Demand for Accountability Regarding 4,400+ Judicial Violations by DHS and ICE

I am writing to you today as your constituent to express my profound alarm regarding recent reports detailing systemic lawlessness within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Recent investigative reports have confirmed that federal judges have ruled more than 4,400 times since October 2025 that ICE has illegally detained individuals. Perhaps even more disturbing is the January 2026 statement from Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz of the District of Minnesota, who noted that ICE likely violated more court orders in a single month than some federal agencies violate in their entire existence. We are a nation of laws. When a federal agency feels empowered to ignore "clear and unambiguous" judicial orders—as Judge Nusrat Choudhury recently found in New York—it creates a constitutional crisis that undermines the very foundation of our democracy. No agency, regardless of its mission, is above the law or the oversight of the Third Branch. I am asking you to take the following actions to restore accountability: 1.. Support the ICE Accountability Act: Back legislation that establishes an independent watchdog with the authority to investigate and penalize misconduct within DHS and ICE. 2.. Exercise Strict Oversight: Use your committee power to subpoena DHS leadership, including Secretary Noem, to explain why the agency has repeatedly ignored habeas corpus rulings and continued to use administrative warrants in ways that violate Fourth Amendment protections. 3.. Condition Appropriations: Ensure that any future funding for DHS is strictly contingent upon the agency’s documented compliance with federal court orders. We cannot continue to fund "rogue" behavior with taxpayer dollars. The current pattern of indifference to judicial authority is intolerable. I look forward to hearing about the specific steps you are taking to ensure that federal law enforcement remains accountable to the Constitution and the courts.