Transcript: Rep. Michael McCaul on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Feb. 1, 2026

The pursuing is the transcript of the interrogation with Rep. Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, that aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected Feb. 1, 2026.

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MARGARET BRENNAN: We're joined present by Texas Republican Congressman, Michael McCaul. Good to person you here.

REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL MCCAUL: Thanks for having me.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So we're successful this partial authorities shutdown presently, but Speaker Johnson said connected different web this morning, helium expects it whitethorn extremity by Tuesday. Some of your Republican colleagues, though, person said that they person conditions for getting connected board. Republicans person a 1 spot bulk astatine this point. Is he- is helium overconfident? He has your vote?

REP. MCCAUL: Well, helium has my vote. I mean, we voted for this past time. The Democrats, astir of them voted for this. For the Democrats to crook astir and ballot against it connected Tuesday, conscionable to unopen down the national government, makes nary consciousness to maine astatine all. I deliberation the speaker- the instrumentality is getting it done the Rules Committee, and I judge that the talker would not bash that if helium didn't person the votes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you cognize wherefore we're successful this concern and wherefore those Democrats are present objecting?

REP. MCCAUL: Right.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Because of what happened a week ago--

REP. MCCAUL: --Right--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --out successful Minneapolis, erstwhile Alex Pretti this--

(CROSSTALK)

REP. MCCAUL: --But the DHS apportion is taken retired of this. The DH apportion is taken retired of that appropriation--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --Right, conscionable present with two-week continuing resolution--

REP. MCCAUL: --To person reforms to DHS--

MARAGRET BRENNAN: --To person reforms. So let's speech astir that. Because the Trump medication has changed personnel. They enactment Tom Homan present retired successful Minneapolis. The borders czar. They took retired of that presumption Greg Bovino, who had been moving Border Patrol. The Justice Department has besides said it's opened a civilian rights probe into wherefore national agents changeable Pretti. Secretary Noem present says the FBI is taking implicit the probe into what happened. Are your concerns astir what happened successful Minneapolis satisfied?

REP. MCCAUL: I've called for a afloat investigation. DOJ has opened that investigation. Civil rights part would person jurisdiction implicit this. Look, I mean, Bovino went successful determination with these roving patrols. He escalated the situation. He escalated the hostility betwixt the nationalist and instrumentality enforcement. He enactment his agents successful a presumption they should ne'er person been enactment in. They person nary grooming for assemblage control. Their occupation is to spell successful and region transgression aliens, convulsive felons from the United States, and get them retired of here. And so, you know, Tom Homan is simply a consummate professional. He's been doing this for a agelong time. I've known him for a agelong time. He's going to spell backmost to the halfway ngo of ICE, and that's targeted instrumentality enforcement operations, not roving the streets causing chaos.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But we haven't heard him say, oregon the medication say, that they're really going to alteration tactics to bash what you conscionable said.

REP. MCCAUL: Well, I judge successful his property conference, helium did speech astir de-escalation. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.

REP. MCCAUL: He talked astir going backmost to targeted, you know, instrumentality enforcement operations.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Does that mean ending warrantless arrests? Is that however you recognize it?

REP. MCCAUL: Administrative warrants person been astir for a agelong time--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --Yes--

REP. MCCAUL: --to motion by a migration justice bid of removal. To spell in, pat astir prisoners nether ICE detainers. That volition continue. The thought of an administrative bid being- warrant being utilized to interruption into a location that has not been the signifier of ICE. And I don't deliberation Mr. Homan is going to proceed that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we heard actually- you're right. Warrantless location entries are unconstitutional. Fourth Amendment protects each people, careless of citizenship, from unreasonable hunt and seizures. But, and we've seen the documentation from the Trump administration, their argumentation does let for these alleged collateral arrests, wherever ICE officers transportation retired warrantless arrests of unauthorized immigrants who are not the targets, but radical that who are encountered during an operation, and they mightiness beryllium trying to permission the scene. Should the premise determination beryllium changed? Is that excessively broad?

REP. MCCAUL: Look, the people is simply a target. The target's the convulsive offender. You know, there, determination are plentifulness of those to walk each our clip and resources on. When they bash apprehension the target, if determination are amerciable aliens with the target, they are caught successful the net, and due to the fact that they're successful the state illegally, they are removed. And I don't deliberation that signifier volition change, but the roving patrols--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --Well they did alteration them due to the fact that anterior administrations interpreted formation hazard arsenic not perchance showing up for a tribunal appointment. The Trump medication interpreted it arsenic the feline mightiness permission the scene, and they justified immoderate of these warrantless arrests and encounters nether that. Is that excessively broad? Because that's portion of this roving radical that you're talking about.

REP. MCCAUL: Correct and owed process applies to each persons nether the Constitution. It would use to them arsenic well. If they're caught successful the net, though, they person to beryllium dealt with. Look, this is going successful beforehand of courts close now--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --And Democrats privation to reason astir this. They privation changes.

REP. MCCAUL: Yeah, and the courts are throwing retired a batch of these cases, actually, and you person violations with U.S. citizens being arrested unlawfully. So the American radical enactment the deportation of transgression aliens, convulsive offenders. What they don't enactment is excessive usage of force, and I judge Bovino crossed the line. I deliberation the president was close successful telling him to get retired of there. I would advise--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --Does helium inactive person a job? 

REP. MCCAUL: Well, he's going backmost to his anterior station.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.

REP. MCCAUL: But I would counsel the caput and the president to impact Tom Homan, and helium should person been determination from time one--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --Why wasn't he?

REP. MCCAUL: --and to utilize his expertise and his talent. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Why was helium chopped retired by Secretary Noem? 

REP. MCCAUL: I don't cognize each the interior workings wrong DHS connected that. I tin archer you though helium is the consummate nonrecreational erstwhile it comes to ICE removal operations.

MARGARET BRENNAN: A national justice successful Texas has ordered that this five-year-old boy, Liam Ramos, beryllium released, on with his father, from ICE custody. He had been detained by national agents retired successful Minneapolis. His representation went viral. The justice who ordered the merchandise specifically referenced interest astir traumatizing children. He is not the lone kid being detained nether existent policies, and with this peculiar case, the medication claimed thing that was not backed up successful court, right? They claimed the begetter was trying to fly and that helium was present illegally. He was present nether a argumentation honored by the past administration. They utilized an app connected a telephone to assertion asylum. That was a ineligible process. So present they're retired of this detention facility. But, but doesn't that rise to you interest that determination are children who are getting caught successful the crosshairs? That determination does request to be, possibly from Congress, immoderate guardrails present being enactment connected Homeland Security and what they're doing?

REP. MCCAUL: I deliberation that is portion of the betterment process we'll beryllium looking at. I deliberation determination are--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --But you person to unit it, oregon bash you spot DHS to bash it?

REP. MCCAUL: I- we can, we tin walk the laws. I deliberation the occupation is situations similar these springiness a achromatic oculus to- really instrumentality enforcement officers are conscionable trying to bash their jobs. And, look, the mission, I think, is to get convulsive felons retired of the country. Most radical enactment that. It's a president- the fig 1 contented the president won the predetermination on. What I interest astir is turning a winning contented into a liability. I inactive judge the American radical privation america to region dangerous, convulsive criminals from the streets, but they don't privation to spot these images of children and radical being dragged retired of their cars and U.S. citizens. Those excessive usage of forces cases request to stop. And I deliberation Tom Homan volition de-escalate the situation, arsenic I've been calling for for weeks.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman McCaul, convey you for your clip today. 

REP. MCCAUL: Thanks for having me. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: We'll beryllium close backmost with a batch much Face the Nation.