‘They Are Rogue, They Are Racist’: Pressley Tears Into ICE After Minneapolis Killing
On Sunday, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley slammed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers after days of protests in Minneapolis over the tragic killing of Renee Nicole Good by a federal agent.
“The actions of ICE: they are unconstitutional, unlawful, they are cruel,” Pressley said on MS Now. “They are rogue, they are racist, and they are terrorizing communities.”
Soon after the Minneapolis shooting, the Massachusetts congresswoman —who is also a member of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform— motioned to subpoena official footage a of the disturbing incident. The request, however, was blocked by Republicans, who control the majority of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Though on Sunday’s broadcast, Pressley made it clear that she has no plan to back down, as she shared a warning for everyday citizens around the country.
“This harm does not discriminate. It is coming for everyone. And that is exactly why ICE must be stopped, because they’re not operating with any Constitutional due diligence. They are lawless, they are masked thugs,” she said.
This is not the first time the progressive lawmaker has called out the controversial federal agency. In recent months, as ICE’s interactions have become increasingly deadly and questionable, Pressley has maintained a stance that began long before the amped up immigration raids as of late.
“All of our communities are vulnerable to this rogue agency, and Congress must rein them in,” Pressley said. “And we have the power of the purse and appropriation to do just that. These things don’t happen in isolation. This is why, for many years, I’ve been calling for the abolishing of ICE.”
Tinkering at the margins will not be enough, and Pressley wants to make that clear. Tens of thousands of people have since taken to the streets in Minneapolis and other cities, demanding accountability and curbs on ICE’s use of force.
“This has nothing to do with… training or new protocols. This is about cultural practices that have been underway for many years,” she said. “I believe in doing that radical work and getting to the root cause of things. Again, Congress has the power of the purse and appropriations. We need to use it in this moment because this harm is coming for everyone.”
Watch a snippet of the interview below: