Ex-DHS official goes scorched earth on CNN as agency's 'real problems' end in tragedy

A former Department of Homeland Security official didn't mince words on CNN on Tuesday, describing how the agency is failing to meet its mission and endangering the American public.

In the last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have killed two people during traffic stops. One of them was a 26-year-old Colombian man living in Maine, and the other was a 52-year-old immigrant in Houston who was in line to obtain his work authorization. Both killings sparked protests and outrage from community members after videos appeared to contradict ICE's narrative about the incidents.

Following the killings, ICE has decided to stop conducting traffic stops, according to reports. However, ex-DHS Chief of Staff Deborah Fleischaker told CNN's Brianna Keilar that the agency hasn't gone far enough to rectify the litany of problems it is creating.

"I think it is good for whatit is, but it's a real firststep, and it shouldn't have takentwo deaths to get here," she said.

For instance, Fleischaker noted that it is unclear whether ICE agents in Maine were wearing body cameras at the time the shooting occurred. Not only does that create problems with public perception, but it is also against agency policy, she noted. She added that the agents who shot and killed the man in Houston weren't wearing body cameras, which is a "real problem."

Fleischaker also noted that the people who were killed by ICE agents were not the targets of the warrants the agents secured.

"It shouldn't take deaths to make the department be careful about how it does its enforcement," she said. "Look, I'm gladthat they were targeting people,but targeting people doesn'tcount for anything if you'reshooting and killing people whoaren't the targets."

She also said that the information DHS has shared about the two recent killings has been woefully inadequate.

"I don't know if theyfailed to confirm who he waswhen in the Maine shooting, whohe was when he left the house," Fleischaker said. "Maybe there was a realtarget they were going after. Ithink that's part of what wereally need to understand moreabout. But the reality is thatthey didn't have to chase him.They didn't have to shoot him.Fleeing is not an inappropriate [response for] somebody running from people inunmarked cars with no uniforms.It's not clear he even knew hewas running from ICE."