The Truth with Lisa Boothe: Marsha Blackburn on ICE Enforcement, DHS Funding, Fraud Deportations & Tennessee Power Failures

Summary

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Podcast Summary

"The Truth with Lisa Boothe: Marsha Blackburn on ICE Enforcement, DHS Funding, Fraud Deportations & Tennessee Power Failures"

Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)
Date: February 5, 2026
Host: Lisa Boothe
Featured Guest: Senator Marsha Blackburn

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Overview

In this episode, Lisa Boothe engages Senator Marsha Blackburn in an in-depth conversation about current immigration enforcement issues, the dynamics around Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding, legislative efforts to combat fraud by noncitizens, and the lingering power failures in Tennessee after a major winter storm. Blackburn offers insights into recent policy moves, her legislative agenda, and critiques of local priorities affecting disaster preparedness.

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Key Discussion Points

1. ICE Enforcement Changes and Local Cooperation

• Context: Tom Homan (representing Trump's stance on border enforcement) announced withdrawal of 700 ICE officials from Minnesota after local authorities agreed to cooperate in apprehending and deporting criminal illegal aliens.
• Blackburn's View:
  • Emphasizes this as a win for law enforcement cooperation, not for rioters.
  • Draws a direct contrast between Minneapolis and Memphis, highlighting Memphis as a successful case due to strong coordination between federal and local agencies.

Notable Quotes:

• Sen. Blackburn (06:35):
  "I don't think the rioters won. What Tom Homan is doing, he has achieved the victory, Lisa, because now they're going to be able to go get these bad actors...with local law enforcement working with ICE, you're not going to need a team of 15 to go apprehend someone."

• Sen. Blackburn (07:24):
  "[In Memphis] they have cut the violent crime rate in half...made over 6,500 arrests...rescued 148 children...taken 1,500 illegal weapons off the street...because you've got a mayor and a police chief working with all these federal agencies."

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2. DHS Funding & Bipartisan Tensions

• Lisa’s Concern: Spinning off DHS funding might hand leverage to Democrats, possibly undermining ICE enforcement.
• Blackburn’s Response:
  • Completing five out of six appropriations bills was essential to leave the Biden budget behind.
  • ICE funding for five years is secured in the “big, beautiful bill.”
  • Notes the irony that the continuing resolution which Democrats want actually spends more on ICE than the appropriations bill.
  • Critiques Democrats' focus on symbolic issues (body cams) already addressed in bipartisan negotiations.

Notable Quotes:

• Sen. Blackburn (09:18):
  "It was important to get five of the six appropriations bills finished so that we get off a Biden budget and get onto a Trump budget...Their little come apart they had over the DHS funding really doesn't make a lot of sense."

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3. Security for ICE Agents

• Key Issue: Proposals to remove face masks from ICE agents for public transparency.
• Blackburn’s Stance:
  • Strongly opposes—citing rising threats and assaults.
  • Highlights her legislation criminalizing “doxxing” federal law enforcement, aiming to add this issue to broader immigration/fraud discussions.

Notable Quotes:

• Sen. Blackburn (11:23): "Wearing a mask is something that federal law enforcement does regularly and you cannot remove the mask...have them doxxed. So no, you're not going to see that."

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4. The Fraud Accountability Act

• Bill Purpose: Requires deportation or the denaturalization of immigrants convicted of defrauding local, state, or federal governments.
• Recent Context: Massive fraud cases in Minnesota (up to $9B), California, and Maine.
• Bipartisan Potential: Blackburn argues this should be a bipartisan effort, but expresses concern that Democrats value shielding illegal immigrants over funding DHS operations (and related disaster recovery funding, e.g., FEMA).

Notable Quotes:

• Sen. Blackburn (12:59): "We should get bipartisan support. Fighting fraud should be a bipartisan issue...Democrats would rather protect illegal aliens than fund DHS, who also, by the way, 35% of their budget is FEMA."

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5. Tennessee Power Failures After Winter Storm Fern

• Problem: Eleven days after a severe winter storm, many Tennesseans remain without power.
• Blackburn’s Explanation:
  • Blames Nashville Electric Service (NES) for reducing tree-trimming budgets by 30% and prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) seminars over core infrastructure maintenance.
  • Points to abundance of trees and challenging terrain requiring vigilant upkeep.

Notable Quotes:

• Sen. Blackburn (13:52): "NES...just have focused on DEI. They cut the tree trimming budget...They cut the tree trimming budget by about 30%...then they focused on DEI training and did 102 DEI seminars in '23 and early '24."

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [06:12] Lisa welcomes Sen. Blackburn, opens with the ICE/Minnesota question.
• [06:35 – 08:50] Memphis as a successful federal/local enforcement case study; contrasting with Minneapolis.
• [08:50 – 10:51] Funding fights, appropriations process, ICE/DHS leverage debate, body camera policies.
• [10:51 – 12:40] Security for ICE agents, anti-doxxing efforts, details on the Fraud Accountability Act.
• [12:40 – 13:47] Discussion of the Fraud Accountability Act's bipartisan promise.
• [13:47 – 14:36] Tennessee power failures; the impact of infrastructure and policy decisions on storm recovery.
• [14:36 – 15:02] Personal remarks about Tennessee and episode wrap-up.

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Memorable Moments

• Blackburn’s optimism about local-federal law enforcement partnerships:
  "That's what success looks like." (07:40)
• Sharp criticism of Democratic priorities in funding and security debates, especially regarding ICE.
• Direct blame placed on utility policy shifts—particularly reduced tree maintenance and increased DEI focus—for exacerbating Tennessee’s storm recovery:
  "They cut the tree trimming budget by about 30%...and did 102 DEI seminars." (13:52)

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Tone & Speaker Style

• Lisa Boothe: Direct, pressing but respectful, clearly focused on conservative concerns.
• Marsha Blackburn: Confident, data-driven, critical of opposition, speaks in an assertive and occasionally indignant tone, especially regarding security and local governance.

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Summary

This episode provides a detailed look into how federal enforcement priorities are implemented on the ground, the machinations behind congressional funding, the push for legislative remedies to fraud, and the local consequences of shifting public utility priorities amid natural disasters. Blackburn’s commentary is a call for more aggressive enforcement, legislative accountability, and prioritization of traditional infrastructure over administrative initiatives. For listeners seeking the current Republican perspective on immigration, public safety, and infrastructure debates, this conversation offers clear, robust arguments and pointed critiques.

Transcript

[Lisa Booth]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Lisa Booth]

Welcome to the Truth with Lisa Booth where we get to the heart of the issues that matter to you today. I'm joined by Senator Marsha Blackburn to break down the latest on the immigration fight. President Trump's borders are Tom Holman announced that they will pull 700 enforcement officials for Minnesota after officials there agreed to cooperate a mass deportations. So did the rioters win? We'll ask her about that. We're also going to dive into Senator Blackburn's Fraud Accountability act, aimed at deporting and denaturalizing fraudsters like those who have been exploiting systems in Minnesota. That's an important bill we'll talk about. Can she get some bipartisan support on that? Also Tennessee and still reeling from Winter Storm Fern Many still don't have power. Why is that? What's going wrong in the state of Tennessee? All of that and more with Senator Marsha Blackburn.

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[Lisa Booth]

Well, Senator Marsha Blackburn, it's always an honor to have you on the show. Appreciate you making the time.

[Senator Marsha Blackburn]

I'm delighted to join you as always.

[Lisa Booth]

You know, Senator, I'm sure you saw the news about Tom Homan. President Trump's borders are announcing that 700 immigration enforcement officials will be withdrawing from Minnesota. Did the rioters win?

[Senator Marsha Blackburn]

I don't think the rioters won. What Tom Hoban is doing, he has achieved the victory, Lisa, because now they're going to be able to go get these bad actors. They're in the jail and with local law enforcement working with ICE, then you're not going to need a team of 15 to go apprehend someone. You're going to be able to go with a team of two. So it makes sense that they would deploy resources elsewhere. You know, take a look at what we've done in Memphis and compare that. You have had better than adults federal agencies working in Memphis for the last 120 days and they have cut the violent crime rate in half. That's a great thing. They've made over 6,500 arrests. These are people that have committed robbery and murder, aggravated assault, their child predators and pedophiles and, and just really bad, bad people. And so they have also been able to rescue 148 children. They've taken 1500 weapons, illegal weapons, off the street. And they've done it because you've got a mayor and a police chief that is working with all of these federal agencies. The Tennessee National Guard, the Tennessee Highway Patrol. And this has been a concerted effort with where you have had participation and cooperation at every single step. So that's what success looks like. You've not seen that in Minneapolis. And what Tom Homan would like to see is working with your local law enforcement. So getting that cooperation, being able to do these apprehensions in the jail, make them targeted and not be out having to go into the community, it really changes the work that they'll do there in the city.

[Lisa Booth]

You know, Senator, President Trump's, you know, obviously Congress has reached a deal on funding. President Trump will take care of that. But it spins off the DHS funding, which I worry that it's handing leverage to the left. You know, they want to see some reforms with ice. More specifically, obviously, they've taken aim at ICE and federal law enforcement officials. So why spin it off? You know, why give them that kind of leverage?

[Senator Marsha Blackburn]

It was important to get five of the six appropriations bills finished so that we get off a Biden budget and get onto a Trump budget. Now we in the big, beautiful bill, did funding for ICE for the next five years. Also in the DHS funding bill, the CR spends more money on ICE than the funding bill does. So I don't know what they were thinking there. They're saying they want body cameras. Well, the funding for that was in the bill. That was a bipartisan, negotiated bill. So, Lisa, their little come apart they had over the DHS funding really doesn't make a lot of sense. And I think now they're trying to scramble and say, you know what? They're what they want, which they're having a hard time articulating because the CR spends more money on ICE than the appropriations bill did. And their big thing about body cameras were already included in the bill. So what we do know is this. The American people, on a bipartisan basis, by a vast majority, want to see criminal illegal aliens removed from the country, removed from their communities, removed from their city streets. They want them deported.

[Lisa Booth]

You know, I hear you, and I agree with the body cameras, and I actually think the body cameras are a good idea because I think it's good for Americans to see how our federal law enforcement officers are treated by the public and the left. But he's also said things like he wants to get the masks removed for ice. And we know that there has been bounties placed on the heads of our federal law enforcement, that assaults are dramatically up as well as threats against ICE as well. Is that something you think Republicans would sign off on Is that something, is that a win?

[Senator Marsha Blackburn]

No, no. And we even have my legislation that makes it a federal offense to dox federal law enforce. They are not in the covered persons list right now and wearing a mask is something that federal law enforcement does regularly and you cannot remove the mask and you cannot have these individuals put in harm's way and then have them doxxed. So no, you're not going to see that. So we may want to add the doxing legislation to this discussion. The Fraud act, the Fraud Accountability act that I have that would require the deportation or trigger denaturalization of individuals that are here on visas, work permits that have legal permanent residency, people that have had a naturalized citizenship. If they're going to defraud your local, state and federal government, if they are going to defraud individuals in this country, then they would be subject to a deportation denaturalization hearing.

[Lisa Booth]

Well, that was going to be my next question about your Fraud Accountability act because it is important. I mean we're seeing the American people get scammed in states like Minnesota up to, you know, potentially $9 billion. We know it's happening elsewhere in the country as well like California and Maine. Do you think you could get bipartisan support for?

[Senator Marsha Blackburn]

We should get bipartisan support. Fighting fraud should be a bipartisan issue. And right now what we've seen is the Democrats have said they would rather protect illegal aliens than fund DHS, who also, by the way, 35% of their budget is FEMA. And states like Tennessee are recovering right now from a horrific ice storm, a generational type storm. 11 days after this thing, we still have people that don't have power. So do they really want to do that and protect illegal aliens more than they're going to protect U.S. citizens? So I think it's something they're going to have to think about.

[Lisa Booth]

How do they not have power? Why do you think that is? What's going wrong?

[Senator Marsha Blackburn]

Well, NES Nashville Electric Service, which provides for metro Nashville, Davidson county plus about five of the surrounding counties, portions of those counties, they just have focused on dei. They cut the tree trimming budget. And of course we are a beautiful state with rolling hills and valleys and we've got lots of beautiful hardwood trees and rocky soil. And they just, they cut the tree trimming budget by about 30% a third. And then they focused on DEI training and did 102 DEI seminars in 23 and early 24.

[Lisa Booth]

Well, Senator, I think I've told you this before, but I went to the University of Tennessee, so I am, I'm very familiar with your with Tennessee. It is a beautiful state full of amazing people. So we're praying for Tennesseans as you know, power gets restored and pray that it happens sooner than later because it's cold and it's, you know, dangerous to not have power. Senator Marcher Blackburn, it's always an honor to have you on the show. I look forward to having you on again soon. Thanks for making the time.

[Senator Marsha Blackburn]

Good to be with you. Thank you.

[Lisa Booth]

That was Senator Marsha Blackburn. Appreciate her for taking the time to come on the show. Appreciate you guys at home for listening every Tuesday and Thursday, but you can listen throughout the week. Also want to thank my producer John Cascio for putting the show together. Until next time.

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[Lisa Booth]

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