Democratic senators send letter to Homeland Security secretary demanding answers on recent ICE shootings
Thirty-eight Democratic senators and an independent who caucuses with them wrote the head of Homeland Security on Sunday to demand numerous reforms to agency operations after recent fatal shootings by ICE agents in Houston and Biddeford, Maine.
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The letter, signed by independent Senator Angus King of Maine and 38 of his Democratic colleagues in the upper chamber, was addressed to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
The lawmakers said the recent killings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero in Biddeford were “completely unacceptable” and, coupled with past ICE shootings around the country, “undermine confidence” in law enforcement and endanger citizens.
The letter, signed by several New England Democrats but not by either Senate Democrat from Massachusetts, said the deaths of Arajuo and Durán Guerrero carry troubling similarities.
“In both incidents, the individuals were killed in enforcement actions in which they were not the intended targets,” the senators wrote. “Furthermore, both individuals were shot by DHS officials while inside a vehicle.”
In each case, DHS “quickly issued statements asserting that officers were acting in self-defense, even before evidence of the facts surrounding the incidents had been gathered,” the letter stated.
In addition, “no DHS officials involved in these fatal shootings wore body-worn cameras” during the deadly encounters, the letter said.
The senators said Trump administration officials have repeatedly pledged to roll out body cameras for ICE agents but implementation has yet to occur.
The lawmakers said they’re proposing reforms that are “based upon the standards applicable to virtually every law enforcement agency in the country (except immigration enforcement officers), including visibly displayed identification, no masks, and body-worn cameras.”
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Spokespersons for ICE and DHS didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the senators’ letter on Monday.
The senators also put four questions to ICE in the letter:
— What is DHS’s specific plan to respond to the public’s interest in timely, transparent, and independently verified investigations into these incidents?
— What are the vetting procedures with respect to new ICE recruits? Does ICE consider records of domestic violence and abuse from family courts in its vetting?
— What immediate updates or reviews are being made to ICE vehicle pursuit and traffic stop policies, including enhanced training specifically applicable to traffic stops to ensure they prioritize public and officer safety?
— Beyond the deployment of body-worn cameras, what additional oversight, reporting requirements, or public safety measures is the agency implementing?
The senators said they support efforts to remove violent criminals from the country, but that neither Araujo nor Durán Guerrero, a devoted father who worked multiple jobs, could be considered the “worst of the worst” by any stretch.
“The American people deserve clarity and accountability,” the letter said.
Material from previous Globe coverage was used in this report. This story will be updated when more information is released.
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