Faver Dias Condemns Inhumane Actions of ICE and Border Patrol

GRAYSLAKE, Ill. – State Rep. Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake, has issued the following statement in response to the violent acts of ICE and Border Patrol agents in Minnesota and across the country, as they have directly led to several deaths. 

“Over the weekend, I was sickened to learn that ICE agents had killed another human being. Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was attempting to help a woman stand when Border Patrol agents shoved him to his hands and knees, and then shot him 10 times in the back. There is no place on Earth where that could ever be considered moral or acceptable behavior.

“Not only was Alex Pretti a strong advocate for human rights, he was also a VA nurse and a beloved son, and I am sending his parents love and healing as they mourn their son. Tragically, his family is not the only one facing bitter loss at the hands of federal immigration agents. Renee Good was killed two weeks ago by antagonistic ICE agents, leaving behind her parents, wife and children. 

“Minnesota isn’t the only state to feel the brutality of these federal immigration agents. In Los Angeles, Keith Porter Jr., a father of two, was killed by an off-duty ICE agent. Many more have died in ICE custody, including Luis Beltrán Yáñez–Cruz, a grandfather, who had been living in the United States for decades before he was detained. Geraldo Lunas Campos, a father of four, was also killed in ICE custody, with his death being ruled a homicide. 

“These deaths are inexcusable, and it is morally and Constitutionally wrong. Federal immigration officials are acting well outside of their purview and with minimal training, which has allowed them to act in ways that no official should ever consider appropriate. They’re supposed to be protecting the people of the United States, and instead, they are actively harming them.

“Anyone who sets foot on U.S. soil is protected by their Constitutional rights, but ICE and Border Patrol agents blindly and arbitrarily ignore these rights— the very foundation of our country— as they inflict fear and terror on fellow American citizens.

“We cannot stand by as their actions continue unchecked. Our protests need to be heard. While I will do everything in my power to help the people of Illinois at the state level, I urge you to call your federal representative and senator and let them know that you are watching and this cannot continue. From my office, I will continue to do everything I can to protect the people of Illinois, and I will seek accountability for those who are persecuting U.S. citizens.”