1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to demand immediate congressional action to stop ICE's illegal use of private citizen data to track, intimidate, and harass peaceful observers and protesters. This practice violates both First Amendment rights and privacy laws, and it is happening in Minnesota and across the country. On a Tuesday in St. Paul, Judy and Noah Levy responded to a tip about ICE agents staging in a parking lot. When they followed eight SUVs filled with masked, armed agents, the caravan stopped and surrounded their cars. A masked agent addressed Judy Levy by her first name despite never having met her. The ICE vehicles then turned onto the Levys' own street, which they describe as off the beaten path, in what was clearly an intimidation tactic. John Boehler, policy counsel with the ACLU of Minnesota, confirms that license plate readers and personal data in car registrations should only be accessed for active criminal investigations. Observing or reporting on federal activities is protected First Amendment activity, not criminal activity. Minnesota state law has tight restrictions on how private data can be used, yet ICE appears to be circumventing these protections. Additional incidents underscore the pattern. Immigration attorney Karen Bryan was threatened with pepper spray by a masked ICE agent in her St. Louis Park firm's parking lot when she asked agents to leave private property. Jac Kovarik, a south Minneapolis block club captain, reports being led to a friend's home in Robbinsdale by ICE agents who theatrically photographed the residence. More than a dozen observers have been arrested since December. According to 404 Media, leaked data shows thousands of searches done at federal authorities' request through local law enforcement agencies. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have refused to respond to requests for information about the apps or tools they are using to access Minnesotans' personal data. I urge you to immediately investigate ICE's access to private citizen databases, introduce legislation to prohibit federal agencies from using surveillance tools against peaceful protesters, and support the ACLU of Minnesota's lawsuit seeking an injunction to restrict these federal actions. This authoritarian practice must end.