U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) is sharply criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations tied to President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.
She is accusing the agency of pursuing policies rooted in fear and cruelty rather than public safety or economic stability.
In a statement and video shared on Instagram, Brown said the administration’s claims that aggressive immigration enforcement benefits Americans “do not add up,” arguing that recent and proposed ICE actions undermine constitutional protections and place both immigrants and U.S. citizens at risk.
“Trump’s violent ICE agenda was never about the economy, putting Americans first, or making America safer,” Brown wrote. “It was always about sowing fear, deepening division, and cruelty.”
Raids, Status Revocations, and Civil Rights Claims
Brown pointed to reports that ICE plans to conduct extended raids in Springfield, Ohio, targeting Haitian migrants shortly after the federal government stripped many of them of Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
She argued that removing legal protections before enforcement actions contradicts claims that the administration wants immigrants to follow lawful pathways to citizenship.
“If Trump is stripping away their status before he sics lawless agents on them,” Brown said, “then it was never about wanting them to go about citizenship the right way—because they tried that.”
The congresswoman also raised concerns about challenges to 14th Amendment birthright citizenship, warning that such efforts threaten the citizenship rights of Black and Brown Americans.
Additionally, she criticized reports that ICE has used tax records to identify and detain undocumented migrants, countering arguments that immigrants do not contribute to public systems.
Allegations of Harm and Accountability Demands
Brown went further, alleging that ICE operations have resulted in the deaths of U.S. citizens and immigrants alike. She said these actions contradict claims that heightened enforcement improves public safety.
“If Trump’s ICE is killing U.S. citizens in the streets, they’re not making anyone safer,” she said.
Citing those concerns, Brown explained her vote against additional ICE funding, called for the repeal of what she described as an “ICE slush fund,” and demanded transparency regarding deaths in ICE custody. She also publicly called for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing the department of failing to rein in ICE’s conduct.
“The bottom line is this,” Brown said. “Trump’s ICE is out of control.”
Broader Political Context
Brown’s remarks come amid ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement, executive authority, and the balance between border security and civil liberties.
Civil rights groups and several Democratic lawmakers have increasingly slammed aggressive ICE tactics as not only an immigration issue, but a constitutional and human rights concern with implications for U.S. citizens as well as non-citizens.
ICE and Trump administration officials have consistently defended enforcement operations as lawful and necessary for national security and border control. CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCH REP SHONTEL’S FULL VIDEO.
