1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to demand immediate congressional action to stop the escalating violence, lawlessness, and abuse of power that has come to characterize ICE operations under this administration. ICE is not a military force. It is not judge, jury, and executioner. Its officers do not have the authority to execute people in the streets. Yet Americans have watched repeated incidents in which ICE operations have ended with people being shot and killed, including incidents in which children were present and families were permanently traumatized. No claim of “public safety” can justify treating deadly force as an acceptable first response. The death of a father in front of his three-year-old child is a moral outrage. Reports that individuals have been killed during ICE operations in places such as Houston, Maine, and elsewhere demand immediate and independent scrutiny. Even when officials later claim they had the “wrong person,” that is no comfort. There is no “right person” for ICE to kill. Immigration enforcement is not a death sentence. Why are ICE officers still not routinely equipped with and required to use body cameras? Why are fatal shootings not automatically investigated by independent authorities? Why are officers involved in deadly-force incidents not immediately removed from duty pending investigation? Why does Congress continue to tolerate an agency that appears to operate with so little transparency and accountability? The actions of ICE must also be examined through the lens of the Constitution. The United States Constitution guarantees due process of law. Federal officers cannot bypass the justice system and impose punishment through deadly force. ICE is not above the Constitution, and no administration has the authority to create a system where federal agents operate without meaningful oversight, accountability, or respect for constitutional rights. In my view, far too many ICE officers have behaved like thugs rather than professional law enforcement officers. Americans have repeatedly watched videos of aggressive tactics, intimidation, and excessive force that would be unacceptable from any other federal agency. This cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents. It is a crisis of accountability. This is not what the United States stands for. Our nation was founded on the rule of law, due process, and the principle that government power must have limits. No one should lose their life without the protections of law simply because they encounter an immigration enforcement officer. Do not mistake the absence of daily protests for public acceptance. Many Americans are paying close attention. We know what is happening. We are documenting it. We are watching who chooses to defend these actions, who remains silent, and who is willing to uphold the Constitution. I call on you to: * Demand independent investigations into every fatal ICE shooting. * Require body cameras for all ICE enforcement operations and require transparency regarding critical incidents. * Hold public oversight hearings into ICE’s use of force. * Suspend officers involved in fatal shootings pending independent investigation. * Enact meaningful reforms to ensure ICE cannot continue operating without robust oversight and accountability. Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to act. The brutality, cruelty, and disregard for constitutional principles associated with these operations cannot continue. Every person—citizen or immigrant—is entitled to due process. No federal agency should be permitted to operate as though it is above the Constitution. History will remember who defended the rule of law and who looked away. I urge you to stand on the side of accountability, constitutional government, and basic human dignity.