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Published On: Tue, Jan 27th, 2026

Fetterman: Comparing ICE To Nazis Is Not Appropriate, I Refuse To Have A Shutdown Over ICE Funding

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) appeared on “Hannity” tonight and reacted to the unrest in Minneapolis and demonization of ICE.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS: Here now with more on ICE and Democrats threatening a government shutdown over ICE funding. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, you know, you are very much a voice of reason. Let me ask you two things. Do you agree with me when I say that for four years the country was lied to on a spectacular basis about the border being secure and the border being closed and, you know, 12 million plus unvetted illegals came into the country as a result, including all these bad people? Is that all true? Did Democrats allow that to happen and then lie about it? SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Yeah, without a doubt. President Biden did a terrible job and our border was effectively open at that point. Whether Biden and Mayorkas did not secure our border, and I tried to warn my party back in 2023 that this would cost us in the election, and America deserves to secure our border. I don’t know why every American can’t agree with that thing. Another thing, it’s the truth that we should all agree to deport all of the criminals, you know, that are here in our nation right now. And now, as for me, as a pro-Democrat, pro-immigration Democrat, I do think we need to develop a way for citizenship, for the very hard-working migrants that are amidst this world now too. So, as long as I do have to give credit to the President for securing our border, and now that’s why. Order and arrest all of the criminals and for that, and the tragedy that happened, and we’ve lost two American citizens. I don’t think anyone in America wants that or that they would have voted for those things. I don’t. HANNITY: What do we do? I mean, I keep scrolling all of the most violent people that have already been arrested in Minnesota. I can do it nationwide, and I can run it for the full hour and longer, you know, but when they’re constantly being compared to Nazis and Gestapo and fascists, does that not, is that not incitement to you? Is that not dehumanizing to you? When sanctuary cities provide services to illegals and give them money, taxpayer money, is that an incentive to you? FETTERMAN: Well, for me, first, the latest statistics that I’ve seen about ICE, the people that national-wide, national-wide, they have deported about two-thirds of the ones that have criminal, whether a record or they were actually active in criminal behaviors, about two-thirds. So that’s what I think America, the vast majority of America wants to deport those folks. And now for me, I would never ever compare anybody to Nazis or the Gestapo or for those kinds of things. You know, Nazis are just, that’s just not appropriate, and that’s why I refuse to do that or refer to Republicans or parts of ICE. They’re not Nazis. Now, for me, that’s something, as a Democrat, I refuse to ever engage in. HANNITY: Will Democrats now have a government shutdown and try and defund ICE, and would you support that? FETTERMAN: Well, for me, I think maybe your viewers remember that I was one of the Democrats that led to push back about the government shutdown last year, and for about 45 days, they kept things shut down. And if the Democrats vote to shut it down, now our entire military won’t be paid again. I can’t ever support that. I absolutely hope we can engage, I absolutely hope we can engage in a debate and make some of the kinds of common-sense reforms on ICE and make it more safe, more humane, and more effective, and just focus exclusively on the criminals. I hope that’s possible, but for me, I remain to be the one Democrat, at least, that refuses to shut our government down, and now if this happens, our military won’t be paid because a significant part of our government would shut down again. HANNITY: Well, you know what? You’re being rewarded. I saw the latest polls. You’re over 50% approval, and in the low 30s, disapproval. So obviously, the people of Pennsylvania appreciate your intellectual honesty. Senator, thank you. Appreciate your time.

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