Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) calls DHS agents "Gestapo agents" (Gebe Martinez/Politico)

Alleged U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez - Democrat from Illinois - is quoted in the article "Push needed for immigration reform" (link) by ethnocentric hack reporter Gebe Martinez as saying:

"You know who is in charge now? The Gestapo agents at [the Department of] Homeland Security. They are in charge... I think it is election season, and they have decided it did not work for us one way [with comprehensive reform], so let's try to exploit it politically another way" through harsh enforcement."

ICE is not happy:

A senior ICE official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Julie L. Myers, the assistant secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was "absolutely appalled and deeply angered" by the statement. The official said Myers would send a letter to senior members of Congress asking that disciplinary action be taken against Gutierrez' for his remarks... ..."It's not OK," [Jamie Zuieback, director of congressional affairs for ICE] said. "Aside from being demeaning to the law enforcement officers that uphold the very laws passed by Mr. Gutierrez's Congress, it's potentially dangerous. No member of Congress should be encouraging the public to defy or demean federal law enforcement officers. Words matter."

Gutierrez didn't respond to their request for comment. The last link notes that California Democratic Rep. Sam Farr said this to Myers in February:

"What happens is the public image of you becomes one of not this compassionate law enforcement agency but essentially a Gestapo-type agency that is knocking on doors."

Others who've said similar things include Peter Schey, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Stillmore GA mayor Marilyn Slater, NJ nursery owner Chris Ruske, immigration attorney Casey Wolff, Joe Mota of the United Farm Workers. Those who've come close include Nancy Pelosi, the New York Times editorial board, and NY grower Maureen Torrey.

As for the rest of the Politico "news report", I don't know why the Politico gives Gebe Martinez the time of day considering her extremely biased reporting, for instance:

In May, hundreds of federal agents stormed into the Agriprocessors Inc. plant, rounded up workers like cattle and chuted them through a pre-scripted legal process that cut off their legal rights to defend themselves against unusually harsh felony "aggravated identity theft" charges.

Immigration2008a · Thu, 08/07/2008 - 10:02 · · Importance: 9