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

Riots should not occur. They are even less excusable when started by peace officers wielding state power, yet ICE escalations are occurring right now in Minneapolis. Citizens are suffering for having opinions deemed wrong by the Trump Administration. It is not patriotic to kowtow to unconstitutional encroachments on our natural rights. It is not “small government” to overfund our least accountable arm of law enforcement. Until 2003, there was no ICE. Its purview fell under the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Customs Service. With the Homeland Security framework that replaced the old patchwork of agencies, we saw some benefits and many detriments. The use of ICE for operations beyond its legislative intent is one of the worst effects of this reform. It is not radical to ask for reforms that prioritize liberty. Please work to hold the Executive Branch accountable for their overreach and ensure that we are not falling victim to the complacency that the Founders cautioned against. As Washington said, “Morality is a necessary spring of popular government,” and we are at risk of drying up that spring. Legislators must avoid complicity in the downfall of legislative supremacy, disregarding the branch’s superior representation of American citizens, and deferring to a power-hungry President.