1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to refuse to vote for any Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that fails to meaningfully rein in ICE and Border Patrol. On January 7, Renee Good, an American citizen, was killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis. Her death is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence, impunity, and abuse carried out by federal immigration enforcement agencies against people in our communities. Congress cannot continue to respond to these harms by expanding the budgets and powers of the same agencies responsible for them. We cannot wait while ICE conducts reckless raids, deploys militarized forces into cities, and tears families apart with little oversight or accountability. I am asking you to oppose any appropriations bill that increases funding for ICE or Border Patrol, and to withhold your vote from any DHS funding package unless it includes clear, enforceable limits. At a minimum, Congress must: • Strengthen restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol’s ability to conduct dragnet arrest operations or target people based on race, language, accent, workplace, or location • End Border Patrol deployment to cities and reject the continued expansion of its immigration enforcement mandate • Limit DHS’s authority to reprogram or transfer funds, particularly to prevent funds from being shifted into detention and enforcement operations These are not radical demands. They are basic guardrails to prevent further loss of life, civil rights abuses, and erosion of public trust. Renee Good should still be alive. Congress has the power and responsibility to act now to prevent further harm. I urge you to use your vote to demand real accountability and real limits on ICE.