1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I’m writing because what is happening right now, especially in Minnesota, is horrifying and unacceptable. Federal immigration agents are executing people in the streets and kidnapping others from their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Families are being torn apart. Communities are living in fear. This is not law enforcement. It is state violence carried out against civilians. I stand in full solidarity with the people of Minnesota. This is not about isolated incidents. When a federally funded agency terrorizes communities, injures and kills civilians, and operates with little accountability, it is authoritarian in practice. It is fascism and tyranny, plain and simple. This moment demands clarity and courage, not platitudes or procedural excuses. I believe we must abolish ICE. Period. Not reform it. Not replace it with something else under a different name. We need to stop terrorizing communities and stop demonizing immigrants. Immigration is not a threat to our country. It is essential to our democracy and a cornerstone of vibrant, thriving communities. The people being targeted today are our neighbors, coworkers, caregivers, and friends. They make this country stronger every single day. Democrats, and all leaders who claim to believe in justice, need to do more than throw up their hands and blame Trump. Naming the problem without acting on it is not leadership. Refusing to dismantle systems that cause harm is complicity. Silence and inaction in the face of state violence are choices, and they side with the violence. We owe it to the families mourning today, and to every immigrant who contributes to this country with their labor, care, and creativity, to act with integrity and conviction.