15 Democratic Vets Demand ICE and CBP Interior Operations Stand Down

Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: 15 Democratic Vets Demand ICE and CBP Interior Operations Stand Down

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, 15 Democratic veterans are calling for a stand down of ICE and CBP interior operations following the second killing by federal agents of an American citizen in Minnesota.

Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Rep. Herb Conaway (D-NJ), Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), Rep. Chris DeLuzio (D-PA), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Rep. Derek Tran (D-CA) and Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) issued the following statement:

“As veterans, we are outraged and horrified by the killing of a second civilian in Minneapolis by federal agents in less than three weeks. Border Patrol agents shot and killed 37-year-old American citizen Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at a VA hospital. Video footage and eyewitness accounts of this incident are deeply disturbing and raise serious questions about the use of force. 

“This tragic killing comes on the heels of the fatal shooting of Renée Good earlier this month, and multiple other documented incidents of civil-rights abuses and excessive enforcement by ICE and CBP in Minnesota – demonstrating a pattern of misconduct that has fractured trust and terrified communities.

“In the military, when preventable deaths occur, leaders stand down operations to review/change policies, reassess missions, retrain personnel, and implement stronger safety protocols. The Department of Homeland Security must do no less. Our communities are less safe, and tensions have reached a boiling point.

“For these reasons, we call for an immediate stand down of ICE and CBP interior enforcement operations and demand the resignation of the Secretary of Homeland Security. Current leadership has failed to protect civil liberties, ensure accountability, or maintain the public trust.

“We also demand full, transparent, independent investigations into these deaths and abuses, and decisive steps to prevent further civilian killings at the hands of federal agents.”

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U.S. Rep. McCollum Statement on Domestic Provisions of Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026. Upon passage of the measure, Ranking Member Betty McCollum issued the following statement:

“Due to the perseverance of my Democratic colleagues, this legislation protects funding for Democratic priorities, reasserts Congress’s power of the purse, and rejects Republicans’ poison pill riders.

“In the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS-Ed) appropriations bill Democrats secured big wins for our public health, our workforce, and our communities. This bill provides a $400 million increase to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a $1.7 billion increase to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and a $364 million increase to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), rebuking the deep cuts made to these agencies in the Republican House bill. It restores funding to several programs that were eliminated by President Trump and House Republicans, including: Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and valuable Title X Family Planning funding. This bill increases funding for Special Education, protects the Pell Grant, and saves the Institute of Museum and Library Science from closing down. It increases funding to Head Start, LIHEAP, and the Social Security Administration, ensuring that Americans have the best chance at success from preschool to post-retirement. 

“The FY26 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill provides necessary funding to house our neighbors, build more affordable housing, and keep our skies safe The agreement safeguards the Continuum of Care program from Trump administration attacks. The agreement also rejects the President’s proposal to end the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the sole federal program that helps communities build more affordable housing for rent and homeownership. Further, the bill would ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration can hire 2,500 new air traffic controller trainees to keep our skies safe.

“While these bills were not written perfectly, I am thankful that we were able to come together in a bipartisan manner to protect the American people from President Trump’s most divisive cuts and prevent a government shutdown.”

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Beyer Calls For Noem’s Impeachment Following Murders Of Alex Pretti And Renee Good

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today released a video statement with his response to the Trump Administration’s federal occupation of Minneapolis, which culminated in the recent murder of 37-year-old mother Renee Good by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. 

Beyer called for the removal of ICE, CBP, and other DHS personnel from Minneapolis, a full, independent investigation of the killings of Pretti and Good, and the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

[VIDEO HERE]

Beyer’s posts: 

The Department of Homeland Security is murdering American citizens. Congress cannot allow that to continue, we must act.

We need a full, independent investigation into these killings.

ICE, CBP and other DHS personnel must leave Minnesota and other cities where they have been sent to sow division and fear.

No more occupation. No more assaults on Americans peacefully exercising their rights. No more masked agents. No more warrantless entries. No more mass arrests to fill deportation quotas.

I voted against funding for DHS. Congress shouldn’t pass funding for this lawless agency without major guardrails.

And the House should impeach Kristi Noem.

Transcript of Beyer’s video:

The murder of Alex Pretti by [CBP] is an outrage.

This is the most horrifying act of our government I’ve ever seen on video.

Like the murder of Renee Good, eye witness videos prove that [the Department of] Homeland Security is lying about the shooting.

[In the videos] We see a [CBP] agent charge a woman who has been filming him. Then he shoves her to the ground and pepper sprays her face.

Alex Pretti does what you or I would do, he tries to protect her by placing himself between her and the agent, and then struggles to help her to her feet. They both slip on the ice, but Alex continues to shield the woman with his body.

That’s when we witness the murder. CBP agents pepper spray him, tackle him to the ground, and then shoot him in the back again and again.

Shots the Department of Homeland Security insanely calls “defensive shots.”

I’ve called for the resignation of Kristi Noem, and I will vote for her impeachment.

She’s obstructing local authorities from investigating two murders committed in Minneapolis by DHS agents.

DHS cannot be allowed to investigate itself. That’s how it’s done in dictatorships, not in America.

[These DHS agents are] Wearing masks – federal forces are entering people’s homes without warrants, they’re violating our constitutional rights, and sowing division and fear, all to meet a Kristi Noem [deportation] quota.

Last week, I voted against the bill funding [the Department of] Homeland Security. Now it’s up to the Senate.

What can you do? It’s time for everyone who believes in the Constitution, the rule of law, and basic human dignity to stand together peacefully against the immorality of this administration.

Congressman Neguse and Colleagues Seek Emergency Court Intervention to Restore Congressional Oversight at ICE Detention Facilities

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

Emergency Motion Filed After ICE Denies Minnesota Delegation Access to Facility, Citing Reinstated Policy in Secret Memo Issued by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado Congressman and Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse led more than a dozen Members of Congress in filing an amended complaint and emergency motion seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to restore their right and duty to conduct oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities.

The latest filing in Neguse et al. v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement et al. comes after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unlawfully tried to restrict members of Congress from conducting unannounced oversight visits at ICE detention facilities, directly interfering with Congress’s right and duty to investigate conditions, ensure compliance with the law, and respond to rising reports of abuse and violence inside detention centers.

After the court preliminarily blocked the policy in December 2025, and following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by a federal agent in Minnesota, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem secretly reinstated the requirement through a previously undisclosed memorandum. The memo came to light only after multiple members of Congress were denied entry to an ICE facility in Minnesota despite presenting a valid court order. 

This filing adds Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) as a plaintiff in the case, after she was denied access to conduct lawful oversight at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minnesota. 

Other plaintiffs include Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse; Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat; Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bennie G. Thompson; Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin; House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia; House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Ranking Member Rep. J. Luis Correa; Rep. Jason Crow; Rep. Veronica Escobar; Rep. Dan Goldman; Rep. Jimmy Gomez; Rep. Raul Ruiz; and Rep. Norma Torres.

In a joint statement, the plaintiffs said, “The Trump administration is using billions of taxpayer dollars to carry out a violent and lawless immigration agenda with virtually no transparency or accountability. This is not only deeply dangerous — it is an affront to the rule of law and to our constitutional duty as Members of Congress. 2025 marked the deadliest year for those in ICE custody in more than two decades, with record detentions and mounting reports of abuse and inhumane conditions. We can’t turn a blind eye. We are returning to court to restore congressional oversight and hold this administration accountable to the American people.”

Read the amended complaint HERE and the emergency motion HERE.

The TRO asks the court to enforce the law by stopping DHS and ICE from obstructing oversight and restoring Congress’s ability to inspect detention facilities in real time. Without unannounced access, members cannot verify how taxpayer dollars are being spent, ensure people in government custody are treated humanely, or prevent agencies from concealing unlawful conditions before inspections occur. 

The Members of Congress are represented in this suit by Democracy Forward Foundation and American Oversight.

“The Trump-Vance administration is trying to keep Americans from seeing what is really happening at these detention facilities to avoid accountability. We cannot avert our eyes, and our clients are entitled to use the levers of oversight that we have to get to the truth,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “People – regardless of citizenship or immigration status – are being swept up in reckless raids, detained in overcrowded facilities, denied medical care and access to counsel, and, in some cases, dying in government custody. We are back in court because the administration continues to deny access to members of Congress from conducting essential oversight at a time when it is most needed.”

“The public has repeatedly witnessed the deadly consequences of ICE’s lawless conduct on American streets and learned of the abhorrent abuses inside its detention facilities,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight. “Enough is enough. Deliberately blocking Congress from exercising its lawful oversight authority to evade accountability is indefensible. Real-time inspections are the only way to shed sunlight on the increasingly dangerous and inhumane conditions in ICE facilities. Congress’s right to conduct them must be restored immediately so lawmakers can do their jobs and prevent the administration from abusing, harming, and killing more people.”

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Crow Returns to Court Against Trump Administration to Uphold Congressional Oversight of Immigration Detention Facilities

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06) will return to federal court against the Trump Administration to challenge their attempts at stonewalling Congress’s legal right to conduct oversight of federal immigration detention facilities.

Earlier this month, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem secretly imposed a policy requiring that members of Congress provide seven days’ notice before being granted access to these facilities. Under federal law, however, all members of Congress have the right to conduct unannounced oversight of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities used for immigration detention, including facilities run by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and those operated by private companies.

In a statement, Congressman Crow and other lawsuit plaintiffs said: 

“The Trump administration is using billions of taxpayer dollars to carry out a violent and lawless immigration agenda with virtually no transparency or accountability. This is not only deeply dangerous — it is an affront to the rule of law and to our constitutional duty as Members of Congress. 2025 marked the deadliest year for those in ICE custody in more than two decades, with record detentions and mounting reports of abuse and inhumane conditions. We can’t turn a blind eye. We are returning to court to restore congressional oversight and hold this administration accountable to the American people.”

In July 2025, Congressman Crow sued the Trump Administration to uphold his right to conduct oversight of these facilities following his unlawful denial from a detention facility in Aurora.

Additional Members of Congress who were denied access to federal immigration detention facilities joined Crow as plaintiffs in the lawsuit: Representatives Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Dan Goldman (D-NY-10), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Norma Torres (D-CA-35), Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Lou Correa (D-CA-46), and Kelly Morrison (MN-03).

Since his election to Congress, Crow has fought to promote transparency, oversight, and accountability in federal immigration detention centers. He introduced bipartisan legislation guaranteeing Members of Congress the right to conduct unannounced, in-person oversight visits of ICE detention facilities, including to check on any concerns related to public health and the humane treatment of detained individuals.

Crow regularly conducts oversight of Aurora’s immigration detention facility. Since 2019, he has visited the facility to conduct oversight ten times. Crow’s staff have also visited the facility more than 80 times to conduct oversight. Public reports of such visits, along with conditions at the facility, are published on Crow’s website.

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Congressman Cohen Recognizes New “Righteousness Among the Nations” on Holocaust Memorial Day

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today recognized Tuesday’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Day by calling Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis for standing up for a just cause, just like the “righteousness among the nations” who saved Jews from the Holocaust.

He noted that the painter Marc Chagall credited the “righteous” non-Jews for saving his life after he fled to Marseille during the Second World War. The Nazi assaults, like current ICE outrages, are being conducted by agents of government.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“Every year, we recall the loss of the millions killed by Nazis during the Second World War, a holocaust of innocent humanity unlike anything in history. We may not always remember the heroes of that period, those who stood up despite immense personal danger and in defiance of real evil, to protect innocent people they barely knew. In recent days, we have seen what Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial, calls ‘the righteousness of the nations’ stand up to the inhumane, uncivilized and brutish attacks on peaceful protestors by the immoral ICE raids in Minneapolis. Renee Good and Alex Pretti were exercising their right to object to the lawlessness and are now dead. They are, on this Day of Remembrance, among ‘the righteousness of the nations,’ and will be forever remembered for their exemplary sacrifice.”WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today recognized Tuesday’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Day by calling Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis for standing up for a just cause, just like the “righteousness among the nations” who saved Jews from the Holocaust.

He noted that the painter Marc Chagall credited the “righteous” non-Jews for saving his life after he fled to Marseille during the Second World War. The Nazi assaults, like current ICE outrages, are being conducted by agents of government.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“Every year, we recall the loss of the millions killed by Nazis during the Second World War, a holocaust of innocent humanity unlike anything in history. We may not always remember the heroes of that period, those who stood up despite immense personal danger and in defiance of real evil, to protect innocent people they barely knew. In recent days, we have seen what Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial, calls ‘the righteousness of the nations’ stand up to the inhumane, uncivilized and brutish attacks on peaceful protestors by the immoral ICE raids in Minneapolis. Renee Good and Alex Pretti were exercising their right to object to the lawlessness and are now dead. They are, on this Day of Remembrance, among ‘the righteousness of the nations,’ and will be forever remembered for their exemplary sacrifice.”

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McGovern Calls for Forceful International Response Following Minneapolis Shootings

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA)

WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and top Democrat on the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, released the following statement encouraging global human rights leaders to continue forcefully speaking out about the death of Alex Pretti at the hands of U.S. government agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota:

“This weekend in Minneapolis, the United States government shot and killed Alex Pretti—an ICU nurse with no prior criminal history who was observing and documenting an interaction between federal officers and local residents. His last act was taking care of a woman who had been pushed to the ground by federal agents. Alarmingly, the agents who shot Mr. Pretti have not been put on leave, and it is unclear whether a thorough and transparent investigation will take place—signaling that federal officers would be acting with impunity, and denying Mr. Pretti’s family access to justice or appropriate reparations.

“To be clear, Mr. Pretti was legally and peacefully exercising both his First and Second Amendment rights under the United States Constitution. He was working to promote and protect human rights while taking actions that are specifically protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—the latter of which is the Supreme Law of the Land under Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution.

“As Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, named in honor of the only Holocaust survivor to ever serve in Congress, I call on governments and human rights leaders around the world to continue speaking out and sounding the alarm about what is going on in the United States. I call upon all relevant UN bodies, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and global human rights organizations and defenders to forcefully condemn Mr. Pretti’s death and demand an immediate and impartial investigation.

“I appreciate UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor, who correctly characterized Mr. Pretti as someone actively engaged in human rights defense—documenting alleged violations and assisting people who are subjected to them. I also welcome UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s statement that the United States must ensure that its migration policies and enforcement practices respect human dignity and due process rights.

“The United States should welcome such scrutiny—any government that claims legitimacy must be willing to be judged by the same standards it invokes against others. The world is watching what we do now: whether we defend the right to document state power, whether we protect dissent, and whether we hold our government accountable for unlawful actions. If America wants to stand for human rights again, we must start by telling the truth—and by making clear that no badge, no agency, and no president is above the law.”

DelBene Calls for Noem Impeachment

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

DelBene Calls for Noem Impeachment

Bellevue, WA, January 26, 2026

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement:

“ICE agents shot and killed a mother of three. They used a five-year-old as bait to detain his family. They shot and killed an ICU nurse. Then DHS Secretary Noem and others in the Trump administration turn around and lie to the American public about what really happened. This is part of a growing systemic pattern of violence and terror carried out by federal agents with taxpayer dollars.

“ICE is out of control. The American people are demanding accountability for these horrific acts. Accountability needs to start with Secretary Noem. It’s clear that the administration and Republicans in Congress are unwilling to hold ICE and its leadership accountable. That’s why I’m calling for the impeachment of Secretary Noem and a full investigation into these tragic events. This violence and terror need to stop.”

Rep. Gomez Cosponsors Articles of Impeachment Against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) co-sponsored articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Gomez joined Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) in filing three articles of impeachment against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem: 

1. Obstruction of Congress: DHS unlawfully imposed a policy requiring Members of Congress to give advance notice before conducting oversight visits at immigration detention facilities, interfering with Congress’s constitutional oversight authority, and preventing lawmakers from examining conditions and government conduct as incidents of violence against detainees was on the rise. Last month, the court preliminarily stopped DHS’s policy, affirming the rights of Members to conduct unannounced visits. However, after an ICE officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen last week, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem quietly signed a new memorandum reinstating the same seven-day notice requirement.

2. Violation of Public Trust: Secretary Noem has repeatedly violated the Immigration and Nationality Act, the First and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution. She’s also broken due process by directing ICE to conduct warrantless arrests and use violence against U.S. citizens and lawful individuals. These dangerous actions have continued in cities across the country, including in Minneapolis, where Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed without justification.

3. Self-Dealing: Secretary Noem has misused her position for personal gain while inappropriately using $200 million taxpayer dollars to fund an ad campaign for ICE recruitment. She bypassed the normal competitive bidding process to award a contract to a firm called Strategy Group. Strategy Group was formed just days before the award and is run by the husband of senior DHS official Tricia McClaughlin, a close friend of Secretary Noem.  

Click here to view the text of the impeachment articles.  

Sánchez: Shooting in Minnesota falls squarely at Trump’s feet

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) today released the following statement after federal immigration agents shot and killed another U.S. citizen in Minnesota:

“The killing of U.S. citizens in our streets falls squarely at Trump’s feet. He is the one who unleashed federal agents to terrorize previously peaceful communities. Agents without training, accountability or respect for human life are not law enforcement – they have become hired assassins.

“The majority of House Democrats voted this week to block ICE’s funding and rein in the chaos. The Senate must immediately join us to end the escalation of violence. There must also be a completely independent and fully transparent investigation into these aggressive tactics, and anyone who broke the law must be held accountable.

“The Trump administration’s unchecked abuse of power has transformed our neighborhoods into warzones where no one feels safe. It must end now!”

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