ICE: Harder Demands Accountability from ICE Following Oversight Investigation at Stockton Field Office
Joined by local, city, and state leaders
VIDEO from the press conference is available here
STOCKTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) led a federal oversight investigation at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Stockton and shared his findings with local, city, and state leaders in a press conference outside the facility. Harder and his staff inspected personnel facilities, operations rooms, and processing areas, and they met with ICE agents to demand answers on inexcusable attacks in Stockton.
In October, more than 20 people were abruptly detained at the Stockton ICE field office and ultimately loaded into convoys of vans without any explanation to the public. And just within the last few weeks, federal operations led to the horrifying deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, the latest escalation in a monthslong campaign of attacks on families.
“My staff and I just came from the ICE center here in Stockton where our neighbors have been unlawfully detained, demonstrators have been brutally attacked, and families have been torn apart,” said Rep. Harder. “We cannot allow this violence to continue, not in Minnesota and not in Stockton – that’s why I demanded that ICE open its doors to federal oversight, and we are here to report back directly to our community. I’m grateful to be joined by so many Stockton leaders – we’re here to make clear that Stockton is united in reining in these out of control attacks.”
Harder vowed to vote against any increased funding for ICE until five key reforms were met:
- No more operations without warrants
- Mandatory body cameras
- No more masked agents
- Strict limits on use of force
- No deporting U.S. citizens
Harder was joined by Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, Senator Jerry McNerney, Councilmember Mario Enríquez, Supervisor Paul Canepa, Faith in the Valley Program Manager Nora Zaragoza-Yáñez, Victory in Praise Church Senior Pastor Trent Washington, and El Concilio California President and CEO Jose Rodriguez.
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