1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Concern About DHS Accountability and Oversight I am writing as a constituent to express serious concern about the conduct, oversight, and accountability of the Department of Homeland Security and its enforcement agencies, particularly ICE and Customs and Border Protection. Whatever one’s views on immigration policy, I believe most Americans agree on a few basic principles: federal law enforcement should operate within clear legal limits, respect constitutional rights, and be held accountable when those standards are violated. In recent years, DHS has repeatedly failed to meet those expectations. The lack of transparency, inconsistent rules of engagement, and internal investigations that lack independence have eroded public trust. When armed, masked federal agents operate in public spaces, detain or kill unarmed individuals, and face no immediate or independent accountability, that is not a marginal policy failure—it is a warning sign. History shows that summary violence by unidentifiable state actors is one of the clearest indicators of creeping totalitarianism. A democracy cannot survive if the government claims the right to exercise lethal force in the streets without transparency, due process, or consequences. I urge you to support immediate, concrete reforms that do not require wholesale restructuring to begin making a difference now. These include requiring judicial warrants for arrests, limiting enforcement operations to clearly defined jurisdictions, mandating body cameras, prohibiting anonymous or masked policing, and ensuring automatic suspension and independent review when agents use deadly force. Protections for children, families, and people engaged in lawful protest should be non-negotiable. Equally important is serious congressional oversight. Any hearings regarding DHS should involve sworn testimony from senior leadership, full disclosure of arrest and use-of-force data, and participation by independent experts and affected families. Oversight only matters if it is willing to challenge misrepresentations and impose consequences when the law is broken. I am not asking you merely to oppose the worst abuses. I am asking you to lead—publicly and visibly—by supporting strong oversight, clear limits on federal policing, and real consequences for officials who authorize or excuse unlawful violence. Silence or procedural delay in moments like this is not neutrality; it is acquiescence. Democracy is fragile, and it is far too precious to be squandered by reckless authoritarian fantasies or by leaders who mistake unchecked power for strength. I expect my representatives to act decisively, using every lawful tool available, to ensure federal agencies are governed by the rule of law rather than shielded from it. Thank you for your time and for representing our district.