Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan says Immigration and Customs Enforcement needs more oversight and less funding in response to the killing of a woman in Minneapolis this week.
On Wednesday, an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good in her vehicle, sparking protests in the city and across the nation. The Trump administration claims the officer acted in self-defense. Minnesota leaders like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are accusing President Donald Trump and federal officials of lying about the shooting.
On WPR’s “Wisconsin Today,” Pocan criticized ICE’s lack of oversight from the Trump administration or Republican-controlled Congress.
News with a little more humanity
WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.
“ICE is a rogue agency, right? They think they’re above the law,” Pocan said. “They’re told they have impunity, that they can do anything. And we’re seeing those actions unfortunately unfold.”
Pocan said video footage of the shooting clearly shows Good’s vehicle turning away from agents, not toward them, and that officer Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent identified as the shooter, continued firing even after the car was driving away from him.
“We want to keep the values of America intact and those values are not what we’re seeing executed — and I use that word specifically — with ICE,” Pocan said. “This is something that needs greater control. Clearly, Republicans in Congress are not doing that. Perhaps come November, we’ll be able to make some changes.”
Pocan mentioned that ICE’s funding could face additional scrutiny should Democratic lawmakers take control of the House in this year’s midterm elections. Last summer, Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which nearly tripled ICE’s annual budget from $9.9 billion to $28 billion.
Seeking clarity on what’s next in Venezuela
Pocan also told “Wisconsin Today” that the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas this month was illegal, according to both American and international law.
Pocan highlighted that Article I of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and said Trump operated without the approval of legislators. Pocan said lawmakers received a briefing from officials this week but that he found it uninformative.
“I don’t think they know what the next steps are,” Pocan said. “How much money are we going to spend? Will there be boots on the ground? How long are we going to be there? All of that should worry people greatly.”
Earlier this week, Trump said he expects U.S. involvement in Venezuela could last years in order to build up the nation’s oil infrastructure.
On Thursday, Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told WPR the operation marks a reinstatement of the Monroe Doctrine, a 19th-century policy that claims the entire western hemisphere under American influence.
Pocan said that shift would be bad news for constituents he hears from who are concerned about the affordability of health care and groceries.
“Anything that suddenly puts us in the imperialism business, starting to occupy countries, that’s costly and that doesn’t make sense,” he said.
