1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to demand the resignation of any Democratic representative who voted to increase funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This vote represents a fundamental betrayal of the values these officials campaigned on and a direct contradiction to the party's stated commitment to humane immigration policy. Hundreds of people have died or disappeared while in ICE custody. These are not abstract statistics but human beings who lost their lives under the supervision of an agency that Democratic voters expect their representatives to hold accountable, not reward with additional resources. Voting to expand funding for an agency with this record is morally indefensible. Democratic voters did not elect representatives to enable the expansion of an enforcement apparatus that has consistently violated human rights and due process protections. When officials campaign on progressive values but vote to strengthen agencies responsible for family separations, indefinite detentions, and deaths in custody, they have broken the social contract with their constituents. This is not a matter of political compromise or pragmatic governance. This is a fundamental question of whether elected officials will uphold the principles they claim to represent. I expect Democratic leadership to publicly call for the resignation of any member who voted for this funding increase. If these officials believe their vote was justified, they should defend it directly to voters in a special election rather than continuing to occupy seats under false pretenses. Constituents deserve representatives who will fight against the expansion of immigration enforcement that has caused documented harm, not those who provide it with greater resources to continue these practices. I will be monitoring how leadership responds to this betrayal and will base my future support and volunteer efforts on whether meaningful accountability is pursued. Resignation is the appropriate consequence for this vote.