ACLU Statement on ICE and CBP Deployment

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security has deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and resources to various cities amidst days of protest, as people demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and the countless other Black people who have been killed by police in recent years.

The following is a statement from Andrea Flores, deputy director of immigration policy for the American Civil Liberties Union:

“ICE and CBP are rogue agencies with sordid histories of abuse, violence, and human rights violations. Deploying these agents and resources into cities already suffering from over-militarization and law enforcement brutality is a mistake that imperils the lives of even more Black and Brown people. Further, CBP shouldn’t be flying drones over American cities, period, especially given the agency’s lack of existing privacy protections and the impact that the use of military technology will have on First Amendment rights. ICE and CBP should be kept off our streets — not sent into local situations that require restraint and are beyond their purpose.”