25 signatures reached
To: Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith
ICE is a threat to citizens and to democracy
This comes from the grassroots neighbor community, not an organization. We are standing up every day and doing what we can to try to keep our neighbors and friends safe...because we know the difference between right and wrong. There is a sea change already underway, with more and more people waking up, paying attention, and acting. We are upset, angry, scared, but determined. As we take action in our communities, we are waiting to see you stand up in a truly meaningful way to end the crisis, not with token gestures toward safety and oversight.
ICE does not make us safer, but the opposite. Do not agree to fund DHS without meaningful change. As Robert Hubbel writes, "Every ICE officer who skipped the security clearances and received the shortened 47-day training should be fired and forced to reapply. Kristi Noem should be fired. The lawyers who drafted a memo saying that ICE could break into homes without a judicial warrant should be fired. Investigations into the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti should be referred to an independent special counsel. The state of Minnesota should be given complete access to all evidence relating to the killings." All these would be good first steps. But there is no real justification or excuse for ICE to exist at this point. Anything less than abolishing it will mean, inevitably, more pain, suffering. Two innocent civilians from our community are gone, many more injured and acutely traumatized. Given what we have seen, we don't trust any reforms would make ICE into a safe, trustworthy institution that operates as it should.
We need meaningful change now and the country is with us. The majority (46 percent) of people polled recently on yougov.com now support abolishing ICE, and that number will only rise. If the Republicans won't separate the DHS package, then you must shut down the government over this. This is your moment to come through for us.
ICE does not make us safer, but the opposite. Do not agree to fund DHS without meaningful change. As Robert Hubbel writes, "Every ICE officer who skipped the security clearances and received the shortened 47-day training should be fired and forced to reapply. Kristi Noem should be fired. The lawyers who drafted a memo saying that ICE could break into homes without a judicial warrant should be fired. Investigations into the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti should be referred to an independent special counsel. The state of Minnesota should be given complete access to all evidence relating to the killings." All these would be good first steps. But there is no real justification or excuse for ICE to exist at this point. Anything less than abolishing it will mean, inevitably, more pain, suffering. Two innocent civilians from our community are gone, many more injured and acutely traumatized. Given what we have seen, we don't trust any reforms would make ICE into a safe, trustworthy institution that operates as it should.
We need meaningful change now and the country is with us. The majority (46 percent) of people polled recently on yougov.com now support abolishing ICE, and that number will only rise. If the Republicans won't separate the DHS package, then you must shut down the government over this. This is your moment to come through for us.
Why is this important?
As long as ICE exists, even with "safeguards" like body cameras and training, then we aren't safe. Minnesota knows too well there is no real solution but to disband ICE. Furthermore, other solutions to immigration can be found. Spain announced on January 27 that it is granting legal status to hundreds of thousands of people already living and working there but lacking authorization. Instead of ICE enforcement, we could do something like that and stop wasting taxpayer money pretending it will help anything to hunt innocent, hard working people down.