1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of federal abuses directed toward immigrant communities and Democratic-governed cities. Recent events underscore the urgent need to dismantle ICE as we know it—and to outlaw the partisan weaponization of federal enforcement and funding against cities governed by a different party than the White House. On October 4, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol conducted a dramatic, late-night raid on an apartment building in Chicago, detaining 37 people, including U.S. citizens and children, under the pretense of immigration enforcement. The operation involved helicopters, broken doors, and agents rappelling through windows. According to reporting, only two of those arrested were suspected gang members—yet entire families were swept up in the dragnet. The raid in Chicago is part of a wider pattern: federal authorities are increasingly deploying agents to interior cities—often those run by Democrats—where they intervene with militarized tactics rather than supporting local law enforcement or following due process. Moreover, while raids grab headlines, quieter but equally coercive actions are underway. The administration has already frozen billions in infrastructure funding to cities, claiming concerns over race-based contracting and leveraging that as political pressure. Threats to cut federal support for “noncompliant” Democratic-led jurisdictions have also surfaced in cities like Portland. In short: federal power is being used as a blunt partisan instrument, not as a legitimate tool for public safety. I’m urging you to take action to dismantle ICE and stop the partisan targeting of Democratic cities. No city should be punished because of who its voters elected. Congress must ban political weaponization of federal enforcement and funding, require warrants for domestic ICE operations, and hold DHS accountable for civil rights abuses. Please speak out publicly, support legislation to rein in ICE, and defend our cities from federal overreach. Democracy depends on it.