1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I’m writing to urge you in the strongest possible terms to demand an independent investigation into every shooting involving ICE agents. This will set the stage for a special commission to investigate the leaders of ICE in the future. When a federal law enforcement agency - or any police force in the US - investigates its own use of lethal force, that is not accountability — it is a cover. As you well know, Congress has both the authority and the obligation to ensure these incidents are reviewed by an independent body with no institutional stake in the outcome. ICE currently operates with significant power and minimal public transparency. Shootings involving federal agents must be subject to the same independent scrutiny we expect of any institution wielding lethal force. Right now, that standard does not exist for ICE, and that gap is a serious failure of oversight. Push for legislation or a formal congressional inquiry that mandates independent review of all ICE-involved shootings — and make sure it has teeth enough to break ‘qualified immunity’ - an unjust precept not intended to shield criminals as those found in the ranks of ICE. Thank you.