1. United States
2. Kan.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Since its establishment in 2003, ICE has operated as a rogue agency with a documented pattern of human rights abuses, lack of accountability, and practices that fundamentally contradict our values as a nation. ICE has targeted, detained, and separated hundreds of thousands of families. The conditions in ICE detention centers have resulted in preventable deaths, with COVID-19 outbreaks exacerbated by mismanagement and medical neglect. These facilities operate with minimal oversight, allowing fear tactics and racial profiling to continue unchecked. This pattern of abuse has eroded public trust and fueled the growth of the Sanctuary Movement across the country. The human cost of ICE enforcement is devastating. Pedro, a CASA member who supported Maryland's Dignity not Detention bill, came to the United States at age 7 in 1998. He was deported at 16 without legal representation, later served 14 months in federal prison for returning after deportation, and then spent an additional 8 months in the Jessup immigrant detention center fighting to avoid deportation to Honduras due to safety concerns. After 22 months of incarceration and detention, Pedro won his case and obtained legal status. His story illustrates how ICE's enforcement practices traumatize individuals who have built their lives in this country. The agency's track record demonstrates that ICE cannot be reformed. Its fundamental mission and operational culture prioritize punishment over humanity. Abolishing ICE would allow us to reimagine immigration enforcement through a lens of dignity, due process, and public health rather than criminalization and detention. I urge you to support legislation that would dismantle ICE and replace it with a system that treats all people with the respect and fairness they deserve. No person is illegal, and our immigration system should reflect that principle.