New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called for a federal investigation into the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The governor made the demand after ICE agents arrested an undocumented immigrant while delivering a pizza at Fort Hamilton in New York City. The undocumented immigrant had no criminal record.
In a letter to John Kelly, Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Gov. Cuomo wrote that the federal government created ICE in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Its primary responsibility is to protect national security and public safety but it “has strayed far from its mission.”
Gov. Cuomo noted that ICE’s recent actions “raised significant legal and public safety concerns.” He requested DHS Acting Inspector General to launch a probe into the “disgraceful and illegal tactics” used by ICE agents and ensure they are following the rule of law.
The recent arrest of the undocumented pizza delivery guy named Pablo Villavicencio “appears to be a result of ethnic profiling. It does nothing to make our communities safer. Detaining a hardworking man, separating a father from his children and tearing apart families doesn’t make America safe, said Gov. Cuomo.
