Support Defunding ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Ops: Halt Their Terror Tactics

I am writing to urge you in the strongest possible terms to support defunding Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the deportation wing of ICE. It’s operations are clearly not about immigration, it’s about intimidation and shooting protestors to quell dissent. I’m not talking about eliminating immigration enforcement and border protection entirely but about ending the misuse of these mercenaries and thugs in masks. We don’t need rogue militias. The whole program has become a sort of secret police, and is now proving to be a bloodthirsty bunch as well. In addition, it’s wasteful, counterproductive program that costs over $18 billion annually, more than the FBI, DEA, ATF, Secret Service, and US Marshall Service combined. ERO does not make Americans safer. During just the first two months of the Trump administration, one-third of non-citizens arrested had no criminal conviction whatsoever. Only 1% or fewer had prior convictions for serious crimes like sexual assault, kidnapping, or homicide. The vast majority were convicted of minor offenses like DUI, traffic violations, and immigration violations. This is not public safety enforcement, it is theater, and now it’s murder and lawlessness as recent events have clearly shown. ERO also actively undermines legitimate law enforcement. In June 2018, 19 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents requested separation from ERO because association with ERO causes local police to stop cooperating with HSI on transnational criminal investigations. ERO arrests crime victims and witnesses at courthouses, with courthouse arrests rising 1,700% under Trump. ERO has even deported government informants who helped arrest gang members. This makes prosecuting actual criminal enterprises harder, not easier. The economic damage is substantial and getting worse. ICE raids have shut down entire factories and decimated towns. Deportations prevent businesses from opening during tourist season and threaten industries like dairy farming. Economists agree that immigration is essential for economic prosperity and social security sustainability, yet ERO's aggressive tactics are driving away the workers our economy needs. There is clear precedent for this action. In 2018, Congress defunded federal marijuana prosecutions in states where it is legal without repealing the underlying law or creating a replacement agency. Congress simply removed funding for misguided enforcement. The same approach should apply to ERO. I urge you to support defunding ERO and redirect those resources toward creating pathways to legal status for the millions of contributors already living and working in our communities. This is the peaceful way forward. Thank you.