1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my outrage and deep sorrow over the killing of an innocent woman by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. This should never have happened. A civilian lost her life during a federal immigration operation, and no explanation offered so far justifies that outcome. This tragedy underscores a much larger and deeply troubling reality: the current approach to immigration enforcement is making our country less safe, not more. Despite claims to the contrary, the policies and rhetoric coming from Donald Trump and his administration have fueled fear, chaos, and division — not security. When armed federal agents are deployed aggressively in our communities with insufficient oversight, the risk to innocent people skyrockets. That risk became fatal in Minneapolis. ICE officers are not traditional law enforcement officers, yet they are increasingly operating as a domestic police force. Their expanded presence on city streets, often without coordination or transparency with local authorities, has eroded trust and created dangerous conditions. Communities are left afraid, tensions escalate, and accountability becomes murky — especially when federal agencies block state and local investigations after a civilian death. No American should be killed during a government operation and then have their death obscured by jurisdictional stonewalling. Accountability cannot be optional. Transparency cannot be negotiable. I urge you to take action by supporting a full, independent investigation into this killing; strengthening congressional oversight of ICE operations and use of force; and enacting clear limits on how and where ICE agents may operate within U.S. communities. We cannot allow immigration enforcement to function as a militarized system with little regard for civilian safety. Public safety means protecting people — all people — from unnecessary harm. It means restraint, accountability, and respect for human life. Right now, our federal immigration enforcement system is failing that test. I expect my elected representatives to speak clearly and act decisively to prevent another needless death like this. Silence and inaction are not acceptable.