Rep. John Mannion (D-Geddes) started his telephone town hall Wednesday night by calling the recent killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in MN “deeply disturbing.”
"What we see from ICE and border patrol and the Department of Homeland Security in cities across this country is unacceptable,” he said. “At times like these, it's easy to feel discouraged or frightened."
But Mannion said protests are making a difference, adding he and his Democrat colleagues are demanding change, separating the proposed DHS budget from other spending bills amid a debate in the way ICE operates.
Mannion said he would like to see ICE agents remove masks, wear body cameras, and require judicial warrants to enter homes.
During the town hall, other community members expressed concerns over President Trump’s call for the federal government to get involved in state elections.
The president has claimed there is widespread fraud, but he has not provided evidence.
Mannion said Democrats are keeping a close eye on the GOP’s actions leading up to the midterms, and he encourages people to speak out and protest about their concerns.
"If there is any attack on our elections prior to, during the elections in November, or afterwards, that is going to be wide open for the American people to see," Mannion said.
As a budget battle continues on Capitol Hill, community members are also raising concerns about affordability, particularly the price of energy this winter.
Mannion encourages people who think they may qualify for federal assistance to contact his office, but he said he’d like to see more collaboration in Washington to find longer term solutions.
"We need resilient systems,” he said. “We need affordable energy. We need clean energy. We need it to be sustainable."
