Dear Senator Tillis & Senator Budd,
As students, constituents, community members, and, most importantly, North Carolinians, we respectfully urge you to exercise thoughtful and discerning consideration of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 4213 - Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026). We are most concerned about the provisions allocating approximately $10 Billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
While we understand the importance of border security and the federal government's responsibility to enforce U.S. immigration laws, we are deeply concerned that funding for ICE should be accompanied by strengthened oversight, clear limitations on enforcement practices that infringe on civil liberties or community safety, and robust accountability measures. In 2025 alone, thirty-two individuals died while in custody of ICE, the deadliest year since 2004. In the face of this, the department has reportedly sliced down the training time for individuals to forty-seven days, hardly a month and a half. We must compare these to our police officers, who, just like ICE, enforce the laws of our nation.
In a 2013 report released by the U.S Department of Justice, basic law enforcement officers underwent an average of 21 weeks or 840 hours of training (excluding field training). ICE officers, specifically Enforcement and Removal Operations Deportation Officers (ERO), are armed with firearms and have broad enforcement capabilities. Yet they require less than half of the training of typical local police officers. We must ask: is this a sustainable way to run a law enforcement department?
The question has gotten increasingly pertinent with the recent deaths of Renee Nicole Good and today, Alex Jeffrey Pretti.
As you may know, Renee Nicole Good was shot three times while attempting to lee ICE officers who were trying to detain her on January 7th. While we understand the conflicting reports, it has been alleged that the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office has ruled her death a homicide. In response to this tragedy, the first act of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was not to advocate for further investigations, or apologize to the victim's family, but rather to publicly label her a “Domestic Terrorist". We must ask: Is this the expected conduct for the head of a federal department?
In the case of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a registered nurse, he was shot and killed by border patrol agents today. The department has claimed he approached them brandishing a weapon, but video evidence clearly shows Alex videotaping the officers and attempting to defend a woman before being pepper sprayed and tackled, leading to a scuffle in which Alex's hands appear to be free of a firearm. After one officer retreated with a firearm, later reported to be Pretti's, agents opened fire and fatally shot Alex Pretti, while over five officers were restraining him. Once again, we must ask: Is this a sustainable way to enforce the laws of our great nation?
As concerned constituents, we ask that you consider advocating for amendments that strengthen transparency and accountability.
This can, and should include:
- Requiring minimum de-escalation and use of force training for ICE officers.
- Ensuring immediate public reporting to Congress on custodial deaths, use of force incidents, or any critical incidents within 72 hours.
- Require all ICE officers on duty to wear body cameras and ensure proper and clear funding for implementation.
- Empower the DHS Office of Inspector General by requiring ICE to respond promptly to all OIG findings.
- Reformed training window and stricter hiring measures, reports have indicated a dangerously lax hiring process.
- Allowing unannounced congressional visits to ICE facilities, which have been restricted recently in the name of “safety”, but we believe proper oversight cannot be done with a warning.
- Increased scrutiny on the Secretary Noem, ensuring she is carrying out her duties efficiently. The Secretary is known to give conflicting and sometimes false statements regarding victims or action taken by DHS.
We respectfully urge you to consider these measures and support amendments that strengthen transparency, accountability, and oversight for ICE. As your constituents and fellow North Carolinians, we trust that you will prioritize safety, civil liberties, and the responsible use of taxpayer funds. We implore you to take action, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns further with you. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
About the author: Jesse Pollard is a senior from eastern North Carolina and a proud member of the NCATD. Jesse plans to pursue a degree in Political Science from North Carolina Central University in the fall with intentions to become a Civil Rights Lawyer and Legislator.