Congresswoman from NJ tells acting director of ICE he's 'going to hell' in wild scene on Capitol Hill

U.S. Congresswoman Lamonica McIver of New Jersey.

U.S. Representative Lamonica McIver lashed out at the acting director of ICE, suggesting he will be "going to hell" when he dies in a wild back-and-forth on Capitol Hill Tuesday.  

Acting ICE director Todd Lyons appeared for what was billed as a hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee, but devolved into a three-hour-long struggle session in which Lyons, and two other top officials from Customs and Border Protection withstood intense grilling from Democrats that at times bordered on harassment by lawmakers who disagree with President Trump's handling of the nation's illegal immigration problem.

Loudest among the Democrats was McIver, a New Jersey Democrat, who last year was arrested for allegedly assaulting a law enforcement officer when she visited an immigration facility in Newark, and subsequently indicted. If convicted, she could face up to 17 years in prison, a fact she acknowledged at the outset of her remarks.

McIver's opening statement quickly turned racially charged when she told the acting ICE director, “You are only here, Mr. Lyons, because white people are getting shot in the face and chest when cameras are rolling."

After her lengthy remarks, McIver opened her line of questioning by asking Lyons if he considered himself "a religious man." Lyons responded that he did, and McIver proceeded to unload on the ICE chief. "How do you think Judgment Day will work for you with so much blood on your hands?" McIver demanded.

"I’m not going to entertain that question," Lyons replied.

"Oh, OK. Of course not," McIver retorted. "Do you think you're going to hell, Mr. Lyons?"

"I'm not going to answer that question," Lyons replied again.

At that point, Andrew Garbarino of New York, the committee chairman, interjected, telling McIver that Lyons and the others agreed to be questioned at the hearing voluntarily and that "aggressively attacking those witnesses personally is inappropriate."

Despite the warning from Garbarino, McIver continued with the inflammatory questions, which Lyons declined to answer, before wrapping up her time. Watch a clip of a portion of the heated exchange below.