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See below for video and highlights of Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) speaking out regarding ICE in Virginia Communities, and specifically about the disturbing story that blew up this week. in which a U.S. citizen, mother, etc. (Carolina Molina) had a gun pointed at her face by an ICE agent. As Molina said:
“[If she hadn’t taken her phone out and recorded] I think they would have shot me and gotten away with it to be completely honest. I think my life was in danger at that point. I don’t think I processed that in that moment. It wasn’t until after I was like this was a whole Renee Good situation again…I don’t know what life is right now to be completely honest, it just feels very overwhelming…I think it’s messed up. I just don’t think it’s fair that they can sit there and block somebody in and point a gun at your head and get away with it. I think they should be investigated and if their body cam was on then put it out there.”
So here’s Rep. Subramanyam, who represents Carolina Molina in the U.S. House (although the incident itself happened in Bailey’s Crossroads, which is in Falls Church – VA08) – bolding added by me for emphasis:
“It could have been [a similar situation to Renee Good]. Thank goodness it wasn’t. Thank goodness she wasn’t shot and killed like Renee Good. Ms. Molina is a constituent. I had the chance to talk to her and she’s just scared for her life, for her family. The reality is there’s been no… ICE has not claimed any sort of responsibility for their actions. There’s been no accountability for ICE in previous incidents. And they seem to be continuing covering up for agents who do the wrong thing. Law enforcement makes mistakes. ICE will make mistakes. But the way that they are handling this and the way they are lacking accountability is incredibly concerning for us…
…This is why people are so angry about ICE. It’s because they clearly, despite evidence, want to cover up for these agents who do the wrong thing, who make a mistake or in this case who who pull out a gun and put into a innocent American citizen’s head. I mean, that is completely wrong and they won’t hold them accountable. They won’t hold anyone accountable for their actions in that organization. That’s why people are upset…
…in so many situations, the dangerous situation was because of the ICE agent pulling their gun or the ICE agent attacking the other person. And so, yes, they have a right to defend themselves, but that’s not what’s happening right now. What’s happening right now is ICE agents are creating fear in the community. They’re not protecting anyone. All they’re doing is going after people, even people who shouldn’t be targeted in the first place…
…because of immense public pressure, they have finally made small reforms, but it’s not nearly enough. For instance, there’s still no accountability for any of these incidents. It seems like they’ve tried to sweep incidents under the rug. We’re talking about things they’re doing that are legal, like pulling a gun on an innocent American citizen. And there’s still not enough transparency in that organization. I think the organization right now has completely failed. The Republican House and the president have funded it like a military and they’re making it act like a paramilitary and that is completely wrong and we need to completely fix this issue otherwise American citizens are going to get hurt…
…I want those ICE officers who do the wrong thing to face real penalties. And we’re talking about criminal charges if you pull a gun on someone, if you shoot someone when they shouldn’t have been harmed in the first place. There needs to be real accountability. And with transparency, yes, we want the body cameras, but we want you to release that footage to the public so that they can make their own decisions. Right now, your journalist said that he can’t even get the the images and the videos that ICE has right now. That’s not transparency…
…In many of these incidents, people are taking their own videos. I almost wonder what’s happened in the other incidents, the 50 people who’ve died in detention, the hundreds of other people who’ve been harmed by ICE agents. I want to know what’s happening in all these cases.”
Rep. Subramanyam: “I talked to Ms. Molina, who’s a constituent of mine, and she’s afraid for herself and for her family. Still, she has every right to criticize ice when she sees them in the community. They have earned that criticism with their actions all across the country. And right now, they’re trying to do a surge in Virginia. We’re hearing more and more reports of their presence, and their presence is not welcome, given the tactics that they have used on american citizens, too, not just immigrant families. So she has every right to speak up. And it’s scary when she speaks up, and then they pull a gun on her. That is crazy. And that is un-American. And it’s just unacceptable. And we’re going to continue to put pressure on ICE.”
