Brown E-Newsletter: I need to be honest with you about ICE and what happened in Minneapolis
The following is Congresswoman Brown's e-newsletter from January 8, 2025. To subscribe to our newsletter click here.
Subject: I need to be honest with you about ICE and what happened in Minneapolis
I want to speak plainly with you. What happened in Minneapolis yesterday was horrifying.
Renee Good was shot and killed during a massive ICE operation that has flooded the city with federal agents. This is an absolute tragedy, for a family, for a community, and for our country.
There must be a full, fair, and transparent investigation to bring justice and accountability. That includes accountability for the officer but also for the entire agency.
Yet based on what we already know, this never should have happened. And it is another tragic example of just how dangerously out of control ICE has become in the Trump Administration.
For months, Donald Trump has stoked fear and hatred toward immigrants and then sent ICE into cities to act on it. These operations are chaotic, heavily armed, and frightening for families and neighborhoods. Leaders in Minneapolis were clear: ICE did not make the situation safer. They made it worse.
Here’s what really infuriates me.
Trump, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem… they all know that when they flood Black and Brown communities with under-trained and over-aggressive ICE agents that bad things will happen. And they want bad things to happen.
I also want to be very clear about how we got here.
I strongly opposed Trump’s “Big Ugly Law” and moments like this are exactly why.
That bill tripled ICE’s budget and rushed the hiring, training, and deployment of roughly 12,000 new ICE agents. And it paid for this by cutting heath care and food assistance for millions of Americans, including thousands of families in our community. So what did we get? More raids and more chaos, paid for by taking health care and food away from working families.
When you fan the flames of xenophobia and hatred and you expand a law enforcement agency at this scale without meaningful oversight, you invite abuse, mistakes, and tragedy.
Minneapolis is not an isolated incident. It is a warning sign.
Here is where I stand—and what I am doing:
- Speaking out: I’ve used my position on the Oversight Committee to call out the White House for blatantly violating constitutional rights, stoking fear, and demonizing immigrants, as well as weaponizing ICE to recklessly and lawlessly target immigrant communities. I will continue to speak out and speak the truth – because the Trump Administration keeps lying.
- Local outreach: my office has assigned additional staff to work on immigration casework issues and support for immigrants and their families. I have been in close contact with local faith leaders and advocates and shared Know Your Rights resources and we will continue to do so.
- Legislation: We need new laws and protections to stop abuse and protect civil rights. I’m a cosponsor of the No Secret Police Act of 2025 to ban ICE agents from hiding their identities during arrests and require clearly visible uniforms. No one in America should be detained by masked agents who refuse to identify themselves. I also support the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to stop ICE and CBP from carrying out enforcement near hospitals, schools, childcare centers, shelters, places of worship, and other places. These places must be safe—period. ICE has no place in classrooms or in the pews of our churches.
- Court Actions: This administration is lawless, which is why they’ve already lost in court over a thousand times on immigration cases. I have signed onto an amicus brief in Centro de Trabajadores Unidos v. Bessent to block a DHS–IRS agreement that would allow ICE to access confidential taxpayer records. Your tax filings should never be turned into a dragnet.
And I want you to know this: I am exploring every option available to Congress to rein in ICE. That includes funding decisions, reforming qualified immunity for ICE agents, aggressive oversight through the Oversight Committee, and using every investigative tool we have to restore accountability and transparency. We may be in the minority with Republican colleagues intent on stonewalling our every action, but that won’t stop me from trying.
The bottom line is that this not normal. And I refuse to treat it as such.
Finally, I know that Trump’s weaponization of ICE has not been limited to Minnesota.
Here in Northeast Ohio, many people in immigrant communities no longer feel safe, are afraid to speak Spanish or other languages, are even afraid to go to church – because they know they’re being targeted.
As always, I am so proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our caring and inclusive Northeast Ohio community. If you see something that concerns you in your neighborhood, please contact us.
This is one of those moments where our country is at a fork in the road – and we have to make sure we move towards justice, fairness, and peace.
Sincerely,
Congresswoman Shontel Brown