Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota-based Democrat, opposes the move by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rename Immigration and Customs Enforcement as “National Immigration and Customs Enforcement” or NICE.
President Donald Trump reportedly backs the name change.
According to Omar, such a change will not change what ICE has done by killing two of its citizens during shootings in Minnesota recently.
“A rebrand won’t distract us from the truth: this reprehensible agency murdered two Minnesotans in broad daylight,” tweeted Rep. Omar. “Abolish ICE.”
The deceased include Renee Good, who was killed on January 7, and Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed on January 24. They were U.S. citizens killed during deportation operations in Minneapolis. The shootings took place in an area that had witnessed protests in relation to increased ICE raids in the region.
According to government officials, the shooting was a response to threats posed to the officers’ lives. However, evidence provided by eyewitnesses has shown the use of excessive and unnecessary lethal force during the shooting. As a result, investigations have been launched into these shootings by Minnesota lawyers and the U.S. Attorney General’s office.
