1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

Sixteen people have already died in ICE custody this year. Families are demanding answers, yet ICE continues to hide behind excuses. On top of the deaths, we now see open brutality: video shows an ICE officer in New York shoving a mother to the ground in front of her children, while she pleaded for her detained husband. DHS admitted the conduct was “unacceptable” and pulled the officer from duty. But this isn’t just one bad actor — it’s part of a pattern. When Americans see detainees dying of neglect and mothers shoved in public, it makes our country look weak, chaotic, and cruel. We should be setting an example of strength and justice, not state violence. If a county sheriff lost sixteen inmates in nine months, or if deputies were caught shoving women in front of children, there would be outrage and investigations. ICE must be held to the same standard. Congress must act now: demand independent reviews of every death, enforce detention standards, and require transparency in cases of abuse. Lives and America’s reputation are at stake. The American people expect competence and integrity, not cover-ups and brutality.