Rep. Lett Calls for Increased Oversight for ICE, CPB

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Crystal Lett (D-Columbus) today released the following statement regarding the recent actions of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE):

“I join countless other Ohioans in the shame they feel over the actions of our federal government. We have watched a rogue paramilitary force publicly execute two American citizens in broad daylight. These killings follow the deaths of 6 other people - not to mention the deaths of 32 individuals in ICE custody. Here in Ohio, we are preparing for mass deportations and an increased presence of armed, masked ICE agents in our communities. In my district alone, I have already heard of neighbors being taken on their way home from work, on their way to pick up their kids from school, and other day-to-day activities. None of these individuals were violent criminals. Many hold legal status in the United States.

On behalf of Ohio House District 11, we are outraged by the treatment of our fellow Ohioans. We are appalled at the complicity of our federal representatives, and we are insulted that this violence, which is certainly unconstitutional, is dismissed as “immigration enforcement.” Americans know law enforcement in a democracy is grounded in the rule of law, not the rule of force. Legitimate law enforcement officers operate under the same laws as the people they serve - checked by the Constitution. At its core, democratic policing exists to safeguard freedom, due process, and free speech. The sovereignty of this nation–as well as the sovereignty of families, existed long before this administration, and will endure long after it. 

So, I ask: how will history remember those who were complicit in a regime that tore children from their families and placed human beings in cages? How will this country reckon with the images of people being put in camps or killed in the streets? Years from now, when the semantics used to justify the murders and imprisonment of innocents have lost their power, Americans will reflect on this moment and wonder why our federal representatives failed to intervene. I will continue to speak out, to protest alongside you, and I ask you to join me in demanding that Senators Moreno and Husted implement meaningful oversight, transparency, and accountability to both ICE and CBP, and to put an end to their current violations of civil liberties, the rule of law, and basic human decency.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: Copies of the letters sent to Senators Moreno and Husted are attached to this release.