan continued.

He said ICE and Border Patrol agents should not be blamed for the inaction of Congress on passing new immigration laws and for Mexico failing to stop the flow of migrants.

Other Democratic presidential candidates have called for the abolishment of ICE, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.