Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 2/20/2026-2/27/2026
Responding to Trump’s State of the Union
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s State of the Union:
“The Trump speech tonight was heavy on distortion, disinformation, and downright dishonesty and light on facts and truth. Sadly, it was also short on solutions for the rising cost of living, job losses, and other urgent economic threats to the state of our union.”
“His bullying and boasting are no substitute for real action that betters our well-being. His priorities are not America's priorities: illegal tariffs, ICE cruelty, vanity projects, possible forever wars, Epstein file concealment, corrupt self-enrichment, and more.”
“I was deeply disappointed by his vacuous avoidance of substance on topics that I have championed such as veterans’ programs, Ukraine aid, social media safety, and others where presidential leadership is indispensable. Even more than a missed opportunity, this speech was another misstep by a misguided would-be autocrat.”
“I am more convinced than ever that our democracy is in danger, and that we must use every tool available to protect the integrity and fairness of our elections.”
Condemning ICE’s Constitutional Violations & Abuses
Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), delivered an opening statement at a bicameral public forum on constitutional violations and abuses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The forum, entitled, “Our Values at Stake (Part III): Terrorizing communities without warrants and no restraint,” featured testimony from Ryan Schwank, a whistleblower who spoke publicly for the first time about his experience as a legal instructor for the recent “surge” of new ICE recruits at the ICE Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (“FLETC”) in Glynco, Georgia. The forum also featured testimony from Teyana Gibson Brown, a U.S. citizen and resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota whose home was forcibly entered by ICE agents without a judicial warrant.
Mr. Schwank’s written testimony is available here, Ms. Gibson Brown’s written testimony is available here, and Mr. Bunnell’s written testimony is available here.
“The truth is that ICE and DHS have deliberately and purposely trained their agents to break the law. I am shocked as I say those words, but they are the truth. ICE has trained officers of the United States government to disregard the Constitution and violate people’s fundamental rights—breaking down doors, detaining them with mass sweeps, engaging in brutal and violent conduct that directly contravene our laws,” Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal continued, “This training to break the law is not a thing of the past. It’s ongoing. It is not accidental; it is purposeful and deliberate. It is not only sanctioned, but it is ordered at the very top of this organization through a memo that explicitly states ICE policy. And Mr. Schwank will testify about it. It is not a momentary lapse. It is not isolated misconduct. It is purposeful and intentional instruction and teaching about breaking the law.”
This event is the third public forum Blumenthal and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, have hosted as part of their ongoing inquiry into the lawless and abusive tactics used by federal immigration agents.
Video of Blumenthal’s opening statement is available here.
Blumenthal further highlighted slashing of ICE’s training program on Twitter/X.
“Critical ICE agent training has been truncated, & practical tests eliminated—reduced by more than half. But their education has been very specific on one point, no judicial warrant is necessary to break down people’s doors & violate their rights,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.
Blumenthal amplified the testimonies of Schwank and Gibson Brown on Twitter/X.
“Teyana Gibson Brown describes the terror she & her family felt when ICE officers forcefully & violently entered their home—without a warrant, violating their 4th Amendment rights,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.
“ICE’s training program is now deficient, defective, & broken—teaching recruits to violate the Constitution & endangering the lives of Americans. Ryan Schwank, a former ICE employee, shares powerful testimony,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.
Ahead of the forum, Blumenthal released a memorandum and previously undisclosed documents revealing new details about drastic cuts the Trump Administration is making to the training and testing of new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) officers.
The documents were produced to Blumenthal via a disclosure from two Department of Homeland Security whistleblowers who have requested that they not be identified. Specifically, these documents provide new evidence regarding: (1) the aggressive graduation targets that ICE aims to achieve for new ERO officers in fiscal 2026; (2) cuts of more than a dozen significant practical examinations which potential ICE ERO officers no longer must undergo; (3) numerous classes which appear to have been wholly cut from the training curriculum for ICE ERO officers; and (4) the drastic reduction in the hours of training for potential ICE ERO officers.
These documents appear to directly contradict representations made under oath to Congress by Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
“We know about the Trump Administration’s decimation of training for immigration officers and its secret policy to shred your Constitutional rights because of the brave Americans who are speaking out today,” Blumenthal said. “They are coming to Congress because we have the responsibility to not only bear witness to these crimes, but to do something to make sure they don’t happen again.”
“To anyone else who is repulsed by what you’re seeing or what authorities are asking you to do, please know that you can make a real difference by coming forward. You’ll meet a moral imperative. Our door is open, we are here for you when you are ready, and we will do everything within our power to protect your rights.”
A link to the memorandum and attachments is available here.
At the forum, Schwank confirmed to Blumenthal that a policy memo permitting ICE officers to circumvent the privacy protections in the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment and enter Americans’ homes without a judicial warrant was kept secret—contradicting ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons’s testimony that the memo was widely distributed to ICE personnel.
When asked by Blumenthal if he was taught or told to train ICE officers in accordance with the memo, Schwank confirmed, “Yes. On the very first day I arrived at Glynco to teach, I was told that we were to instruct cadets to follow the instructions in this memo, but that we would not write down any of those instructions, that we would not keep a record, that we taught it to them.”
When asked by Blumenthal if he was instructed not to reveal the memo, Schwank confirmed, “Yes, I was told not to discuss this memo. In fact, when it was shown to me, I was told not to take notes on it, that I was not allowed to write down any part of it. And for the record, as an attorney for ICE and someone who routinely receives memos and memoranda issued by the agency, this had never crossed my desk before I arrived at the academy.”
Earlier this month, Blumenthal pressed Lyons about the memo at a hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
A video of Blumenthal’s exchange with Schwank at the forum is available here.
Blumenthal further highlighted the policy memo instructing ICE officers to enter Americans’ homes without a warrant, disregarding the Fourth Amendment, on Twitter/X.
“Breathtaking revelations—whistleblower confirms that ICE agents are being deliberately & purposely trained to break the law & violate Americans’ 4th Amendment rights,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.
Slamming Republicans’ Threats to Fair & Free Elections
Blumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor to condemn President Donald Trump’s mounting attacks on voting rights. Blumenthal’s remarks come after President Trump called for the nationalization of elections and urged Congress to pass legislation that would disenfranchise millions of eligible American citizens in his State of the Union Address.
“President Trump has called for the nationalization of American elections. Now, Americans may ask themselves, ‘What is nationalization of elections?’ Well, you need to look no further than the so-called SAVE America Act, which would create absolutely horrendous burdens for all Americans registering to vote and then in fact voting. It would create burdens for states, which have the constitutional responsibility to administer elections,” Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal continued, “The SAVE America Act requires voters not just to present voter identification, it enables voter purges and federalizes that requirement in a way that is antithetical to all the principles of our Constitution that maintain state responsibility for voting.”
“Two hundred and fifty years ago, America broke from the chains of monarchy and chose democracy, a government that’s supposed to be by and for the people. But as we approach this nation’s birthday, we are challenged as never before to defend democracy,” Blumenthal concluded.
A video of Blumenthal’s remarks is available here.
Blumenthal further called out Republicans’ actions threatening the integrity of our country’s elections on Twitter/X.
“The SAVE America Act, ICE at polling locations, & false narratives of voter fraud are part of Trump’s plan to federalize elections & prevent free & fair voting. Democracy is not a spectator sport. We must take action to stop these attacks,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.
On the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee
Ranking Member Blumenthal released a statement yesterday after the Trump Administration permanently rescinded its new policy that would change how veteran disability ratings are evaluated. This Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) policy would have lowered disability ratings and compensation awards for disabled veterans who rely on medications to manage their health conditions by ignoring the true severity of their disabilities.
“The Secretary has indicated he will permanently rescind a cruel and dangerous policy that never should have been considered—slashing disability benefits for thousands of veterans. His overdue action is a credit to the tens of thousands of veterans who made their voices heard. This policy would have put veterans in an impossible situation of choosing between taking the life-improving medication they need or risk losing their earned benefits. A veteran’s disability rating must be strictly based on that veteran’s underlying condition, and I will be introducing legislation to ensure any Administration can never try to cut veterans’ benefits in this way again.”
This policy reversal followed calls from Blumenthal and his colleagues, who demanded VA Secretary Collins immediately permanently rescind the policy on Tuesday in a letter.
Earlier in the week, at a joint Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing with Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), Blumenthal commended Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Veterans Service Organizations for their role in applying public pressure to halt the Trump Administration’s new policy.
“Our VSOs are the lifeblood of our veterans’ health care and other benefits and compensation to the men and women who are our national heroes. You are the ones who stand in watch over the VA and over us. The latest example was your reaction to the cuts that were threatened, cruel, stupid cuts in VA benefits, and you and your voices turned it around. Thank you to the Veterans Service Organizations for correcting what would have been a disastrous slash in benefits for countless veterans who rely on medications to manage their service-connected conditions,” said Blumenthal.
A video of Blumenthal’s opening is available here.
Blumenthal Bulletin
Blumenthal honored the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Blumenthal opened an inquiry after new reporting revealed Binance allowed $1.7 billion in money laundering to Iran proxies and Russia’s shadow fleet.
Blumenthal demanded the Trump Administration immediately rescind a new rule that would slash disability ratings for thousands of veterans.
Blumenthal attended the Send Off Ceremony for CT National Guard 143rd Regional Support Group as they head for Middle East deployment.
Blumenthal attended the CT Stands with Ukraine: 4-Year Anniversary Rally.
Blumenthal promoted his GRID Act.
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