Brownley Joins Peters, Goldman, Krishnamoorthi to Introduce Legislation to Restrict Excessive Use of Force by ICE

Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) announced that she joined Congressmen Scott Peters (CA-50), Dan Goldman (NY-10), and Raja Krishnamoorthi in introducing the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, a bill to make our communities safer by establishing a stronger standard for Federal immigration agents' use of force. All law enforcement officers should be focused on upholding public safety. Yet in recent months, the tactics of federal agents are more aggressive and dangerous, making everyone in our communities less safe.

The authority to use force is a serious responsibility, and every person has a right to be free from excessive use of force by law. The bill restricts Federal immigration enforcement agents' use of crowd munitions like tear gas, aligns immigration enforcement with the heightened DOJ standards on use of force, and creates greater transparency in enforcement by requiring the use of body cameras and strictly limiting the use of masks.

Under President Trump, federal agents have been captured using excessive force against non-violent American citizens, immigrants, journalists, protesters, priests, and others. There has been a significant increase in the careless use of harmful equipment like flash bangs, pepper balls, and tear gas. During a recent 60 Minutes interview, President Trump was asked about violent examples of immigration enforcement and stated that immigration raids have "not gone far enough."

"In July, my district, which encompasses most of Ventura County, was the site of one of the largest ICE operations in the country, resulting in more than 360 detentions in a single day. That operation also resulted in multiple injuries and one death," said Congresswoman Brownley. "The troubling way these raids have been carried out throughout California and across the nation raises serious concerns about the tactics used by federal agents and their disregard for due process and the rule of law. This is not about public safety - it's about instilling fear. These actions lack transparency, accountability, and basic respect for the legal rights of every person in this country. The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act is about restoring transparency, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that no agent of the federal government operates above the law or beyond public oversight. My colleagues and I will continue working to hold this administration accountable and to ensure that our immigration policies reflect our values, our Constitution, and our commitment to justice."

"In May, Federal agents stormed into Buona Forchetta, a small, neighborhood restaurant that was filled with families. They threw the owner against the wall, handcuffed all employees, and used flash-bang grenades on concerned bystanders outside the restaurant. Why terrorize law-abiding, hardworking people? That makes no one safer; it makes Americans less safe," said Congressman Peters. "Immigration enforcement should not be conducted by masked, unidentified agents using unchecked force and aggressively deploying tear gas, pepper balls, and flash bangs. We must curb excessive force and make it easier to identify officers acting improperly, while ensuring Federal law enforcement can still apprehend those who pose a genuine threat to public safety and national security."

"ICE, CBP, and DHS agents must be held to the same constitutional standards as every other law enforcement officer," said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. "Yet each day of the Trump Administration's 'Operation Midway Blitz' brings a new story of excessive force being used in Chicago and its suburbs-from a faith leader shot with a pepperball while praying outside Broadview to a reporter struck while documenting ICE protests to my own constituents being terrorized for performing civilian oversight over DHS's actions. This unchecked aggression against civilians must stop. Our Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act restores transparency and safeguards both the public and law enforcement by ensuring clear standards, mandatory body cameras, and a fundamental respect for basic rights."

"For months now, we all have seen how encounters with immigration enforcement mean chaos, violence, and trauma, regardless of immigration status. The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act brings humanity and transparency into those moments. It limits the use of militarized force and ensures that agents are accountable to the communities in which they operate. Every family deserves to feel safe. Every life deserves dignity," said Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).

"Masked agents endangering our people with unnecessary force is an affront to the principles of American democracy," said Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs. "The Coalition on Human Needs is proud to endorse the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act and stands with Rep. Peters and co-sponsors in requiring accountability and careful restrictions on federal immigration officials' use of force."

"The Trump administration's reckless and indiscriminate immigration enforcement actions have stoked fear in communities across the country," said Nick Wilson, senior director of Gun Violence Prevention Policy, Center for American Progress. "We welcome the introduction of the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, which seeks to ensure the safety of our communities and officers by implementing common sense standards to improve transparency and accountability in enforcement actions. Law enforcement should protect the public, not trample on people's rights and put Americans at risk. This bill offers urgently needed guardrails and accountability mechanisms that ensure that federal law enforcement better protects and promotes the rights and safety of communities."

"As ICE under President Trump pursues increasingly extreme actions against both immigrants and U.S. citizens, lawmakers must act to protect their constituents and uphold public safety. The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act does exactly that-ensuring federal officers have the tools they need to safeguard the public and themselves, without undermining the security of the communities they are supposed to serve," said Sarah Pierce, Director of Social Policy, Third Way. "Its training, oversight, and proportionality requirements are especially critical as ICE expands its workforce through rushed recruitment and abbreviated onboarding. Immigration enforcement should strengthen public safety and the integrity of our immigration system-but never at the expense of the public's security."

In addition to Congresswoman Brownley and Congressmen Peters, Goldman, and Krishnamoorthi, other original cosponsors of the bill include Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Emily Randall (WA-06), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Juan Vargas (CA-52), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07).

The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act is endorsed by The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the Coalition on Human Needs, Church World Service, and Third Way.

Read the full text of the bill here. A one-pager is available here, and a Section-by-Section is available here. Examples of excessive use of force are available here.

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Issues: 119th Congress, Immigration, Local Issues