Following ICE Hartford Incident, Larson Renews Call to Allow States to Block ICE Activities
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement on last night’s incident at the Ribicoff Court House in Hartford. During a vigil in Hartford remembering Renee Nicole Good, who was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, at least one person was struck by a vehicle in the crowd, and several were pepper-sprayed.
“In response to yesterday’s vigil in Hartford and the incident in which a federal vehicle struck a protester, I want to be clear: the violence we are seeing is a direct consequence of the reckless escalation of militarized ICE operations and the Trump Administration’s refusal to exercise any restraint,” said Larson. “Protesters gathered peacefully to honor a life lost in Minneapolis and instead found themselves in a confrontation that was entirely predictable given how this administration has empowered federal agents to act with impunity. That is why I am calling for the immediate resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a full and independent investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good, and immediate action to stop ICE from operating inside our communities without full coordination with state and local law enforcement.
“I spoke directly with the Mayor Arulampalam and offered my full support to the city and its residents as local officials work to ensure public safety and investigate what occurred,” Larson continued. “I join the Mayor in calling for transparency and accountability regarding how a federal vehicle came into contact with a civilian during a peaceful vigil. These incidents are not isolated. They are the inevitable result of unleashing masked, heavily armed federal agents into communities without oversight, without coordination, and without respect for local authority.
“When ICE agents act like roving bands of vigilantes and kill unarmed civilians they lose the trust of communities. Fear and desperation fill the void and people no longer believe law enforcement is there to protect them. The entire system breaks down. From the murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis to the confrontation at yesterday’s vigil in Hartford, this administration has created a climate of fear, instability, and chaos. These outcomes were foreseen and repeatedly warned against. Communities should be places of safety, not flashpoints created by federal overreach. Until these tactics end, more lives will be put at risk,” Larson concluded.
After an ICE agent killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis this week, Larson called for a full, independent investigation into the shooting, and the resignation of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. In Congress, he is a cosponsor of theNo Secret Police Act,to require federal law enforcement to identify themselves, and has vowed to introduce legislation to prevent ICE from operating in states without full coordination with state and local law enforcement.