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

Dear Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Representative Espaillat, I am a constituent of New York, and I am writing to state, in the strongest possible terms, my opposition to any vote to extend or approve funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the current administration. The actions being carried out by ICE at the direction of the Trump administration are unconstitutional, unlawful, and morally indefensible. Reports and firsthand accounts indicate that ICE agents are engaging in warrantless detentions, unreasonable searches and seizures, and arrests without probable cause, all of which directly violate core constitutional protections. Specifically, these actions violate:    •   The Fourth Amendment, which protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures and requires warrants supported by probable cause.    •   The Fifth Amendment, which guarantees due process of law before deprivation of liberty.    •   In many cases, basic principles of equal protection and lawful procedure, which apply to all persons within the United States, regardless of immigration status. No federal agency is above the Constitution. Funding an agency that is openly disregarding constitutional limits is not a neutral budgetary act—it is an affirmative endorsement of illegal conduct. I expect my elected representatives to defend the Constitution, not enable its erosion. If any of you vote to continue funding ICE while these unconstitutional practices persist, I want to be absolutely clear: I will vote against you in the next election and will encourage others to do the same. This is not a partisan issue. It is a constitutional one. The rule of law either applies universally, or it does not apply at all. I urge you to oppose any funding extension for ICE unless and until its operations are brought fully into compliance with constitutional law and fundamental civil liberties. Sincerely,