During the hearings for universal background checks, House Democrats rejected a Republican proposal to alert U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if an illegal alien is discovered via a background check for a firearm.

Fox News reported that the universal background check bill, H.R. 8, passed the House Judiciary Committee on a 23–15 party-line vote. Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) had proposed an amendment to H.R. 8, which would have required a notification be sent to law enforcement “when an individual attempting to purchase a firearm fails a federal background check.”

Steube commented of the Democrats’ refusal to incorporate his amendment, “In rejecting this amendment, the Democrats have shown their true colors.” He continued, “It is clear they are not interested in preventing gun violence or stopping the illegal purchase of firearms, but rather they are only interested in limiting the rights of law-abiding citizens to advance their own political agenda.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tweeted:

Democrats hate ICE so much, they would prefer to keep ICE from knowing when illegals try to get guns. https://t.co/S5r6fJva9z — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) February 15, 2019

Breitbart News reported that House Democrats also refused to allow Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) to testify before the Judiciary Committee during hearings on H.R. 8. Scalise suffered near-fatal wounds during the June 14, 2017, attack on congressional baseball practice and wanted to speak in defense of the Second Amendment. He was denied.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.