1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

The Department of Homeland Security's handling of the January 8, 2025 Portland shooting of two Venezuelan immigrants reveals a pattern of deception that demands immediate congressional oversight and accountability measures. DHS issued a press release claiming border patrol agents conducted a targeted stop of "vicious" gang members affiliated with Tren de Aragua, stating that Yorlenys Zambrano-Contreras was "involved" in a prior shooting and that Luis Niño-Moncada "weaponized their vehicle" to run over officers. Court records obtained by the Guardian directly contradict these claims. Department of Justice prosecutor Thomas Edmonds told a judge: "We're not suggesting [Niño-Moncada] is a gang member" and clarified "We're not making a submission that you ought to detain on the basis of him being a gang member." An FBI affidavit revealed that Zambrano-Contreras was not a suspect in the previous shooting but rather a reported victim of sexual assault and robbery on July 7, 2025, when she was working as a sex worker. Neither individual has prior criminal convictions according to their lawyers. The evidentiary failures compound these misrepresentations. None of the six border patrol agents involved recorded body camera footage. Hospital parking lot surveillance cameras didn't capture the incident initially. The agent who fired the shots has not been named and his testimony was not cited in charging documents. Without body camera evidence and with no injured officers, prosecutors face significant challenges proving Niño-Moncada had intent to assault agents. Portland city councilor Sameer Kanal stated: "The federal government cannot be trusted. Our default position should be skepticism and understanding they lie very regularly." Former federal prosecutor Carley Palmer noted that prosecutors failed to prove gang association and that "it just feels like a dirtying up of the defendant." I urge you to demand a full investigation into DHS's false public statements in this case, require mandatory body camera usage for all border patrol operations, and support legislation to increase transparency and accountability measures for DHS operations. The agency's credibility crisis requires immediate congressional action to protect both immigrant communities and public trust in federal law enforcement.