ICYMI: Representatives Tran, Salinas, Senator Merkley Hold Press Conference Introducing Bicameral Bill to Hold ICE, CBP Accountable for Constitutional Rights Abuses

Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Derek Tran (CA-45) and Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) held a press conference to introduce bicameral legislation to hold U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) liable for violating American citizens' constitutional rights.

The lawmakers were joined by Robert Simon and Cynthia Santiago, attorneys representing individuals whose constitutional rights have been violated by ICE, and their clients, one of whom shared his story of violent victimization and trauma at the hands of ICE officers. Jonathan Longoria, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen, delivered an emotional testimony recounting his encounter with ICE agents and the wrongful detention of his father.

WATCH THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE.

H.R. 7297, The ICE and CBP Constitutional Accountability Act, would make the federal government civilly liable when a CBP or ICE officer violates an individual's constitutional rights, allowing victims to seek punitive damages from the federal government. Read the full text of the bill HERE.

"No one is above the law, especially those who are entrusted with enforcing it. Congress must take action to rein in the troubling abuse of civil rights by ICE and CBP enforcement practices," said Representative Tran. "The ICE and CBP Accountability Act would give citizens whose Constitutional rights are violated a path for legal recourse and an opportunity to hold bad actors accountable. Community trust in federal law enforcement is broken. The only way to restore that faith is to ensure accountability and impose real consequences when agencies ignore the Constitution. I'm so proud to stand with Representative Salinas to deliver the justice and security our communities deserve."

"President Trump's immigration enforcers are violating our Constitutional rights," said Representative Salinas. "In my district alone, ICE and CBP have arrested and detained American citizens, including a 17-year-old from McMinnville. They have denied immigrants their right to due process, including a wildland firefighter from Keizer who was fighting a wildfire in Washington. And their violent tactics have resulted in the deaths of American citizens. It's clear the Trump Administration has no intention of holding ICE and CBP accountable for their abuses of power. This bill would force accountability on the Administration by allowing people to sue the federal government when ICE and CBP violate their rights, which deters illegal enforcement practices and prevents ICE and CBP from operating with impunity. No one is above the law, and this bill ensures that."

"All Americans should be outraged that Trump's lawless federal agents are trampling on the Constitution and terrorizing our communities," said Senator Merkley. "ICE and CBP must face consequences if their agents wrongfully violate citizens' rights to protest and free speech, search people's homes without a warrant, or deny due process. If we allow Trump to continue using ICE and CBP to stoke fear and even kill innocents, we surrender the values that define us as Americans. I say, 'HELL NO,' and my ICE and CBP Constitutional Accountability Act gives Americans the legal tools to hold the federal government accountable when these agents break the law-standing up for the rights of all in the face of Trump's strongman tactics."

The ICE and CBP Constitutional Accountability Act mandates that any damages awarded to victims whose constitutional rights are violated by ICE or CBP officers be first drawn from Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This budget bill created an over-$150 billion slush fund for ICE, CBP, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration operations, which the Trump Administration has weaponized to indiscriminately target families in a cruel enforcement campaign.

In January 2026, masked federal agents with ICE shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, while conducting immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis. Their deaths, and a pattern of violent enforcement actions similar to the story Mr. Longoria shared, have sparked widespread criticism about the repeated use of excessive force by ICE, highlighting the urgent need for accountability and oversight measures for rogue agents. Representative Tran continues to closely monitor ICE activity across California's 45th district. On January 22, Representative Tran voted against H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, when it first came to the House floor for a vote. Last week, Tran signed onto H.Res.996, a Congressional resolution to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for high crimes and misdemeanors, and has cosponsored legislation to place checks on ICE's conduct, including:

• H.R. 4176, the No Secret Police Act, to prohibit ICE agents from wearing non-tactical face coverings while on duty;
• H.R. 5973, The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, to scale back the level of force permissible in immigration operations;
• H.R. 3172, The ICE Visibility Act, to require agents to clearly identify themselves as such when interacting with the public;
• H.R. 5653, the Trust Through Transparency Act, to require all ICE officials to wear body cameras when interacting with the public in immigration enforcement operations;
• H.R. 944, The Access to Counsel Act, to ensure that U.S. citizens and individuals with lawful status are able to call an attorney or family member to seek legal assistance when they are detained;
• H.R. 5941, The Restoring Access for Detainees Act, to require DHS to allow noncitizens who have been detained to contact their legal counsel and families, and;
• H.R. 4456, Stop ICE from Kidnapping U.S. Citizens Act, to prohibit ICE from using federal funds to detain or deport U.S. citizens.

On June 12, 2025, Representative Tran, alongside Representatives Gil Cisneros (CA-31) and George Whitesides (CA-27), sent a letterto U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding answers regarding the deployment of armed forces to Los Angeles. During a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, Tran pressed Secretary Hegsethon the militarized response to domestic protests and lack of coordination with state and local law enforcement to keep those community members who are exercising their First Amendment rights safe. Tran, joined by Representatives Cisneros and Judy Chu (CA-28), also led a letterto U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons condemning the agencies for unlawfully denying their entry to the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility during a statutorily-protected oversight visit conducted on June 8, 2025.

Since taking office in January 2025, Tran's office has opened over 230 cases to assist constituents related to the adjudication of their immigration status with federal agencies.

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Congressman Derek Tran represents California's 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.