Democracy Defenders Fund (DDF) issues the following statement in response to recent actions by the Department of Homeland Security and its immigration enforcement agencies.

The Department of Homeland Security has become a danger to our communities even as it claims to protect us. The shocking, horrific killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal immigration and border agents—along with the detention and forcible transfer of 5-year-old Liam Ramos to Texas—are part of a systematic pattern of wanton violence and disregard for human life. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents carried out these and other violent actions under the leadership of Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and oversight of Stephen Miller, President Trump’s deputy chief of staff and homeland security advisor.

Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti’s deaths at the hands of federal agents are a direct result of a top-down failure of leadership that has empowered agents to endanger the lives and rights of innocent people and destabilize our communities. Rather than take accountability for killings that many of us witnessed on video, Secretary Noem and Mr. Miller rushed to slander both victims as perpetrating acts of “domestic terrorism,” even as evidence shows those characterizations have no basis in reality.

Worse still, DHS has refused to allow Minnesota’s state and local investigators to access evidence related to the shootings, a level of obstruction so alarming that a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to prevent potential destruction or alteration of evidence in Mr. Pretti’s death. The Trump administration's willingness to undermine lawful oversight, spread lies, and block transparency shows contempt for human life and disregards why people in cities throughout the country have protested ICE’s actions and tens of thousands of protestors in Minnesota took to the streets in freezing temperatures the day before border patrol agents killed Alex Pretti. Secretary Noem's lack of accountability to Congress has further eroded public trust in the rule of law.

Secretary Noem and Mr. Miller have contributed to needless loss of lives and violations of our basic constitutional rights. Their contempt for our institutions and their readiness to defame innocent victims and lie to the American people make a mockery of their offices and the Constitution they swore to uphold. They must resign.

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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.