1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I write to express grave concern over the revelations presented by attorney Tristan Snell in his April 2025 exposé, The ICE Man Cometh, which documents the unlawful detention and deportation of American citizens by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mr. Snell—an experienced litigator and former New York State Assistant Attorney General known for his successful prosecution of Trump University—has uncovered evidence that ICE has, in multiple instances, knowingly violated the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens. Among the most disturbing findings is the case of Pedro Obrero, a U.S. citizen who was illegally detained and deported despite having presented irrefutable proof of his citizenship. According to Snell’s investigation, ICE failed to verify documentation, ignored due process, and acted in direct contradiction of agency guidelines. Mr. Obrero’s case is not an outlier. The Department of Homeland Security’s own Office of Inspector General previously acknowledged that hundreds of U.S. citizens have been mistakenly—or deliberately—targeted. ICE’s actions here are not just bureaucratic errors. They constitute systemic civil rights violations and demonstrate deliberate indifference to the law. The government has no lawful authority to remove citizens from their own country. These acts may violate the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, and potentially give rise to Bivens claims or other federal tort liability. I urge your immediate intervention and oversight. Specifically, I request that you: 1. Launch a formal congressional inquiry into ICE’s detention and deportation of U.S. citizens. 2. Demand the return and full repatriation of Pedro Obrero and any other unlawfully deported citizens. 3. Introduce legislation requiring external judicial review before any individual asserting U.S. citizenship can be deported. 4. Mandate that DHS maintain transparent data and publish reports on citizen misidentification and deportation incidents. Congress must not remain silent while a federal agency deports Americans in violation of their fundamental rights. The public trust demands urgent accountability.