RELEASE: REP. RO KHANNA INTRODUCES SIX-POINT RESOLUTION TO REFORM ICE AND INCREASE OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Washington, D.C.–– Today, Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), introduced the ICE Oversight and Reform Resolution to call on immigration enforcement operations to be transparent, accountable, and consistent with constitutional protections for all people in the United States. 

Recent actions from ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) federal agents, including conducting raids in unmarked vehicles, denying members of Congress access to ICE facilities, and more, have raised serious questions about the protections of due process and civil liberties. 

“These tactics are about avoiding accountability and transparency. We need standards of conduct for ICE agents and to ensure agents cannot trample on civil and human rights. I’m proud to put forth this common sense defense of American values that we should all support,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. 

“We have had enough of ICE abusing their powers and pushing the limits to continue terrorizing our communities. The ICE Oversight and Reform Resolution affirms the bare minimum expectations for our immigration enforcement officers. This resolution builds upon legislation like my own, the CLEAR ID Act, to further demand ICE officers disclose their identity, wear body cameras, get trained to de-escalate situations all to ensure safer interactions during immigration enforcement operations,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Read the full text of the bill here.

The Oversight and Reform Resolution includes: 

• DHS will require ICE and CBP personnel to wear body cameras during enforcement operations, preserving footage for oversight.
• Enforcement personnel cannot conceal their identities, except when an immediate threat to safety exists.
• Officers must visibly display their name, badge number, and agency affiliation during all public operations.
• DHS will establish independent civilian oversight boards to review enforcement actions and recommend reforms.
• All ICE and CBP personnel will be required to undergo mandatory de-escalation training.
• The Department of Justice will enhance oversight of ICE to strengthen civil rights protections.

Cosponsors: Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30). 

The resolution has been endorsed by: Hindus for Human Rights, Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, and Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)