1. United States
2. Ill.
3. Letter

I am writing as a deeply concerned citizen alarmed by the operations and conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agency’s pattern of behavior—including warrantless raids, family separations, and alleged abuses in detention—has increasingly come to resemble the actions of authoritarian regimes. To many Americans, ICE functions less as a law enforcement body and more as a political and racialized tool of fear and control. The comparison may be uncomfortable, but it is not made lightly: ICE has become, in the eyes of many, a modern Gestapo. That may sound extreme, but when an agency is allowed to operate with so little transparency and accountability, and so often targets the most vulnerable among us, it betrays the democratic values it is supposed to protect. This is a moment for moral courage. I urge you to dismantle ICE in its current form and replace it with an immigration system rooted in justice, transparency, and human dignity. America must do better. We cannot claim to be a beacon of freedom while perpetuating fear, cruelty, and systemic abuse in our own communities. I respectfully ask you to support legislation and oversight efforts that will end ICE’s current practices and ensure the humane treatment of all people within our borders—citizens and immigrants alike. History is watching.