1. United States
2. Minn.
3. Letter

The proposal to provide funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain and deport U.S. citizens is deeply concerning and a violation of fundamental constitutional rights. As American citizens, we are guaranteed due process under the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits the deprivation of life, liberty, or property without proper legal proceedings. Deporting U.S. citizens without affording them an opportunity to prove their citizenship status and challenge any potential deportation order is a clear violation of these protections. Furthermore, ICE has acknowledged that it lacks the authority to detain or remove U.S. citizens. Yet, there have been troubling instances of U.S. citizens, including young children and the elderly, being wrongfully detained and in some cases deported by immigration authorities. Providing additional funding that could enable and perpetuate such egregious violations of civil liberties is unacceptable. I urge you to reconsider this proposal and instead work towards policies that uphold the constitutional rights of all Americans, regardless of their immigration status or background. Protecting the integrity of our legal system and the rights enshrined in the Constitution should be a paramount concern for our elected representatives. Allowing for the potential deportation of U.S. citizens undermines the very principles upon which our nation was founded.