Washington, D.C. (February 5, 2025)—Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, sent a letter demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following reports that ICE wrongfully detained U.S. citizens during immigration enforcement raids.
“We write to request more information about troubling reports that U.S. citizens have been detained during immigration enforcement operations. A recent NBC Newsarticle highlighted multiple incidents in which American citizens were wrongfully detained during immigration enforcement raids. Additionally, Telemundo Puerto Rico recently reportedon three U.S. citizens in Milwaukee – a toddler, his mother, and grandmother – who were detained and transported to an immigration detention center,” wrote the Ranking Members.
In the letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Caleb Vitello, the Ranking Members cite the law and ICE policy which prevent the detainment of U.S. citizens, and emphasize the importance of adhering to the law in order to ensure that the escalating government assault on immigrants does not also violate Americans’ constitutional rights.
The Ranking Members requested details on each incident where a U.S. citizen was detained during immigration enforcement activities since the start of the Trump Administration, as well as information on the policies ICE currently has in place to prevent the wrongful detention of U.S. citizens, by no later than February 18.
