Duckworth Reiterates Call for Joint Investigation into ICE Violence in Chicago and Minneapolis   

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nearly 100 days after calling for an independent investigation into the outrageous use of force by ICE federal agents in Chicago, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reiterated and broadened her request to the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) Offices of Inspectors General (OIG) asking that the offices establish a joint task force to investigate the disturbing pattern of violent behavior by Trump’s agents in Chicago, Minneapolis and across the country. Her letter comes as the Trump Administration and ICE continue to lie about the details surrounding an ICE agent killing an unarmed, nonhostile 37-year-old mother in Minneapolis—a deceptive practice that DHS and ICE have been repeatedly caught doing by the courts as federal agents continue to terrorize communities across Chicagoland and Illinois. Duckworth’s letter is co-signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

In the letter, Duckworth and her colleagues wrote: “…the American people deserve transparency and accountability when Federal officers operate in their neighborhoods, and a joint effort by your offices would ensure that investigations into use of force incidents are impartial and comprehensive, while avoiding problems associated with jurisdictional silos, conflicts of interest or improper interference. That principle was true then and remains true today.”

In addition to the horrific killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, Duckworth reiterated the urgent need for this independent investigation into ICE behavior after Gregory Bovino, the commander of the Trump administration’s civil immigration enforcement surge, admitted he provided inaccurate testimony during a federal district court deposition.

The group continued: “Specifically, according to a United States District Court judge, ‘Defendant Bovino admitted that he lied,’ when Bovino claimed that his deployment of tear gas was in response to being hit in the head by a rock—a false claim that Bovino recanted when video evidence demonstrably proved that Bovino was lying about being hit with a rock.”

In the letter, Duckworth and her colleagues call for the independent investigation to assess whether federal officers complied with applicable laws, evaluate the training of officers and recommend corrective actions—including criminal referrals, when appropriate.

A copy of the letter can be found below and on Senator Duckworth’s website:

Dear Inspector General Cuffari and Acting Inspector General Berthiaume:

96 days have passed since you each received a request that the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) Offices of Inspectors General (OIG) establish and deploy a DHS OIG-DOJ OIG Joint Investigative Task Force to conduct independent investigations of all reported officer-involved use of force incidents related to Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois.[1]

As the October 17, 2025, letter noted, the American people deserve transparency and accountability when Federal officers operate in their neighborhoods, and a joint effort by your offices would ensure that investigations into use of force incidents are impartial and comprehensive, while avoiding problems associated with jurisdictional silos, conflicts of interest or improper interference. That principle was true then and remains true today.

The horrific deadly shooting of Ms. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, by a Federal law enforcement officer employed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) component—and the Trump administration’s inappropriate, reckless and outright deceptive statements following her killing at the hands of that ICE ERO employee—have only increased the need for independent investigations, without fear or favor, of all officer-involved use of force incidents related to the Trump administration’s violent civil immigration enforcement operations.

Accordingly, we write to reiterate the October 17, 2025, request to DHS OIG and DOJ OIG for a joint investigative task force, and expand the original oversight ask to include Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, and any other massive civil immigration enforcement operations being carried out by Federal law enforcement officers that the Trump administration has diverted from DHS and DOJ criminal investigations to support ICE ERO civil enforcement activities.

The need for independent inquiry is further validated by alarming and deeply troubling developments since October 17, 2025, which include Gregory Bovino, the commander of the Trump administration’s civil immigration enforcement surge, providing inaccurate testimony during a Federal District Court deposition. Specifically, according to a United States District Court judge, “Defendant Bovino admitted that he lied,” when Bovino claimed that his deployment of tear gas was in response to being hit in the head by a rock—a false claim that Bovino recanted when video evidence demonstrably proved that Bovino was lying about being hit with a rock.

Since October 2025, the harmful pattern and practice of masked Federal agents, in unmarked vehicles and wearing plain clothes or military fatigues, engaging in excessive use of force against U.S. citizens, legal immigrants and undocumented migrants, alike, has only deepened.

The nature of Federal law enforcement officers’ use of force during these civil immigration enforcement operations raises serious questions about DHS and DOJ personnel regularly violating each agency’s protocols, policies and regulations, along with Federal law and constitutional protections. Accordingly, we request that your respective offices launch a joint investigative task force to:

• Conduct independent investigations of all reported officer-involved use of force incidents related to Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois, Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota and any other DHS and DOJ operations involving the deployment of a large number of officers and agents to a specific metropolitan area;

• Assess whether Federal officers complied with applicable laws, regulations and departmental use-of-force policies;

• Evaluate the adequacy of training, supervision and command oversight provided to deployed personnel; and

• Recommend corrective actions, including policy reforms, disciplinary measures and—when appropriate—referrals to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for criminal prosecution.

The American people still deserve transparency and accountability when Federal officers operate in their neighborhoods. The need for DHS OIG and DOJ OIG to get into the field to conduct independent oversight, provide transparency and ensure accountability, has never been greater.

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