WASHINGTON- One of the brothers of Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother of three who was shot and killed by an immigration agent in Minneapolis, told congressional Democrats Tuesday that she needed their help.
Luke Ganger said his family had taken comfort in thinking his sister's death could bring about change.
“It's not like that,” he said.
That's why Ganger and people who had been violently detained by immigration agents came together to share their experiences with ICE and ask the government to rein in an agency they described as illegal and out of control.
Tuesday's forum, which was not an official hearing because Republicans disagreed, was led 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 not held in the Capitol, but in a nearby Senate office building.
García and Blumenthal called the forum to collect testimonies “about the violent tactics and disproportionate use of force by agents of the Department of Homeland Security.”
All incidents referenced on the forum were captured on video.
Democrats heard from three American citizens who reside in San Bernardino, Chicago and Minneapolis. Also present were Good's two brothers and a lawyer representing his family.
Good's killing on Jan. 7 has sparked a wave of national protests, which intensified further after officers shot and killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, two weeks later. Protesters have called on federal agents to stop using violence in pursuit of the Trump administration's mass deportation effort.
From left, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Luke Ganger and Brent Ganger arrive at a public forum on violent use of force by Department of Homeland Security personnel.
(McNamee Wins/Getty Images)
“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, a rebuild” of the Department of Homeland Security and its sub-agencies. Such reform, he said, would require body cameras, officers wearing identification, and rigorous use-of-force policies and training; Acts of violence would require thorough investigations under the supervision of an independent observer. Without those reforms, he said he would not support more funding for DHS.
Ganger said the “surreal scenes” taking place in Minneapolis and beyond are not isolated and are changing many lives.
“The deep anguish our family feels at losing Renee in such a violent and unnecessary manner is compounded by feelings of disbelief, anguish and desperation for change,” he said.
Ganger said his family is “a very American mix” that votes differently and rarely fully agrees on the details of what it means to be a U.S. citizen. Despite those differences, he said, they have always treated each other with love and respect.
“We have grown even closer during this very divided time in our country,” he said. “We hope that our family can be even a small example so that others do not allow political ideals to divide us.”
The panel heard from Martín Daniel Rascón, of San Bernardino, and three other people who described harrowing experiences with immigration agents. Rascón was in a van with two members of his family last August when they were stopped by more than a dozen federal agents who pointed rifles at them, broke a window and then shot at the car several times.
Francisco Longoria, the man driving the truck and Rascón's father-in-law, was later arrested and charged by federal authorities, who alleged that he had attacked immigration agents with his truck during the incident. Longoria's lawyers said he left because he feared for his safety. The charges were dropped a month later.
Marimar Martinez, 30, of Chicago, was shot five times by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and was later labeled a domestic terrorist and charged with assaulting the agents who shot her. Those charges were also later dropped.
“I'm angry for you, 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're not a domestic terrorist,” he said. “That's it. Let them admit they were wrong about everything they said about me. I just want accountability.”
Aliya Rahman, of Minneapolis, was pulled from her car on the way to a doctor's appointment and detained by ICE agents after telling them she had a disability. Rahman has autism and is recovering from a traumatic brain injury.
DHS said Rahman was arrested because she ignored multiple orders. Rahman said it takes him time to understand the auditory commands.
Rahman said the officers yelled threats and conflicting instructions that she couldn't process as she watched the pedestrians. When he hit the ground face-first, he said, he felt a searing pain as the officers leaned over his back. He thought about George Floyd, who was murdered four blocks away.
Rahman said she was never told she was under arrest or charged with a crime. The agents who took her to the Whipple Federal Building referred to the detainees as “bodies.” He said he received no medical exam, phone call or access to a lawyer, and was denied a communication navigator when he began slurring his speech.
Finally, she was unable to speak.
“The last sounds I remember before passing out on the cell floor were my cellmate banging on the door, calling for a doctor, and a voice 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 suffered a concussion.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) speaks during a public forum on violent use of force by Department of Homeland Security personnel.
(McNamee Wins/Getty Images)
García called the forum a step toward accountability because Congress has the right to intervene when constitutional rights are violated. He said Democrats have tracked at least 186 incidents of problematic use of force by federal immigration agents.
“It is important that the public recognize that this administration has lied to, defamed and smeared people who have been peacefully protesting,” he said.
Antonio Romanucci, the attorney representing Good's family, who also represented George Floyd's family, said that while he has handled excessive force cases for decades, “this is an unprecedented and deeply disturbing time.” Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer 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 multi-state operations have routinely and consistently included violations of the Constitution.”
The current path to holding federal officials accountable is narrow, he said. Congress could pass legislation to add language that makes it easier for people to file civil lawsuits in cases like Good's.
