1. United States
2. Letter

I am writing to express grave concern over reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wrongfully detaining American citizens during raids. The recent case of Andrea Velez, a Latina U.S. citizen arrested by ICE on her way to work without being asked for identification, is highly disturbing. It appears she was targeted solely due to the color of her skin. This is unacceptable racial profiling and a violation of her constitutional rights. There are also other troubling incidents of ICE arresting U.S. citizens like Brian Gavidia and Adrian Martinez on dubious charges that were later dropped. Holding American citizens for days without formal charges is a fundamental breach of due process. The fact that 47% of those detained by ICE have no criminal convictions at all further calls into question the agency's practices and priorities. I urge you to launch an immediate investigation into ICE's training protocols, policies, and oversight mechanisms that allow for such unlawful detentions of U.S. citizens to occur. Stringent reforms are needed to prevent further civil rights violations and restore accountability. American citizens must be protected from discriminatory enforcement overreach by federal agencies. Swift action is required to uphold constitutional principles and human rights for all.