Halt Federal Checkpoints In D.C.

Federal Checkpoints in D.C. Raise Alarming Questions I write to express deep alarm over the recent establishment of a vehicle checkpoint in Washington, D.C., reportedly operated by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to inspect motorists’ immigration status, as reported in the Washington Post article titled “Checkpoint with ICE Agents Met by Protesters in D.C.” (August 14, 2025). What Is at Stake for All Americans At stake are core constitutional protections that prevent the government from stopping and questioning people without good reason, the right to travel freely without fear of arbitrary detention, and the principle that federal law enforcement should not take over local policing except in genuine emergencies. The Danger of Normalizing Intrusive Policing If such checkpoints become routine, they could erode freedoms for everyone, not just immigrants, and set a precedent for government intrusion into daily life. Stop the Violation of Core Constitutional Protections • Fourth Amendment Violation: In City of Indianapolis v. Edmond (2000), the Supreme Court ruled that checkpoints for general law enforcement or immigration enforcement are unconstitutional. Stops must be narrowly focused on public safety goals, such as reducing drunk driving, and not serve as a dragnet for unrelated purposes. The D.C. checkpoint appears to violate this principle. • Due Process and Equal Protection: Detaining individuals without individualized suspicion - particularly when tied to perceived immigration status - risks discriminatory enforcement and undermines fairness, eroding trust in law enforcement. • Overreach and Home Rule: The D.C. Home Rule Act Section 740 allows presidential control of D.C. policing during an emergency, but only for 30 days and with notice to Congress. Expanding that control to conduct immigration-status checkpoints far from any emergency risks turning a narrow tool into a permanent federal presence. • Chill on First Amendment Freedoms: A visible federal security presence, especially near civic spaces, can deter lawful demonstrations and gatherings. The chilling effect is real, as people may avoid exercising their rights for fear of encountering a checkpoint. Act to Protect Americans’ Freedoms I urge you to: 1. Publicly oppose these checkpoint operations as an unconstitutional overreach. 2. Advance legislative safeguards prohibiting immigration-related checkpoints without specific statutory authorization, strict limits, and oversight. 3. Investigate these operations through robust hearings to ensure transparency and accountability. 4. Reinforce limits on emergency powers so they cannot be used for open-ended federal control of local policing.