OPINION: We have the tools to hold ICE accountable

By now we’ve seen the videos and heard the stories. ICE agents in Oregon and across the country are hiding behind masks while violently spreading fear and trampling on the Constitution. They’re racially profiling, shattering windows, showing up at hospitals and schools, using children as bait, and murdering U.S. citizens. And they’re doing it all without a shred of accountability.

From Minneapolis to McMinnville, ICE is terrorizing our communities. Despite repeated promises to target the “worst of the worst,” President Trump has broken his promise. The result has been chaotic enforcement, illegal and violent detainments and tragic deaths like those of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both American citizens.  

Here in Oregon, 7-year-old Diana Crespo was taken to the emergency room because she needed medical attention. Instead of receiving help, her family was detained by ICE in the parking lot. Diana never saw a doctor. No parent should ever have to fear that seeking medical care for their child will lead to arrest. The Crespo family had a pending asylum application, valid work permits and were contributing members of our community — yet they were treated like criminals for doing exactly what any responsible parent would do.

For months, I’ve been speaking out against the Trump Administration’s violent immigration enforcement and its impact on the safety of our communities. I’ve introduced legislation, sent letters and supported lawsuits. I’ve conducted oversight visits of the ICE field office in Portland and the detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, and I’ve urged my colleagues publicly and privately to hold the Administration accountable. Despite pressure from me and my Democratic colleagues, Republicans in control of the House, the Senate and the White House have refused to work with us to hold ICE and CBP accountable. But the tide appears to be shifting. 

The murder of Alex Pretti in Minnesota was an act of violence so blatant and so shocking that it forced a visible shift in how some of my Republican colleagues view ICE’s actions. They can no longer ignore the urgent need to rein in ICE.  

Congress recently voted to end a partial government shutdown, giving itself less than two weeks to reach an agreement on ICE accountability and oversight. However, I did not vote for this extension. I have been clear: I will not give another penny to ICE without meaningful guardrails, transparency and enforceable oversight. If Congress fails to reach an agreement, we will enter another partial government shutdown.  

For any negotiated solution to pass, it will require the support of at least 10 Democratic senators. In other words, Democrats have a lever of power and we must use it.  

There is a deep moral rot at the heart of ICE right now. It’s not one that can be solved through two weeks of negotiations. Solving this problem requires transformative changes to ICE and our entire immigration system.  

Ideally, Congress would work together without the threat of a government shutdown to pass much-needed reforms like increasing the number of immigration judges and expanding legal pathways to citizenship. We should work together to keep our communities safe from criminals, gang members and drug dealers. But the reforms necessary to make that happen take time and under Trump they are neither realistic nor possible. However, we can’t wait three more years to respond to ICE gunning down U.S. citizens in the street. As the daughter of a police officer, I know what responsible law enforcement looks like and it does not look like what ICE is doing. They are acting lawlessly and spreading chaos. We need guardrails now to protect citizens, uphold our rights,and stop ICE’s moral rot from spreading.  

Over the next two weeks, Congress will negotiate these guardrails. For the final agreement to get my support, this is what it must include.  

First, the bill must include the suspension of ICE and CBP enforcement actions in Minnesota and end warrantless stops, indiscriminate arrests and militarized tactics nationwide. It must ensure that enforcement is focused on serious threats, not innocent children. This must include immediate protections for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, while promulgating independent investigations into recent use-of-force incidents.  

​Second, Congress should redirect enforcement funding away from mass detention and quota-driven arrests and toward public safety priorities, including stronger hiring and training standards and an end to racial profiling.  

Third and finally, accountability must be written into law: unmasking ICE agents, mandating body cameras, restricting deadly force and strengthening oversight should all be a top priority before any more money is delivered to DHS.  

Without these reforms, I will not vote to give another cent of taxpayer money to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.  

Additionally, over the last few days, I worked with Senator Jeff Merkley to introduce a bill that allows individuals to sue the federal government when ICE and CBP violate their constitutional rights. This is just one more way we’re pushing for accountability. 

America is at a crossroads. The choices made now will determine whether we can prevent more violence or if Congress has abandoned its responsibility to protect the American people.  

This editorial was written by Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) for Pamplin Community News. It was published on Friday, February 6, 2026.