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Reverend Tolgard: children terrified by reports of thousands held in U.S. detention centers; community shaken by shooting
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Summary
During a question-and-answer exchange, a questioner cited reports that nearly 4,000 children are being held in U.S. detention facilities and referenced the shooting death of Renee Goode; Reverend Tolgard said children and parents in his community are terrified and fear retaliation for speaking out.
A questioner told Reverend Tolgard that children are being held in U.S. detention centers — "reportedly, almost 4,000" — and asked whether that was terrifying to children.
"That is absolutely terrifying for children to hear these stories and to fear for that experience," Reverend Tolgard replied.
The questioner asked whether children are scared at school and whether parents are afraid for their children; Reverend Tolgard answered that "kids are scared at their school" and that parents are scared of what might happen to their children.
The questioner then cited a graphic example, saying, "This is the driver's seat of Renee Goode's car seat after an ICE agent shot her dead," and asked whether families in Reverend Tolgard's community feared a similar fate. Reverend Tolgard said his own children and the children in his church "are afraid that that could happen to their parents when they speak out."
The questioner also said an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent told a protester, "have y'all not learned from the past couple of days?" and noted that comment came two days after the shooting of Renee Goode and was being reported "on the ground in Minneapolis and across the country, across Minnesota."
The questioner argued that such violence "does not make us safer," does not address "fraud, waste, and abuse," and does not help families with health care or small businesses. He added that, in his view, the violence is not preventing the fraud that some lawmakers were discussing at the hearing.
The exchange consisted of questions from the questioner and corroborating responses from Reverend Tolgard; no formal actions or votes were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
The hearing continued to frame these remarks as part of a broader discussion about enforcement actions and community impacts; no resolution or formal finding was included in the excerpt.
