Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has requested an explanation from the Trump administration regarding U.S. citizens who were caught up in recent immigration enforcement actions. Joined by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, they have asked for details on immigration enforcement actions involving U.S. citizens since Jan. 20. Raskin expressed concerns about the possibility of racial and ethnic profiling leading to the unlawful detention of citizens, calling for answers to troubling stories of citizens being targeted, detained, and questioned.
The lawmakers emphasized a 2015 ICE policy stating that ICE cannot assert its civil immigration enforcement authority to arrest or detain a U.S. citizen, and interactions with citizens should be handled with utmost care. Reports of U.S. citizens being detained and approached by ICE agents have raised concerns about racial profiling and targeting based on race or skin color. Complaints have been made by Navajo Nation citizens and a business owner in New Jersey, among others.
The letter from Raskin and Jayapal requested information on detained U.S. citizens, including their names, ages, and any criminal records, as well as the agencies involved in the enforcement actions. They also inquired about the current ICE policy on encounters with U.S. citizens and any updates to policies and procedures since the recent incidents. Concerns over ICE confrontations with U.S. citizens have previously led to congressional inquiries, with conflicting policies and poor tracking of encounters noted in a report by the Government Accountability Office during the Biden administration.
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