Memo: DHS Guardrails and Accountability
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The murder of Alex Pretti, just eighteen days after the murder of Renee Good, has again demonstrated the grave need to get the Trump administration’s violent immigration enforcement tactics under control. The provisions included in last week’s bill1 are far from sufficient. Congressional leaders must act accordingly by fighting for measures to prevent another senseless killing by immigration enforcement officers and demand accountability for the indiscriminate and violent tactics used across communities in the U.S. They must withhold funding for DHS until concrete, meaningful guardrails and accountability mechanisms are added – even if it means shutting down the government. Funding DHS in its current state is not an option, even if that leads to a government shutdown. Business as usual is not an option.
Democrats risk further weakening their standing with Americans – including Latinos – if they do not credibly engage in this fight to rein in DHS. Throughout the course of the Trump administration, Democrats have consistently received a lukewarm favorability rating, even as Trump’s own approval rating has remained negative since a couple of months into his presidency. Failing to respond to this moment would only add fuel to the flames for those who feel that Democrats “talk a lot about how dangerous Trump is but don't do anything to stop him,”2 or those who feel that Democrats don’t deliver – namely on the issue of immigration.
The majority of Americans believe that commonsense immigration enforcement is needed, but they want to see enforcement that is targeted – focused on genuine threats to public safety and national security, such as individuals convicted of violent crimes. They do not want to see their neighbors murdered in broad daylight and on their streets, nor valued, contributing members of their community targeted. Americans want enforcement that is lawful and humane, not lawless and cruel. Policymakers must act in this moment to demand accountability and measures that place concrete guardrails on an increasingly lawless, unchecked agency. These measures must prevent the excessive use of force and allow for oversight and accountability.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
- The events of the past few days are not isolated incidents; they reflect the escalating pattern of this Administration’s conduct over the last year and their dangerously misplaced priorities.
- The President, Stephen Miller, Secretary Noem and all of DHS Leadership are not only putting Americans and our communities in danger but enabling lawless behavior and operating with blatant disregard for human life and decency.
- Americans want to see an immediate de-escalation to restore calm to our communities and prevent further violence. They need their leaders to ensure that no others are put in harm’s way at the hands of federal agents.
- Immigration enforcement must return to true security threats and criminals - not kids and car washers.
- The Trump administration’s priorities are dangerously misplaced - resulting in the deaths of American citizens, detaining and deporting children and shielding wealthy cronies, while doing nothing to help the millions of families struggling to afford groceries, childcare, rent, health care and keep up with the rising cost of living.
- Leaders need to focus on solving the problems we already have instead of creating new ones.
END FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OVERREACH AND VIOLENCE IN COMMUNITIES
Focus on real enforcement targets: Establish/mandate statutory enforcement priorities for ICE that focuses on deporting genuine public safety and national security threats, such as individuals convicted of violent crimes, not separating families. Children should not be the target of enforcement - or used as bait to detain and deport their parents, and enforcement should not be conducted at sensitive locations, such as churches, schools, and hospitals.
Return Border Patrol to the border. Thousands of CBP personnel are conducting law enforcement in communities across our country and away from our borders. CBP officers have a critical job of maintaining our border security and are not trained to work in communities. CBP must immediately return to the border is constrained by law to the actual physical borders (Senator Murphy DHS reform legislation will include this)
No vetting or training, no resources or deployment. DHS has cut corners to deploy thousands of new ICE agents in our communities. They have weakened hiring standards, lowered vetting and background check standards for their recruits, and dramatically cut training down from months to weeks.
- Until hiring, training, and accountability standards are clear, there should be a hiring freeze and no additional resources or deployment of new ICE agents in communities.
NO ACTION WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. PERIOD.
No one is above the law, including ICE and Border Patrol: Stop asserting that ICE and Border Patrol are entitled to absolute immunity.
- Accountability is standard in every profession, including state and local law enforcement. Federal immigration enforcement shouldn’t be the exception.
- Other legislation: Sen. Padilla’s “Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act”.
Due process is not optional. Enforcement must follow the Constitution, not memos.
- End enforcement without warrants. Judicial warrants are required – full stop. Law enforcement requires a judge’s approval, not an agency memo (ie: Rescind Home Invasion Memo).
Full transparency and accountability: Everyone is safer when law enforcement identify themselves, are in uniform, do not wear masks, and wear body cameras.
Committee to investigate the DHS killings: Full DHS and FBI cooperation with Minn. investigations of shootings, including sharing all evidence and making witnesses available. If federal officials do not cooperate, Congress will. Congress is also accountable to the American public, and must carry out all appropriate oversight.
1 Provisions include a reduction in funding for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, a decrease in ICE detention beds and a cut in Border Patrol funding
2 https://www.weareequis.us/research/memo-july-2025-latino-pulsecheck
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