1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I am a constituent writing with serious concern about the appointment of Tom Homan as White House “border czar” and the immediate harm his actions are causing to U.S. citizens, children, and constitutional rights. In January 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, federal immigration agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, during an enforcement operation, triggering widespread protests and official calls for investigation. In January 2026, in Minneapolis, heavily armed federal agents conducted interior enforcement actions that led to confrontations with residents and peaceful protesters, escalating fear and public safety risks. In January 2026, in Minnesota, federal authorities pressured state and local leaders while several were under active Justice Department subpoenas, creating the appearance that federal force was being used as leverage against elected officials. Against this backdrop, Mr. Homan arrived in Minneapolis with a list of demands conditioning a reduction in federal agents on political concessions—specifically, expanded transfers of people from state prisons and jails. This is not de-escalation. It is coercive governance. Demanding concessions in exchange for reducing federal enforcement pressure amounts to threat-based negotiation and confirms that Mr. Homan is completely inappropriate for this position. These actions raise grave constitutional concerns. Aggressive interior operations and fatal use of force implicate the Fourth Amendment and due process. Federal actions that chill or confront peaceful protest implicate the First Amendment. Using federal law-enforcement power as leverage against state governments raises serious concerns about the proper limits of federal authority in civilian governance. I am asking you to take the following concrete steps. First, publicly state on the record that conditioning reductions in federal force on political concessions is unacceptable and dangerous. Second, initiate or sign a joint congressional oversight letter demanding full disclosure of command authority, rules of engagement, use-of-force policies, and communications related to Mr. Homan’s deployment and demands in Minnesota, with a formal briefing to Congress. I also ask you to pursue appropriate backstop actions, including requesting an independent investigation into recent use-of-force incidents and advancing legislation or appropriations restrictions that prohibit coercive federal-state bargaining tied to enforcement pressure. Further injuries or deaths resulting from these practices are foreseeable and preventable. If Congress fails to act, it will share responsibility for the harm that follows.