Reps. Goldman, Peters, and Krishnamoorthi Introduce Legislation to Restrict Excessive Use of Force By ICE

 

Washington, DC – Representatives Dan Goldman (NY-10), Scott Peters (CA-50), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-8) introduced the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, which would restrict federal immigration enforcement agents’ use of crowd munitions like tear gas, align immigration enforcement with the heightened DOJ standards on use of force, and require the use of body cameras and strictly limiting the use of masks.

 

Under President Trump, federal agents have been captured using excessive force against non-violent American citizens, immigrants, journalists, protesters, priests, and others.  There has been a significant increase in the careless use of harmful equipment like flash bangs, pepper balls, and tear gas. During a recent 60 Minutes interview, President Trump was asked about violent examples of immigration enforcement and stated that immigration raids have “not gone far enough.”  

 

"The images we’ve seen out of New York, California, and Chicago are the result of a broken system that allows militarized immigration agents to abuse our neighbors and evade any form of accountability,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “Federal agents should never be storming peaceful communities with tear gas and flash bangs. The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act will end these abuses by setting clear limits on force, banning dangerous crowd munitions, and requiring body cameras and identifiable uniforms. No one should fear masked agents without badges on the streets of our cities and neighborhoods. This bill restores transparency, accountability, and the basic principle that law enforcement must protect the people, not attack them.” 

 

Congressman Scott Peters said, “In May, Federal agents stormed into Buona Forchetta, a small, neighborhood restaurant that was filled with families. They threw the owner against the wall, handcuffed all employees, and used flash-bang grenades  on concerned bystanders outside the restaurant. Why terrorize law-abiding, hardworking people? That makes no one safer; it makes Americans less safe. Immigration enforcement should not be conducted by masked, unidentified agents using unchecked force and aggressively deploying tear gas, pepper balls, and flash bangs. We must curb excessive force and make it easier to identify officers acting improperly, while ensuring Federal law enforcement can still apprehend those who pose a genuine threat to public safety and nationalsecurity.”  

 

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said, "ICE, CBP, and DHS agents must be held to the same constitutional standards as every other law enforcement officer. Yet each day of the Trump Administration's ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ brings a new story of excessive force being used in Chicago and its suburbs—from a faith leader shot with a pepperball while praying outside Broadview to a reporter struck while documenting ICE protests to my own constituents being terrorized for performing civilian oversight over DHS's actions. This unchecked aggression against civilians must stop. Our Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act restores transparency and safeguards both the public and law enforcement by ensuring clear standards, mandatory body cameras, and a fundamental respect for basic rights.”  

 

Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) said, "For months now, we all have seen how encounters with immigration enforcement mean chaos, violence, and trauma, regardless of immigration status. The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act brings humanity and transparency into those moments. It limits the use of militarized force and ensures that agents are accountable to the communities in which they operate. Every family deserves to feel safe. Every life deserves dignity.” 

Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs said, "Masked agents endangering our people with unnecessary force is an affront to the principles of American democracy. The Coalition on Human Needs is proud to endorse the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act and stands with Rep. Peters and co-sponsors in requiring accountability and careful restrictions on federal immigration officials' use of force."    

Nick Wilson, Senior Director of Gun Violence Prevention Policy at the Center for American Progress said, “The Trump administration’s reckless and indiscriminate immigration enforcement actions have stoked fear in communities across the country. We welcome the introduction of the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, which seeks to ensure the safety of our communities and officers by implementing common sense standards to improve transparency and accountability in enforcement actions. Law enforcement should protect the public, not trample on people’s rights and put Americans at risk. This bill offers urgently needed guardrails and accountability mechanisms that ensure that federal law enforcement better protects and promotes the rights and safety of communities.”    

 

Sarah Pierce, Director of Social Policy at Third Way, said, "As ICE under President Trump pursues increasingly extreme actions against both immigrants and U.S. citizens, lawmakers must act to protect their constituents and uphold public safety. The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act does exactly that—ensuring federal officers have the tools they need to safeguard the public and themselves, without undermining the security of the communities they are supposed to serve. Its training, oversight, and proportionality requirements are especially critical as ICE expands its workforce through rushed recruitment and abbreviated onboarding. Immigration enforcement should strengthen public safety and the integrity of our immigration system—but never at the expense of the public's security."