1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

The current partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security presents a critical opportunity to fundamentally restructure our immigration enforcement system. I am writing to urge you to oppose any funding agreement that continues to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in its current form and to advocate for the complete abolition of ICE. The fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month demonstrate the deadly consequences of an immigration enforcement agency operating with insufficient oversight and accountability. These were U.S. citizens killed by the very officers meant to protect public safety. This tragedy is not an isolated incident but rather symptomatic of an agency whose operations have consistently violated civil liberties and human rights. Despite the current DHS shutdown, ICE operations continue largely uninterrupted due to billions in funding from the 2025 tax and spending cut law. This reveals a fundamental problem: ICE has become so entrenched and well-funded that even a government shutdown cannot curtail its activities. An agency that operates beyond normal democratic checks and balances poses a threat to all residents, regardless of citizenship status. The deaths of Pretti and Good have rightfully prompted demands for changes to immigration operations. However, modest reforms and increased oversight are insufficient. The agency's core mission and operational culture are fundamentally flawed. ICE has separated families, conducted raids in sensitive locations like schools and hospitals, and created a climate of fear in immigrant communities across the country. I urge you to oppose any DHS funding agreement that preserves ICE in its current form. Instead, support legislation to abolish the agency entirely and replace it with a humane immigration system focused on integration rather than enforcement. The deaths in Minneapolis demand nothing less than complete transformation of how we approach immigration in this country.