Dear Community Member,

This Administration’s mass deportation policy is going far beyond targeting felons and gang members, to the point of detaining a five-year old boy wearing a superhero backpack and the deaths of American citizens.

Under the direction of Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have been injected into cities across our country and are terrorizing vulnerable communities and harassing and harming American citizens. Many ICE and CBP agents, who appear to be recently recruited, rushed through a 47-day academy, poorly trained, and unprofessional, are sent into communities far from the Southern Border with masks and without body cameras. This is leading to inevitable and unnecessary violent and deadly confrontations, including the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

In addition to federal legislation, it is our moral obligation to protect communities from ICE and CBP’s violation of our civil liberties, especially when it comes to our 1st, 2nd, and 4th Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution. That is why I continue to work at the federal and local levels to fight back.

Rep. Panetta comments immediately after voting against appropriation legislation for DHS. To watch Rep. Panetta click the video above or here.

Legislation to Rein in DHS

Last week, I voted against the appropriation legislation for a continuing resolution to fund DHS. My vote came down to priorities. I'm focused on reducing costs for working families in California's 19th Congressional District, especially when it comes to decreasing prices for housing, healthcare, food, fuel, and childcare.

This Administration, however, remains focused on sending masked agents from ICE and CBP into our communities to troll parking lots of big box stores and target, harass, and harm community members and American citizens. I will not be complicit in funding untrained and unaccountable actions by any ICE and CBP agents. Congress must use the power of the purse to be a proper constitutional check on this Administration and its policies. That is why in the past month I have voted against three appropriations bills for DHS, ICE, and CBP. 

Federal immigration agents cannot be allowed to continue to cause chaos in our cities while using taxpayer money that should be used to make life more affordable for working families. The American people rightfully expect their elected representatives to take action to rein in DHS, ICE, and CBP and ensure no more lives are lost. It is critical that we come together to impose common sense reforms and accountability measures that the American people are demanding.

I believe Congress needs to enact the following guardrails on DHS:

1. Targeted Enforcement – DHS officers cannot enter private property without a judicial warrant. End indiscriminate arrests and improve warrant procedures and standards. Require verification that a person is not a U.S. citizen before holding them in immigration detention.
2. No Masks – Prohibit ICE and immigration enforcement agents from wearing face coverings.
3. Require ID – Require DHS officers conducting immigration enforcement to display their agency, unique ID number and last name. Require them to verbalize their ID number and last name if asked.
4. Protect Sensitive Locations – Prohibit funds from being used to conduct enforcement near sensitive locations, including medical facilities, schools, child-care facilities, churches, polling places, courts, etc.
5. Stop Racial Profiling – Prohibit DHS officers from conducting stops, questioning and searches based on an individual’s presence at certain locations, their job, their spoken language and accent or their race and ethnicity.
6. Uphold Use of Force Standards – Place into law a reasonable use of force policy, expand training and require certification of officers. In the case of an incident, the officer must be removed from the field until an investigation is conducted.
7. Ensure State and Local Coordination and Oversight – Preserve the ability of State and local jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute potential crimes and use of excessive force incidents. Require that evidence is preserved and shared with jurisdictions. Require the consent of States and localities to conduct large-scale operations outside of targeted immigration enforcement.
8. Build Safeguards into the System – Make clear that all buildings where people are detained must abide by the same basic detention standards that require immediate access to a person’s attorney to prevent citizen arrests or detention. Allow states to sue DHS for violations of all requirements. Prohibit limitations on Member visits to ICE facilities regardless of how those facilities are funded.
9. Body Cameras for Accountability, Not Tracking – Require use of body-worn cameras when interacting with the public and mandate requirements for the storage and access of footage. Prohibit tracking, creating or maintaining databases of individuals participating in First Amendment activities.
10. No Paramilitary Police – Regulate and standardize the type of uniforms and equipment DHS officers carry during enforcement operations to bring them in line with civil enforcement.

These reforms should apply to all federal activity, whether funded by FY26 appropriations, the OBBBA, or any other act. These are commonsense solutions that protect constitutional rights and ensure responsible law enforcement.

Rep. Panetta convened a roundtable with local law enforcement and community leaders to discuss how to coordinate and prepare the region for the possibility of ICE and CBP activity. To watch his remarks at a press conference following the roundtable, click here.

Preparation For Our Community

Given the reality of ICE and CBP activity in our region, I hosted a roundtable discussion with community leaders and local law enforcement to discuss how to prepare and protect our community. I will continue to work with community members at all levels in our 19th Congressional District to coordinate on any activity by DHS in our region.

Together, we are developing strategies to ensure our local resources and response plans are coordinated, informed, and focused on keeping everyone safe. I'm committed to continuing these conversations and making sure our community has the necessary information, resources, and support.

To read local news coverage about the community roundtable convened by Rep. Panetta, click the above photo or here.

Obligation for Accountability

In addition to the reckless and ruthless implementation of the Administration’s mass deportation policy, DHS leadership continues to give irresponsible defenses and explanations for the deadly ineptitude and aggression by ICE and CBP agents. Those types of callous responses provide impunity for the ICE and CBP agents and normalize their brutality, violence, and lawlessness, rather than ensure transparency and accountability. That is why I immediately called for the resignation and removal of Stephen Miller and the DHS Secretary. If DHS Secretary Noem remains in office, I support Congressional articles of impeachment for her removal.

I also continue to call for an independent investigation into the shooting of American citizens in Minneapolis and support legislation to help control ICE and CBP, including bills to limit force and require de-escalation training, hold agents accountable when they break the law, ban masks for agents, limit enforcement in sensitive areas, limit authority to target citizens of a specific nation, and redirect partisan approved funding to help people afford healthcare. Congress must work together to ensure proper oversight of DHS, including basic accountability measures, including no masks, warrant requirements, bans on deporting American citizens, proper training, and body cameras.

To read local coverage on Rep. Panetta’s push to hold DHS leadership accountable,         click the above photo or here.

My priority in Congress is to fight for the values and work for the people of our home. That includes using every legal, constitutional, and congressional power so there is proper oversight, transparency, and accountability of federal agencies and the executive branch. That is how Congress lives up to our responsibilities of checks and balances under Article One of the U.S. Constitution. To help fulfill that goal, I will continue my fight against the backward priorities of this Administration and work hard to fulfill our priorities by investing in accountability, safety, and affordability for working families.

Follow me on facebook, x, or bluesky  to keep updated on my work. I look forward to working together in our continued fight for the values and service to the people of California’s 19th Congressional District.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Panetta
United States Representative
19th Congressional District, California