Congressman Cohen Renews His Concern Over ICE Tactics and Recruitment Efforts

WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement in response to today's fatal shooting by an agent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE):

"If this incident occurred as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey describes it, and if the video replay is accurate, the shooting appears unjustified. I know Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, my former congressional colleague, will make a thorough investigation that leads to justice. Today's incident is just what I feared: out-of-control, masked ICE agents fatally misusing their authority and inflaming our communities. Today, it happened in Minneapolis, but it could be Memphis, which also has an outsized and aggressive ICE presence. The ICE agent recruitment plan, which emphasizes signing bonuses and targets local law enforcement officers who don't like the restraints of their agencies and suggests ICE agents enjoy fewer restrictions, is revealing. This agency has a penchant for violence that is being supercharged by seemingly limitless resources and encouraged by totally unqualified DHS leadership. Incidents like the one today in Minneapolis are inevitable without true accountability."

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