1. United States
2. N.H.
3. Letter

I’m writing to express deep concern over the unlawful detention of Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen arrested under a Florida law that had already been blocked by a federal court—and then illegally held without cause by ICE for 48 hours despite verified proof of citizenship. This incident was not an error. It was a constitutional violation. The arrest contravened a federal injunction, and ICE’s detainer ignored the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, as well as the agency’s own legal authority. Detaining a U.S. citizen without cause must never be normalized. I urge you to take the following actions immediately: Hold public oversight hearings to investigate how state and federal agencies enabled this unlawful detention Require sworn testimony from DHS, ICE, and Florida law enforcement officials Introduce or support legislation that reinforces due process protections and prohibits the use of ICE detainers against U.S. citizens Demand transparency from ICE regarding detainer policies and legal safeguards Congress must send a clear message: Americans may not be detained without cause (Fourth Amendment, 8 C.F.R. § 287.7)—especially based on assumptions about their identity, such as racial profiling or suspicion without evidence. To do so is illegal. Upholding the Constitution is not optional—it is the sworn duty of this co-equal branch of government.