President Obama and the Department of Homeland Security care more about “special interests” in the Democratic campaign base than the lives of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, the ICE union boss told Congress today.

“Death or serious injury to ICE officers and agents appears more acceptable to ICE, DHS, and Administration leadership, than the public complaints that would be lodged by special interest groups representing illegal aliens,” Chris Crane, president of the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement 118, told the House Judiciary Committee this afternoon.

Crane based that statement on the way government policies handcuff the ICE officers charged with enforcing immigration laws, such as the policy that bans using tasers on illegal immigrants even though law enforcement is authorized to use them on U.S. citizens in the course of an arrest.” ICE will not approve this equipment for political reasons,” Crane, a former United States Marine, explained.

Obama’s decision to implement the DREAM Act without congressional approval — “deferred action for childhood arrivals” (DACA) –  has made it almost impossible to enforce the law, he also explained.

“ICE immigration agents have been instructed to accept the illegal alien’s claim as to whether he or she graduated or is attending high school or college or otherwise qualifies for DACA,” Crane said, noting that ICE agents have heard illegal immigrants coaching each other on how to lie about their qualification for DACA privileges.

The ICE union members agreed in 2010 that they have “no confidence” in the ability of the people Obama has appointed to run the agency.