The video arrived on a Saturday, and it hasn’t left my mind since. It showed a chilling scene unfolding in Minnesota: federal immigration officers firing point-blank at a civilian. The escalation was immediate, brutal. The man was already on the ground, unarmed, presenting no discernible threat, yet the officers unleashed a barrage of over ten shots in just five seconds.
My own experiences in Iraq, navigating the complexities of combat where the line between threat and innocence often blurred, taught me the paramount importance of de-escalation. We were trained to prioritize diffusing tension, not to succumb to the intoxicating allure of unchecked power. What I witnessed in that video wasn’t law enforcement; it was murder.
This isn’t an isolated incident. The killing of Renee Good, a mother of three, in Minneapolis on January 7th, remains a horrifying example. She was shot three times in the face, a senseless act that has shaken communities nationwide. It begs a disturbing question: if this is how these agents operate with cameras rolling, what happens when they believe they are unseen?
A disturbing pattern is emerging. When government agencies begin to treat entire communities as potential suspects, measuring success by sheer numbers of arrests, innocent people inevitably become casualties. This isn’t about securing borders; it’s about a reckless disregard for human life and due process.
The abuses extend beyond lethal force. Reports are surfacing of agents stopping individuals based solely on their appearance – anyone who looks Hispanic or speaks Spanish, even U.S. citizens. A Navajo man in Arizona was detained simply because of his skin color. In Minnesota, a U.S. citizen was held at gunpoint, forced outside in freezing temperatures wearing only his underwear, and another detained because of his accent.
What was once an agency designed to protect Americans has been transformed, under the influence of the previous administration, into something far more sinister. ICE has become a tool for political intimidation, a private army operating outside the bounds of established law and ethical conduct. The removal of safeguards and the reward of aggressive tactics have created a dangerous climate where accountability is an afterthought.
I refuse to allocate taxpayer dollars to an agency that continues to operate with such blatant disregard for human rights. This isn’t the vision Americans voted for. During the campaign, I heard a consistent message from Arizonans – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike – a desire for secure borders and lawful enforcement, but always with a commitment to protecting families.
The promise to target “the worst of the worst” resonated with voters, but it proved to be a hollow one. Instead of focusing on genuine threats, ICE has been unleashed on communities, indiscriminately detaining individuals, including those with decades of established lives and no criminal records.
This overreach has even been emboldened by recent Supreme Court rulings that effectively sanction racial profiling in immigration enforcement. Furthermore, the obsession with meeting arbitrary quotas is diverting critical resources away from fighting violent crime, drug trafficking, and child exploitation. Every agent focused on rounding up our neighbors is one less agent protecting our communities from genuine danger.
The economic consequences are equally devastating. Businesses suffer when workers are suddenly removed from the workforce. Communities are paralyzed by fear, hindering access to essential services like schools, clinics, and even reporting crimes. This isn’t order; it’s manufactured chaos, imposed by Washington and borne by working Americans.
No one should live in fear of the very institutions meant to safeguard them. A fundamental restructuring of ICE is essential. We must redirect its resources away from political posturing and back towards genuine community safety. The current Homeland Security funding bill simply doesn’t go far enough to restrain this unchecked authority.
That’s why I’ve joined Senator Kelly in introducing the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act of 2026. This legislation will establish clear use-of-force standards, prioritize de-escalation, mandate body cameras, and ensure meaningful oversight and accountability. It’s a simple principle: enforce the law, but do so lawfully and in a manner that enhances, not diminishes, American safety.
We can secure our borders without resorting to the demonization of entire communities. We can enforce immigration laws without terrorizing families and endangering innocent lives. I’ve proposed a comprehensive plan to modernize our broken immigration system, strengthening border security, streamlining legal processes, and creating viable pathways for those who contribute to our nation’s success.
America’s immigration system is undeniably flawed, but the heavy-handed tactics employed by the previous administration are not the solution. They will only exacerbate the problems, eroding trust, undermining safety, and fostering further chaos. We are capable of doing better, and we must.
