Amid media reports that a surge of immigration enforcement agents could be coming to Phoenix, Sen. Ruben Gallego accused the agents of racial profiling and called on Arizonans to remain vigilant.
Gallego said he hasn’t received new information about ICE’s plans after the Bulwark, a center-right publication, reported last week that the agency could increase its presence in Phoenix like it has in other Democrat-led cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.
“We have reached out to get more information,” Gallego said on Friday. “We know that there is something coming at some point.”
Protests against the agency have sprung up in Arizona and other cities across the country after an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis this week.
Gallego criticized the agency, arguing it is operating well beyond the scope of its immigration enforcement duties.
“Anything that involves law enforcement has to have a certain amount of responsibility when it comes to how you deal with the public, and what we saw in Minnesota was not a good example,” he said. “There needs to be reforms to ICE.”
NPR reported that President Donald Trump and other administration officials have defended the agent, claiming he was acting in self-defense. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accused the administration of tainting the investigation saying they have already pre-determined the outcome of an ongoing investigation.
The FBI is no longer working with the state-level law enforcement on that investigation.
Gallego also accused the agency of engaging in racial profiling.
“How ICE is being used is not to go after criminals. It's to do racial profiling. It's to intimidate the local population,” he said.
If ICE does increase its presence in Phoenix, Gallego called on Arizonans who protest to remain civil and make sure they protect themselves. That includes carrying IDs or passports.
“Because they are not afraid to detain us citizens for as long as they can,” Gallego said. “We in this office are gonna do everything we can to hold them accountable, to stop their goonish natures and to protect the people of Arizona.”
Gallego said he is looking at ways to rein in the agency. That includes legislation sponsored by Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy to reform the Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency. Axios reported that forthcoming legislation would include a number of reforms, including requiring a warrant for arrests and stopping agents from wearing masks during operations.
-
More than 30,000 refugees, asylees and other legally present immigrants in Arizona could lose health coverage in a few weeks as new Medicaid eligibility rules take effect. -
More than two decades ago, the 9/11 terror attacks touched every aspect of life in America — including for newcomers, who were in the midst of immigration processes, like seeking U.S. citizenship. -
The class consists of about 30 immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. -
The group says that’s in response to comments from Trump administration officials like Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin — who told reporters earlier this month that ICE isn’t planning operations targeting polling locations, but that agents could be sent to address a "specific threats." -
Temporary Protected Status provides protection from deportation and a work permit. It’s available to nationals from countries deemed unsafe because of things like conflict or natural disaster. The status expired this week for some 170,000 Salvadorans.
