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

The charges brought against Rep. LaMonica McIver by the Department of Justice are an egregious overreach and attempt to undermine Congressional oversight of the executive branch. No member of Congress should face criminal prosecution for carrying out their constitutionally-mandated duties of overseeing the actions of federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The incident at the ICE detention facility in Newark was a direct result of the administration's hardline and inhumane immigration policies that have ripped families apart and violated basic human rights. Rep. McIver and her colleagues were simply trying to ensure the facility was operating legally and treating detainees humanely, as is their responsibility. Pursuing criminal charges against Rep. McIver is a blatant effort to intimidate legislators and prevent them from serving as a check on this administration's abuses of power. These baseless charges must be dropped immediately. Congress has an obligation to hold the executive branch accountable, and attempting to criminalize that vital oversight function is a dangerous attack on our democratic system of checks and balances. The American people deserve transparency and accountability from all branches of government.