Congresswoman Luz Rivas Demands ICE Cease Unconstitutional Actions Outlined in “Secret Memo”

LOS ANGELES - After whistleblower reports revealed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are circulating a memo encouraging agents to forcefully enter people's homes without a judicial warrant - a direct violation of the Fourth Amendment - Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29) sent a letter to ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons urging him to cease the agency's unconstitutional and irresponsible actions.

"This 'secret memo' is an unconstitutional policy that claims to authorize ICE agents to forcibly enter the homes of certain noncitizens without a judicial warrant or without the individual's consent," wrote Congresswoman Rivas. "Our country is built on the constitutional foundation of due process and inalienable rights for all. Not only is the substance of the 'secret memo' unconstitutional, it was distributed in a manner that lacks transparency and destroys public trust."

Whistleblowers claim that the "secret memo" was addressed to all ICE personnel, but was not distributed widely. Instead, the whistleblowers claim, the "secret memo" was distributed to a select group of officials who were directed to verbally brief ICE agents on the new policy.

Congresswoman Rivas continued: "ICE is operating with a blunt disregard for constitutional rights and treating civil liberties as optional. These are warning signs that our country is shifting from the rule of law to rule by force. Our country is shifting from a democracy to authoritarianism. And ICE is the spearhead to our democracy's decline."

A full copy of the letter can be found here.

Background:

On January 7, 2026, anonymous whistleblowers revealedthat ICE agents were circulating a "secret memo" to allow agents to forcibly enter private homes without a judicial warrant.

The memo was not widely shared within ICE, however the memo was circulated to supervisors then verbally given to train new ICE agents. The memo authorizes ICE agents to use force to enter a residence based solely on a narrower administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal. This differs from a judicial warrant that is signed by a judge.

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