Representative Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) issued a response on Wednesday following a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, calling for criminal prosecution and the resignation of top Homeland Security officials.
Speaking in a video statement after the incident, Ansari described the day as horrific and said she watched footage showing a federal agent shoot 37-year-old Renee Good, an American citizen and mother of two.
Local authorities said Good was observing federal operations and was not targeted for arrest.
"This federal agent needs to be arrested and prosecuted," Ansari stated. She also demanded the immediate resignation of Homeland Security leadership and called for comprehensive investigations into immigration enforcement operations across the country.
Ansari Demands Prosecution
Additionally, Ansari strongly disputed the official characterization of events provided by federal authorities. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described Good as a violent participant who used her vehicle as a weapon against officers, calling it “domestic terrorism”.
The congresswoman rejected this narrative, saying officials described an entirely different incident than what the video evidence showed. She expressed worry about what she views as authoritarian tactics being used against American communities.
During a congressional hearing on Minnesota fiscal management that same day, Ansari described efforts to investigate the incident. "When Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley tried to offer a motion of subpoena all of the information from DHS about evidence pertaining to this case and the murder that took place today, not one Republican voted for it," Ansari said.
Ansari, whose parents fled authoritarian rule in their home country, said she refuses to stay silent while similar tactics are employed in the United States.
"There need to be investigations about this immediately, and ICE needs to be reigned in; they are beyond reform, and this cannot go on any longer," she said. She emphasized she will continue speaking out about enforcement practices she considers excessive.
