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Correspondence - Item 27
Zuniga, Diana From: Jackie Angel Investor < Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2025 6:19 PM To: eComment Cc: Vazquez, Benjamin Subject: Calls growing for Santa Ana mayor to resign, residents upset over response to ICE raids Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana.Use caution when opening attachments or links. Calls growing for Santa Ana mayor to resign, residents upset over response to ICE raids SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Mayor Valerie Amezcua is facing growing calls to resign over her response to the federal immigration enforcement operations in the city. Hundreds of people attended Tuesday night's City Council meeting to voice their frustration. The mayor was met with boos and yells and she entered the council chambers. Community members are demanding that city officials do more to protect immigrants. Last week, crowds gathered outside the federal building in Santa Ana to try and stop unmarked white vans supposedly carrying ICE detainees. Homeland Security agents and police deployed tear gas, flash bangs and pepper balls amid the unrest. https://abc7.com/post/cal Is-growing-santa-ana-mayor-valerie-amezcua-resign-response-ice- raids/16781879/ i Zuniga, Diana From: Perez, Cassandra <Cassandra.Perez@mail.house.gov> Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2025 10:48 AM To: eComment Cc: Nguyen, Ngoc Subject: Rep. Correa: City of Santa Ana Council Meeting (07.01.25) Public Comment - Item 27 Attachments: Correa letter of support Santa Ana reso FINAL.pdf, Documents Summaries.docx; Merged Document.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana.Use caution when opening attachments or links. Below is the language from Congressman Correa's Public Comment and attached is the letter. Also attached is supporting documents and a summary of the documents. Dear Madam Mayor and Santa Ana City Councilmembers, I write to express my support for Item 427, a resolution making a call to action regarding ICE immigration enforcement. As the proud Representative of the City of Santa Ana, I stand with our immigrant community and have heard their concerns and fear over the escalation of force and rhetoric by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This resolution sends a clear and reassuring message to our neighbors: that we value their contributions to Santa Ana and to this great nation. The City of Santa Ana is a tranquil and peaceful community. It is the home of hard-working, law-abiding, tax- paying families. One month ago, masked individuals began to appear in our communities and started apprehending members of our community for deportation. These individuals claimed to be federal agents. Many people who were forcefully detained and abducted from our streets are lawful permanent residents, U.S. citizens, or mistaken identities. These individuals were grabbed and were denied the due process rights guaranteed to them by the United States Constitution. The violent and brutal methods employed by these masked and unidentified federal agents have no precedent in Santa Ana. Santa Ana residents were rightfully concerned about immigration enforcement raids in our community by unidentified and masked individuals indiscriminately and violently targeting neighbors. Just recently, Narciso Barranco was working at his job when masked agents brutally beat and detained him in Santa Ana. Narciso has no criminal record, and he is the proud father of three U.S. Marines. He's a hard worker who was snatched away from his job and beaten on the ground. We honor people like Narciso, who raised their children to love our great nation. This is why Santa Ana residents are exercising their First Amendment right to protest peacefully. At the same time, the White House ordered the National Guard into Santa Ana. Traditionally, the National Guard is activated upon a state governor, local police chief, or local sheriff's call for aid to quell civil unrest or to respond to natural disaster. i Like many in our community, I was shocked—given that neither Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes nor Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez called for the National Guard or other federal agents to come to Santa Ana. Up until today, both Chief Rodriguez and Sheriff Barnes insist that the presence of the National Guard was not necessary. The activation of the National Guard escalated and inflamed the situation at these protests. Our local law enforcements are adequately trained to de-escalate, protect the public, and restore order. I have expressed these concerns to ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons and called attention to incidents that have taken place at immigration courts across the country including incidents where masked, plainclothes ICE officers detained non-violent, non-criminal immigrants immediately following the dismissal of their existing deportation cases by Department of Homeland Security attorneys. Most recently, I joined my colleagues in Congress in introducing the No Secret Police Act to require DHS officers to wear or display official insignia or uniforms in a manner clearly visible to others, as well as to prohibit DHS officers from wearing face coverings or any item that conceals their face during detentions or arrests. To address the increase of ICE impersonations in our community, I am also working to introduce legislation to prohibit the unauthorized use and sale of Immigration and Customs Enforcement apparel and insignia. Last month, I addressed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing about the Administration's consistent violation of the law by denying due process in ICE enforcement matters. I cited specific cases of American born children who were deported alongside their parents and denied access to counsel. I have and will continue fight back against anti-immigrant rhetoric and oppose DHS overreach. I offered amendments in both the House Judiciary Committee, as well as the House Homeland Security Committee, to the One Big Beautiful Bill(currently known as the reconciliation bill) to prohibit ICE raids at elementary schools. I offered the same amendments to the Republican reconciliation bill on the House Floor, as well as amendments pertaining to deported veterans, unlawful third country removal, ICE raids at churches, and spousal deportations. I also joined my colleagues during an almost twenty hour long House Rules Committee hearing to testify and push for the inclusion of my amendments to the reconciliation bill. These are only a few of my recent legislative actions in Washington, D.C. to protect our neighbors. I urge the Council to join me in expressing support and reassurance to our diverse community by passing this resolution. Santa Ana continues to be a peaceful city, and so is the rest of Orange County. Our city is under assault_ We must be smart and decisive and take strong actions to defend all of our residents. This resolution is an important step in continuing to build trust, support families, and celebrate the diversity that defines Santa Ana. Thank you for consideration. Sincerely, J. Luis Correa Member of Congress Cassandra Perez I District Director Office of Congressman J.Luis Correa(CA-46) 0: (714) 559-6190 AOU CORREA 2 WAS14INGTON ORRIGE L L!I Fi'F'i E A HOUSE©EMOCRAT,G CAUGLIS 2082 PAY13URN HOUSE OFFICE B yJUILDING D€RLIT'Y WHIP FOR POLICY WASHINGTON,DC 29515 (202y225-2965 46TH DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA HousECOMMRTEEONHDMELANGSECURITY RANKING MEMBEw SUE:OMMITTEE ON BORDER p� T * {� /� SECIIRIW,AND ENFOR EMENT .323 N.BIM DISTRICT C Tr 31 o 1{gr ez� of 1 b e 1110 1 a t C5 SUBCOMMITTEE ON COUNTERiEPMRI5M, 2323 N.BRL ADNYAY,Su Tr�� ` 4 ` a 1146♦ ` a F LpW ENFORCEMENT,ANO INTELLIGENCE S.AwA.Am,CA 92706 �}y (�p 1y [f �+ Iy}y #}' �i�f�y (714)559-T19L1 L14'�L14 of tvrvf rntatlbt5 HOUSECoIUTIUTTEEONTHE.IuDIpARY SUBCOMMITTEE ON TN ADMINIiTAATNE STATE, 'l tJlnt LV/4f TX \rl IIEGUuTORY REFORM,ANDAANTITRIIST k1 ` J ll>I L n 05 SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION INTEGRR ,SECIIRIW, AND ENFOFY.EMENT July 1, 2025 Dear Madam Mayor and Santa Ana City Councilmembers, I write to express my support for Item 927, a resolution making a call to action regarding ICE immigration enforcement. As the proud Representative of the City of Santa Ana, I stand with our immigrant community and have heard their concerns and fear over the escalation of force and rhetoric by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This resolution sends a clear and reassuring message to our neighbors: that we value their contributions to Santa Ana and to this great nation. The City of Santa Ana is a tranquil and peaceful community. It is the home of hard-working, law-abiding, tax-paying families. One month ago, masked individuals began to appear in our communities and started apprehending members of our community for deportation. These individuals claimed to be federal agents. Many people who were forcefully detained and abducted from our streets are lawful permanent residents, U.S. citizens, or mistaken identities. These individuals were grabbed and were denied the due process rights guaranteed to them by the United States Constitution. The violent and brutal methods employed by these masked and unidentified federal agents have no precedent in Santa Ana. Santa Ana residents were rightfully concerned about immigration enforcement raids in our community by unidentified and masked individuals indiscriminately and violently targeting neighbors. Just recently, Narciso Barranco was working at his job when masked agents brutally beat and detained him in Santa Ana. Narciso has no criminal record, and he is the proud father of three U.S. Marines. He's a hard worker who was snatched away from his job and beaten on the ground. We honor people like Narciso, who raised their children to love our great nation. This is why Santa Ana residents are exercising their First Amendment right to protest peacefully. At the same time, the White House ordered the National Guard into Santa Ana. Traditionally, the National Guard is activated upon a state governor, local police chief, or local sheriff's call for aid to quell civil unrest or to respond to natural disaster. Like many in our community, I was shocked—given that neither Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes nor Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez called for the National Guard or other federal agents to come to Santa Ana. Up until today, both Chief Rodriguez and Sheriff Barnes insist that the presence of the National Guard was not necessary. The activation of the National Guard escalated and inflamed the situation at these protests. Our local law enforcements are adequately trained to de-escalate, protect the public, and restore order. I have expressed these concerns to ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons and called attention to incidents that have taken place at immigration courts across the country including incidents where masked, plainclothes ICE officers detained non-violent, non-criminal immigrants immediately following the dismissal of their existing deportation cases by Department of Homeland Security attorneys. Most recently, I joined my colleagues in Congress in introducing the No Secret Police Act to require DHS officers to wear or display official insignia or uniforms in a manner clearly visible to others, as well as to prohibit DHS officers from wearing face coverings or any item that conceals their face during detentions or arrests. To address the increase of ICE impersonations in our community, I am also working to introduce legislation to prohibit the unauthorized use and sale of Immigration and Customs Enforcement apparel and insignia. Last month, I addressed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing about the Administration's consistent violation of the law by denying due process in ICE enforcement matters. I cited specific cases of American born children who were deported alongside their parents and denied access to counsel. I have and will continue fight back against anti-immigrant rhetoric and oppose DHS overreach. I offered amendments in both the House Judiciary Committee, as well as the House Homeland Security Committee, to the One Big Beautiful Bill (currently known as the reconciliation bill) to prohibit ICE raids at elementary schools. I offered the same amendments to the Republican reconciliation bill on the House Floor, as well as amendments pertaining to deported veterans, unlawful third country removal, ICE raids at churches, and spousal deportations. I also joined my colleagues during an almost twenty hour long House Rules Committee hearing to testify and push for the inclusion of my amendments to the reconciliation bill. These are only a few of my recent legislative actions in Washington, D.C. to protect our neighbors. I urge the Council to join me in expressing support and reassurance to our diverse community by passing this resolution. Santa Ana continues to be a peaceful city, and so is the rest of Orange County. Our city is under assault. We must be smart and decisive and take strong actions to defend all of our residents. This resolution is an important step in continuing to build trust, support families, and celebrate the diversity that defines Santa Ana. Thank you for consideration. Sincerely, J. Luis Correa Member of Congress Document Summaries 1. 2025-06-05 Letter to Sec. Noem and Acting ICE Director on courtroom dismissals and ICE arrests 2. 2025-04-29 Letter to CBP and ICE on mistreatment at ports of entry 3. 2025-06-13 Letter to Rep. Green demanding hearing on Sen. Padilla arrest at DHS event 4. 2025-06-23 Letter to Sec.Noem on illegal obstruction of congressional oversight at ICE facilities 5. 2025-04-10 Letter to Sec. Noem and Acting ICE Director on opposition of IFR immigration registration forms 6. 2025-06-13 Letter to Rep. Green demanding hearing on Sen. Padilla arrest at DHS event 7. 2025-03-28 Letter to Rep. Green requesting Sec. Noem oversight hearing on DHS structural changes 8. 2025-06-13 Letter to Sec. Noem on illegal obstruction of congressional oversight at ICE facilities 9. 2024-04-25 Letter to ICE and USCIS on concerns about LAUSD school raids and consular notification failures 10. 2025-06-27 Correa letter to Sec. Noem requesting data and information concerning ICE detentions and arrests 11. 2025-05-07 Homeland Security Committee Minority Dissenting Views on reconciliation package 12. 2025-06-23 Letter to Sec. Hegseth, Attorney General Bondi, and Sec. Noem on President Trump's unauthorized deployment of California National Guard in L.A. 13. 2025-04-11 Letter to Sec. Noem on immigration enforcement activity in LAUSD schools 14. 2025-06-10 Letter to President Trump re: unauthorized California National Guard deployment in L.A. 15. 2025-05-06 Letter to DHS Inspector General demanding investigation into immigration facilities in Louisiana 16. 2025-05-21 Rules Committee testimony on Correa amendments 17. 2025-06-16 Letter to Leader Thune & Speaker Johnson re: Sen. Padilla incident 18. 2025-06-25 Torres letter to GAO reinforcing complaint re: Roybal Building 19. 2025-06-27 Correa floor speech on Narciso Barranco ICE detention in Santa Ana 20. 2025-05-14 Correa Homeland Security Committee remarks to Sec. Noem 21. 2025-06-25 H. Res. 543 Right to protest and condemnation of federal overreach 22. 2025-05-19 Correa amendment on limitation of use of funds for deportation of veterans 23. 2025-05-19 Correa amendment on limitation of use of funds for immigration enforcement action at elementary schools 24. 2025-05-20 Correa amendment on prohibiting deportation of individuals to countries other than their country of origin 25. 2025-05-29 Correa amendment on prohibiting DHS deportations of undocumented individuals who are spouses of active duty servicemembers Congreo of the Uniteb 6tateq Va5bington, W 20515 June 5, 2025 The Honorable Kristi Noem Secretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528 Mr. Todd M. Lyons Acting Director U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Washington, D.C. 20024 Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons: We write to express grave concern over the disturbing pattern of Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) operations taking place at immigration courts across the country including recent incidents in New York City where masked, plainclothes ICE officers detained non-violent, non-criminal immigrants immediately following the dismissal of their existing deportation cases by DHS attorneys.' Over the past week, we have witnessed federal agents lying in wait outside courtrooms, detaining individuals as they leave their hearings upon the expectation that their immigration proceedings often including asylum applications have been dismissed upon the government's request.' These mass arrests are part of what Trump administration officials have confirmed is a nationwide effort to terminate ongoing removal cases and reroute people into fast-tracked "expedited" removal proceedings, usually without counsel, due process, or any specific case-by- case analysis.' By terminating ongoing removal proceedings, any pending asylum claim is rendered void, thereby creating a potentially short window to quickly deport immigrants who have previously applied for asylum, which, as you well know, is a legal pathway to enter the United States. It also bears emphasizing that asylum is not available to individuals convicted of serious crimes or deemed a danger to the security of the United States, meaning that those asserting asylum claims in immigration court are unlikely to have criminal backgrounds and are instead seeking protection under U.S. law.' Recent reports indicate that the Trump administration is pressuring federal agencies to triple the number of daily immigration arrests as part of a sweeping push to achieve the arbitrary number 'Tracey Tully and Zolan Kanno-Youngs, "ICE Courthouse Arrests Face New Scrutiny Amid Legal Challenges," New York Times,May 30,2025, https://www.nvtimes.com/2025/05/30/us/politics/ice-courthouse-arrests.htmi 2 Id. 3 Camilio Montoya-Galvez and Nidia Cavazos, "ICE Ending Migrants'Court Cases in Order to Arrest and Move to Deport Them,"CBS News, May 23,2025 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-ending-migrants-court-cases-arrest move-to-deport-them/ 4 Priscilla Alvarez, Evan Perez,Sean Lyngaas and Holmes Lybrand, "White House Pushes for Increased Immigration Arrests by Lae Enforcement Agencies," CNN, May 29,2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/29/politics/white- house-imm igration-arrests-law-enforcement-agencies Page 2 of 1 million deportations a year. This effort has led to the reassignment of FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, DEA, and CBP officers to immigration enforcement duties ultimately straining national security resources, diverting attention away from investigating serious crimes, and raising real concerns about the public safety priorities of this administration.' During Secretary Noem's confirmation hearing, you stated that DHS "would work every day to make sure people are safe and that those with criminal convictions are immediately removed." 6 However, it is clear that ICE is now targeting immigrants with no criminal history, many of whom are asylum seekers, parolees admitted through lawful processes, and students like Dylan a 20-year-old Bronx high schooler who was detained after attending his court hearing alone and without a lawyer. He has since been transferred across four states, denied medical treatment, and cut off from legal representation.'Dylan entered the United States lawfully in 2024, enrolled in public school, had employment authorization, and had no criminal record at the time of his detainment. This new policy, designed to meet an arbitrary quota of deportations, is not targeting criminals the"worst of the worst" as administration officials have repeatedly claimed ' but instead is surreptitiously and deceptively aimed at those who are following the rules, voluntarily appearing in court, and doing it the right way. This policy neither targets criminals nor makes the public safer. Instead, this policy creates perverse incentives for immigrants who are pursuing lawful pathways into our country and will encourage immigrants to go further underground and avoid following the lawful and official immigration process. This will not only result in the loss of tax and social security revenue contributed by asylum-seekers eligible for work authorization but will lead to greater disorder and public safety concerns. When combined with diverting significant law enforcement resources to arrests of non-violent immigrants instead of violent felons, the impact of this new policy makes our communities less safe. The United States is a nation founded by immigrants that has benefited immensely from immigration. As a democracy grounded in the principles of due process and equal protection under the law, the use of courthouse ambush tactics not only undermines those principles but directly contradicts the Department's stated mission to uphold the law with integrity. 5 "Kristi Nome Testifies at Senate Confirmation Hearing," Rev.com, accessed May 30,2025, https://www.rev.com/transcripteditor/shared/QmAMnvocJpXkMLCFO3o9JK49iQCUHBKmns9lem*xa RSkEmQtFXQ yzzPBVWeJ EQI6YbRX6hnbF-YxQfnrAYC5ow2d Qs?load From=Pasted Deepl ink&ts=6383.88 6 Marcia Kramer, "New York City Public School Student Detained by ICE at Asylum Hearing," CBS News New York, May 27,2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nvc-high-school-student-immigrant-detained-ice/ 'See,e.g., Exec.Order No. 14159, 90 Fed. Reg.8443(Jan.20,2025) (noting focus of immigration enforcement on those "who threaten the safety or security of the American people"); REUTERS,Trump to appoint former ICE director Tom Homan as US`border czar' (Nov. 11,2024), https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump- appointformer-ice-director-tom-homan-countrys-border-czar-2024-11-11/ ("Tom Homan...said on Monday he would prioritize deporting immigrants in the United States illegally who pose threats to public safety and national security");The Department of Homeland Security's Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2026: Hearing Before the Senate Comm.on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs(May 20,2025) (Statement of Sec. Kristi Noem) ("once again,the United States is enforcing immigration laws to arrest,identify,detain and remove dangerous illegal alien criminals.We're prioritizing those that are a public safety threat to people,especially those who are affiliated with the terrorist organizations MS-13 and Tren de Aragua."). 8 8 U.S.C.§ 1158 Page 3 Accordingly, as part of Congress's constitutional obligation to conduct oversight of the Department, we demand written responses to the following questions no later than June 19, 2025: 1. What specific guidance has DHS issued regarding the dismissal of ongoing court cases, followed by immediate ICE detention and expedited removal? Please provide all email communications, memoranda, legal justification, and written notes of relevant meetings. This includes any relevant material that mentions how the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review(EOIR) will coordinate and cooperate with enforcement operations. 2. What criteria is DHS using to determine which individuals should be targeted by this new policy? 3. How many individuals have been detained nationwide following court case dismissals since May 1, 2025? Please provide a breakdown by state and court locations. • Of those who have been detained and placed in expedited removal, how many (if any) had an affirmative asylum application pending or had informed the court of their intention to pursue other legal relief with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)? • Of those who have been detained and placed in expedited removal, how many (if any) have criminal convictions in the United States? Please provide relevant information about those cases and individuals. 4. Are immigration judges being tracked for how they handle these cases? If so, for what specific purpose? 5. For every detainee who had previously filed an asylum claim or other juvenile or family- based relief, please provide any and all information about whether and to what extent they received a credible fear screening under the expedited removal process. 6. What specific guidance (if any) has DHS issued, including any guidance involving the Department of Justice, about restricting observers in courtrooms or on the court premises? 7. What written guidance (if any) has DHS issued about agents wearing masks during enforcement operations? We urge DHS to immediately suspend enforcement actions targeting noncriminal immigrants and individuals who are actively complying with our immigration laws. We look forward to your prompt and forthright response. Sincerely, Dan Goldman Bennie G. Thompson Member of Congress Member of Congress Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland Security Page 4 � J. Luis Correa Se Magazine Member of Congress ember of Congress Eric Swalwell Delia C. Ramirez Member of Congress Member of Congress bAl onica McIver Robert Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Shri Thanedar roy A. Carter, Sr. Member of Congress Member of Congress Julie Johnson Timothy NY. Kennedy Member of Congress Member of Congress Pablo J e Hernandez Mmie Raskin Member of Congress Member of Congress Pramila Jayapal rrold Nadler Member of Congress Member of Congress Page 5 Henry C. "Han ' Johnson, Jr. Mary Gay Scanlon Member of Congress Member of Congress oe Lofgren Jasmi rockett Member of Congress Memb&jof Congress Ted W. Lieu SydAy&mlagQWove Member of Congress Member of Congress Deborah K. Ross Becca Balint Member of Congress Member of Congress �� o uin Castro G -tsar Member of Congress Member of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Veronica Escobar Member of Congress Member of Congress " & Madeleine Dean Cleo Member of Congress Member of Congress Page 6 Eleanor Holmes Norton Val Hoyle Member of Congress Member of Congress � " MARK TAKANO Kevin Mullin Member of Congress Member of Congress SuiGhne Bonamici Andr'&Parson Member of Congress Member of Congress -� Nydi . Velazquez Sylvia R. Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress �� � J n chakowsky ette D. Clarke Member of Congress Member of Congress — Danny K. gavis ark Pocan Member of Congress Member of Congress Nanette Diaz Barragan race eng Member of Congress Member of Congress Page 7 :) . � — Adriano Espaillat Derek T. Tran Member of Congress Member of Congress A-gea Williams Shontel M. Brown m Member of Congress Member of Congress --, �� Joe Courtney Diana DeGette Member of Congress Member of Congress � Debbie Wasserman Schult Robert J. Menendez Member of Congress Member of Congress enn Ivey U Betty c ollum Member of Congress Member of Congress April McClain Delaney Paul D. Tonko Member of Congress Member of Congress Maxine Dexter te Jac sMember of Congress be f Congress Page 8 ry W. Meeks Lauren Underwood Member of Congress Member of Congress George i er Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr Member of Congress Member of Congress Bonnie Watson Coleman Ydwam Smith Member of Congress Member of Congress � Frank Pallone, Jr. Dina Titus Member of Congress Member of Congress Seth Moulton J sus G. "Chuy" Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Sa is rdo JaliAna Hayes Member of Congress Member of Congress Linda T. Sanchez Andrea Salinas Member of Congress Member of Congress Page 9 .- Luz- NfAivas Dave in Member of Congress Member of Congress -, Ritchie Torres JyVny Go ez Member of Congress ember of Congress Suza . DelBene James P. McGovern Member of Congress Member of Congress S ephen F. Lyrfch i anetta Member of Congress mb r of Congress Mike Quigley 4001VMike Levin Member of Cong ss Member of Congress � � / Julia Brownley ohm Garamendi Member of Congress Member of Congress JtA Vargas David Scott Member of Congress Member of Congress Congress,5 of the aniteb *tate.5 Va�bingtou, ;D(f 20513 April 29, 2025 Pete R. Flores Mr. Todd Lyons Acting Commissioner Acting Director U.S. Customs and Border Patrol U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 3.5A 500 12th St. NW Washington, DC 20229 Washington, DC 20536 Dear Acting Commissioner Flores and Acting Director Lyons, We write regarding our concerns about Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) conduct at ports of entry across the country. Over the past two months, we have seen a series of troubling reports alleging due process violations, mistreatment, prolonged detention, and politicized denials of entry at air and land ports. We urge CBP to ensure that its agents properly respect travelers' rights and ask that CBP provide information for us to better understand the agency's evolving practices. Upon taking office, President Trump directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)to "ensure that all aliens seeking admission to the United States, or who are already in the United States, are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."' In response, CBP appears to have begun not only denying entry more often, but also subjecting travelers to harsher questioning tactics, prolonged detention, and arbitrary denials of entry' turning ordinary international travel into a nightmarish ordeal for tourists, business travelers, lawful permanent residents (LPRs, also known as "green card" holders), and even U.S. citizens. These incidents appear to be a sharp departure from CBP's normal practices. Reviewing a string of recent incidents, former CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske said: "I can't remember anything quite that extreme."' There have been multiple recent reports of CBP officers allegedly mistreating people in their custody. On March 7, a green card holder returning to the United States reportedly was "violently interrogated" at an airport including being strip-searched, forced into a cold 'White House, "Protecting The United States From Foreign Terrorists And Other National Security And Public Safety Threats,"January 20,2025,hops://www.wliitchouse. og_v/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-united- states-from-foreign-terrorists-and-othernational-security-and-public-safety-threats/._ z Washington Post,"Entering the U.S.?Here are your rights at airports and border crossings,"Daniel Wu,March 21, 2025,hops://www.wasliin lgloppost.com/travel/2025/03/21/travelers-entering-united-states-rights/. 3 Wall Street Journal,"Border Agents Use More Aggressive Tactics to Question Visa Holders,Tourists,"Tarim Parti and Michelle Hackman,March 20,2025,https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/border-agents-use-more- agg essive-tactics-to-question-visa-holders-tourists-067afbf4?st=RgPTwK&reflink=article_email_share. shower, and denied access to his medications.'His mother reported that"[h]e hardly got anything to drink," collapsed, and was later transported by ambulance to the hospital.' Even U.S. citizens have reported being detained and mistreated by CBP in recent weeks.'For example, on February 18, a U.S. citizen reportedly was handcuffed, chained to a bench, and "subjected to a humiliating body search" after asking CBP officials why her partner, a German national with whom she was traveling, was being detained.' On March 8, CBP detained two American children and their immigrant mother for five days, during which time the children developed a fever and cough, in an ordeal that the family said "felt like a kidnapping."' And this month, an American attorney was questioned for over 90 minutes as CBP sought to search his phone, which he believes was prompted by "an attempt by the Trump Administration to `chill' [his] work on behalf of defendants."9 Similar incidents have occurred at other locations.10 In addition, in some recent cases, reports indicate that CBP may have violated travelers' due process rights. In one incident, an H-113 visa holder was deported on a flight after a federal judge's order that"the petitioner shall not be moved outside the District of Massachusetts without providing the Court 48 hours' advance notice of the move and the reason therefor."" CBP claimed not to have seen the order before the deportation;'that claim is currently being litigated.13 In another recent case, CBP revoked the visa of a U.S. university researcher because she did not declare an item in her baggage at customs the penalty for which is generally a 4 Great Blue Hills News,"Green card holder from New Hampshire `interrogated' at Logan Airport,detained," Sarah Betancourt,March 14,2025,https://www.w bg h.org/news/local/2025-03-14/green-card-holder-from-new- hampshire-interrogated-at-logan-airport-detained. 'Id.;The Verge,"The airport panopticon is getting people deported and detained," Gaby Del Valle,March 19, 2025,https://www.thever eg com/polia/632843/cbp-phone-search-airport-arrest-mass-deportations. ' See,e.g.,NHPR,"`Felt like a kidnapping': Wrong turn leads to 5-day detention ordeal," Jasmine Garsd and Joel Rose,March 26,2025,https://www.nWr.org/2025-03-26/felt-like-a-kidnapping-wrong-turn-leads-to-5-da - detention-ordeal;New York Times,"German Tourists Detained for Weeks,Then Deported From U.S.,"Lynsey Chutel,March 13,2025,https://www.Mtimes.com/2025/03/13/world/curope/gerivan-tourists-detained- deported.html. 'Id. 'NHPR,"`Felt like a kidnapping': Wrong turn leads to 5-day detention ordeal," Jasmine Garsd and Joel Rose, March 26,2025,https://www.nWr.org/2025-03-26/felt-like-a-kidnapping-wrong-turn-leads-to-5-day-detention- ordeal. 9 WXYZ Detroit,"Immigration attorney says he was detained,targeted at Detroit Metro Airport," Glenda Lewis, April 9,2025,hUs://www.wxvz.com/news/immigration-attorney-says-he-was-detained-targeted-at-detroit-metro- airport;Washington Post,"Border agents ask lawyer with pro-Palestinian client to give up phone," Gaya Gupta and Angie Orellana Hernandez, April 8,2025,https://www.wasliingloppost.com/nation/2025/04/08/micliigan-lawyer- border-phone/. 10 See, e.g.,Boston Globe, "Mass.lawyer and his wife say they were handcuffed, detained for hours at Canada border: `It was a shock,"' Claire Thornton,April 19,2025, https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/19/metro/mass- lawyer-wife-detained-at-Canada-border-in-vennont/?event=eventl2;NBC News,"Deported family of U.S. citizen girl recovering from brain surgery alleges civil rights abuses in new complaint,"Nicole Acevedo,March 17,2025, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/deported-family-us-citizen-girl-brain-surgery-alleges-abuse-rcnal 96705. "Order,Alawiehv.Noem,25-cv-10614 (D. Mass.March 14,2025), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.282017/gov.uscourts.mad.282017.4.0.pdf. "Politico,"Deported Brown University professor had photos of Hezbollah leaders on her phone,DOJ says," Josh Gerstein,March 17,2025,https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/17/rasha-alawich-deportation-O26038. "Alawiehv.Noem,25-cv-10614(D.Mass.March 17,2025),ECF No. 19, https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69741237/chchab-v-noem/. 2 monetary fine and seizure of the item, rather than the revocation of legal status.14 Meanwhile, some individuals in CBP custody allegedly have been pressured to voluntarily abandon their LPR status without access to counsel," or have been denied a translator,16 despite CBP's policy of"provid[ing] interpretive services where appropriate."17 Furthermore, CBP appears to be transferring travelers with increasing frequency to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE)for prolonged periods of detention. For example, the researcher mentioned above was detained by CBP on February 16 and was then transferred to ICE's custody in Louisiana where she has now been held for almost two months.18 Additionally, on January 25, a German tourist was stopped by border agents and, for no clear reason, was transferred to a notorious ICE detention center, where she remained for six weeks including nine days in solitary confinement.19 Similar cases have involved a backpacker from Wales who was recently detained for three weeks, and a Canadian with a U.S. work visa who was detained for twelve days after attempting to return to the United States for work.20 We are also concerned that CBP appears to be more frequently searching travelers' phones and sometimes denying entry after finding evidence of their political opinions on their devices. According to CBP, it searches mobile phones and other electronic devices only "on rare occasions,"" and in fiscal year 2024, CBP officials searched .01% of travelers' devices."But early indications from this Administration suggest that number is on the rise23 as are allegations of politicized denials of entry. For example, CBP recently blocked the entry of a 14 19 U.S.C. § 1497; 19 CFR§ 148.18. "Newsweek,"Green Card Holders Warned Against Leaving the United States,"Nick Mordowanec,March 20, 2025,hUs://www.newsweek.com/green-cards-immigration-border-cbp-dhs-warning-leave-country-risk-2047844. "New York Times,"German Tourists Detained for Weeks,Then Deported From U.S.,"Lynsey Chutel,March 13, 2025,hUs://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/world/curope/gennan-tourists-detained-deported.html. 17 U.S.Department of Homeland Security,"Language Access Plan,"February 28,2012, https://www.dhs.gov/xlibraiy/assets/crcl/crcl-dhs-language-access-plan.pdf;U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Supplementary Language Access Plan,"February 7,2020,https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/cbp- updated-language-access-plan-2020.pdf. 18 Great Blue Hills News,"Harvard scientist with valid visa detained for bringing frog embryos to Logan Airport," Sarah Betancourt,March 28,2025,https://www.w bg h.org/news/local/2025-03-28/harvard-scientist-with-valid-visa- detained-for-brin 'ngi g-frog embryos-to-logan airport;Boston.com,"A Harvard scientist from Russia has been detained by ICE since February for failing to declare frog embryos,"Beth Treffeisen,March 28,2025, https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2025/03/28/a-harvard-scientist-from-russia-has-been-detained-by-ice- since-february-for-failing-to-declare-frog-embryos/;Office of U.S. Senator Adam Schiff,Letter to DHS and ICE regarding Russian citizen and Harvard Medical School researcher,March 31,2025, https://www.schiff.senate. og v/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/03.31.2025-Letter-on-Kseniia-Petrova-Schiff.pdf. 19 New York Times,"German Tourists Detained for Weeks,Then Deported From U.S.,"Lynsey Chutel,March 13, 2025,hUs://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/world/curope/gennan-tourists-detained-deported.httnl. 20 PB S News,"U.S. detention of European and Canadian tourists creates fear over traveling to America,"Julie Watson,March 21,2025, hUs://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-detention-of-European-and-canadian-tourists- creates-fear-over-traveling-to-america;New York Times,"Canadian Who Was in an`American Pie' Video Says ICE Held Her for 12 Days,"Neil Vigdor,March 18,2025,https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/us/moony- canadian-american-pie-actress-ice.html. 21 U.S. Customs and Border Protection,"Border Search of Electronic Devices at Ports of Entry,"January 7,2025, https://www.cbp.gov/travel/cbp-search-authopAy/border-search-electronic-devices. "U.S. Customs and Border Protection,"Border Searches of Electronics at Ports of Entry:FY2024 Statistics," November 2024,https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/Border%20Search%20of/`20Electronics%20at %20Ports%20of%o20Entry%20FY%2024%20 Statistics%20%28508%29.pdf. 3 French scientist traveling for a conference; according to the French government, agents denied entry because of the traveler's phone messages that"expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration's research policies."24 Trump Administration officials deny that claim." CBP's tactics, along with other Trump Administration policies, appear to be contributing to a decline in travel to the United States.26 Multiple countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, and Denmark have warned their citizens against travel to the United States.'Airlines are preparing for reduced travel into the country by canceling routes and adjusting their earnings expectations.28 Travelers are canceling trips,29 such as one recently detained traveler and his American fiance who are rethinking plans to hold their wedding in the United States and believe "[n]obody is safe there anymore to come to America as a tourist."30 Reduced travel will lead to lost jobs, lost profits for American businesses, and lost revenue for the nation.31 This trend may soon worsen. The Trump Administration is reportedly considering a travel ban that would impose travel restrictions on up to 43 countries,32 which may prompt CBP officers to adopt harsher vetting tactics, even with travelers from other countries. 23 USA Today,"Yes,border control can go through your phone.Here's what travelers should know,"Kathleen Wong,March 21,2025,https://www.usatoday.com/stoiy/travel/news/2025/03/21/border-control-phone-search/ 82594653007/. 24 CNN,"US denies French claims a space researcher was expelled over messages about Trump," Saskya Vandoorne,March 20,2025,hUs://www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/curope/french-researcher-expelled-trump-intl-latam/ index.html. 25 Id 26 New York Times,"`Trump Slump'Looms as Foreign Visitors Rethink Travel to U.S.," Ceylan Yeginsu March 26,2025,https://www.Mtimes.com/2025/03/26/travel/foreign-travel-to-united-states-tru=.htnil. 2'National Public Radio,"Some European countries and Canada issue advisories for travelers to the U.S.," Chandelis Duster,March 26,2025,https://www.npr.org/2025/03/22/nx-sl-5336792/european-countries-canada- travel-warnings-us. 28 Wall Street Journal,"Airlines' Dreams of a Banner Year Are Over,"Alison Sider, April 9,2025, https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/airlines-dreams-of-a-banner-year-are-over-5e494efd? st=FzPPLU&reflink=article email share;New York Times,"`Trump Slump' Looms as Foreign Visitors Rethink Travel to U.S.," Ceylan Yeginsu March 26,2025,https://www.Mtimes.com/2025/03/26/tmvel/foreign-travel-to-united-states-tru=.htnil. 29 New York Times,"`Trump Slump'Looms as Foreign Visitors Rethink Travel to U.S.," Ceylan Yeginsu March 26,2025,https://www.Mtimes.com/2025/03/26/tmvel/foreign-travel-to-united-states-tru=.htnil. "PB S News,"U.S. detention of European and Canadian tourists creates fear over traveling to America,"Julie Watson,March 21,2025, hUs://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-detention-of-european-and-canadian-tourists- creates-fear-over-traveling-to-america. "National Public Radio,"Immigration officers are becoming`extreme'in how they vet travelers entering the U.S.," Ayesha Rascoe,March 23,2025,https://www.npr.org/2025/03/23/nx-sl-5335623/immigration-officers-are- becoming-extreme-in-how-they-vet-travelers-entering-the-u-s#:-:text=Border%20officials%20might%20ask %20the,sent%20to%20U.S.%20detention%20centers;PBS News,"U.S. detention of European and Canadian tourists creates fear over traveling to America,"Julie Watson,March 21,2025, https://www.pb s.org/newshour/world/u-s-detention-of-european-and-Canadian-tourists-create s-fear-over-traveling- to-america;Forbes,"Canadian Travel Boycott Of U.S. Could Cost$2.1 Billion,U.S. Travel Association Warns," Suzanne Rowan Kelleher,February 3,2025, https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2025/02/03/canadian-travel-boycott-of-usa-2-billion/. 32 New York Times,"Draft List for New Travel Ban Proposes Trump Target 43 Countries," Charlie Savage and Ken Bensinger,March 14,2025,https://www.Mtimes.com/2025/03/14/us/politics/trump-travel-ban.html. 4 To help the American public and the one million travelers entering the United States each day33 better understand recent changes in CBP's practices, we request answers to the following questions by May 14, 2025: 1. What steps is CBP taking to ensure that it promptly complies with time-sensitive court orders staying deportations? 2. Please provide the number of complaints regarding officer misconduct received by CBP for each of January, February, and March, and April 2025, along with data on the median number of monthly complaints for each of the past five years. 3. Given personnel cuts at DHS's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and other DHS watchdog offices,34 what steps will CBP take to ensure robust, independent oversight of its compliance with civil rights requirements such as those related to due process, freedom of speech, and prohibitions on discrimination? 4. Please provide a copy of any policy documents related to questioning and vetting of travelers with valid travel documents, including those with lawful permanent residency, a valid visa, or a valid U.S. passport. a. Please provide any policy documents on when agents may request that a lawful permanent resident abandon their status. 5. Please provide a copy of any policy documents related to basic and advanced searches of electronic devices, beyond CBP Directive 3340-049A,35 including on CBP's policy regarding when content found on an electronic device can be the basis of denying entry into the United States. 6. Please provide the number of travelers whose electronic devices CBP has searched for each of January, February, and March, and April 2025, along with the reasons logged, if any, and data on the median number of device searches by CBP for each of the past five years, disaggregated by nationality. 7. Please provide the number of travelers arriving at U.S. ports of entry who have been transferred from CBP to ICE custody for each of January, February, and March, and April 2025, along with data on the median number of monthly transfers of travelers from CBP to ICE custody for each of the past five years, disaggregated by nationality and by reason(s) given, if any. Over the past month: a. What has been the median duration of detention for those travelers? b. How much has ICE spent to detain those travelers? ss U.S. Customs and Border Patrol,"Know Before You Visit,"last modified September 27,2024, https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/know-before-you-visit. 34 National Public Radio,"Homeland Security makes cuts to civil rights and immigration oversight offices,"Ximena Bustillo,March 21,2025,https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-sl-5336738/homeland-security-iif-cuts-dhs. "U.S. Customs and Border Protection,"CBP Directive:Border Search Of Electronic Devices,"January 4,2018, https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2018-Jan/CBP-Directive-3340-049A-Border-Search-of- Electronic-Media-Compliant.pdf. 5 8. Please provide the number of U.S. citizens CBP has detained for each of January, February, and March, and April 2025, along with data on the median number of U.S. citizens detained by CBP for each of the past five years, disaggregated by nationality, race/ethnicity, and by reasons given, if any. 9. Please share any policies or directives regarding the use of expedited removal in cases involving visa holders at ports of entry. 10. Please share the number of visa holders who were subjected to expedited removal, the number of visa holders who were admitted, and the number of visa holders who withdrew applications for admission, disaggregated by country of origin and port of entry, for each of January, February, and March, and April 2025. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Sincerely, Eliz beth Warren J. Luis Correa United States Senator Member of Congress � Richard Blumenthal Delia C. Ramirez United States Senator Member of Congress / Richard J. Durbin Henry C. "Han . Johnson, Jr. United States Senator Member of Congress Jasmi rockett Madeleine Dean Memb f Congress Member of Congress 6 Rashida Tlaib Timothy NY. Kennedy Member of Congress Member of Congress Sylvia R. Garcia Eleanor Holmes Norton Member of Congress Member of Congress & -- bAlonica McIver Betty c ollum Member of Congress Member of Congress James P. McGovern Andr' rson Member of Congress Member of Congress " � Kevin Mullin Ted W. Lieu Member of Congress Member of Congress Robert Garcia Shri Thanedar Member of Congress Member of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Paul D. Tonko Member of Congress Member of Congress 7 4ar Ja s Pramila Jayapal e be f Congress Member of Congress Nanette Diaz Barragan Nqja Krishntongress moorthi Member of Congress Member of ; ohn Garamendi samin Ansari Member of Congress Wmber of Congress Dan Goldman Marilyn Strickland Member of Congress Member of Congress , , JiYy Chu U Costa Member of Congress Member of Congress , _ Chris Van Hollen JUA Vargas United States Senator Member of Congress Peter Welch G sar United States Senator Member of Congress 8 Becca Balint Mmie Raskin Member of Congress Member of Congress J y Go ez Mazie K. Hirono T-vYember of Congress United States Senator -� Bennie G. Thompson Cleo Member of Congress Member of Congress : , Mary Gay Scanlon Frederica S. Wilson Member of Congress Member of Congress Bernard Sanders Edward J. Markey United States Senator United States Senator roy A. Carter, Sr. Brian Schatz Member of Congress United States Senator & Summer L. Lee Alex P dilla Member of Congress United States Senator 9 Cc: Rodney Scott, Nominee for CBP Commissioner 10 MART(E GREEN.MD.TE'NNESSEE DOME¢,TMOMP501Y.MISSMSIPVI _'IUU (taut liutilre) linetreuth LtTnyress (> ounnittee an Mainclant) *tcuritg +iousc LTf i9 preneutaflues I-Vnuhington. Wr 111315 June 13, 2025 The Hon. Mark Green Chairman Committee on Homeland Security U.S. House of Representatives 1-12-176 Ford House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Green: This letter serves to formalize the demand made yesterday by multiple Committee Democrats that you, prior to your upcoming departure from Congress, summon the Secretary of Homeland Security to testify about the egregious treatment of Senator Alex Padilla during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) press conference at a Federal building in Los Angeles, California.' This marks the second occasion that law enforcement entities within the Department have used force to obstruct congressional oversight,' and one in a series of instances in which the Department has refused to comply with oversight requests.' The Department's actions are an affront not only to congressional prerogatives afforded by the Constitution but also to rule of law and democracy itself. The Committee must not stand by idly. As you are likely aware, Secretary Kristi Noem has an abysmal record of responding to inquiries and document requests from Capitol Hill. On Thursday afternoon, Senator Padilla attempted to participate in an event at a Federal building in order to engage the Secretary on the aggressive and unlawful tactics the Trump administration has used against residents of California in recent weeks. In addition to sweeping, indiscriminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) i Nnamdi Egwuonwu,Sen.Alex Padilla Disputes Trump Administration's Account of His Forcible Removal at a DHS Event, MSNBC(Jun. 12,2025),https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-alex-padilla-disputes-trump- administrations-account-incident-led-f-rcna212760. 'See Steve Strunsky,FedsAre Lying About Members of Congress Storming ICE Center, Congresswoman Says, NJ.com (May 12,2025),https://www.nj.com/essex/2025/05/feds-are-lying-about-members-of-congress-storming- ice-center-congresswoman-says.html. s Eduardo Cuevas,ICE Denies Access of Crowded Detention Facilities,Lawmakers Say, USA TODAY(Jun. 11, 2025),https://www.usatoday.com/stoiy/news/nation/2025/06/11/ice-denies-migrant-detention-oversight/ 84140938007/. raids targeting non-criminal migrants,'the administration deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles—against the will of California's Governor—to silence protestors.s Understandably, the people of California are outraged. Senator Padilla was doing his job when he attempted to communicate their outrage to Secretary Noem and ask questions about the administration's brazen actions in the State. Unfortunately, despite being brought into the briefing room by law enforcement, being identified by law enforcement in the room, and clearly identifying himself, Senator Padilla was shoved out of the room, tackled to the ground, and ultimately handcuffed.' It was a mortifying display for the Department and for the country. Secretary Noem was present and aware of what was happening and at no point attempted to intervene. She later gave the excuse that no one in the room recognized the Senator, which we know is not true. If it was true that neither the Secretary nor anyone who works for her was able to identify one of the two Senators of a State in which her Department is executing widespread immigration raids, she should take responsibility and apologize for the fact their ignorance resulted in the Senator being treated as a criminal. Instead, the Secretary has been slandering the Senator, falsely suggesting that he never identified himself and that he lunged at her. Video footage of the incident demonstrates both accusations to be patently false.' Nevertheless, the Trump administration continues to parrot these lies to malign Senator Padilla and distract the public from the authoritarian tactics the President is using to attempt to silence dissent. It is frighteningly consistent with how the Trump administration treats all of those it views as political opponents. In addition to suggesting she did not know Senator Padilla, Secretary Noem also punted questions on how the Senator was assaulted to law enforcement.' At least some of the law enforcement agencies to which she refers, however, are housed within her agency, and the buck is supposed to stop with Secretary Noem. She has an obligation to understand, own, and correct the mistreatment of Senator Padilla. It is important to note that the issue we need to raise with Secretary Noem goes beyond the treatment of one Senator. What happened to Senator Padilla was completely unacceptable, and it is part of the Trump administration's assault on American democracy. If this is how the administration treats a United States Senator in full public view, imagine what it would do to Americans behind closed doors. 4 See Maanvi Singh,Families Arrested in LA ICE Raids Held in Basements with Little Food or Water, Lawyers Say, THE GUARDIAN(Jun. 11,2025), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/11/la-ice-raids-immigration- conditions. 'See Andrew Gumbel, Troops and Marines Deeply Troubled by LA Deployment: Morale Is Not Great,'THE GUARDIAN(Jun. 12,2025),https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/los-angeles-national-guard-troops- marines-morale. 6 Shawn Hubler,et al., California Senator Forcible Removed and Handcuffed After Interrupting Noem, N.Y.TIMES (Jun. 12,2025),https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/us/politics/senator-alex-padilla-handcuffed.ht". 'Id. 'Nik Popli,Democratic Senator Slammed to the Ground and Handcuffed at Kristi Noem Event in LA, TIME(Jun. 12,2025),https://time.com/7293667/alex-padilla-noem-los-angeles/. Unfortunately, the Secretary is, at best, complicit in President Trump's efforts to dismantle our democracy and replace it with an authoritarian-style government. In less than 6 months, Secretary Noem has defied multiple court orders,' deported American children,10 dismantled the Department's efforts to combat foreign interference in U.S. elections," and doubled down on administration efforts to cast political opponents as villains. This kind of lawless behavior, coupled with reckless disregard for democratic institutions, are the hallmarks of anti-democratic regimes. Secretary Noem must answer to the Committee for the actions she has taken and overseen. Although your time in Congress has been brief, I am sure you have come to appreciate the importance of oversight, particularly during the 4 '/z years you have served on the Committee. Indeed, you summoned the previous Homeland Security Secretary, who notably never witnessed and condoned the assault of a sitting Senator, to testify multiple times, only to impeach him. We appreciate your attention to this request and look forward to your timely response. Sincerely, BENNIE G. THOM SON Ranking Member Eric Swalwell J. Luis Correa Member of Congress Member of Congress Shri Thanedar Se Magazin Member of Congress Member of Congress 'See, e.g., Katelyn Polantz,KilmarAbrego Garcia's Lawyers Ask Judge to Sanction Trump Administration, CNN (Jun. 12,2025),Kelly Garrity,et al., Trump Admin Flight to South Sudan Violated Court Order,Judge Rules, CNN (May 21,2025), https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/21/trump-deportations-south-sudan-00362919. 10 Madeline Halpert, Three US Children, One With Cancer, Deported to Honduras, Lawyers Say, BBC(Apr. 28, 2025),https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8yj2n33yo. "See Lawrence Norden&Natasha Hill,How the Federal Government is Undermining Election Security, Brennan Center(Apr. 14,2025),https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/how-federal-government- undermining-election-security. Dan Goldman Delia C. Ramirez Member of Congress Member of Congress Timothy Xf. Kennedy &Monica McIver Member of Congress Member of Congress / Julie Johnson Pablo J e Hernandez Member of Congress Member of Congress Ne ie Pou Al Green Mem of Congress Member of Congress Troy A. Carter, Sr. Robert Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Congre!5,5 of the uniteb *to.te.5 Vaa oington, M(f 20515 June 23, 2025 The Honorable Kristi Noem Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528 Dear Secretary Noem: Over the past few weeks, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have illegally obstructed congressional oversight by denying Members of Congress access to multiple facilities used to detain immigrants.' Just last week, ICE issued new guidance that unlawfully restricts Members of Congress access to ICE facilities.' Denying Members of Congress access to these facilities is a blatant violation of federal law, as well as the constitutional right—and duty—of Congress to conduct oversight of the Executive branch.' As you well know, Section 527 of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 explicitly prohibits DHS from denying Members of Congress access to "any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens."' Federal law makes no distinction between ICE field offices, large detention centers, or correctional centers. Any facility used by ICE to detain people—for any period of timeis subject to Section 527. And Federal law explicitly prohibits DHS from "requir[ing] a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility...for the purpose of conducting oversight."' Further, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly explained, Congress's constitutional power and ability to conduct oversight "is as penetrating and far-reaching as the potential power to enact and appropriate under the Constitution."' The Constitution and laws of the United States are not unruly dogs that you can take out back, kick, and shoot when they no longer serve your purpose. ICE has no valid reason to deny Members of Congress access to its facilities, including the ICE field offices that hold people for multiple days. If your Department is doing no wrong, then you should welcome the representatives of the American people into ICE facilities. Instead, you have illegally shut us out while ICE falsely claims that every ICE office in the country is too busy to accommodate our statutorily authorized congressional visits.' ' Elijah Westbrook&Doug Williams,After Brad Lander's Arrest by ICE, New York Congressman [sic]Say They Were Denied Oversight Visit at Field Office, CBS NEWS, June 18, 2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/brad-lander-nyc-comptroller-arrested-by-ice/. ' U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Facility Visit and Engagement Protocol for Members of Congress and Staff,June 2025,https://www.ice.gov/doclib/detention/iceFacilityVisitationCongressional.pdf. 'E.g., Trump v.Mazars USA, LLP,591 U.S._(2020);Barrenblattv. United States, 360 U.S. 109 (1959). 'Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024,Pub.L No. 118-47, § 527, 138 Stat.460,619 (2024). 5 Id. 'See Barrenblatt v. United States, 360 U.S. 109(1959). Blocking Members of Congress from conducting oversight and accessing ICE facilities is sadly just the most recent episode in a string of increasingly flagrant abuses of power committed by this administration to quell and crush any attempt at raising questions, expressing disagreement, or conducting oversight, even as you violate the rights and freedoms of the people of the United States. You have targeted, manhandled, arrested, and deported U.S. citizens without due process. You have dismantled oversight offices, including the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, which protect Americans' rights and liberties, because you believed them to be "internal adversaries."' You have arrested democratically elected officials and electoral candidates. The Department of Justice is now threatening our colleague, Rep. LaMonica McIver, with seventeen years in federal prison for carrying out her constitutional oversight duties at an ICE detention facility. Fortunately, the Constitution and laws of the United States do not bend and submit to your will. We will continue to show up on behalf of the American people and our Constitution, and we will not be turned away. The American people are watching. Follow the law. Sincerely, Bennie G. Thompson Mmie Raskin Member of Congress Ranking Member Ranking Member, Committee House Committee on the on Homeland Security Judiciary J. Luis Correa Pramila Jayapal Member of Congress Ranking Member Ranking Member, Immigration Integrity, Subcommittee on Border Security, and Enforcement Security and Enforcement House Judiciary Committee cc: Todd Lyons, Acting Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 'ICE to Committee on Homeland Security Staff,e-mail,June 18,2025 (on record with the Committee on Homeland Security). 'Maria Sacchetti&Ellie Silverman DHS Shuts Down Internal Watchdog Agencies That Advocated for Immigrants, WASH. POST, Mar. 21, 2025, https://www.wasliingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/03/21/dhs-immigrant-advocates- watchdogs-oversight/. April 10, 2025 The Honorable Kristi Noem The Honorable Kika Scott Secretary Acting Director Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Washington, D.C. 20528 Camp Springs, M.D. 20746 Secretary Noem and Acting Director Scott, As members of Congress, we express our strong opposition to the recently released Interim Final Rule (IFR) on"Alien Registration Form and Evidence of Registration" published on March 12, 2025, which would coerce undocumented immigrants to not only register their presence, but also to surrender their biometric identification to the United States government. The rule, as written, raises serious constitutional concerns, fails to adequately address privacy protections, and does not seriously consider the costs imposed on federal, state, and local governments as a result of its implementation and enforcement. The IFR weaponizes an obsolete World War II-era registration requirement for immigrants through the Alien Registration Act of 1940. See 8 U.S.C. § 1302. The registration requirement mandates that non-citizens 14 years of age and older who are staying in the U.S. for 30 days or more and have not already applied for a visa or undergone certain other immigration processes must register and be fingerprinted within 30 days. It is clear that the data collected through registration will be used for detention and deportation, and non-compliance will result in criminal penalties. We find it particularly egregious that the Trump Administration continues to attempt not only to further criminalize the immigration process, but also to undermine constitutional protections that apply to all residing within the United States, not just U.S. citizens. The IFR Undermines Core Constitutional Protections and Will Lead to Racial Profiling of Communities with Legal Status Every individual residing in the United States is entitled to certain constitutional protections, including due process and freedom from racial discrimination. However, legal experts have expressed concern that Latinos living in the U.S. will be racially profiled as a result of this IFR.' Enforcement of this IFR will, by nature, rely on the national origin of individuals under scrutiny of law enforcement officials, which will undoubtedly lead to racial profiling, wrongful arrests and detention of U.S. citizens and other individuals with lawful status. In fact, the implementation of similar laws at the state-level have raised similar constitutional concerns and have been proven to violate the rights of both, noncitizens that the laws seek to target, and U.S. citizens.' 1 ABC News,DHS registry for migrants in the US raises alarm from immigration advocates. https:Habcnews.go.com/US/immigration-law-experts-raise-concerns-dhs-registry-migrants/story?id=119231088 2 Campbell,Kristina M. (2013). (Un)Reasonable Suspicion:Racial Profiling in Immigration Enforcement After Arizona v.United States. Wake Forest Journal ofLaw and Policy, 367. https:Hdigitalcommons.law.udc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=107l&context=fac journal_articles&utm Since 2010, several states have attempted to institute legislation that included"Show Me Your Papers" provisions, similar to the documentation requirement outlined in the IFR.' Arizona's Support our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act specifically included a"show me your papers" provision. While Arizona v. the United States upheld that provision, the state's usage of this provision has been halted due to a settlement with several immigrant rights groups.' The civil rights groups pointed to anecdotes and evidence showing that the law resulted in racial profiling against Latino and Asian Americans, who were assumed to be immigrants without lawful status based on their appearance. This IFR will similarly enable racial discrimination of Latino residents under the guise of"national security and protection." Already, immigration enforcement operations have led to abuse and the wrongful targeting of U.S. citizens who were racially profiled.' Under the current administration's stringent immigration enforcement practices, the instances of racial profiling and targeting of individuals with lawful status have increased.' The enforcement regime under this IRF will without a doubt only exacerbate these harms in degree and number of individuals affected. The IFR's Reliance on Racial Profiling Will Decrease Economic and Workforce Participation Across Many American Communities We, as Members of Congress, are also greatly concerned about the impact the IFR will have on the emotional well-being of our constituents and their participation in the economic and social sectors of our communities. Enforcement practices that enable racial profiling create fear and anxiety, even among legal permanent residents and U.S. citizens.' That fear and uncertainty leads to economic instability and depresses participation in civil society in ways that are destabilizing to communities, schools, and businesses",10 A study on stringent immigration laws, specifically focusing on Arizona's Support our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, found that policies that promote racial profiling negatively impact Latino youths' mental health and 3 American Civil Liberties Union,SB 1070 at the Supreme Court: What's at Stake. https://www.aclu.org/sb-1070-supreme-court-whats-stake 'AZ Central,Arizona settles final issues of SB 1070 legal fight. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/immigration/2016/09/15/arizona-settlement-sb-1070-lawsuit-aclu- immigration/90424942/ 5 ACLU, United Farm Workers and Bakersfield Residents Sue Border Patrol for Unlawful Practices. https://www.aclu-sdic.org/en/press-release s/united-farm-workers-and-bakersficld-residents-sue-border-patrol- unlawful-practices 6 ProPublica,Some Americans Have Already Been Caught in Trump's Immigration Dragnet.More Will Be. https://www.propublica.o rg/article/more-americans-will-be-caught-up-trump-immigration-raids?utm 7 NBC News, Trump immigration raids snags U.S. citizens, including Native Americans, raising racial profiling fears. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-immigration-raids-citizens-profiling-accusations-native-american- rcnal89203 8 Luo,T.,&Kostandini, G. (2023). Omnibus or Ominous immigration laws?Immigration policy and mental health of the Hispanic population.Health economics,32(1), 90-106. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4611 9 Associated Press,Schools around the US confront anxiety over Trump's actions on immigration. https:Hapnews.com/article/immigration-ice-raids-schools-d78b0367db4a7a236a003ad37590d48a 10 Wall Street Journal, People Are Afraid of Going Out' Trump Immigration Moves Hurt Small Businesses. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/trump-immigration-businesses-migrants-c89c6d40 academic achievement." The unintended consequences of the interim rule will likely have a significant and similar impact on Latino youth and communities. While the IFR estimates this registration requirement to directly impact 2 to 3 million people, the racial profiling that is likely to occur as a result of enforcing this new process will have detrimental effects on the larger 63 million Latino residents residing in the U.S.."," By enforcing a"carry your papers" rule and subjecting Latino and other immigrant communities to likely racial profiling, there will be deleterious consequences for the U.S. economy and workforce participation. Immigrants contribute billions to our economy. In 2023, undocumented immigrants contributed $89.8 billion in federal, state, and local taxes and $167 million in the housing market.14 Additionally, immigrants have supplemented the workforce. They make up 25% of entrepreneurs and help fill workforce shortages for essential professions. The Trump Administration's actions within the last two months have already impacted the labor force across the country.15 Due to fears of deportation, individuals are reportedly missing work, impacting American businesses and leading to higher costs of living for American consumers. This IFR will intensify the existing climate of fear and anxiety experienced by immigrant communities and exacerbate the negative economic realities Americans face. Contrary to the claim that The Administration's actions on immigrants put America first, the Interim Final Rule undermines uniquely American constitutional protections and civil liberties, damages the American economy, and destabilizes whole communities, ultimately undermining key parts of what makes our country great. The IFR Seeks to Enforce an Outdated and Debunked Statute Without Consideration of Modern-Day Norms on Immigration Law and Policy Further, the Rule constitutes a marked departure from the intended and actual use of the registration statute over the past 80 years. In fact, the United States has effectively abandoned universal non-citizen registration for the past seventy-five years.16 Specifically, the United States completely abandoned the World War II-era independent registration process reflected in the 11 Luo,T.,&Escalante, C.L. (2021). Stringent immigration enforcement and the mental health and health-risk behaviors of Hispanic adolescent students in Arizona.Health economics,30(1), 86-103. https:Hdoi.org/10.1002/hec.4178 12 U.S.Department of Health and Human Services,Hispanic/Latino Health. https:Hminoriiyhealth.hhs. og v/Wspaniclatino-health#:—:teat--According%20to%20the%20U.S.%20Census,of%20the %20total%20U.S.%20population. 13 U.S.Department of Homeland Security,Estimates of the Unauthorized Alien Population Residing in the United States. https:Hohss.dhs. og v/topics/immigration/unauthorized-aliens/estimates-unauthorized-alien-population- residing united 14American Immigration Council,Immigrants Keep the Economy Strong As Congress Considers Wasting Billions on Mass Deportations. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/news/immigrants-keep-economy-stron -ag s-congress-debates-mass- deportation 15 New York Times,A Chill Sets In for Undocumented Workers, and Those Who Hire Them. https://www.nytime s.com/2025/03/09/business/economy/immigrant-workers-deportation-fears.html 16 Nancy Morawetz&Natasha Fernandez-Silber,Immigration Law and the Myth of Comprehensive Registration,48 U.C.Davis L.Rev. 141 (2014),available at hUs:Hlawreview.law.ucdavis.edu/sites/ /fg files/dgynskl5026/files/ media/documents/48-1—Morawetz—Fernandez-Silber.pdf statute by 1950. After a dramatic overhaul of U.S. federal immigration law in 1952 and 1965, Congress shifted registration into regularized immigration applications and enforcement. Non- citizen "registration" essentially became wrapped up in individual immigration processes, meaning there was no longer any independent non-citizen registration process used in the modern-day U.S. immigration system. Mandatory registration is not commensurate with nor reflective of modern immigration law and practice, and it does not reflect the intent of our current set of laws. The Fast-Tracked Adoption of the IFR Deprives Opportunity for Meaningful Comment Finally, we are deeply concerned about the fast-tracking of this reckless rule, which will have devastating civil,judicial, and economic consequences. By claiming a"procedural rule" exception under the Administrative Procedure Act, the Department of Homeland Security will not consider public comments before imposing this registration requirement despite its sweeping effect in creating essentially a nation-wide "show-me-your-papers" regime. This procedural rule exception should not be invoked in context of this policy change which deeply alters the rights and interests of multiple parties in the U.S. Not only will noncitizen's lives be deeply affected by the implementation and enforcement of this new regime, but U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and state and local governments will also face serious and troubling consequences as a result. In addition, public comments and consideration of adequate guardrails, oversight, and other measures to reduce and prevent the racial profiling of individuals must be considered before any regulation similar to this IFR go into effect. We highly condemn this Interim Final Rule and aim to work with our colleagues to establish adequate guardrails to ensure the rights and liberties afforded to every individual in the U.S. by the Constitution are protected and respected. The rule must not be fast-tracked and every public comment to the IFR must be carefully and thoughtfully considered to ensure adequate and necessary oversight. We call on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately rescind this IFR and abandon plans to develop a new registration process. Sincerely, Delia C. Ramirez Adriano Espaillat Member of Congress Member of Congress Rashida Tlaib Nydi . Velazquez Member of Congress Member of Congress Eleanor Holmes Norton Paul D. Tonko Member of Congress Member of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez RA Vargas Member of Congress Member of Congress Veronica Escobar chakowsky Member of Congress Member of Congress — Darren Soto Nanette Diaz Barragan Member of Congress Member of Congress (�� ,-' J sus G. "Chuy" Garcia Greg asar Member of Congress Member of Congress 'tvette D. Clarke Robert Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Robert J. Menendez S via R. Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Ro Khanna Gilbert Ray Cisneros, J Member of Congress Member of Congress Summer L. Lee o uin Castro Member of Congress Member of Congress J. Luis Correa James P. McGovern Member of Congress Member of Congress !� �— T resa Leger Fernandez Sa rdo Member of Congress Member of Congress � — _ Luz ivas Lateefah Kimon Member of Congress Member of Congress MART(E GREEN.MD.TE'NNESSEE DOME¢,TMOMP501Y.MISSMSIPVI _'IUU (taut liutilre) linetreuth LtTnyress (> ounnittee an Mainclant) *tcuritg +iousc LTf i9 preneutaflues I-Vnuhington. Wr 111315 June 13, 2025 The Hon. Mark Green Chairman Committee on Homeland Security U.S. House of Representatives 1-12-176 Ford House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Green: This letter serves to formalize the demand made yesterday by multiple Committee Democrats that you, prior to your upcoming departure from Congress, summon the Secretary of Homeland Security to testify about the egregious treatment of Senator Alex Padilla during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) press conference at a Federal building in Los Angeles, California.' This marks the second occasion that law enforcement entities within the Department have used force to obstruct congressional oversight,' and one in a series of instances in which the Department has refused to comply with oversight requests.' The Department's actions are an affront not only to congressional prerogatives afforded by the Constitution but also to rule of law and democracy itself. The Committee must not stand by idly. As you are likely aware, Secretary Kristi Noem has an abysmal record of responding to inquiries and document requests from Capitol Hill. On Thursday afternoon, Senator Padilla attempted to participate in an event at a Federal building in order to engage the Secretary on the aggressive and unlawful tactics the Trump administration has used against residents of California in recent weeks. In addition to sweeping, indiscriminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) i Nnamdi Egwuonwu,Sen.Alex Padilla Disputes Trump Administration's Account of His Forcible Removal at a DHS Event, MSNBC(Jun. 12,2025),https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-alex-padilla-disputes-trump- administrations-account-incident-led-f-rcna212760. 'See Steve Strunsky,FedsAre Lying About Members of Congress Storming ICE Center, Congresswoman Says, NJ.com (May 12,2025),https://www.nj.com/essex/2025/05/feds-are-lying-about-members-of-congress-storming- ice-center-congresswoman-says.html. s Eduardo Cuevas,ICE Denies Access of Crowded Detention Facilities,Lawmakers Say, USA TODAY(Jun. 11, 2025),https://www.usatoday.com/stoiy/news/nation/2025/06/11/ice-denies-migrant-detention-oversight/ 84140938007/. raids targeting non-criminal migrants,'the administration deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles—against the will of California's Governor—to silence protestors.s Understandably, the people of California are outraged. Senator Padilla was doing his job when he attempted to communicate their outrage to Secretary Noem and ask questions about the administration's brazen actions in the State. Unfortunately, despite being brought into the briefing room by law enforcement, being identified by law enforcement in the room, and clearly identifying himself, Senator Padilla was shoved out of the room, tackled to the ground, and ultimately handcuffed.' It was a mortifying display for the Department and for the country. Secretary Noem was present and aware of what was happening and at no point attempted to intervene. She later gave the excuse that no one in the room recognized the Senator, which we know is not true. If it was true that neither the Secretary nor anyone who works for her was able to identify one of the two Senators of a State in which her Department is executing widespread immigration raids, she should take responsibility and apologize for the fact their ignorance resulted in the Senator being treated as a criminal. Instead, the Secretary has been slandering the Senator, falsely suggesting that he never identified himself and that he lunged at her. Video footage of the incident demonstrates both accusations to be patently false.' Nevertheless, the Trump administration continues to parrot these lies to malign Senator Padilla and distract the public from the authoritarian tactics the President is using to attempt to silence dissent. It is frighteningly consistent with how the Trump administration treats all of those it views as political opponents. In addition to suggesting she did not know Senator Padilla, Secretary Noem also punted questions on how the Senator was assaulted to law enforcement.' At least some of the law enforcement agencies to which she refers, however, are housed within her agency, and the buck is supposed to stop with Secretary Noem. She has an obligation to understand, own, and correct the mistreatment of Senator Padilla. It is important to note that the issue we need to raise with Secretary Noem goes beyond the treatment of one Senator. What happened to Senator Padilla was completely unacceptable, and it is part of the Trump administration's assault on American democracy. If this is how the administration treats a United States Senator in full public view, imagine what it would do to Americans behind closed doors. 4 See Maanvi Singh,Families Arrested in LA ICE Raids Held in Basements with Little Food or Water, Lawyers Say, THE GUARDIAN(Jun. 11,2025), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/11/la-ice-raids-immigration- conditions. 'See Andrew Gumbel, Troops and Marines Deeply Troubled by LA Deployment: Morale Is Not Great,'THE GUARDIAN(Jun. 12,2025),https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/los-angeles-national-guard-troops- marines-morale. 6 Shawn Hubler,et al., California Senator Forcible Removed and Handcuffed After Interrupting Noem, N.Y.TIMES (Jun. 12,2025),https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/us/politics/senator-alex-padilla-handcuffed.ht". 'Id. 'Nik Popli,Democratic Senator Slammed to the Ground and Handcuffed at Kristi Noem Event in LA, TIME(Jun. 12,2025),https://time.com/7293667/alex-padilla-noem-los-angeles/. Unfortunately, the Secretary is, at best, complicit in President Trump's efforts to dismantle our democracy and replace it with an authoritarian-style government. In less than 6 months, Secretary Noem has defied multiple court orders,' deported American children,10 dismantled the Department's efforts to combat foreign interference in U.S. elections," and doubled down on administration efforts to cast political opponents as villains. This kind of lawless behavior, coupled with reckless disregard for democratic institutions, are the hallmarks of anti-democratic regimes. Secretary Noem must answer to the Committee for the actions she has taken and overseen. Although your time in Congress has been brief, I am sure you have come to appreciate the importance of oversight, particularly during the 4 '/z years you have served on the Committee. Indeed, you summoned the previous Homeland Security Secretary, who notably never witnessed and condoned the assault of a sitting Senator, to testify multiple times, only to impeach him. We appreciate your attention to this request and look forward to your timely response. Sincerely, BENNIE G. THOM SON Ranking Member Eric Swalwell J. Luis Correa Member of Congress Member of Congress Shri Thanedar Se Magazin Member of Congress Member of Congress 'See, e.g., Katelyn Polantz,KilmarAbrego Garcia's Lawyers Ask Judge to Sanction Trump Administration, CNN (Jun. 12,2025),Kelly Garrity,et al., Trump Admin Flight to South Sudan Violated Court Order,Judge Rules, CNN (May 21,2025), https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/21/trump-deportations-south-sudan-00362919. 10 Madeline Halpert, Three US Children, One With Cancer, Deported to Honduras, Lawyers Say, BBC(Apr. 28, 2025),https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8yj2n33yo. "See Lawrence Norden&Natasha Hill,How the Federal Government is Undermining Election Security, Brennan Center(Apr. 14,2025),https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/how-federal-government- undermining-election-security. Dan Goldman Delia C. Ramirez Member of Congress Member of Congress Timothy Xf. Kennedy &Monica McIver Member of Congress Member of Congress / Julie Johnson Pablo J e Hernandez Member of Congress Member of Congress Ne ie Pou Al Green Mem of Congress Member of Congress Troy A. Carter, Sr. Robert Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress MARK E.GREEN,MD.T£NNES$E£ BENNIE G.TNOMPSON.MiSSISSIRPI CHAIRMAN RANKOW3 MEMBER (Our 14ucikeb 3Xwettcnth Lurulress (lommittee on l utueland *crurity . . +douse of Kepresentatiues Washington, W 211515 March 28, 2025 The Honorable Mark E. Green Chairman Committee on Homeland Security U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Green: We write to request, once again, that the Committee hold a hearing to receive testimony from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The Trump administration has initiated drastic changes to the offices and operations of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) since January 20 without consulting Congress. As Members of the Department's primary authorizing committee, we have an obligation to hold the administration accountable for decisions that affect the efficacy of its programs. Failure to demand transparency and accountability of DHS leadership is a dereliction of duty. Ranking Member Thompson sent you a letter on February 11, 2025, requesting that you invite Secretary Noem to testify before the Committee by March 14. He renewed the request again at the February 26 markup where Republicans rejected two resolutions of inquiry (ROI). The ROIs would have directed the Secretary to provide to the Committee documents related to the ongoing hiring freeze and deferred resignation gimmick, the grant funding freeze, and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) access to Department information systems and data. You responded: "We will talk to the Secretary and figure out a time. But I know she has to come for the annual World Wide Threats briefing." As you are likely aware, the Committee traditionally holds its annual World Wide Threats activity in the fall. That is far too long to wait for Congressional oversight. When Ranking Member Thompson wrote to you on February 11, he raised concerns that Secretary Noem was not providing sufficient oversight of DOGE's activities and information access at the Department. He also raised concerns about the Trump administration's plans to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Secretary's hostility to the Federal workforce, and the ongoing hiring and Federal grant freeze. None of these issues have gone away. Remarkably, the administration's activity at DHS has only generated more unchecked chaos over the intervening weeks. Moreover, the administration has been slow, Chairman Mark E. Green Page 2 unwilling, or unable to provide answers to the inquiries Members have made about changes to the Department's workforce, programs, and offices. As hurricane season approaches, cyber threat actors grow bolder and more sophisticated, and U.S. citizens and permanent residents are being detained and even deported by immigration officials, we owe it to our constituents to ensure the Department is carrying out its mission to defend the homeland while following the law. The Trump administration approach to national security has only grown more irresponsible since February 11. Just this week, we learned that top Trump administration officials engaged in a disturbingly cavalier conversation about imminent military operations via Signal, a commercial open-source messaging application. By all accounts, none of the participants in the Signal chat appeared surprised that a conversation relating to such grave subject matter was transpiring in that forum. We can only presume that means Signal is commonly used by administration officials to discuss sensitive, and potentially classified, information. We must have the opportunity to engage the Secretary on this important issue. The impacts of the administration's recklessness are compounded by its continued attacks on the Department. On March 7, 2025, Secretary Noem moved to end collective bargaining and union rights for Transportation Security Administration workersa blatantly political attack against employee unions that have been instrumental in stemming the agency's catastrophic attrition rates. The courts will ultimately decide the legality of this counterproductive union busting, but in the meantime, it places transportation security at risk in the middle of the spring break travel season. On March 21, 2025, DHS eliminated three of its internal watchdogs, including the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman.' The 300 employees staffing those offices promoted liberty, fairness, and equality in DHS programs and activities, and addressed complaints about the immigration system. Dismantling these offices was nothing other than a blatant attempt to remove any guardrails as Trump subverts the rule of law. Additionally, the Trump administration terminated nearly 20 percent of the DHS workforce focused on preventing terrorism and targeted violence. Dismantling DHS's terrorism prevention office when DHS and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been consistently warning about heightened terrorism threats is irrational.' During a televised cabinet meeting on March 24, 2025, Secretary Noem made the shocking declaration, "We're going to eliminate FEMA."3 She and other administration officials reportedly met the next day to make plans to dismantle the agency.' These outrageous remarks and subsequent action are especially alarming given that the Nation is still recovering from the 'Maria Sacchetti and Ellie Silverman,DHS Shuts Down Internal Watchdog Agencies ThatAdvocated For Immigrants,WASH.POST(Mar. 21,2025),https://www.wasliingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/03/21/dhs- immigrant-advocates-watchdogs-oversight/. z HannahAllam,Killing Grants That Have Saved Lives: Trump's Cuts Signal End to Government Work on Terrorism Prevention,PROPUBLICA(Mar. 20,2025),https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-doge-budget-cuts-terrorism- prevention. 'Rachel Frazin,Noem Says She Plans to Eliminate FE114',THE HILL(Mar. 25,2025), https://theliill.com/policy/energy-environment/5213057-noem-plans-eliminate-fema/. Chairman Mark E. Green Page 3 2024 hurricane season and the 2025 hurricane season is just two months away. Now is not the time for the administration to weaken—much less dismantle—the only Federal entity charged with helping people before, during, and after disasters. Secretary Noem's announcement follows the Trump administration's recent actions to weaken the Nation's emergency management infrastructure, eroding its capacity and effectiveness. Amid understaffing at FEMA, the administration has fired experienced Agency personnel, with more staff expected to leave under Elon Musk's deferred resignation scheme.' Under Secretary Noem, FEMA also continues to withhold grant funding for terrorism prevention and response, disaster relief, and cybersecurity from our communities. Grant programs that this Committee has championed for years in a bipartisan manner to keep our communities strong and support first responders are now under attack. For example, FEMA is withholding congressionally appropriated funding to churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship specifically designed for helping at-risk organizations prepare for and respond to acts of terrorism. This is unacceptable. Regarding the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), we are aware the Agency eliminated at least 130 probationary employees before being forced by court order to reinstate them.6 Terminated employees were responsible for programs related to urgent emerging threats and risks, including the Cyber Safety Review Board's investigation into Salt Typhoon, software supply chain security, and programs aimed at securing operational technology. We are also aware that the administration has cancelled a number of CISA contracts, including those supporting "Red Team" operations,' and that it has cut $10 million from the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which provides critical cybersecurity support to State and local governments.' The administration has dismantled or disbanded critical public-private collaboration structures, including the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council' and the CISA Cybersecurity Advisory Committee,10 that ensure the government and private sector 4 Gabe Cohen, `We're Not Preparing':As Trump Officials Vow to Eliminate FE/VL4, theAgency isAlready in Turmoil, CNN(Mar. 26,2025),https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/26/politics/fema-payments-staffing-stalled-turmoil/ index.html. 'Brianna Sacks,Hannah Natanson and Ruby Mellen,FEMA Is Losing Scores of Employees. What Does That Mean for Disaster Recovery?,WASH.POST(Feb. 18,2025), https://www.wasliingtonpo st.com/climate-enviromnent/2025/02/18/fema-layoffs-disaster-response/. 'Nicole Sganga,Fired CISA Probationary Employees to be ReinstatedAfter U.S.Judge's Order Last Week, CBS NEWS (Mar. 17,2025),https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fired-cisa-probationary-employees-reinstated/. Some publications estimate that CISA has lost as many as 300 or 400 staffers,or about 10 percent of its workforce.Eric Geller, People Are Scared':Inside CISA asItReels From Trump''Purge, WIRED (Mar. 13,2025), https://www.wired.com/story/inside-cisa-under-trump/. 'Matt Seldon, CISA Clarifies Red Team Status Amid Contract Termination Reports,HSToDAY(Mar.24,2025), https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/cybersecurity/cisa-clarifies-red-team-status-amid-contract-termination- reports/. 'Matt Nelson, CISA Cuts$IOM in ISAC Funding&I00s of Employees,DARK READEVG(Mar. 14,2025), https://www.darkreading.com/remote-workforce/cisa-cuts-isac-funding-employees. 'Tim Starks, Trade Groups Worry Information Sharing Will Worsen Without Critical Infrastructure Panel, CISA Law Renewal, CYBERscooP(Mar. 11,2025),https:Hcyberscoop.com/cyber-information-sharing-critical- infrastructure-panel-cisa-law-renewal/. 10 Ravi Lakshamanan, Trump Terminates DHSAdvisory Committee Memberships, Disrupting Cybersecurity Review, THE HACKER NEws (Jan.23,2025),https://thchackemews.com/2025/01/trump-terminates-dhs-advisory- committee.html. Chairman Mark E. Green Page 4 work together to defend critical infrastructure. All of this is to say nothing of the fact that the administration has reportedly eviscerated CISA's cybersecurity support to State and local election officials and has of yet refused to brief Congress on its assessment of CISA's election security mission." Finally, the Secretary needs to appear before the Committee to answer to the Department's shocking abuses of authority related to immigration enforcement. Although the Department claims to be going after the "the worst of the worst," under Secretary Noem, DHS has abandoned due process and sent people with no criminal records to facilities with deplorable conditions in Guantanamo Bay and El Salvador. Those deported under the Alien Enemies Act have been given no opportunity to appear before a judge, hear the claims against them, and assert a defense. In the chaos, the Department has swept up, detained, and even deported U.S. citizens, including a ten- year-old American child recovering from brain cancer. This is unconscionable. The Trump administration's attempts to dismantle offices and components at DHS and its reckless disregard of the law and due process have little to do with efficiency and more to do with exacting vengeance on parts of the government the President holds a grudge against. If the administration wants Americans to believe its actions at DHS are anything short of a revenge tour, the Secretary should make the case to Congress. We urge you to invite the Secretary to testify before the Committee without further delay. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. Sincerely, Bennie G. Thompson Member of Congress Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland Security Eric Swalwell J. Luis Correa Member of Congress Member of Congress See Adam Ambrogi,et al.,Election Security Is atRiskAmid Federal GovernmentActions,NEwsWEEK(Mar. 24, 2025),https://www.newsweek.com/clection-security-risk-amid-federal-government-actions-opinion-2048879. Chairman Mark E. Green Page 5 Shri Thanedar S/emr Magazine Member of Congress ber of Congress Dan Goldman Delia C. Ramirez Member of Congress Member of Congress ✓K40AP". - Timothy NY. KennedyWN4onica McIver Member of Congress Member of Congress Julie Johnson Pablo J e Hernandez Member of Congress Member of Congress Nee Pou roy A. Carter, Sr. Me of Congress Member of Congress Robert Garcia Member of Congress Chairman Mark E. Green Page 6 Caugre of tO P Uniteb *tate,' ��vtze 4f "rezentatibez ZXae;1jin&n, ;D(f 20,515 June 13, 2025 The Honorable Kristi Noem Secretary of Homeland Security U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20528 Dear Secretary Noem, We write to express concerns following recent incidents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE)facilities and denials of entry of U.S. Members of Congress. On June 7, 2025, multiple Members of Congress were denied entry to the ICE facility in the Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, California. The denials of entry were made despite explicit legal authority for congressional Members to do so and despite the peaceful and cooperative conversations Members had with Department of Homeland Security officials outside of the facilities. Denying Members of Congress access to a federal detention facility is a direct violation of federal law. Section 527(a) of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47): "None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Homeland Security by this Act may be used to prevent... a Member of Congress...from entering,for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department ofHomeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens..." "Nothing in this section may be construed to require a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of the intent to enter...for the purpose of conducting oversight. " We request that your Department provide answers as to why Members of Congress were denied legal oversight facilities, and whether it is the policy of the Department of Homeland Security to withhold or delay Members from entry. We look forward to your immediate response. Sincerely, J. Luis Correa T y Go ez Member of Congress ember of Congress Luz- ivas Bennie G. Thompson Member of Congress Member of Congress Linda T. Sanchez WN4onica McIver Member of Congress Member of Congress ema Williams JUA Vargas Member of Congress Member of Congress manuel Cleaver, II Robert Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Brad Sherman Rashida Tlaib Member of Congress Member of Congress � - Delia C. Ramirez 0 Shri Thanedar Member of Congress Member of Congress Eric Swalwell Cleo Member of Congress Member of Congress fkathan L. Jac on Andr' rson Iftember of Congress Member of Congress /# " Sarah Elfreth ohn Garamendi Member of Congress Member of Congress - Ja na Hayes Henry C. "Han . Johnson, Jr. Member of Congress Member of Congress Julia Brownley ed Huffman Member of Congress Member of Congress Diana DeGette Sylvia R. Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Pramila Jayapal Member of Congress WASHINGTON OFFICE ya. L U I S O R R EA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC GAucus 2092 RAY®URN Housr OFFICE BUILDING DEPIuTy 1NHIP roR POucY WASHIN GTO N,DC 20515 (2029225-2965 46TH DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA H4usF.CUNINu1TEEonHOMELANaSECumy RANKING MEMBER,SUECOMMITTEE ON BORDER ����lllf����JJJJ Y.� rJ■ �f SECURITY,ANO ENFORCEMENT S22N.BEADISTAIC UITr 31 j01TY r!5!L of the 1lftr t(ItC5 SUBCOMMITTEE UN COUNTERTERRORISM. 2323 M.B9 QAOYYAY,$CITE 319 `Rii7 4 I;JJ IJ _ ♦ FJ LAw ENFOhC ENT,AND INTEiLIGENCE SANTA ANA,CA 92706 1- (71d�559-Fi190 tw, o'f Ri tproelltctti HOunCowrrrnoNT11EJumaARY ryryry t Jr y}y }�y,}� DC �' 20.515 /.(11 SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE ADMINST wE STATE, �I31�I1F 44i4y SW L.4 a la REGUL TOFTREFORM,RNOANTI uST SUBCOMNTTTEE ON IMMIGRCTION INTEGRRY,SEMRRY ANO ENFORCEMENT April 25, 2025 The Honorable Todd M. Lyons The Honorable Kika Scott Acting Director Acting Director U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 500 12th St SW#5600 5900 Capital Gateway Dr Washington, DC 20024 Camp Springs, MD 20746 Dear Acting Director Lyons and Acting Director Scott, I write to inquire about current U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)policies regarding removal enforcement and who your agencies prioritize for removal. Public statements from President Donald Trump and members of the Administration have reiterated that targeting criminals is the top priority for removal. However, I am concerned by recent reports of ICE raids at sensitive locations, including an April 7m visit of DHS personnel to Los Angeles Unified School District(LAUSD) elementary schools without warrants. This is a troublesome incident that raises questions about the safety of innocent children. Additionally, I would also like to understand current ICE and USCIS policy surrounding consular notification once an individual has been detained. I have heard of incidences in Orange County, California where individuals were detained for removal, but the Mexican Consulate was not notified. I respectfully ask that you provide a briefing to myself and other Members of Congress on these questions, as well as provide a copy of your current policies for removal enforcement. Sincerely, J. Luis Correa Member of Congress WASFIPAGTON OFFICE L V I 1 l E HOUSE IJEMOCRdT1C GAUcus J.2082 PAY13URN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING DEPUTY WHIP FOR POLICY WASHINGTON,DC 20515 (202�225-2965 46TH DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA HousFComminTEEONH4MELw)SECtwm RANKING MEMBER,SUE'QMMITTEE ON BORDER ���III i■■ SECURITY,AND ENFOR:EMENT SA.NTA IINA DISTPICT OFRCE .o ttart�-g of 1 r� iff r to tc5 SUBCOMMITTEE ON COVNTERTEFR RIGM. 2323 N:BRQAI?WAY,SUITE 319 4 i - ♦ _AW ENFORCER ENT,AND INTEiLIGENCE SANTA Am,CA 92706 �,+ (714�559-6190 otw of [prornt[atiW HOUSE CommirrTEE oN TNr Jumamy SN OMMITTEE ON T E A➢MINSTRATNE STATE, REGVATOY REFORM,ANOA sr # byng}on1 300 15 SUSCOMM I=ON IMIAIGRATON INTEGRRY,..$ETSIRITY, AND ENFOW.EMENT June 27, 2025 The Honorable Kristi Noem Secretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528 Secretary Noem: I write to express my serious concern with this administration's chilling actions of rounding up and arresting individuals with no criminal history and doing so without the transparency as to why the individuals are being arrested. The lack of accountability and transparency from this administration is of grave concern to the citizens of this country. Not only are Members of Congress concerned with the lack of transparency, accountability, and its immigration actions, but the majority of the American people do not agree with this administration's actions either.I President Trump initially promised to go after the worst of the worst in his immigration policy. Similarly, you recently went on Fox and claimed you were going after the worst of the worst.2 However, the actions of this administration and your DHS show you are not focused on arresting dangerous criminals like, murders,rapists and drug dealers. Instead, you are sending masked individuals who do not identify themselves as law enforcement to arrest college and high school students4,restaurant workers5, factory workers6, and even American children, some of whom have cancer?which is beyond heartless. The scope of your enforcement activities has grown so 'Majority of Voters Oppose GOP Budget Bill, With Just 67% Of Republicans In Support, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Trump Job Approval: 38%, His Handling Of Russia- Ukraine War LowestAmong List Of Issues,QUI N1NIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL(Jan. 14,2025),hlWs://poll.gu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3924 2 Fox News Television Interview, We have been going after the`worst of the worst'in LA:Kristi Noem(Jun. 10, 2025),https://www.foxnews.com/video/6374069994112 3 Russell Contreras and Steph Solis,Ambush arrest of Tufts student sparks new concerns about immigration crackdown,Axlos(Mar.27,2025), https://www.axios.com/2025/03/27/arrest-tuft-student-rumeysa-orturk trump-rubio 4 Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke,ICE's tactics draw criticism as it triples dailyarrest targets, REUTERS(Jun. 10, 2025)https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ices-tactics-draw-criticism-it-triples-daily-arrest-targets-2025-06- 10/ s Ibid. 6Ibid. ICEDeports 3 U.S. Citizen Children Held Incommunicado Prior to the Deportation,ACLU OF LOUISIANA, (Apr. 25,2025),https:llwww.aclu.orglpress-releaseslice-deports-3-u-s-citizen-children-held-incommunicado- prior-to-the-deportation large to include migrant workers and tourists with visas$,that you are unable to effectively focus on arresting dangerous criminals, which makes our country less safe. Even though President Trump has finally acknowledged his immigration policies are harming individuals and businesses, particularly farmers, and those in the hotel and leisure business - which is further damaging our once strong economy - I fear this administration will not learn from their mistakes. White House officials have said they hope U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) can scale up to 3,000 arrests a day, from approximately 660 during the first 100 days of Trump's presidency.10 Since these numbers cannot be achieved without arresting non-criminals, it appears this administration will continue arresting hardworking individuals who pose no threat to our communities. It also appears this is why DHS has eliminated any transparency efforts regarding migrant arrests. For an administration that claims to be the most transparent in historyll, you have contributed to being the least transparent this country has ever seen. This administration refuses to provide accurate data and details around what criminal record, if any, DHS components use to justify the arrest of an individual. After President Trump took office DHS stopped issuing detailed statistical reports on immigration enforcement, which makes it challenging to gauge the scope of your immigration crackdown.12 Since your administration will not provide transparent data, we must piecemeal different data sources to get an accurate picture of DHS's enforcement efforts.For example, we look at The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse - a project from Syracuse University that compiles immigration figures—which estimates that of the 51,302 people in ICE detention facilities as of June 1, about 44%had no criminal record aside from entering the US without permission.13 News outlets also report ICE detention statistics show the number of detainees arrested by ICE with no other criminal charges or convictions rose from about 860 in January to 7,800 this month - a more than 800% increase.14 And if we look at recent events and updates from ICE, the unnecessary and harmful immigration 8 Bernd Debusmann Jr, Who has been arrested by ICE under Trump, BBC(Jun. 11,2025), https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/C86p821 p660o s President Donald Turmp,Truth Social Post, (Jun. 12,2025) https://truthsocial.com/(a)rea[DonaldTrump//posts/114670684664650262 10 Bernd Debusmann Jr, Who has been arrested by ICE under Trump, BBC(Jun. 11,2025), https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/C86p821 p660o 11 White House Press Release:Sunday Shows:Most Transparent Administration in History,THE WHITE HOUSE(Jan. 20,2025),https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/02/sunday-shows-most-transparent-administration-in- history/ 12 Ted Hesson, Trump's ICE arrests non-criminals despite crime focused message, REUTERs(Jun. 13,2025), https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-ice-arrests-non-criminals-despite-crime-focused-message- 2025-06-13/ 13 Bernd Debusmann Jr, Who has been arrested by ICE under Trump, BBC(Jun. 11,2025), https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/C86p821 p660o 14 Ted Hesson, Trump's ICE arrests non-criminals despite crime focused message, REUTERs(Jun. 13,2025), https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-ice-arrests-non-criminals-despite-crime-focused-message- 2025-06-13/ raids in Los Angeles saw the immigration arrests of 118 people, which DHS said included five gang members.15 While the agency has identified a handful of people with criminal histories, due to DHS refusing to provide more transparent details of their actions, it's unclear how many of the 118 individuals have criminal histories. Sadly, this administrations credibility is so badly damaged we cannot simply rely on the words coming from a DHS spokesperson or yourself that this administration is targeting the worst of the worst. The fact this administration has repeatedly misrepresented migrants' criminal histories16, lied to the American people by photoshopping gang tattoos on the body of individual they were illegally detaining17, and having to reluctantly admit to clerical errorslg and software errors19 that resulted in arrests and deportations of migrants with no criminal history, we in congress and the American people cannot trust the administrations word that they are doing what they say. Trump and his administration leadership has eroded the trust of the American people and congress, and we must request all necessary pieces of information to get a truthful picture of your immigration enforcement activities. Therefore, given these concerns I request the following information by July 18, 2025: (1) A breakdown of the criminal charges and convictions migrants that have been arrested and detained by a DHS component from January 20, 2025 to date; (2) Of these individuals how many have been deported since January? Please provide a breakdown of their criminal offenses by category. (3) How many of the individuals have been found by a court to have proven ties, not alleged ties without proof, to criminal enterprises, gangs, or Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO)? (4) What is the policy DHS components follow when deciding to arrest an individual? How are agents and officers deciding who to detain and arrest in public? (5) How are agents and officers identifying themselves when they approach an individual to detain and or arrest in the streets? (6) What type of training do arresting officers have? (7) Are the arresting officers federal agents? 5 Ibid. 6 Armando Garcia, Peter Charalambous,and Katherine Faulders,`Many'alleged gang members deported by Trump didn'thave criminal records in the US:ICE,ABC NEWS(Mar. 18,2025), https://abcnews.go.com/US/noncitizens-deported-alien-enemies-act-criminal-records- ice/story?id=119912375 17 Sara Dorn, The Conspiracy Behind KilmarAbregro Garcia's Tattoos Explained-After Trump Insists Doctered `MS-13'Ink Is Real, FORBES, (Apr.30,2025),https://www.f orb es.co m/s ites/saradorn/2025/04/30/the- conspiracy-behind-kilmar-abrego-garcias-tattoos-explained-after-trump-insists-doctored-ms-13-ink-is-real/ 18 Jacob Rose and Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Trump ICE official admits to"administrative error"in deporting man to El Salvador prison, CBS NEWS,(Apr. 1,2025), https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administrative- error-deporting-man-el-salvador-prison/ 19 Russ Choma,ICE Officials JustAdmitted to Another Major Deportation Error, MOTHER JONES,(May.17,2025), https://www.mother*ones.com/politics/2025/05/ice-officials-just-admitted-to-another-major-deportation- error/ Thank you for your attention to this matter. I feel I must remind you of the DHS mission statement which is "With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values." It seems you have forgotten this, and I truly hope you reverse course and start leading with integrity and honor while working to keep us safe. Sincerely, (��, - J.LOUIS CORREA MEMBER OF CONGRESS DISSENTING VIEWS OF COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY DEMOCRATS May 7, 2025 During the markup of the House Republican reconciliation package, Homeland Security Committee Democrats offered 34 amendments that addressed a range of concerns ignored in the disastrous underlying legislation, which was the Committee's piece of the larger, extreme Trump agenda, containing $7 trillion in giveaways to billionaires and big corporations and $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid. The amendments—which ranged from prohibiting the Trump administration from illegally deporting U.S. citizens to upholding the supremacy of the Supreme Court to prohibiting cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), among many others—addressed the Trump administration's abuse of its mass deportation agenda that has sent American citizen children with cancer to South America; its dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and its blatant mismanagement of the Department since taking office in January 2025. Committee Republicans could neither promote nor defend their legislation or their party's administration. They chose silence instead. On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, Committee Democrats fought for due process for migrants and American citizens alike. We fought for a strong DHS that did not ignore its responsibilities to keep Americans safe. We fought against handouts to billionaires and budget cuts for victims of disasters. We fought for our communities and the rule of law. Republicans, meanwhile, leaned back in their chairs for more than 5 hours and waited in deafening silence to rubber stamp the worst excesses of a Trump administration that has proven it cannot be trusted. They waited to approve tens of billions of funds for a border wall President Trump once claimed would be paid for by Mexico. Having rejected all the Democratic amendments during the Committee's consideration of this fast-tracked legislation, we implore our colleagues to do a little soul searching before voting to advance this legislation any further. We continue to believe that our country is better than what is represented in a bill that provides tax cuts for billionaires while denying the most vulnerable basic healthcare. Deportations Committee Democrats put forward dozens of amendments to protect the American people as the Trump administration recklessly and cruelly implements its mass deportation agenda. Under President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS is detaining and deporting American children with terminal cancer, punishing students for engaging in protected First Amendment activity, and denying due process to individuals, including those in the country legally. Ranking Member Thompson offered an amendment to prevent funds in the legislation from being used to remove American citizens from the United States, except for compliance with treaty obligations and Federal extradition laws and policies. Committee Republicans 1 unanimously voted against this amendment. Committee Republicans similarly rejected Democratic amendments that would have prohibited DHS from removing U.S. children including those with cancer—veterans who served in the U.S. military and were honorably discharged, the spouses of active duty servicemembers, and pregnant women. Committee Republicans also uniformly opposed Rep. Magaziner's amendment to prohibit deporting Americans to foreign prisons, including El Salvador's notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). Committee Republicans then rejected Rep. Ramirez's amendment to prohibit deporting immigrants to third-country prisons, along with Rep. Garcia's amendment to prohibit removing immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act without due process. Committee Democrats are appalled by the Trump administration's actions to send individuals to dangerous foreign prisons where they have no chance at due process or proving their innocence. Many of these individuals have never been convicted of a crime or had their day in court, in contravention of the U.S. Constitution.' President Trump has threatened to expand these illegal disappearances to U.S. citizens. In a meeting with President Bukele of El Salvador, he stated "The homegrowns are next, the homegrowns." Trump then instructed El Salvador's president to "build about five more places," to imprison the "homegrowns."' Committee Democrats are committed to protecting the American people and the rule of law. By rejecting Democratic amendments, Committee Republicans made clear that no person is safe in America under the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda. Even American children undergoing cancer treatment are fair targets for Republicans and the Trump administration. Rep. Magaziner also offered an amendment to ensure that no funds would be used to prevent an individual from seeking or meeting with legal counsel when being questioned or detained by immigration enforcement authorities. Republicans voted this down. Rep. Ramirez also offered an amendment prohibiting the Trump administration from reinstating family separation at the border. Republicans opposed this amendment. Rep. Carter offered an amendment to prohibit DHS from detaining and removing any non-citizen for exercising their First Amendment right to free speech. If individuals like Rumeysa Oztiirk and Mahmoud Khalil are jailed and deported for exercising their First Amendment rights, then any person in this country is under threat for doing the same thing. Republicans also voted this amendment down. Rep. McIver and Rep. Johnson offered amendments to protect international students studying at American universities. Under the Trump administration, thousands of international students had their legal status terminated or visas revoked without transparency or justification, causing fear and chaos across the country. In some cases, students and their universities were not even notified of their change in status. These Democratic amendments would have ensured transparency and due process for students studying in the United States, yet Republicans unanimously rejected them. 'U.S. Const. amend. V. z Brian Mann, 'Homegrown are next': Trump hopes to deport and jail U.S. citizens abroad, NPR(Apr. 16,2025), https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/nx-sl-5366178/trump-deport jail-u-s-citizens-homegrowns-el-salvador. 2 Rep. Ramirez offered an amendment preventing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from facilitating the transfer of migrants to Guantanamo Bay, a facility that President Trump promised would hold "the worst of the worst." Instead, the Trump administration wasted $40 million to temporarily jail there approximately 400 detainees, most of whom are nonviolent, low-risk individuals with no serious criminal records.' Committee Republicans, who claim to be against waste and abuse, voted against this amendment. Rep. Kennedy also offered an amendment aimed at protecting American consumers and the economic vibrancy of our communities, which are heavily reliant on trade with Canada. His amendment would have prevented funds from being used to enforce tariffs on Canada, which raise the cost of everyday goods for the American people. When the Trump administration spends its resources harassing, rounding up, and deporting American citizens, legal permanent residents, and international students in the name of border security, it is ignoring real threats from terrorism, domestic violent extremism, and gun violence. It is also putting at risk Americans who rely on government programs, like Medicaid, Social Security and FEMA's disaster relief programs, which Republicans would gut to fund the administration's campaign of terror and intimidation. Furthermore, taxpayers should not foot the bill for failed campaign promises. This bill includes an additional $46.5 billion to construct the border wall that President Trump promised Mexico would pay for.' Republicans propose spending ten times the amount on Trump's failed border wall as they do on CBP personnel. Committee Democrats support the use of more efficient border security technologies to catch and detect smugglers and interdict drugs. Yet when Rep. Correa offered an amendment enabling funding in the bill to be used for new, innovative technologies, Republicans opposed that effort. Health Care in CBP Custody Democrats support funding for CBP to provide adequate health care to detainees in its custody, but Republicans rejected Rep. Thanedar's amendment to provide $1.8 billion over 5 years to do so. In 2018, two young children died in CBP custody within months of each other,' and a third child died in CBP custody in 2023.E After the 2023 death, CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility found numerous breakdowns in the child's health care.' Rep. Thanedar's 'Carol Rosenberg, U.S. Has Spent$40 Million to Jail about 400 migrants at Guantanamo, N.Y.TIMES (Mar. 31, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/us/politics/migrants-guantanamo-costs.html. 'Perla Trevizo and Jeremy Schwartz,Records Show Trump''Border Wall Is Costing Taxpayers Billions More Than Initial Contracts, PROPUBEICA(Oct. 27,2020),https://www.propublica.org/article/records-show-trumps-border- wall-is-costing-taxpayers-billions-more-than-initial-contracts. 'Joshua Baraj as,A Second Migrant Child Died in U.S. Custody This Month. Here's What We Know.,PBS NEWS (Dec. 28,2018),https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-second-migrant-child-died-in-u-s-custody-this-month- heres-what-we-know. 'Jazmme Ulloa,Family Seeks$15 Million in Death ofMigrant Girl in U.S. Custody,N.Y.TIMES (May 1,2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/0 1/us/niigrant-girl-death-cbp-dainages.htnil. 'June 1, 2023 Update:Death in Custody of 8-Year-Old in Harlingen, Texas,U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION(June 1,2023),https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/June-1-2023-update-death- custody-8-year-old-harlingen-texas. 3 amendment would have provided CBP the funding it needs to ensure adequate health care for detainees, but Republicans rejected the amendment. Dismantling DHS Committee Republicans did not just oppose commonsense amendments to stop cruel deportations. They also rejected amendments aimed at ending the Trump administration's wholesale dismantling of the Nation's homeland security and disaster response and recovery enterprise. Republicans Wish to Abolish FEMA The Republican reconciliation package completely neglects the fact that the Trump administration has started executing a plan to abolish FEMA. Secretary Noem and other officials in the Trump administration continue to openly discuss dismantling FEMA, which is the one agency dedicated to assisting Americans in the aftermath of disasters.' In a March 2025 televised Cabinet meeting, Secretary Noem even proudly declared, "We're going to eliminate FEMA."' Secretary Noem's remarks on eliminating FEMA come at a time when reports say FEMA will be short staffed by 20 percent at the start of hurricane season, largely due to Elon Musk's staffing schemes and politically motivated firings.'o In addition to weakening the FEMA workforce, the administration is unlawfully withholding billions of Federal disaster response, flood mitigation, and wildfire prevention grant funding even as court orders have instructed the Agency to immediately disburse the funding." Committee Republicans rejected an amendment offered by Rep. Pou that would have prohibited implementing a process that delays or withholds the disbursement of funds made available in the measure. In April, the Trump administration announced that it was canceling nearly $4.5 billion in mitigation funding awards to communities across the country in from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program—which is congressionally authorized and appropriated funding for mitigation projects.' Furthermore, political retribution is reportedly influencing key FEMA decisions on the allocation of assistance and determining which communities receive aid. Reportedly, FEMA employees are now saying that the Agency is politicizing"grant funds and disaster assistance like we've never seen before."" Committee Republicans unanimously rejected all the amendments offered by Democrats that would have addressed the Trump administration's planned elimination of FEMA and the 'Thomas Frank,FEMA halts grant program that spent billions on disaster protection,E&E NEWS (Apr. 4,2025), https://www.cenews.net/article s/fema-halts-grant-program-that-spent-billions-on-disaster-protection/. 'Id. 10 Gabe Cohen,FF.AdA losing roughly 20%of permanent staff, including longtime leaders, ahead of hurricane season, CNN(Apr.23,2025),https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/23/politics/fema-staff-cuts-hurricane-season/ index.html. "Zach Schonfeld,Judge finds FF.AdA withholding grants in violation of court order,THE HIES(Apr. 4,2025), https://theliill.com/regulatior/court-battles/5232494 judge-fema-grants-trump-blue-states/. 12 Gabe Cohen&Annie Grayer, When billions in emergency funds were stalled, the Trump administration sped FEM money to some GOP-led states, CNN(Apr. 22,2025),https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/politics/fema- money-slowed-trump/index.html. 13 Id. 4 deleterious decisions at the Agency, including an amendment offered by Resident Commissioner Hernandez that would have explicitly included the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, local, Tribal, and other territorial entities within the title's Homeland Security Grant Program section. This markup was another missed opportunity for the Committee to do its part to address the misguided effort to dismantle FEMA. At a minimum, Committee Republicans are complicit in the Trump administration's assault on Federal disaster relief and emergency support for Americans. DHS Mismanagement The Trump administration has paired dismantling DHS with mismanaging it. Committee Democrats attempted to draw highlight Republican failures to uphold the rule of law, strengthen cybersecurity, protect DHS systems from foreign interference through the official use of commercial messaging apps like Signal to share operationally sensitive information, and protect DHS workers. Respect for the Rule of Law Republicans' reconciliation package gives massive amounts of money to the Trump administration without accountability or guardrails to protect the Constitution and laws of the United States. The Trump administration has repeatedly engaged in activities that conflict with decisions and orders of American courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States.14 For example, the Trump administration wrongfully deported a Maryland man despite an immigration judge having granted him a withholding of removal.15 The Supreme Court stepped in and ordered the Trump administration to "facilitate" the man's release from custody in El Salvador and ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly deported.16 The Trump administration has ignored the Supreme Court," and President Trump has said that he does not know whether he is required to comply with the Constitution.18 There is no doubt that the Trump administration has—and will continue to—ignore the courts and Constitution. The reconciliation package essentially funds the Trump administration's lawlessness, and Republicans rejected Rep. Thanedar's amendments to prevent DHS funding from being used to engage in actions that conflict with court opinions or orders. Republicans are willing to spend taxpayer dollars on the diminution of the courts, laws, and Constitution of the United States, despite Democratic and democratic objections. 14 See, e.g.,Peter Kafka,Donald Trump is Shrugging Off the Supreme Court. These Are Uncharted Waters., BUSINESS INSIDER(Apr. 15,2025),https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-defies-supreme-court-dangerous- precedent-why-2025-4. "Alan Feuer&Karoun Demirjian, What to Know About the Deportation ofAbrego Garcia to El Salvador,N.Y. TIMES (Apr. 21,2025),https://www.nytimes.com/article/abrego-garcia-trump-deportations-el-salvador.htnil. 16 Trump a J.G.G., et al.,604 U.S. (2025). 'Alan Feuer&Aishvarya Kavi, White House Continues Defiant Stance on Seeking Return of Deported Man,N.Y. TIMES (Apr. 11,2025),https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/us/politics/us-maiyland-man-deportation-delay.htnil. "Amanda Terkel&Lawrence Hurley, Trump,Asked If He Has to `Uphold the Constitution,'Says, I Don t Know', NBC NEWS (May 4,2025),https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-admiristration/trump-asked-uphold- constitution-say s-dont-know-rcna204580. 5 Ignoring Cybersecurity On the matter of cybersecurity, once again, Republicans say one thing a do another. Despite the Chairman's pronouncement that the 119th Congress would be devoted to improving the Nation's cybersecurity, there is not one penny in the Homeland Security Committee's reconciliation title devoted to the issue. And, although the Committee did not allocate the full $90 billion allotted to it in the budget resolution, Republicans unanimously rejected an amendment offered by Rep. Magaziner that would have provided funding to rehire and retain highly sought-after employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) the Trump administration indiscriminately fired or harassed into quitting in order to pass off the savings as tax cuts to billionaires. They also rejected an amendment by Rep. Swalwell that would have barred the Department from including veterans—among best trained and most devoted public employees in the Federal Government—from being included in reductions in force. If the Chairman is waiting to find his so-called "cyber border" before investing in cybersecurity, he will be waiting a long time, and Americans will pay the price. This tone-deaf reconciliation package ignores serious threats facing the Nation—including cyber threats from Russia, China and its typhoon campaign, Iran, and cyber criminals—while turning a blind eye to the administration's reckless dismantling of America's cybersecurity agency. From election security, to threat hunting, to security by design, the Trump administration is gutting the core services CISA offers governments and the private sector alike, and Committee Republicans do not care. Failing the Workforce The Republican reconciliation package provides tens of billions of dollars to DHS for border security at the same time as the Trump administration undermines the government workers who actually protect the homeland. Rep. Correa proposed an amendment to prohibit DHS from using its funding to harm homeland security workers by undermining or canceling collective bargaining agreements, but Republicans rejected that amendment. Meanwhile, President Trump issued an executive order undermining collective bargaining at DHS agencies like USCIS and ICE,19 and Secretary Noem announced that DHS would cancel its collective bargaining agreement with the union representing TSA Officers.20 The Republican reconciliation scam is a giveaway that will harm workers, and Republicans are complicit. Drug Trafficking The Republican reconciliation package seeks to combat drug trafficking across our borders but fails to address the very things that fuel drug traffickers: guns and bulk cash. Firearms and bulk amounts of cash are consistently smuggled out of America and into Mexico. The outbound now of weapons and cash to fuel cartel violence is a real threat. Just recently, CBP officers in Del Rio seized nine weapons, 260 rounds of ammunition, 24 magazines, and weapons' components 19 Exclusion from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs,Exec. Order No. 14251 (Mar. 27,2025), https://www.wWtehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/exclusions-from-federal-labor-management-relations- programs/. 20 Justin Doubleday,Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Is Ending Collective Bargaining at TSA and Seeking to Prevent Future Administrations from Granting Union Rights to TSOs,FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK(Mar.7,2025), https://federalnewsnetwork.com/urions/2025/03/dhs-moves-to-end-collective-bargaining-for-tsa-officers/. 6 hidden in two vehicles traveling to Mexico.' A few weeks prior, officers at the same port of entry found 16 firearms, including three assault rifles, 26 magazines, and 182 rounds of ammunition hidden in another van." Moreover, in Texas, CBP officers recently seized over $270,000 dollars in unreported currency from a single Toyota headed to Mexico.23 The seized weapons and cash could have easily gone into the hands of cartel members, furthering drug trafficking and other criminal operations. Without a mandate and resources for CBP to improve its outbound inspections program, the administration's crackdown on the drug trade is mere talk. Securing the southern border and countering drug trafficking means making sure U.S. officials are inspecting both what is entering and what is leaving the country, and the Republican legislation fails to address the latter. Signalgate Foreign intelligence services work around the clock to gain access to sensitive U.S. homeland and national security information. The targeting of senior government officials to elicit such information is one method used by foreign adversaries to do this. On March 24, our foreign adversaries learned that they may not have to work so hard to target the most senior national security officials in the country when it was revealed that the highest-ranking Trump administration officials had used the commercial messaging app Signal to discuss highly sensitive and classified information and inadvertently added a journalist to the text message chain. The Trump administration and House Republicans want the American people to believe that nothing classified was discussed on these chats, but the American people know better. It is clear from the lack of investigations and introduced articles of impeachment related to the egregious national security breach—and Mike Waltz's recent promotion to nominee for UN ambassador that House Republicans and the Trump administration could not care less about protecting information that, if disclosed, could damage our national security and harm our U.S. service men and women. This is also evident from the fact that the Republican reconciliation package allocated zero dollars for DHS counterintelligence programs, projects, or activities to detect, deter, and disrupt foreign intelligence threats. u CBP officers seize nine weapons, 260 rounds of ammunition, 24 magazines, and weapon components in less than 72 hours at Del Rio Port of Entry,U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION(Apr. 10,2025), https://www.cbp.gov/newsroomAocal-media-release/cbp-officers-seize-nine-weapons-260-rounds-ammunition-24- magazines-and. 22 CBP officers seize 16 weapons, 26 magazines, 182 rounds of ammunition at Del Rio Port of Entry, U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION(Mar. 18,2025), https://www.cbp.gov/newsroomAocal-media-release/cbp-officers-seize-16-weapons-26-magazines-182-rounds- ammunition-del. 23 CBP officers seize over$270K in unreported currency at Hidalgo International Bridge,U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION(Apr. 8,2025), https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-officers-seize- over-270k-unreported-currency-hidalgo-international. 7 Conclusion Committee Republicans chose silence over addressing pressing concerns regarding unlawful deportations, the haphazard dismantling of DHS without legislative mandate, and the amateurish mismanagement of the Department. They have chosen to spend $69 billion in hard-earned taxpayer money to make more palatable deep cuts to Medicaid and to cut the taxes of billionaires. Regardless of what these funds in the reconciliation package could potentially do if put in the right hands, the Trump administration has proven itself incompetent and unreliable at best and an enemy of the Constitution and Congress's power of the purse at worst. Trump and Noem are unconstitutionally dismantling DHS—firing hundreds of civil servants, freezing grants, eliminating the watchdogs who protect Americans, and failing to respond to Hurricane Helene's devastation in North Carolina. There is no guarantee that the money included this package would be spent the way it is laid out in the Committee Print—or anywhere else in the Republican legislative agenda. Moreover, congressional Republicans have also proven themselves wholly incapable of any oversight of this administration. Even worse, the Homeland Security Committee has embarked on this massive spending plan without having first held a hearing with Secretary Noem and scrutinizing her priorities and the Department's needs. The Committee scheduled its first meeting with the Secretary for more than 2 weeks after marking up this funding package. The Republican reconciliation measure spends billions of taxpayer dollars and puts Americans' security at risk—all while cutting Medicaid to give tax cuts to billionaires and large corporations. Homeland Security Democrats strongly oppose this reckless Republican rip-off. Sincerely, Bennie G. Thompson Member of Congress Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland Security Eric Swalwell J. Luis Correa Member of Congress Member of Congress 8 /),/ - Shri Thanedar Se)6 Magazin Member of Congress Nfember of Congress ��+ Dan Goldman Delia C. Ramirez Member of Congress Member of Congress . . Timothy V. Kennedy onica McIver Member of Congress Member of Congress Julie Johnson Pablo J e Hernandez Member of Congress Member of Congress Ne ie Pou Troy A. Carter, Sr. Mem of Congress Member of Congress Robert Garcia Member of Congress 9 10 Congre,5.5 of the uniteb *tate.5 Va�oington, M(f 20515 June 23, 2025 The Honorable Pete Hegseth The Honorable Pamela Bondi Secretary of Defense Attorney General 1400 Defense Pentagon 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20301 Washington, DC 20530 The Honorable Kristi Noem Secretary of Homeland Security 2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE Washington, DC 20528 Secretary Hegseth, Attorney General Bondi, and Secretary Noem: In response to unprecedented immigration raids in Los Angeles last week, which targeted individuals at their places of work and in their communities, citizens began to assemble and protest their government. The right to protest our government is explicitly protected under the First Amendment. While the vast majority of these protestors were peaceful, some instigators took the opportunity to engage in unlawful behavior. Many of those individuals were arrested by state and local law enforcement. Despite the situation being controlled by state and local law enforcement, President Trump saw an opportunity to amplify the crisis of his own creation by unilaterally and unlawfully federalizing and deploying 4,000 California National Guard troops to the streets of Los Angeles. In addition, he deployed 700 active-duty United States Marines. The President did this without the consultation of local elected officials, law enforcement, and the Governor of California. The Constitution and federal law provide limitations on the domestic use of the National Guard. Article I, Section 8, Clauses 15 and 16 provide that Congress has the authority to organize, arm, and call the militia to execute laws, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions.' Congress has delegated some of its authority to the President including under 10 U.S.C. § 12406, which the administration cited as its legal justification.' This authority contains specific procedures and conditions for when the President can federalize and deploy the National Guard. This includes: the President may call into Federal service members and units of the National Guard of any State in such numbers as he considers necessary to repel the invasion, suppress the rebellion, or execute those laws. Orders for these purposes shall be issued through the governors of the States or, in the case of the District of Columbia, through the commanding general of the National Guard of the District of Columbia.' 'U.S. Const. art. I, § 8,cls. 15-16 2 Memorandum from the President,Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions,at 1 (June 7,2025), hUs://www.wWtehouse. oov/presidential-actions/2025/06/department-of-defense-security-for-the-protection-of-department-of-homela nd-securi -functions/ 3 10 U.S.C. § 12406(3) Page 2 At no time did the Governor of California issue orders to the California National Guard as required by federal law. The actions of President Trump appear to be in clear violation of the plain text of the statute. We therefore are calling for an immediate investigation into whether federal law was violated in federalizing and deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles. We also are calling for a full investigation and review of the legal checks and processes carried out prior to the execution of a military order to ensure such orders are lawful. The federal government, including the executive branch, is constrained by the powers given to it in the Constitution and federal statute. It is imperative that actions taken by this administration, like all administrations, fall within the bounds of the law. Thank you for your immediate consideration and we expect an appropriate response to these questions in the near future. Sincerely, ) , Mike Thompson Nancy Pelosi Member of Congress Member of Congress Norma J. Torres Nanette Diaz Barragan Member of Congress Member of Congress Ami Bera, M.D. Julia Brownley Member of Congress Member of Congress J y Chu J. Luis Correa Member of Congress Member of Congress Page 3 Mark DeSaulnier Robert Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress rT y Go ez ed Huffman ember of Congress Member of Congress Ted W. Lieu Doris Matsui Member of Congress Member of Congress , Uimy anetta Brad Sherman mb r of Congress Member of Congress Lateefah Kimon Eric Swalwell Member of Congress Member of Congress Juk Vargas Member of Congress CC: Office of White House Counsel Congre,5.5 of the uniteb *tate.5 Va�oington, M(f 20515 April 11, 2025 The Honorable Kristi Noem Secretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528 Dear Secretary Noem, We write with extreme concern regarding the visit of Department of Homeland Security personnel to Los Angeles Unified School District(LAUSD) elementary schools on April 7t'', 2025. We demand that you provide our offices with the justification for conducting this operation, and that you desist from immigration enforcement activity targeting children who pose no threat to public safety. Your Department has claimed that members of the Trade Fraud Group from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) visited Russel Elementary and Lillian Elementary in Florence-Firestone, Los Angeles to conduct welfare checks on children. Agents attempted to enter both schools without warrants, and were rightly turned away by LAUSD staff, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and local policies. LAUSD staff have informed us that the four students targeted at Russell Elementary were not, in fact, unaccompanied minors. This raises serious questions about the truthfulness of your Department, and the safety of our constituents. While you claim that your policy was designed to protect children, you have been a vocal defender of Donald Trump's family separation policy.' We note that just days after this incident, the Supreme Court unanimously ordered the administration to facilitate the return of an innocent Maryland resident with legal status, who was deported to prison El Salvador after utterly baseless allegations that he was involved in gang activity. Further, your Department has elected to end critical safeguards which protect schools, houses of worship and other sensitive locations from immigration enforcement activity. This policy is completely at odds with your claim to be protecting children. Schools must be safe spaces for the children they serve. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that all students have a right to a public education, no matter their immigration status. If parents and children cannot access schools without fear of deportation or harassment, you deny that right. In light of these facts, we note with particular concern that according to LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, School employees asked your agents for identification. However, when challenged, agents pocketed their IDs and refused to allow staff to write down names and badge numbers. Further, LASUD staff report that your agents falsely claimed to have permission from students' guardians to enter the school. Superintendent Carvalho stated, however that LAUSD staff had "spoken with the caretakers of these children, in some cases, parents, and they deny any interaction with these entities and certainly deny providing authorization for these individuals." z If your agents attempted to conceal their identities, attempted to enter school facilities on false pretenses, or attempted to lie to LAUSD staff, you undermine public safety. If you falsely claim to be conducting welfare 'Grabenstein H. (2025,January 17).WATCH:Blumenthal and Noem spar over family separation at the border.PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-blumenthal-and-noem-spar-over-family-separation-at-the-border 'Dale,M.,&Brenneman,R. (2025,April 10).Homeland Security agents attempted to enter 2 LAUSD schools.Here's what families should know.LAist. https://Iaist.com/news/education/homeland-security-immigration-lausd-schools-trump-administration Page 2 checks while actually targeting children for deportation, you undermine willingness to cooperate with law enforcement, provoke fear, and undermine public trust. We therefore demand that your provide a briefing to our offices to prove your claims about the agency's operations. Actions which target innocent children are completely unacceptable. We are committed to protecting all law-abiding residents of our communities and will continue to hold you accountable. Sincerely, Robert Garcia Brad Sherman Member of Congress Member of Congress J. Luis Correa Nanette Diaz Barragan Member of Congress Member of Congress � JOY Chu Julia Brownley Member of Congress Member of Congress Linda T. Sanchez Derek T. Tran Member of Congress Member of Congress � _., Syd mla - ove Norma J. Torres Member of Congress Member of Congress & ). "". (, �_ J' y Go ez uz ivas ember of Congress Member of Congress Page 3 Ted Lieu Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr Member of Congress Member of Congress JUA Vargas oe Lofgren Member of Congress Member of Congress Laura Friedman *Memer itesides Member of Congress Congress Congre,5,5 of the uniteb *tate.5 Va5oington, ME 20513 June 10, 2025 President Donald J. Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20500 RE: Deployment of National Guard Troops to Los Angeles Mr. President, We are writing to express grave concern regarding the deployment of the National Guard and the activation of 700 Marines to Los Angeles. These actions were taken without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom and over the objections of local law enforcement. It constitutes a clear violation of constitutional principles and law, and a grave overreach of executive authority. On June 6 and 7, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) carried out a series of immigration raids in downtown Los Angeles, which were met with widespread public protests. On the evening of June 7, you issued a formal memorandum titled "Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions," authorizing the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard personnel to Los Angeles for a 60-day period. This action bypassed the state governor's authority and proceeded despite active objections from local law enforcement already managing the situation. By the time National Guard troops arrived on Sunday morning, protests had largely subsided, and the streets were calm. Instead, the National Guard presence contributed to a renewed escalation of tensions. The overwhelming majority of protestors have done so peacefully. State and local authorities have already said that they can and will arrest and prosecute the very few who have committed acts of violence. This deployment does not appear to be motivated by any public safety emergency that could not be dealt with successfully by local authorities. Instead, it coincides with a broader federal enforcement escalation involving mass ICE raids, militarized immigration tactics, and the use of tear gas and riot control methods in civilian areas. These actions undermine civil liberties, destabilize communities, erode public trust in government institutions, and violate the law. Your memorandum cited 10 U.S.C. §12406 as the legal basis for your actions. That provision allows the President to call the National Guard into federal service only in three specific circumstances: (1)the United States, or any of the Commonwealths or possessions, is invaded or is in danger of invasion by a foreign nation; (2)there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States; or (3)the President is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States 10 U.S.C. §12406 also requires that"Orders for these purposes shall be issued through the governors of the States." None of these enumerated circumstances exist and no order was issued through the governor of our state. Therefore, your order is plainly unlawful. In addition, on June 8, U.S. Northern Command announced the activation of 700 active-duty U.S. Marines to the Los Angeles area under the same Task Force. The deployment of active-duty Marines marks a significant escalation in the federal government's response, blurring the line between military and civilian law enforcement roles. The deployment of active-duty military personnel into domestic operations raises serious legal and constitutional questions. Marines are trained for combat, not law enforcement. The introduction of Marines in securing largely peaceful protests is an unnecessary escalation in a situation that has already been inflamed because of escalatory actions. As federal officials we must prioritize de-escalation and adherence to the constitutional principles that govern the balance of power between federal and state and local governments. For these reasons, we urge you to immediately withdraw the National Guard and U.S. Marines from Los Angeles and to refrain from further deployments of any military personnel in circumstances that violate constitutional boundaries and escalate domestic tensions. Sincerely, rT y Go ez Adam B. Schiff Nanette Diaz Barragan ember of Congress United States Senator Member of Congress Nancy Pelosi Zoe Lofgren Member of Congress Member of Congress �� � � Linda T. Sanchez Mark Takano Member of Congress Member of Congress Derek T. Tran Ted W. Lieu Member of Congress Member of Congress — - Sydn mla ove Dave Min Member of Congress Member of Congress ,�— te be Jar s Kevin Mullin f Congress Member of Congress Salud Carbajal Mark DeSaulnier Member of Congress Member of Congress Mike Thompson Jim Costa Member of Congress Member of Congress Umb anetta Luz . ivas r of Congress Member of Congress , � Norma J. Torres Ami Bera, M.D. Member of Congress Member of Congress � Julia Brownley Sa rdo Member of Congress Member of Congress — J. Luis Correa Laura Friedman Member of Congress Member of Congress Ro Khanna Raul Ruiz, M.D. Member of Congress Member of Congress Scott H. Peters Doris Matsui Member of Congress Member of Congress Brad Sherman Gilbert Ray Cisneros, J Member of Congress Member of Congress Mike Levin Pete Aguilar Member of Congress Member of Congress ;��- &ed Huffman Eric Swalwell Member of Congress Member of Congress ..,. , Lateefah Mmon JAW Chu Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress John Garamendi Robert Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress GlorRhitesides Member of Congress CC: Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Department of Defense ongress of Hir Uniteb gtafes asilingtoll, ME 203515 May 6, 2025 The Honorable Joseph V. Cuffari Inspector General U.S. Department of Homeland Security 245 Murray Lane SW Washington, DC 20528 Dear Inspector General Cuffari: We write to request an immediate investigation into the conditions and practices at immigration detention facilities in the state of Louisiana, particularly those used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE)in partnership with private prison contractors. Over the past several months, multiple reports have emerged documenting serious violations of due process, endangerment of vulnerable individuals, and systemic neglect of medical and legal obligations within Louisiana's immigration detention system. These include: • The expedited deportation of asylum-seeking mothers—some with U.S. citizen children and children undergoing active cancer treatment—without notice, legal review, or opportunity for family contact.' • Reports of detainees being held in hotel rooms and staging facilities with no access to attorneys, family, or medical care prior to deportation. • Allegations of medical neglect, including women experiencing miscarriages without care, patients with cancer left untreated, and children detained in adult facilities. • Serious claims of abuse, including sexual misconduct by staff against women wearing religious attire. • A pattern of ICE and facility officials obstructing legal representation, withholding information about detainees' whereabouts, and operating with little to no oversight. These conditions are not isolated but reflect a larger breakdown in DHS's detention operations in Louisiana. According to civil rights attorneys and local monitors, thousands of people pass through these facilities annually, the vast majority without legal representation, independent medical evaluation, or basic human dignity.' Levy,M. (2025,April 26).Mothers deported by U.S. say they didn't know they were giving up their children.AP News. https://apnews.com/article/immigration-mothers-deported-d8c5cO353cl8e9eeOc228eal5eO2d759 z Robert F.Kennedy Human Rights(2024,August 26).Inside the black hole:Systemic human rights abuses against immigrants detained&disappeared in Louisiana. https://www.laaclu.org/sites/default/files/inside—the—black hole V stemic_human_rights_abuses_against_immigrant s detained disappeared in louisiana.pdf s Mass,L.,&Yanik,M. (2025, April 29). Opinion I Immigrants From Around the Countty Keep Getting Detained in Louisiana. The New York Times. hUs://www.Mtimes.com/2025/04/29/opinion/immigrants-louisiana-ice- detention.html 2 We urge your office to open an immediate investigation into: 1. The treatment of medically vulnerable and minor detainees in ICE custody in Louisiana; 2. The legality and due process implications of rapid deportation tactics and use of staging facilities; 3. Oversight failures in privately operated detention facilities under DHS contract; 4. Compliance with ICE detention standards, federal law, and international human rights norms; 5. Any retaliation or obstruction faced by attorneys and advocates attempting to represent detainees. Given the gravity and scope of the allegations, your prompt attention is critical. The American people deserve transparency and accountability from the institutions that enforce our immigration laws. Most importantly, the individuals in our custody deserve humane treatment and a lawful process. Please confirm receipt of this letter and provide an expected timeline for your office's response. Sincerely, Ritchie Torres driano Espaillat Member of Congress Member of Congress Gilbert Ray isneros, Jr. o uin Castro Member of Congress ember of Congress R' bert J. Menendez Salud Carbajal Member of Congress Member of Congress J. Luis Correa J sus G. "Chuy" Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress 3 T y Godiez a to J Hernandez mber of Congress Member of Congress � - Delia C. Ramirez 6 Darren Soto Member of Congress Member of Congress , - Sy via R. Garcia Nanette Diaz Aarragdn Member of Cong ss Member of Congress G ar Robert arcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Raul Ruiz, M.D. JuA Vargas Member of Congress Member of Congress —� / . Nydi . Veldzquez % Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Member of Congress Member of Congress Rashida Tlaib Cle Member of Congress Member of Congress 4 Betty Aceollum Becca Balint Member of Congress Member of Congress O?rold Nadler J n chakowsky Member of Congress Member of Congress Henry C. "Han Johnson J .. Eleanor Holmes Norton Member of Congress Member of Congress � onica cIver Danny K. avis Member of Congress Member of Congress athan L. JacYss n Yvette D. Clarke ember of Con Member of Congress e y M son Shri Thanedar Member of Congress Member of Congress - Laura Friedman W. Meeks Member of Congress Member of Congress 5 � race eng Y samin Ansari Member of Congress NVmber of Congress Carter, Sr. Member of Congress House Rules Committee Testimony 5/21/25 Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, the hour is late. You should get the Marco Polo Award, not for distance but rather for stamina. 19 hours. I do have 5 amendments. I'm going to be brief, but these amendments are very important. These deal with a very important American issue which is immigration. My first amendment, number 59, will deal with our men and women in uniform. Less than 1% of Americans serve in our armed forces. Imagine a situation where a soldier stationed overseas, all of a sudden he gets a phone call that his spouse has been arrested by ICE and deported because he or she is undocumented. That is not the way we want to treat our soldiers or men and women in uniform. They make enough sacrifices, but to have their spouses deported is unconscionable and un-American. My amendment would simply say that the Secretary of Homeland Security may not use any funds under this subtitle to remove an alien who is a spouse of a member of the armed forces on active duty.This is an important issue. I hope this committee will look upon it as an important issue for men and women in uniform. Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, my second amendment, number 61, deals with immigration as well. Question is, why would ICE agents go to schools, elementary schools to enforce ICE laws to deport individuals.Why would you want to terrorize children? My amendment simply says none of the funds made available by this title may be used to conduct an immigration enforcement action at an elementary school. Why in God's name would ICE show up to an elementary school?To threaten to deport children. Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, my third amendment, number 64, deals with those men and women who defend our country, Homeland Security officers at our borders, at our ports of entry.And what we ask is you respect their collective bargaining rights. My amendment says that none of the funds made available by this title may be used to undermine or cancel any collective bargaining agreements covering an employee of the Department of Homeland Security.Again here, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, we have individuals that sometimes work 16-hour shifts because it's so short in terms of personnel. They deserve to be represented by a collective bargaining contract. Chairman and Ranking Member, my next amendment, number 230. We often say in this country, all gave some and many made the ultimate sacrifice when we're honoring our veterans.Again, less than 1% of Americans actually serve our nation. A lot of our veterans go off and fight, come backwith invisible wounds that later on turn into PTSD and they get into trouble with the law. A lot of these veterans, Green card holders, when they join the military, are promised that they will be American citizens when they are honorably discharged. Such is not the case. Veterans that take an oath to United States of America, veterans that are ready to lay it all down, make the ultimate sacrifice for our country. And then they're deported. Because they're found guilty of a crime involving moral turpitude, Mr. Chairman, my bill simply says none of the funds made available by this subtitle may be used to remove from the United States a veteran who was honorably discharged unless an immigration judge has determined after weighing all equities that that individual should be removed. All I'm asking is, before you deport this veteran, look at his whole history of service to our to our country. And finally, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, my final amendment essentially says that no amount of money in this subtitle should be used or can be used to deport or remove an individual to a country other than the country of that individual's nationality or last habitual residence unless a removal order to that country is issued by immigration judge. ongr of fl)v Tbiltrb btateo June 16, 2025 The Honorable John Thune Senate Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Mike Johnson Speaker of the House U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson, We write to express our profound concern regarding the shocking and deeply troubling mistreatment of United States Senator Alex Padilla on Thursday, June 12, at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles. While visiting the building for a scheduled briefing with military officials, Senator Padilla attempted to ask a question during a press conference being held by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the same building. As has been widely reported and documented, Senator Padilla was thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and forcibly restrained by agents of the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation while attempting to lawfully exercise his constitutional and congressional authority to question a senior official of the current administration. Senator Padilla clearly identified himself and was acting within his rights as a Member of Congress. The use of force against a sitting senator—in a federal building, during official business—is a grave breach of protocol. It is also a potential violation of separation of powers and raises alarming questions about the conduct of federal law enforcement agencies, the coordination of protective services, and the administration's posture toward congressional oversight. This unprecedented incident is not simply an affront to security protocol—it is a constitutional issue—as these actions may constitute an assault on a sitting senator. If members of the United States Senate can be physically restrained for seeking answers from executive officials, it sets a dangerous precedent for the independence of the legislative branch. We look forward to your swift and decisive action to uphold the dignity and authority of Congress. Sincerely, Adriano Espaillat Hakeem JeffriU Adam B. Schiff Chair Member of Congress United States Senator Congressional Hispanic Caucus Charles E. Schumer Pete Aguilar Linda T. Sanchez United States Senator Member of Congress Member of Congress Nanette Diaz Barragan Norma J. Torres Sam I Liccardo Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Gilbert Ray Cisneros, J Salud Carbajal Robert Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Raul Ruiz, M.D. Luz Ted W. Lieu Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Huffman Mike Thompson John Garamendi Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress � , Mark DeSaulnier Lateefah Kimon Adam Gray Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Eric Swalwell Kevin Mullin Ro Khanna Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Zoe Lofgren Umbtr myanetta Jim Costa Member of Congress of Congress Member of Congress Julia Brownley J y Chu Laura Friedman Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress (;� � r y Go ez J. Luis Correa Brad Sherman ber of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Maxine Waters Derek T. Tran Dave Min Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Mike Levin ar Ja s J n Vargas Member of Congress e ber f Congress Member of Congress Richard J. Durbin Ben Ray Lujan Catherine Cortez Masto United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator o etterman Jeanne Shaheen Ja Rosen United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator Christopher A. Coons Cory A. Booker MarOKelly United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator ,) / � — �� Tim Kaine Jeffrey erkley Angela Alsobrooks United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator ,� Patty ur y Martin Heinrich Lisa Blunt Rochester United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator /#. ^ Mark R. Warner Elizabeth Warren Mazie K. Hirono United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator Richard Blumenthal Amy K uchar Peter Welch United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator Angus S. King, Jr. Ron Wyden Bernard Sanders United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator Andy Kim Michael F. Bennet Tamm uckworth United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator , :; Ja k eed ammy haldwin Jo n Hickenlooper United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator Chris Van Hollen Christopher S. Murph Sheldon Whitehouse United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator Eleanor Holmes Norton Ritchie Torres Kweisi Mfume Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick J nifer L. McClellan R in L. Kelly Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress samin Ansari Sean Casten Gab asque ember of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Julie Johnson Shri Thanedar Bonnie Watson Coleman Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Wesfey'nlefF Val Hoyle Maxine Dexter Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress -� NydiJA4. Velazquez Debbie Dingell Donald Norcross Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress J sus G. "Chuy" Garcia Joe Courtney Werna Williams Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Mai a Krishn moorthi Delia C. Ramirez Q Melanie Stansbury Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress nathan L. Jac on h B. Larson\ mie Raskin e Jmber of Congress e ber of Congress Member of Congress Paul Tonko Veronica Escobar o uin Castro Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Darren Soto chakowsky U S via R. Garcia Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress has Subrifmanyam Angie Craig Geg LAdsman Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress manuel Cleaver, II Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. on"iic_a11McIver Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Becca Balint Betty NT7Collum Pramila Jayapal Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Mark Pocan Kelly Mofson T resa Leger Fernandez Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress ,-.. Kristen McDonald Rivet gephen F. Lynch Pablo J 4 e Hernandez Member of Congress Acting Ranking Member Member of Congress Committee on Oversight and Government Reform James P. McGovern Frank Pallone, Jr. Troy A. Carter, Sr. Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Suza . DelBene Gwen S. Moore Shontel M. Brown Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress �� ;;'), [� Steve Cohen Rosa L. DeLauro Kathy Cas or Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress George L timer Ne 'e Pou Robert J. Menendez Member of Congress Mem of Congress Member of Congress William R. Keating Haley M. Nevens Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress — enn Ivey Seth Moulton Andre arson Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Brendan F. Boyle Eric Sor nsen Dina Titus Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress - Lori Trahan Bill Foster Emily RaAAll Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Deborah K. Ross Kim Schrier, M.D. Thomas R. Suozzi Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Lloyd Doggett Greg Stanton Henry C. "Han ' Johnson, Jr. Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Gabe Arno O e Ner use Robert C. "Bobb cott Member of Congress Mem of Congress Member of Congress McBride Katherine M. Clark Chris Pappas Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Marc A. Ve�a`se Andrea Salinas Ed Case Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Janelle S. Bynum Jos ley eember W. MannioMember of Congress Member of Congress of Congress ' Ja na Hayes Greg Casar J' Tokuda Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress m Hi es Brittany Pet'ersen Joseph D. Morelle Me er of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Ilhan Omar Dan Goldman E ene Simon Vindman Member of Congress Member of Congress ember of Congress Rick Larsen Chris Deluzio vMike Quigley Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Cong Vess , .. Mary Gay Scanlon Lizzie Fletcher Se Magazin Member of Congress Member of Congress XTember of Congress Frederica S. Wilson April McClain Delaney o ce Meatty Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Jasmi rockett Bennie G. Thompson ZFe Auchincloss Membe of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Susie Lee Su nne Bonamici Member of Congress Member of Congress masbinaturi,33.t, 20515 June 25, 2025 The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro Comptroller General U.S. Government Accountability Office 441 G Street N.W. Washington, DC 20548 Dear Comptroller General Dodaro: We are writing to request a formal Government Accountability Office (GAO)investigation into potential violations of the Antideficiency Act(Public Law 97-258)by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE)in connection with incidents that occurred on June 7, 2025, at the Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles. During a Congressional delegation oversight visit to this federal immigration detention facility, ICE unlawfully denied Congressional access to the facility in direct violation of Section 527(a) of Division C of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47), as incorporated by Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4). Section 527(a) prevents funding from being used to prevent Members of Congress from "conducting oversight" of"any facility used to detain or otherwise house aliens...". We believe these actions violate the Anti-Deficiency Act. We have attached the subsequent letter Rep. Torres sent to the Secretary laying out the events of that day. We have continued to request access to the building, including offering to work around their schedule, and have been categorically denied entry. While Members of Congress have been granted safe access to conduct oversight of federal funds in places such as active war zones in Ukraine, DHS has declared the federal building in Los Angeles too dangerous for Members of Congress to visit indefinitely, regardless of safety protocols. This pretextual denial of access is a continued effort to mislead Congress in order to prevent appropriate oversight. The next pretextual message from ICE noted that the Agency is too busy to facilitate member visits to Field Offices. We are specifically concerned that ICE may have violated the Antideficiency Act by: 1. Using appropriated funds for activities not authorized by Congress, including the deployment of chemical agents against Members of Congress conducting lawful oversight; 2. Expending funds in a manner that contravenes explicit Congressional prohibitions regarding denial of access to facilities; and 3. Potentially exceeding authorized spending limits through unauthorized operational activities. Given the severity of these allegations and as our delegation included a member of the House Appropriations Committee with oversight responsibility for congressionally appropriated funding, including ICE funding, we believe a thorough GAO investigation is warranted to determine whether federal appropriations were misused in violation of the Antidefzciency Act. We request that GAO conduct a comprehensive review of ICE's expenditures and activities related to the June 7, 2025 incident and provide Congress with findings and recommendations to prevent future violations. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. Sincerely, --y1l/ Norma J. Torres Member of Congress (, rT y Go ez J. Luis Correa uz ivas ember of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress Rep. Correa House Floor Speeches 6/27/25 One Minute on Narciso Barranco Mr. Speaker, today I rise to once again stress the need for immigration reform in this country.Just last week back home one of my taxpayer constituents, Narciso Barranco, was picked up by who I believe were I.C.E. Agents, they were masked, and is now sitting in an I.C.E. holding facility in Los Angeles. Videos show him punched by masked federal agents unprovoked. He's lived in my district for 25 years or more, and not a traffic ticket to his name. More importantly, he has three sons, three sons all serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. You know we make movies of families like this. Three sons ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation. And instead he's being held in custody in an I.C.E. facility in Los Angeles. Our federal agents should be taking criminals off our streets not gentlemen like this. I pray that Mr. Barranco's case is a wake-up call for all of us for immigration reform. Mr. Speaker, I Yield. Floor Debate on Young Kim's Resolution Mr. Correa: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask what happened? My hometown, Santa Ana, California, predominantly Hispanic Latino. Factory workers live there. Remember? We are the biggest manufacturing state in the union. Near shoring, guess where it's happening? Largest ag state in the union. A lot of farm workers in my district. What happened? One day, we are going about our business in Santa Ana, Orange County, masked federal agents start going into our neighborhoods. Picking up hardworking neighbors. Oh, yeah, you bet people are concerned, scared, nervous. A lot of people expressed their first amendment right. We got the National Guard. Sheriff Don Barnes, Orange County Sheriff, did not call for the National Guard. Local police chiefs did not call for the National Guard. We get the National Guard. President Trump promised to deport criminals, those with deportation orders, those here less than two years. But now it's hard workers, people that pay taxes that are being picked up. Like 60% of those being picked up are now people without criminal records. Orange County, we didn't have any violence. We had masked officers coming into our neighborhoods. You know, I bet President Trump would want to know what's going on on Main Street. One of the constituents that just got picked up, I talked about a minute ago, Narciso Barranco. A father of three Marines, 25 years in the U.S. We make movies of people like this. This gentleman is a hero. His family's a hero. Instead he's in an I.C.E. holding facility in Los Angeles. I'm hearing more stories coming. More Barranco-type families being broken up, military families being separated by their loved ones by I.C.E. I do not believe President Trump would want his legacy to be that he deported military family members like Mr. Baranco. Common sense here. This resolution is not prime time for a vote. A lot of inaccuracies. I'm going to ask my colleagues to vote no on this measure. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Speaker, I yield. Rep. Correa Committee on Homeland Security 5/14/25 Thank you, Mr. Secretary. First of all, Secretary Noem,welcome to this committee. I had the honor of hearing testimony from Secretary Kelly, Secretary Mayo rkas, and of course you. Welcome. We all have the same interests which are protecting Americans,American taxpayers as we move forward in our jobs. I want to say that your testimony and my colleague from Louisiana and myself have the same interests, which are to protect Americans, especially to protect children, especially to protect American citizen children. That's where my concern is, Madam Secretary, that your administration, I believe has consistently violated the law by denying due process to U.S.-born American children. Under your watch,you've deported American children, U.S.-born children. Some of the examples ... I only have five minutes to talk about it, but I'll come back to the case that was described or discussed a little while ago,which was two American children, four and seven, were put on a plane with their mother, sent to Honduras within 24 hours of being detained. There was an attorney involved. We're debating right now the issue, as you stated, that the mother wanted the child to go with her. But there was an attorney involved. That person was not consulted. That family was denied the opportunity to talk to that attorney. The attorney was there. What is wrong with asking the attorney? You've got a family that had been checking in, following ICE direction. Check in, bring your family to check in.They weren't let out.That happens in my district all the time. Families check in to ICE. If ICE determines they should be deported, do you know what we do? I call ICE and I say give them 30 days. Some of these families have been in this country 20, 30 years. Give them 30 days to get their situation in order. Make sure that they figure out how to keep their American children in the U.S. Give them the opportunity to make an educated decision on the lives of American citizens. In this case and other cases, ma'am, you have split-second decisions to make a decision on those children, and you, Madam Secretary, also make split-second decisions based on whatever coerced discussion you're havingwith that mother. I say coerced because when you're scared to death, your life is about to change, and you've got an attorney next door, that you will not permit that family to consult with that attorney,you got an issue. Case number two, two-year-old American daughter, also deported to Honduras. They were also denied access to their lawyers.According to her lawyer, ICE prevented the mother from speaking to the lawyer or anyone else in the family. Two-year-old American citizen. Can't we slow it down and just take a moment before they're deported in 24 hours?The mom didn't want the daughter to stay in the United States. They may have had relatives in the United States, family. Even the own Trump-appointed federal judge overseeing this case has said that he had a strong suspicion that the government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful due process. Madam Secretary, I think we're all in agreement here. Let's go after MS-13. Let's go after drug dealers. Let's go after Tren de Aragua, the bad folks who hurt my community as well as everybody else's community. But I fail to see where a child, two-year-old, four-year-old, seven-year-old children, could be on your top priorities for deportations. This is still America. Due process, the Fifth Amendment. Madam Secretary, I know ICE agents. I deal with them all the time. I've toured the southern border, blue uniforms, green uniforms, talking to them about what they need to do the job. I'm more than happy to have that discussion with you, publicly or privately, but deporting US-born children, ignoring their attorneys?Take a deep breath. You've been here 20, 30 years.A lot of the times back home, when I ask the ICE agents give them 30 days, you know what,without fail, that person comes back or self-deports. We can do better. Madam Secretary, I'm going to ask you one last question in nine seconds. You're under oath. Have you fired, retired, dismissed, any DHS agents that have not followed your policies? Kristi Noem:What kind of agents, sir? Mr. Correa: DHS, Homeland Security, agents. Kristi Noem: DHS agents? Mr. Correa: Yes Kristi Noem: Specific law enforcement officers? Mr. Correa: Yes, ma'am. Officers underyourwatch. Kristi Noem: I haven't given any specific orders to any law enforcement officers under the Department of Homeland Security. So there are, within the Department of Homeland Security, 280,000 employees, 47,000 of them are Coast Guard individuals. So 230,000 individuals are employees and we're very proud of the work that they do. IV 119Tx CONGRESS �• RES, 1ST SESSION 543 Recognizing the right to peacefully protest and condemning violence and authoritarian responses to expressions of dissent. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 25, 2025 Ms. BARRAGAN (for herself, Mr. AGUILAR, Mr. BERA, Ms. BROWNLEY, MS. BYNUM, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, MS. CHU, Mr. CISNEROS, Mr. CORREA, Mr. COSTA, Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. FRIEDMAN, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. GARCIA of California, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. GOMEZ, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. IVEY, MS. JACOBS, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, Mr. KENNEDY of New York, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. LANDSMAN, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. LATIMER, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LICCARDO, Mr. LIEU, Ms. LOFGREN, MS. MATSUI, MS. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MIN, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. PANETTA, MS. PELOSI, Mr. PETERS, MS. PETTERSEN, MS. RIVAS, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. SALINAS, Ms. SANCHEZ, Mr. SHERMAN, MS. SIMON, Mr. SWALWELL, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. THANEDAR, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. TRAM, Mr. VARGAS, MS. WATERS, Mr. WHI TESIDES, Mr. GRAY, and Ms. Ross) sub- mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com- mittee concerned RESOLUTION Recognizing the right to peacefully protest and condemning violence and authoritarian responses to expressions of dissent. 2 Whereas U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents recently carried out immigration enforcement raids in Southern California; Whereas prioritizing the removal of individuals who pose a clear threat to public safety, such as those convicted of violent crimes, is essential to maintaining trust and jus- tice in the immigration system; Whereas ICE has conducted raids by deploying unmarked Federal agents to detain individuals on the streets, at their homes, and at places of employment; Whereas many citizens objected to the ICE raids and peace- fully protested ICE activity, primarily in an approxi- mately 10-block area of downtown Los Angeles, Cali- fornia; Whereas the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States protects "the right of the people peaceably to assemble"; Whereas peaceful protest is a cornerstone of American de- mocracy and an essential means for individuals to express dissent, demand change, and advocate for justice; Whereas troublemakers also infiltrated these peaceful dem- onstrations and committed unlawful acts of violence, van- dalism, looting, and destruction of property; Whereas these unlawful acts harm small businesses; Whereas such acts of violence undermine the goals of peace- ful protest and endanger the safety and security of all community members; Whereas law enforcement and elected officials provided clear assurances that those who committed violent acts will be arrested and prosecuted; •HRES 543 IH 3 Whereas local and state law enforcement agencies success- fully worked to protect the public, ensure the safety of peaceful demonstrators, and restore order in areas im- pacted by violence; Whereas the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department as- sessed the situation was "nowhere near a level" where the Department would need assistance from the National Guard; Whereas public officials have a responsibility to lower the temperature and not enflame tensions; Whereas, on June 71 20251 the President activated 2,000 members of the California National Guard to Los Ange- les and subsequently authorized an additional 2,000 Na- tional Guard personnel to be placed on standby for poten- tial Federal activation; Whereas the legal authority the Trump Administration cited for the activation, 10 U.S.C. § 12406, permits federaliza- tion of the National Guard only in specific and extraor- dinary circumstances—including invasion, rebellion, or the inability of regular forces to execute the law—none of which were present; Whereas 10 U.S.C. § 12406 also requires orders to activate the National Guard be issued through the governor of the affected state; Whereas the President activated the National Guard without any request from the Governor of California; Whereas the activation of the National Guard escalated and inflamed the situation; Whereas the President also deployed 700 active-duty Marines to the Los Angeles area, further escalating the situation; •HRES 543 IH 4 Whereas the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the use of active- duty armed forces for domestic law enforcement except in limited circumstances, none of which the President in- voked; Whereas the acting Comptroller of the Department of De- fense, Bryn MacDonnell, testified to Congress that the deployment of National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles is estimated to cost $134 million over the 60-day deployment; and Whereas deploying the National Guard and active-duty mili- tary personnel into a U.S. city without invoking the prop- er statutory authorities nor coordinating with state and local government officials is illegal, irresponsible, a dis- proportionate response which increases the likelihood of violence, exacerbates the situation, presents a logistical challenge to local law enforcement, and threatens the safety of the public and all law enforcement personnel: Now, therefore, be it 1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives- 2 (1) reaffirms its support for the First Amend- 3 ment right to peacefully assemble and protest; 4 (2) supports civil rights and civil liberties, in- 5 cluding the right to due process, for all persons; 6 (3) condemns instigators who have committed 7 acts of violence against law enforcement, vandalism, 8 looting, and destruction of property; 9 (4) emphasizes that all law enforcement, includ- 10 ing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has a •HRES 543 IH 5 1 duty to conduct their operations with transparency 2 and accountability to the public; 3 (5) denounces the inflammatory language of the 4 Trump Administration that has worsened tensions 5 within U.S. communities; 6 (6) reiterates support for the military 7 servicemembers in the Marines and National Guard 8 while objecting to their current California deploy- 9 ment; and 10 (7) commends the law enforcement officers who 11 worked to protect public safety, enabled peaceful 12 protests, and upheld the rule of law during these 13 challenging times. O •HRES 543 IH G:\M\18\CORREA\CORREA 075.XML AMENDMENT TO RULES COMMITTEE PRINT 119-3 OFFERED BY MR. CORREA OF CALIFORNIA Page 533, after line 10, insert the following: I SEC. 70125. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR REMOVAL 2 OF VETERANS. None of the funds made available by this subtitle may be used to remove from the United States a veteran who was honorably discharged, unless an immigration judge has determined, after weighing all of the equities, that the veteran should be removed. 0 g:WHLC\051925\051925.214.xm1 (99223411) May 19,2025(11:26 p.m.) G:\MN19\CORREA\CORREA-020.XML AMENDMENT TO RULES COMMITTEE PRINT 119-3 OFFERED BY MR. CORREA OF CALIFORNIA At the end of title V11, insert the following: l SEC. 70303. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS. 2 None of the funds made available by this title may 3 be used to conduct an immigration enforcement action at 4 an elementary school. ❑X g:WHLD\051925\D051925.090.xm1 (99214611) May 19,2025(4:41 p.m.) G:\M\19\CORREA\CORREA-016.XML AMENDMENT TO RULES COMMITTEE PRINT 119- 3 OFFERED BY MR. CORREA OF CALIFORNIA Page 533, insert after line 10 the following: I SEC. 70125. NO 3RD COUNTRY REMOVAL WITHOUT AN 2 ORDER. 3 No amounts shall be made available by this subtitle 4 may be used to deport or remove an individual to a coun- 5 try other than the country of that individual's nationality 6 or last habitual residence unless a removal order to that 7 country is issued by an immigration judge. ❑X g:WHLC\052025\052025.067.xm1 (99202212) May 20,2025(12:50 p.m.) G:\M\19\C0RREA\C0RREA_017.XML AMENDMENT TO RULES COMMITTEE PRINT 119-3 OFFERED BY MR. CORREA OF CALIFORNIA Add at the end of subtitle A of title VII the fol- lowing: 1 SEC. . PROHIBITION ON SECRETARY OF HOMELAND 2 SECURITY WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN RE- 3 MOVAL . 4 (a) REMOVAL.- 5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 6 Security may not use any funds under this subtitle 7 to remove an alien who is a spouse of a member of 8 the armed forces serving on active duty. 9 (2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 10 apply if such removal is required by extradition law 11 or treaty obligations. 12 (b) DETENTION.- 13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 14 may not detain an alien who is a spouse of a mem- 15 ber of the armed forces serving on active duty. 16 (2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 17 apply in the case that such detention is necessary to 18 investigate a criminal offense. 0 g:\V\E\051925\E051925.062.xm1 (99204411) May 19,2025(5:33 p.m.) Zuniga, Diana From: Maria Ceja < Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2025 11:26 AM To: eComment Subject: Agenda item #27 Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana.Use caution when opening attachments or links. Mayor and City Council, I want to express my support for the adoption of the proposed resolution to use the city's advocacy to call on our federal representatives to demand ICE &other federal enforcement agencies OUT of our communities. It is important for the city to not only reaffirm its commitment to its most vulnerable residents &SB 54, but also for the city to express this with actions. I look forward to witnessing how the city will do this. Sincerely, Maria Ceja Santa Ana Resident(born & raised) i Zuniga, Diana From: Mai Do <mai@harborinstituteoc.org> Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2025 2:57 PM To: eComment Subject: Support for Agenda Items #27 and #32; Comments on Agenda Item #28 Attachments: 7.1.25_SACC_Letter.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana.Use caution when opening attachments or links. Dear Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers, Please find attached a letter signed by local immigrant rights organizations in support of Agenda Items#27 and#32 and with regards to Agenda Item#28 on the agenda for the upcoming July 1, 2025 City Council meeting. Best, Mai Nguyen Do „p,vRFom,„ Mai Nguyen Do They/Them Research& Policy Manager Harbor Institute for Immigrant&Economic Justice R,mai(a)harborinstituteoc.org Rlwww.harbori nstituteoc.o rq R1837 N Ross St,Santa Ana,CA 92701 ❑x ❑x ❑x 0 Join our newsletter: Get the latest on immigration and economic policy in OC! 1 July 1, 2025 Santa Ana City Council 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Agenda Item#27, #28, and #32 Dear Mayor Valerie Amezcua and Santa Ana City Council Members, We write in support of Agenda Items #27 and #32. As always, we support efforts to advocate for community safety and to make transparent immigration enforcement presence in our neighborhoods. We also write to encourage the City Council to carefully consider its approach to direct aid for residents during this time, as to be discussed under Agenda Item #28: 1. Existing programming. The City of Santa Ana already has an existing program to support residents impacted by immigration enforcement-the immigration legal defense fund. Legal support is often a heavy financial strain on impacted families, so allocating additional funds to increase legal support capacity is one avenue through which to offer financial relief to residents. Agenda Item #28 includes expansion of funding for the immigration legal defense fund. Such an expansion does not need to be routed through or otherwise made more complicated by the creation of an additional program. Moreover, we continue to emphasize the importance of ensuring that City-funded legal services are accessible to and reach impacted community members, including Southeast Asian refugees who are disproportionately targeted for deportation and face unique challenges to securing adequate legal representation. 2. Funding sources for emergency cash assistance. While some other cities in the region are utilizing cancelled event funds to support immigrant and refugee residents, their programs involve significantly smaller allocations.' We strongly encourage the Council to consider intergovernmental partnerships, public-private partnerships with philanthropic funders, and amendments to the municipal budget as primary options for funding the emergency assistance program instead of reallocating community event funds for reasons described below. All three options are also funding avenues pursued by other Southern California municipalities seeking to create aid programs for families impacted by immigration enforcement. 3. Honoring the agency of impacted residents and upholding community pride. There are legitimate safety concerns that many families are grappling with when deciding whether to step outside their homes, and direct cash assistance is one important way to support families negatively impacted by immigration enforcement. However, should the City Council pursue the creation of this emergency cash assistance fund, we encourage the Council to consider additional or alternative funding sources and allow families the choice of whether to participate in community events. Families deserve the opportunity to make informed decisions for themselves rather than having the Council make that decision for them wholesale through mass cancellation of events-important events that celebrate the rich heritage of local immigrant and refugee communities. Similar programs in the cities of El Monte and Montebello have involved municipal fund allocations of approximately$100,000. Even considering the larger population size and demographics of the City of Santa Ana,a proportionate program would likely be about$300,000-400,000.The City of Anaheim's program is a partnership and is only partially funded by the municipal government. Sincerely, Harbor Institute for Immigrant & Economic Justice Orange County Justice Fund El Centro Cultural de Mexico VietRISE Zuniga, Diana From: Escamilla, Manny <manuel.escamilla@ocgov.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2025 4:22 PM To: eComment Cc: Nunez, Alvaro; Vazquez, Sylvia Subject: Letter of Support - Items 26, 27, 28, & 32 Attachments: Letter of Support - COSA - 07.01.25 - Immigration Defense Items.pdf -Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana.Use caution when opening attachments or links. Hello Mayor and Council, On behalf of Supervisor Sarmiento, please see the attached letter of support for items 26, 27, 28, and 32. All the best, Manny Manuel J. Escamilla manuel.escamiIla@ocgov.com Senior Policy Advisor Office of Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento County Administration North 400 W. Civic Center Drive, Sixth Floor Santa Ana, CA 92701 Office: 714-834-3220 Cell: 657-401-5554 1 ' VICENTE SARMIENTO ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SUPERVISOR,SECOND DISTRICT COUNTY ADMINISTRATION NORTH BUILDING 400 W.CIVIC CENTER DRIVE.SANTA ANA,CALIFORNIA 92701 PHONE(714)834-3220 Mayor and City Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Dear Mayor and City Council, I am writing to support the City's efforts to respond to the unprecedented and constitutionally dubious mass immigration raids occurring throughout Orange County. Your four items are a necessary step to respond to the urgency of the situation: • Item 26 - Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to add additional transparency and public documentation of immigration enforcement activity within the City of Santa Ana. • Item 27 - Resolution calling on all federal representatives to advocate for the removal of ICE, military, and federal enforcement personnel; support residents impacted by immigration raids; and a reaffirmation of the City's Sanctuary City policies. • Item 28 — Considering a temporary program of financial assistance for families impacted by federal immigration enforcement actions funded by up to $1 million of the FY25-26 budget in accordance with the direction of the Council. • Item 32 -Discussing and Directing the City Staff to Prepare an ordinance requiring all law enforcement officers operating in Santa Ana to wear clearly visible identification, prohibiting face coverings that obscure identity during public interactions, and resolutions supporting SB 627 and SB 805. Thank you for taking a comprehensive approach to address the needs of our community in light of unaccountable masked and unidentified individuals operating in Orange County. The City of Huntington Park already identified ICE impersonators within their jurisdiction. Troublingly, we are witnessing an increasing number of reports of individuals impersonating federal agents in other parts of the Country. If there is anything that I or my office can do to assist with these items, please do not hesitate to reach out, 714-834-3220 or Vicente.Sarmientogocgov.com. Sincerely, Vicente Sarmiento Supervisor, Second District