Washington, D.C.—Today, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) addressed the U.S. Coast Guard’s potential relocation of the Hawaii-homeported cutter, Harriet Lane, as well as the Trump Administration’s weaponization of ICE. Strickland’s remarks are transcribed below, and can be viewed here:
Chairman Mike Ezell: Ms. Strickland.
Congresswoman Mairlyn Strickland: Thank you, Chairman Ezell and Ranking Member Carbajal, for holding this hearing. I first want to focus on force laydown and the Coast Guard’s commitment to maintaining capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. A December 2025 Coast Guard report confirms that the Hawaii-homeported cutter, Harriet Lane, which has been central to conducting maritime law enforcement and expanding maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific, will likely be relocated due to homeport limitations. Rear Admiral Barata, can the Coast Guard commit to ensuring that critical Coast Guard assets remain in the Pacific?
Rear Admiral David C. Barata: Congresswoman, good morning. So, the Harriet Lane obviously—they are located out there and have been doing tremendous work. We’ve been very happy with them, and we’re trying to push as many cutters as we can into the Indo-Pacific. And so, we’re still working on that. The Harriet Lane will not leave the Pacific—we guarantee that. We’re just looking for a place that suits the operations and the families that can accommodate her.
Strickland: Great, thank you. And we must maintain a credible U.S. posture in the Indo-Pacific to deter CCP coercion and honor our commitments to those nations. I’m going to pivot a bit now, and I want to talk about the bigger picture of the Department of Homeland Security’s actions. The Coast Guard operates under the jurisdiction of DHS.
First of all, the American people deserve to feel safe wherever they are—at home or in their neighborhoods—and the work that you do is integral to that. This Administration was voted in on the promise that it would deliver safety for all Americans. DHS broke that promise the moment they started marching into American cities and turning their guns on innocent citizens under the pretense of protecting communities. When people want to be part of the Coast Guard, there are strict recruiting standards. You have to pass a background check. You have to be qualified. The training is extensive. From what we’re seeing with the latest recruiting efforts, that’s not the case with ICE agents. At every turn, they are choosing the most reckless response possible and then refusing to be held accountable for it.
They took no accountability when a SWAT team dropped down from a Black Hawk and stormed Chicago in an apartment building raid that led to no criminal charges. No accountability when agents shot two people during a traffic stop in Portland. And no accountability whatsoever when a masked ICE agent shot a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis in the face. No accountability when the administration then stonewalled state and local law enforcement trying to conduct a fair, fact-finding investigation.
Americans, regardless of political affiliation—Democrats, Independents, and Republicans—are outraged at this Administration’s complete overreach and assault on the rights of the American people. But this was never about immigration for them.
This is domestic terrorism.
American lives have become an afterthought to this Administration’s ultimate goal of scaring people, declaring martial law, and using ICE as the president’s personal police force. They’re going around Congress, they’re disrespecting the rule of law, they are disrespecting our role as a check and balance. And the American people deserve so much better.
I yield back, Mr. Chair.