U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks and Grace Meng joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards at Borough Corridor Jan. 29 to demand accountability for ICE brokers concerned within the deadly shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis this month.
Elected officers additionally referred to as for ICE to right away stop operations in Minnesota and cease “terrorizing communities” in Queens through the occasion.
Meeks, Meng and Richards joined quite a few native religion leaders on the Helen Marshall Cultural Middle at Borough Corridor to name for a complete, unbiased investigation into the shootings of Good and Pretti. Additionally they referred to as for ICE to be defunded till important “guardrails” are launched.
U.S. Reps. Grace Meng and Gregory Meeks joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and quite a few religion leaders at Queens Borough Corridor Thursday afternoon. Photograph by Ramy Mahmoud.
Democrats demand investigations after deadly shootings
Good was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross when she tried to tug off from a site visitors cease in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. The Trump Administration has alleged that Good had tried to run Ross over together with her automobile and that the agent was appearing in self-defense. Democratic lawmakers have closely disputed this, demanding a prison investigation into the capturing.
Pretti, in the meantime, was shot a number of occasions by US Customs and Border Safety (CBP) brokers on Jan. 24 throughout a protest towards ICE presence in Minneapolis. Pretti, who was carrying a authorized firearm in a holster, had been trying to assist a lady who had been shoved to the bottom by brokers when he was pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the bottom by a number of CBP brokers, a separate company throughout the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS).
Widespread footage of the incident seems to point out brokers eradicating Pretti’s firearm from the scene earlier than different brokers fired as much as 10 photographs, showing to contradict DHS claims that officers had fired defensive photographs.
Meeks accused the Trump Administration of unleashing “brutality” on American streets by means of present immigration enforcement insurance policies, including that the U.S. is at the moment in a “dangerous place.” He demanded unbiased investigations into each shootings throughout Thursday’s press convention.
He additionally famous that Home and Senate Democrats are at the moment negotiating with their Republican counterparts to “stop taxpayer dollars” from reaching DHS, which covers ICE, CBP, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service.
Senate removes DHS funding from spending package deal
On Jan. 29, Republicans and Democrats within the Senate reached an settlement to take away funding for DHS from a package deal of six spending payments.
The deal approves funding for the treasury, the federal courtroom system, the Well being Division, the Struggle Division (beforehand the Division of Protection) and different companies till Sept. 30. DHS funding will proceed at its present stage for 2 weeks whereas either side work out a brand new deal to fund the company.
Meeks stated that ICE needs to be “defunded” as a part of the deal.
“We are negotiating and working on something to stop the madness,” Meeks stated. “(Republicans should) work with Democrats to stop taxpayer dollars from flowing to the hands of an administration set on brutalizing our communities and killing those who stand in the way.”
DHS didn’t reply to a request for remark. The Trump Administration, nevertheless, has persistently defended ICE previously, with Vice President JD Vance incorrectly stating that Ross is protected by “absolute immunity” within the capturing of Good. Vance additionally defended Ross by stating that the officer was “doing his job.”
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, in the meantime, has additionally objected to defunding ICE, stating that he’ll “not keep ICE from doing their job.”
“The American people wanted the president to enforce law and order and ICE is doing their job,” Mullin informed NPR.
Meeks, nevertheless, insisted that he would solely vote in favor of funding for DHS if lawmakers included provisions to “fix the issues with the DHS,” together with banning the usage of masks by ICE brokers, mandating that ICE brokers should put on physique cameras and mandating that brokers should have a judicial warrant.
Deadly shootings are ‘shocking and sickening’
Meng, in the meantime, described the deadly capturing of Good and Pretti as “shocking and sickening” and added that communities throughout Queens had been “terrorized” by federal immigration authorities since President Donald Trump took workplace 12 months in the past.
“The horrifying footage speaks for itself,” Meng stated. “It is shocking and sickening, but it’s not just about the two of them. It’s also about so many others in Minneapolis and in New York, right here in Queens, who have been terrified and terrorized by ICE.”
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng. Photograph by Ramy Mahmoud.
Meng alleged that the overwhelming majority of Queens residents detained by ICE have “never been in trouble with the law.” She additionally demanded accountability for ICE brokers concerned in deadly shootings in Minnesota and “unjust detention” of constituents in Queens.
“If anything in this country demands accountability right now, it is the actions of these ICE agents,” Meng stated. “These violent thugs and their bosses have no place in our law enforcement agencies. When the people who are supposed to keep us safe are shooting Americans in cold blood in Minneapolis or kidnapping my constituents in Queens, something is deeply wrong.”
Meng vowed to make use of “every tool at her disposal” to demand accountability from ICE, noting that she voted towards a DHS funding package deal final week in addition to co-sponsoring laws calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to be impeached.
Richards says ICE needs to be abolished
Richards, alternatively, referred to as for ICE to be abolished in a fiery speech that slammed ICE because the “American Taliban.” The Borough President stated there is no such thing as a various however to abolish ICE as a result of it could possibly now not exist in its present state.
“You can’t fix what they’re doing,” Richards stated.
He stated immigrant households are “living in fear” in Queens, stopping them from accessing colleges, work, well being companies and church buildings. He added that his workplace has acquired reviews of ICE brokers ready outdoors colleges to “sweep families off their feet.” Richards additional described ICE as “Donald Trump’s Gestapo” within the deal with.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. Photograph by Ramy Mahmoud.
“Queens might not look occupied like Minneapolis, but the mental and emotional scars our families bear are just the same,” Richards stated. “What we’ve all seen on video, of course, cannot be whitewashed. It can’t be covered up, and it will never be forgotten.”
Investigations can’t be ‘covered up’
Meeks additionally stated officers concerned within the shootings of Good and Pretti needs to be held accountable, stating that there was “no real threat” to officers in both scenario.
“It can’t be an investigation that is covered up,” Meeks stated.
Meeks alleged that there are similarities between ICE and police in authoritarian regimes.
“Bursting out of cars with masks on, breaking down doors and indiscriminately taking people into custody. Well, history shows that did take place in Nazi Germany,” Meeks stated.
He stated Congress should defund ICE in its present kind, including that the company ought to solely goal undocumented immigrants who’ve been convicted of committing crimes, notably violent crimes.
“Let’s not fund them until they change,” Meeks stated. “There are modifications that need to be made. There must be guardrails. There must be extra transparency and accountability.
“ICE, in its current form, cannot exist.”
Reverend Jeffrey Courter, pastor on the First Presbyterian Church of Forest Hills. Photograph by Ramy Mahmod.
