U.S. citizens shot at, dragged by immigration agents, testify before congressional Democrats
WASHINGTON- One of the brothers of Renee Good, 37, a mother of three who was shot and killed by an immigration agent in Minneapolis, told congressional Democrats on Tuesday that he needed their help.
Luke Ganger said their family found some solace in the thought that his sister’s death could spark change.
“That’s not the case,” he said.
That’s why Ganger and people who had been violently detained by immigration agents came together to share their experiences with ICE and to call on the government to rein in an agency they described as lawless and out of control.
Tuesday’s forum — which is not a formal hearing because Republicans have not agreed to it — was led by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. It did not take place at the Capitol, but in a nearby Senate office building.
Garcia and Blumenthal convened the forum to gather testimony “on violent tactics and disproportionate use of force by Department of Homeland Security agents.”
All incidents mentioned on the forum were filmed.
Democrats heard from three U.S. citizens residing in San Bernardino, Chicago and Minneapolis. Also present were Good’s two brothers and an attorney representing their family.
Good’s Jan. 7 killing sparked a nationwide wave of protests, further inflamed after officers fatally shot Alex Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse, two weeks later. Protesters called on federal agents to stop using violence amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.
From left, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Luke Ganger and Brent Ganger arrive at a public forum on the violent use of force by Department of Homeland Security personnel.
(Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“Let’s be very clear: These stories are not just about Minneapolis,” Blumenthal said. “These stories cover the entire country. »
Blumenthal called for a “complete overhaul, a rebuild” of the Department of Homeland Security and its subagencies. Such an overhaul, he said, would require body-worn cameras, officers carrying identification, and rigorous use-of-force training and policies; acts of violence would require thorough investigations under the supervision of an independent observer. Without these reforms, he said he would not support more funding for DHS.
Ganger said the “surreal scenes” unfolding in Minneapolis and beyond are not isolated and are changing many lives.
“The deep distress our family feels over losing Renee in such a violent and needless way is complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress and desperation for change,” he said.
Ganger said his family is “a very American mix” who vote differently and rarely fully agree on the details of what it means to be a U.S. citizen. Despite these differences, he said, they always treated each other with love and respect.
“We have grown even closer during this very divided time in our country,” he said. “We hope that our family can be, even if it is just a small example, a small example so that others do not allow themselves to be divided by political ideals. »
The panel heard from Martin Daniel Rascon, of San Bernardino, and three others who described harrowing experiences with immigration agents. Rascon was in a truck with two family members last August when they were stopped by more than a dozen federal agents who pointed guns at them, smashed a window and then shot at the car several times.
Francisco Longoria, the truck driver and Rascon’s father-in-law, was later arrested and charged by federal authorities, who said he attacked immigration agents with his truck during the incident. Longoria’s lawyers said he fled because he feared for his safety. The charges were dropped a month later.
Marimar Martinez, 30, of Chicago, was shot five times by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, then labeled a domestic terrorist and accused of assaulting the agents who shot her. These charges were also later dropped.
“I am angry on your behalf, Miss Martinez,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont). “Tell me, what do you want this government to do to apologize to you?
“I’m sorry. You are not a domestic terrorist,” she said. “That’s all. Let them admit they were wrong about everything they said about me. I just want accountability.”
Aliya Rahman, of Minneapolis, was dragged from her car on her way to a doctor’s appointment and arrested by ICE agents after telling them she was disabled. Rahman is autistic and recovering from a head injury.
DHS said Rahman was arrested because she ignored multiple orders. Rahman said it took time for him to understand the auditory commands.
Rahman said the officers shouted threats and conflicting instructions that she was unable to address while monitoring the pedestrians. When she hit the ground face first, she said, she felt a shooting pain as the officers pressed on her back. She thought of George Floyd, killed four blocks away.
Rahman said she was never told she was under arrest or charged with a crime. The officers who took her to the Whipple Federal Building referred to the inmates as a “body.” She said she received no medical exam, phone call or access to an attorney, and was denied access to a communications browser when her speech began to slur.
Eventually, she became unable to speak.
“The last sounds I remember before I passed out on the cell floor were my cellmate banging on the door, pleading for a doctor and a voice outside saying, ‘We don’t want to step on ICE’s toes,'” she said.
Rahman said she later woke up in a hospital, where doctors told her she had suffered a concussion.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) speaks during a public forum on violent use of force by Department of Homeland Security personnel.
(Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Garcia called the forum a step toward accountability because Congress has the right to intervene when constitutional rights are violated. He said Democrats have documented at least 186 incidents of problematic use of force by federal immigration agents.
“It is important for the public to recognize that this administration lied, defamed and slandered people who were peacefully protesting,” he said.
Antonio Romanucci, the attorney representing Good’s family and who also represented George Floyd’s family, said that although he has been handling excessive force cases for decades, “this is an unprecedented and deeply troubling time.” Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
“ICE and CBP’s occupation of our cities goes far beyond their mission, leading to unnecessary provocations that cause unnecessary harm and death,” he said. “These multistate operations have regularly and systematically resulted in violations of the Constitution. »
The current path to holding federal agents accountable is narrow, he said. Congress could pass legislation to add language to make it easier for people to file civil lawsuits in cases like Good’s.
