1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

Congress must immediately bring H.R. 5653 — the Trust Through Transparency Act to the floor and vote yes. This bill would require all federal immigration enforcement officers — including ICE, CBP, and Border Patrol — to wear body-worn cameras during all public-facing enforcement actions, create clear rules for footage retention and reporting, and ensure independent oversight. These reforms are essential to protect civil liberties, restore public trust, and uphold constitutional rights. Recent events make this urgency unmistakable. On January 7, 2026, Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother, was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Federal officials immediately labeled her actions as "domestic terrorism" and claimed self-defense, even as local police disputed that narrative and state investigators have faced obstruction in accessing evidence. On January 24, 2026, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents during an enforcement action in Minneapolis. Federal authorities quickly released a photo of a handgun they claimed Pretti carried, and administration officials called him a "domestic terrorist" and a would-be assassin. However, bystander video and eyewitness accounts show Pretti holding only a phone and trying to help someone who was being pepper-sprayed when officers tackled him. Footage and eyewitness testimony contradict initial federal statements, showing that Pretti was not seen brandishing a weapon before he was shot, raising profound questions about the accuracy of federal narratives. Within hours, federal statements labeling him "violent" were amplified, even as local officials and community members protested and called for independent investigation. In addition, federal investigators have refused or delayed state access to the scene and evidence, forcing a federal judge to intervene to prevent evidence destruction and constrain federal obstruction. These killings and the government’s response reflect a disturbing pattern in which federal immigration enforcement acts with secrecy and impunity, undermining constitutional protections including: • Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable force and seizures • Fifth Amendment rights to due process • First Amendment protections for free speech, expression, protest, and association • Fourteenth Amendment guarantees of equal protection H.R. 5653 would ensure objective documentation of enforcement actions, protect evidence from tampering, and provide a factual record when force is used — protecting both the public and federal officers who act lawfully. Allowing this bill to stall sends a message that Congress is willing to tolerate unchecked power, civil rights violations, and avoidable deaths. Bringing H.R. 5653 to the floor and voting yes would affirm that no federal agency is above the Constitution and that public trust must be earned through accountability. Congress must act now. Bring the Trust Through Transparency Act to a vote and pass it.