After Further Violence from ICE, Slotkin, Peters Demand Hearing on ICE’s Deadly Use of Force
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), all members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, joined the Committee’s Democrats in sending a letter calling on Chairman Rand Paul to convene an oversight hearing on the Administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.
Chairman Paul held a February 12 oversight hearing following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — two U.S. citizens killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. While administration officials have pledged to change policies and implement common sense reforms, it is clear that not enough is being done. DHS has doubled down and ramped up immigration enforcement operations — resulting in ICE agents fatally shooting Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas, on July 7 and Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13.
“Secretary Mullin has now had sufficient time in office to enact meaningful policy change… Furthermore, DHS has still not been forthcoming about what, if any, corrective actions have been taken related to the killings of Mr. Pretti and Ms. Good. In light of these facts, we call on you to immediately conduct oversight of DHS, including, as necessary, to issue a subpoena for records and information regarding their tactics and excessive use of force,” the Senators wrote.
“We call on you to hold a hearing with Administration officials, including Secretary Markwayne Mullin, White House Border Czar Tom Homan, ICE Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director David J. Venturella, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney S. Scott to explain why DHS has failed to implement meaningful reforms that could have prevented incidents like fatal shootings and reined in abusive and rampant immigration enforcement tactics,” the Senators concluded.
Senators Andy Kim (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and John Fetterman (D-PA) also signed on.
Read the full letter here.
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