Dear Editor: I’ve sent the following letter to our congressional delegation – Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan and Representative Begich. I am awaiting their reply. This is especially poignant now that ICE activity is ramping up in the state with the help of Governor Dunleavy’s assigning Alaska National Guard to ICE operations in Anchorage.
Dear Senators and Representative: I’ve become increasingly alarmed at ICE’s violent raids and inhumane treatment of U.S. immigrants. Here’s just a few red flags flying regarding this issue:
#1. Trump has launched targeted attacks on Democratic-led cities – L.A., Chicago, Charlotte and New Orleans- as well as on specific populations like the Somali community in Minnesota.
#2. Hundreds of U.S. citizens have been ill-treated by federal agents and wrongfully detained because of racial profiling.
#3. ICE facilities have chalked up 510 identifiable human rights violations including sexual assault, medical negligence and mistreatment of children and pregnant women.
#4. Thousands of immigrants arrested by border patrol have “gone missing” following “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago and “Alligator Alcatraz” in Miami.
This should alarm every one of us. These are our neighbors, our children’s classmates, our students and our clients. We all need to be diligent about keeping an eye on ICE and document this deplorable behavior by federal employees. What can you do to rein ICE’s terror as an elected official for the state of Alaska?
Lisa Sadleir-Hart, Sitka
