U.S. citizens shot at, dragged by immigration agents, testify before congressional Democrats

WASHINGTON— One of the siblings of Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother of three who was shot and killed by an immigration agent in Minneapolis, told congressional Democrats on Tuesday that she needs their help.

Luke Ganger said their family took some solace in the thought that his sister’s death could lead to change.

“It didn’t happen,” he said.

That’s why Ganger and people violently detained by immigration officials have banded together to share their experiences with ICE and ask the government to rein in an agency they describe as lawless and out of control.

Tuesday’s forum — which was not a formal hearing because Republicans refused to acknowledge it — was moderated by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. It was held not at the Capitol but in a nearby Senate office building.

Garcia and Blumenthal convened the forum to gather testimony “about the violent tactics and disproportionate use of force by Department of Homeland Security agents.”

All the events mentioned in the forum were recorded on video.

Democrats heard from three U.S. citizens residing in San Bernardino, Chicago and Minneapolis. Also present were Good’s two brothers and an attorney representing their families.

Good’s killing on January 7 sparked a wave of national protests; It flared up further after agents fatally shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, two weeks later. Protesters called on federal agents to stop using violence as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.

“Let’s be very clear: these stories are not just about Minneapolis,” Blumenthal said. “These stories span the entire country.”

Blumenthal called for a “complete overhaul, rebuilding” of the Department of Homeland Security and its sub-agencies. Such an overhaul, he said, would require body-worn cameras, require officers to wear identification and require strict use-of-force training and policies; Acts of violence require thorough investigations under the supervision of an independent monitor. He said he would not support more funding for DHS without these reforms.

Ganger said the “surreal scenes” in Minneapolis and beyond were not isolated and changed many lives.

“The profound distress our family feels over such a violent and unnecessary loss of Renee is further complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress, and desperation for change,” he said.

Ganger said his family is “a very American mix” who vote differently and rarely agree completely on the details of being a U.S. citizen. He said that despite these differences, they always treated each other with love and respect.

“We have become even closer during this divided time in our country,” he said. “We hope that our family can even be a small example to others to not let political ideals divide us.”

At the panel, Martin Daniel Rascon of San Bernardino and three others described harrowing experiences with immigration agents. Rascon was in a truck with two family members last August when they were stopped by more than a dozen federal agents, who pointed a rifle at them, broke a window and then fired multiple shots into the car.

The man driving the truck and Rascon’s father-in-law, Francisco Longoria, were later arrested and charged by federal authorities, who claimed he attacked immigration officers with his truck during the incident. Longoria’s lawyers said she fled because she feared for her safety. charges dropped a month later.

Marimar Martinez, 30, of Chicago shot five times He was labeled a domestic terrorist by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and accused of assaulting the agents who shot him. These charges were also later dropped.

“I am angry on your behalf, Ms. Martinez,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont). “Tell me, what do you want this government to do to apologize to you?”

“I’m sorry. You are not a domestic terrorist,” he said. “This is it. Admitting that they were wrong about everything they said about me. I just want accountability.”

Aliya RahmanWhile driving to a doctor’s appointment in Minneapolis, he was dragged from his car and detained by ICE agents after he claimed he was disabled. Rahman has autism and is recovering from a traumatic brain injury.

Rahman was arrested after ignoring multiple commands, DHS said. Rahman said it took time to understand auditory commands.

Rahman said agents shouted threats and contradictory instructions that he could not digest as they followed pedestrians. When he first hit the ground, he said he felt intense pain as agents leaned on his back. He thought about George Floyd, who was killed four blocks away.

Rahman said he was never told he was under arrest or charged with a crime. The agents who took him to the federal Whipple Building referred to the detainees as “bodies.” He said he was not given any medical screenings, was not contacted by phone or given access to a lawyer, and was denied a communications router when his speech began to deteriorate.

Eventually he became unable to speak.

“The last sounds I remember before I passed out on the cell floor were my cellmate pounding on the door, begging for a doctor, and the voice from outside saying, ‘We don’t want to step on ICE’s toes,'” he said.

Rahman said he later woke up in a hospital, where doctors told him he had a concussion.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) speaks at a public forum regarding the use of violent force by Department of Homeland Security personnel.

(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Garcia called the forum a step toward accountability because Congress has the right to intervene when constitutional rights are violated. He said Democrats are tracking at least 186 incidents of problematic use of force by federal immigration officials.

“It is important for the public to recognize that this administration has lied, smeared and slandered people who were peacefully protesting,” he said.

Antonio Romanucci, the attorney who represents Good’s family and who also represents George Floyd’s family, said he has handled excessive force cases for decades but “this is an unprecedented and deeply troubling time.” Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020.

“ICE and CBP’s occupation of our cities goes far beyond their mission and leads to unnecessary provocations that cause unnecessary harm and death,” he said. “These operations across multiple states routinely and consistently involved violations of the Constitution.”

He said the current path to holding federal officials accountable is narrow. Congress could pass legislation that would add language that would make it easier for people to file civil lawsuits in cases like Good’s.