1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

As a physician, I witness daily the health consequences when people live in fear of seeking medical care or reporting crimes. The escalating federal immigration operations in Minnesota have created a public health crisis that extends far beyond the immigrant community. Three shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis this month represent a dangerous pattern of violence. On January 7, ICE agents fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three. A week later, another ICE agent shot a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg during a traffic stop. Now a third person has been killed by federal agents. The FBI agent who initially investigated the Renee Good shooting as a civil rights case resigned after being ordered to reclassify it as an assault investigation against the officer. The FBI also blocked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from participating in that investigation, obstructing state oversight. Federal officials attempted to prevent Minneapolis police from accessing the latest shooting scene, violating standard evidence preservation protocols. Police Chief Brian O'Hara had to order his officers to remain on site. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is coordinating with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, but the federal government must allow state investigators full access to process these scenes. These operations have terrorized entire communities. A 5-year-old boy and his father were taken by ICE and are now held at a facility in Dilley, Texas. Former NAACP leader Nekima Levy Armstrong was arrested at a St. Paul church and charged with conspiracy against rights for protesting. Despite wind chills of negative 20 degrees, 20,000 people signed up to rally at Target Center, and about 100 were arrested at the airport for trespassing. I urge you to demand the immediate cessation of these federal operations in Minnesota. ICE must be abolished as an agency that operates without accountability or respect for constitutional rights. Every agent and administrator who has violated civil rights laws must face prosecution. The safety and wellbeing of all Minnesota residents depends on ending this violence now.