1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent to unequivocally state that our nation is facing a historic constitutional crisis. A democracy cannot exist without the absolute protection of unalienable rights. When the executive branch is permitted to unilaterally strip these rights away from any person on our soil, the entire democratic framework collapses into authoritarianism. We are currently witnessing a daily erosion of the fundamental rights that define a free society. The administration’s use of the wartime Alien Enemies Act to summarily bypass immigration courts is a direct violation of the Fifth Amendment. Rounding up individuals at routine court hearings and shipping them to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT mega-prison, where they face documented torture and are cut off from their families, is an illegal act of refoulement. Furthermore, the historic, record-breaking spike in preventable deaths inside overcrowded ICE detention facilities is a severe humanitarian failure [Reuters]. A true democracy must also ensure freedom from fear of the state. The weaponization of the Department of Justice to launch selective federal investigations and criminal indictments against political rivals mirrors authoritarian regimes rather than a free republic. We are witnessing a systemic pattern of retribution targeting not just California Governor Gavin Newsom and his family, but a wide network of vocal critics. This includes the federal targeting of New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, former CIA Director John Brennan, and even former Department of Homeland Security officials like Miles Taylor and Chris Krebs. Utilizing federal law enforcement as a personal instrument to intimidate adversaries and penalize political dissent destroys the foundational rule of law. The administration’s ongoing efforts to restrict White House press access and penalize independent media outlets constitute a direct assault on the truth. A free society cannot function when the press is intimidated and citizens are forced to self-censor out of fear of state retribution. Unalienable rights are not privileges granted by a president; they are inherent protections that no government can legally take away. As my elected representatives, your oath to support and defend the Constitution requires you to act immediately. I ask that you use the congressional appropriations process to defund the CECOT pipeline, launch independent investigations into ICE facility mortality rates [Reuters], and pass strict legislative firewalls to prevent the weaponization of federal law enforcement against political rivals and the free press. I appreciate your dedication to protecting our constitutional principles, and I will be closely following your legislative actions on these vital matters.