Statement Condemning the Killing of a Minnesota Resident by ICE Agents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

January 26, 2026

BOULDER, Co. - What happened in Minnesota should never have happened. Another person is dead at the hands of ICE agents, and there is no justification—none—that makes this acceptable. It should have never happened. There's not enough explanation in the world that would make this okay. This is now the second time ICE agents have killed someone who was exercising their constitutionally protected rights. Two lives lost. Two families devastated. And still, no meaningful accountability.

These are not isolated incidents. They are the predictable result of an enforcement system that operates without transparency, without restraint, and increasingly without regard for human life. When armed federal agents can act with anonymity and impunity, tragedy is not an accident—it is inevitable.

In Colorado, ICE agents have been leaving behind so-called “death cards” after detaining immigrants. Let’s be clear about what that means: fear is being weaponized. Trauma is being normalized. Communities are being terrorized long after agents leave.

This country is built on the backs of immigrants. Immigrants are our workforce, our caregivers, our innovators, our neighbors. And yet, federal policy continues to treat immigrant communities as expendable. That is why I am running a bill to prevent law enforcement officers from concealing their faces while carrying out their duties. Accountability is not optional—it is foundational to public safety and democracy.

Some argue that masking keeps agents safe. I do not agree with that argument. A mask will never keep anybody safe. It creates a profound accountability problem. If a police officer can detain or kill someone without identifying themselves, then anyone can show up to me, to you, or to anyone else and claim to be law enforcement. That is not safety. That is chaos.

The actions of ICE do not just affect immigrants—they affect everyone. People across our communities are afraid. Afraid that they may be next. Afraid that their rights mean nothing in the face of unchecked authority. We cannot accept a system where armed agents operate in secrecy, kill civilians, and move on without consequence. We cannot accept fear as a governing strategy. And we cannot accept silence in the face of injustice.

This moment demands accountability, transparency, and real reform—because lives depend on it.