New Legislation Hopes to Rein in ICE's Use of Force
A proposed bill aims to establish strict guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents when it comes to the use of force, after a recent incident in Minneapolis where an agent killed a 37-year-old mother who was simply observing from her neighborhood.
The "DHS Use of Force Oversight Act" would require ICE officers to only use the amount of force that is objectively reasonable and attempt to identify themselves before using force. The bill also mandates that DHS collect and maintain consistent data on the use of force, publish a report online for each incident where force was used, and brief lawmakers and the public within 24 hours if an agent is involved in a fatal or serious injury.
Rep. Delia Ramirez, who plans to introduce this legislation, says it's "the bare minimum" to curb DHS violence and that Democrats should also withhold federal funding from ICE as part of their efforts to dismantle the agency.
Recent polling suggests that many Americans support abolishing ICE, which has faced criticism for its handling of immigration cases. Ramirez argues that the current situation is unacceptable, saying "This agency was designed intentionally to give them massive latitude to do whatever they want in the name of protecting us from domestic terrorism."
The bill's slim chances of passing in the Republican-majority House are a concern, but Ramirez hopes to get bipartisan support to pass this legislation quickly.
A proposed bill aims to establish strict guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents when it comes to the use of force, after a recent incident in Minneapolis where an agent killed a 37-year-old mother who was simply observing from her neighborhood.
The "DHS Use of Force Oversight Act" would require ICE officers to only use the amount of force that is objectively reasonable and attempt to identify themselves before using force. The bill also mandates that DHS collect and maintain consistent data on the use of force, publish a report online for each incident where force was used, and brief lawmakers and the public within 24 hours if an agent is involved in a fatal or serious injury.
Rep. Delia Ramirez, who plans to introduce this legislation, says it's "the bare minimum" to curb DHS violence and that Democrats should also withhold federal funding from ICE as part of their efforts to dismantle the agency.
Recent polling suggests that many Americans support abolishing ICE, which has faced criticism for its handling of immigration cases. Ramirez argues that the current situation is unacceptable, saying "This agency was designed intentionally to give them massive latitude to do whatever they want in the name of protecting us from domestic terrorism."
The bill's slim chances of passing in the Republican-majority House are a concern, but Ramirez hopes to get bipartisan support to pass this legislation quickly.
. I mean, someone just chillin' in their neighborhood and gets killed by a cop. That's not right. The proposed bill sounds like a good start, but it's about time we had some real accountability for these agents. I'm all for strict guidelines on the use of force - it's crazy how much leeway they've got now.
This whole thing got me thinking - how do we balance keeping our communities safe with the need for accountability? I mean, ICE is supposed to be enforcing laws, not using force that's gonna end up taking lives 
. It's like, what's reasonable in a split second vs what's really necessary to protect everyone involved? We gotta get better at recognizing when things escalate too quickly and finding ways to de-escalate before it gets deadly. And yeah, transparency is key - we need to see the data on how often these incidents happen so we can start making changes. It's all about finding that sweet spot between security and human rights 
she was just out for a walk and ICE agents went and killed her?! It's like they're above the law or something, no wonder people are so scared of them. And now this bill is trying to establish some kinda rules for how they can use force, but it's just too little, too late 
I mean what's "objectively reasonable" gonna even look like in real life? It's not like they're going to be like "oh wait, I'll just put on my thinking cap and calculate the optimal amount of force for the situation" 
it's time to dismantle this broken system that's been causing so much harm and trauma to so many people. We need real change, not just some watered down legislation that's gonna get swept under the rug by politicians who don't care 
. The polling numbers show that many Americans support abolishing ICE, so it's time for lawmakers to listen 
.
. We need to hold our elected officials accountable and make sure that these agents are held to a higher standard of conduct 
.
I mean, I've heard of officers using excessive force before, but this is crazy. The fact that it happened in Minneapolis and not in some war zone makes you wonder if our justice system is even working anymore.
.
. Let's hope that this bill makes it through and brings some much-needed reform to our country 
.
. The fact that DHS has been criticized for its handling of immigration cases is a clear indication that the current system needs an overhaul 
. I'm not surprised that Rep. Ramirez wants to withhold federal funding from ICE - if they're not going to be held to a higher standard, then maybe we shouldn't be supporting them at all 
.
. And what's up with the whole "protecting us from domestic terrorism" excuse? It feels like a super lazy way to justify all sorts of abuse of power...
. like, we've had reports of these officers basically running amok for years and now it's only when someone dies that something gets done 
. newsflash: if you want this bill passed, you need more than just a few token Republicans on board 
. and btw, how much "latitude" do these agents actually have to start with? 
she was just minding her own biz and ICE showed up and got crazy 
like how much more is enough?! this bill sounds super reasonable i think it's about time we start holding our law enforcement (and immigration officers) accountable for their actions 
hopefully rep ramirez can get some bipartisan support to pass this ASAP so no one else has to go through that 
. But, you know, the system's not perfect and maybe we're just expecting too much from a group that's tasked with enforcing border control? 
Collecting data on use of force and publishing reports online could be a good start, at least.
but, I mean, what if they are doing their job too well? 
Would it make them more accountable or just create more problems down the line? 
and I'm literally distracted from thinking about ICE and their use of force 
. Anyway, back to the bill... I think it's good that Rep. Ramirez wants to introduce stricter guidelines, maybe they could also look into training programs for ICE agents on de-escalation techniques? That would be a great start 
. I've been seeing so many protests and rallies about this issue 
. Hopefully, someone in power will listen and make some real changes 
.