1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Recent polling shows a plurality of voters now support eliminating ICE following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal agent in Minneapolis on January 7. This tragedy underscores a culture of violence within the agency that has gone unchecked for too long. If abolishing ICE is not politically feasible at this time, I strongly urge you to demand meaningful and significant reforms to immigration enforcement practices before approving any new Department of Homeland Security funding. The Congressional Progressive Caucus has adopted an official position opposing new DHS funding unless substantial reforms are enacted, and I support this stance. At minimum, any fiscal 2026 funding agreement reached before the January 30 shutdown deadline must include mandatory body cameras for all DHS agents, a prohibition on wearing masks during enforcement operations, and more extensive training requirements. These measures are essential to protect Americans from violence and harassment by federal agents operating with insufficient oversight. I am also concerned that Republicans already provided ICE with $75 billion over the next decade through their party-line tax and spending package, above and beyond the nearly $11 billion granted in the fiscal year that ended in September. This funding was provided outside the traditional appropriations process, bypassing the accountability mechanisms that Congress should maintain over federal agencies. The current negotiations present a critical opportunity to impose restrictions that will prevent future tragedies. Even some Republicans, including Senator Lisa Murkowski, have acknowledged the Minnesota shooting footage was deeply disturbing and called for policy changes. Bipartisan support exists for limiting the Trump administration's ability to redirect DHS money without congressional approval. I urge you to stand firm in demanding either the abolition of ICE or, failing that, the strongest possible reforms to protect Americans from an agency that has demonstrated a troubling pattern of violence and lack of accountability.