Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Feb. 15, 2026

On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, Tom Homan and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries join Ed O'Keefe. Face The Nation Transcripts Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Feb. 15, 2026 February 15, 2026 / 2:21 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, moderated by Ed O'Keefe: Tom Homan, Trump administration border czar House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New YorkRep. Robert Garcia, Democrat of California Sen. Thom Tillis, Republican of North CarolinaClick here to browse full transcripts from 2026 of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." ED O'KEEFE: I'm Ed O'Keefe in Washington.And this week on Face the Nation: Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is on hold. Negotiations over immigration enforcement are at a standstill.Two months into the new year, and part of the government is shut down yet again, as disputes over President Trump's deportation policy leave lawmakers unable to fund the Department of Homeland Security.Caught in limbo, TSA agents, the Coast Guard, FEMA employees, and thousands of others, many working without pay.We will ask White House border czar Tom Homan and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries where negotiations stand. Then: The fallout from the release of the Epstein files grows, as Attorney General Pam Bondi is grilled on Capitol Hill for her department's handling of the investigation. We will ask the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, California's Robert Garcia, what more he wants to see from the Justice Department, as lawmakers review unredacted files for the first time.And, finally, as world leaders gather at an annual security conference in Munich, we will hear all about that and about America's standing in the world with North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis.It's all just ahead on Face the Nation.Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation. Margaret is off today. Washington is waking up to another funding standoff, and it's unclear at this point when it could end, as Congress is on recess for another week.So, for more on the debate over immigration enforcement tactics, we're joined by White House border czar Tom Homan.Mr. Homan, thank you so much for joining us.TOM HOMAN (White House Border Czar): Well, thanks for having me.ED O'KEEFE: I want to begin, of course, with negotiations over reopening the Department of Homeland Security.They center around some specific policy changes Democrats demand in how immigration agents conduct operations. Among other things, they'd like to require immigration agents to show identification, wear body cameras, take off their masks, stop racial profiling, and seek judicial warrants to enter private property.Which, if any of those asks, is the president, are you willing consider – or willing to consider adopting? TOM HOMAN: Well, I'm not a part of those negotiations. That's being – that's being done up on the Hill between the Senate and House and the White House. I'm not really part of those negotiations.But, look, you know, to – they – when they say stop racial profiling, that's just not occurring. I mean, ICE will detain, briefly detain and question somebody – question somebody based on reasonable suspicion. It has nothing to do with racial profiling.As far as the masks, look, you know, I don't like the masks either, but because threats against ICE officers, you know, are up over 1500 percent, actual assaults, and threats are up over 8000 percent, these men and women have to protect themselves.As far as identifying themselves, they all have placards identifying themselves as ICE, ERO, HSI, DEA, FBI.So they all have placards on them. So I will let the White House and members of Congress, you know, fight that out. But I think some of the asks are just – I think they're unreasonable, because there is no racial profiling.There is identifying marks. But masks, you know, why don't they talk about maybe passing legislation to make it illegal to dox agents or something like that?ED O'KEEFE: Well…TOM HOMAN: But the masks right now are for officer safety reasons. ED O'KEEFE: There are federal laws, of course, against injuring, harming, threatening federal authorities, so there is that.And I think one of the things that people get hung up on is the idea that the cop on the street in their neighborhood, a state police officer, other federal agents will identify themselves with their name on their lapel, and, yes, their employing agency.But why should these immigration agents be any different when it comes to the masks as well? You know, cops go out every day, everywhere across the country, get threatened in one way or another.TOM HOMAN: I don't know – I don't know…(CROSSTALK)ED O'KEEFE: But why – why have to wear all that and protect themselves, when there are others out there wearing badges that don't have to do that?TOM HOMAN: Well, again, they are wearing badges. They're wearing placards to identify what agency they're from… ED O'KEEFE: But their name isn't on it,