Hearing on Complaints Against DHS Agents
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, held a bicameral public forum to receive testimony on the tactics and use of force by agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The forum featured testimony from Brent and Luke Ganger, brothers of Renee Nicole Macklin Good, and Antonio Romanucci, the attorney representing their family; Marimar Martinez, Aliya Rahman, and Martin Daniel Rascon, all of whom were assaulted by DHS agents; and Seth Stoughton, a former police officer and Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law.
“I know that what happened to me in the matter of seconds on October 4 will unfortunately be with me for a lifetime. The physical scars will always be there,” Ms. Martinez said. “And perhaps even worse, the mental scars will always be there as a reminder of the time my own government attempted to execute me and when they failed at that, to vilify me.”
“I now cannot lift my arms normally. I was never asked for ID, never told I was under arrest, never read my rights, and never charged with a crime,” Ms. Rahman said. “Before I blacked out on the cell floor, my cell mate pleaded over and over to get me emergency medical care. A voice outside said ‘We don't want to step on ICE's toes.’”
“Aliya Rahman was assaulted and violently dragged from her car by immigration agents — and then detained without access to medical care. Despite the severe physical and mental toll, she is unafraid to demand accountability,” Blumenthal wrote.
“I will never forget the fear and having to quickly duck my head as the shots were fired at the passenger side of the car. Any one of those bullets could have killed me or two people that I love,” Mr. Rascon said.
“Our family is a very American blend. We vote differently, and we rarely completely agree on the finer details of what it means to be a citizen of this country. We attend various churches and some, not at all. Despite those differences, we have always treated each other with love and respect,” Luke Ganger said. “We have gotten even closer during this very divided time in our country, and we hope that our family can be even a small example to others to not let political ideals divide us. To be Good, like Renee.”
“Renee is not gone from us — she’s in the light that finds us on hard days. She’s in the resilience we didn’t know we had until we needed it. She’s in the laughter, the memories, the love that continues to grow,” Brent Ganger said.
“The current administration’s approach to immigration enforcement falls far short of professional norms. This is not policing. It is not normal. And it is not professionally acceptable,” Mr. Stoughton said.
Use of Force by DHS Agents
In his opening statement, Blumenthal said: “This hearing is extraordinary and unprecedented, but so is the inhumanity and brutality that we've seen from a government agency. With us today are brave Americans who have come forward to speak truth to power. That phrase is overused, but truly it applies today. With us in spirit are also Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti — in spirit, they should be here in person. But they were murdered. They were murdered by their own government.”
This event is the second public forum Blumenthal and Garcia have hosted as part of their ongoing inquiry into the tactics used by federal immigration agents. In December, Blumenthal and Garcia received testimony from five U.S. citizens who were assaulted, detained, and denied their constitutional rights by agents of the DHS.
Following the forum, Blumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor to discuss the testimony he received from the U.S. citizens victimized by DHS agents. In his remarks, Blumenthal highlighted the courage of the witnesses in coming forward to share their personal experiences with DHS agents.
Blumenthal joined Jen Psaki (Former Biden and Obama Press Secretary and Deputy Press Secretary, respectively, currently MSNBC “Now” host) to discuss his spotlight forum and the testimony of the U.S. citizens victimized by DHS agents’ violence and excessive use of force.
“What struck me is the bravery of these people who have been victimized and terrorized by their own government, people whose agents of the government have shot at them trying to execute them, and in one case, almost killing them,” Blumenthal said on MS NOW. “So we need to rein in this agency. And what struck me, as well, is how impactful and powerful their testimony was. I hope it will move my Republican colleagues to accede to the demands that we're making. My view is unless those demands are met, we should shut down DHS because this kind of lawlessness and brutality are spanning our country.”
Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Information
Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member, Blumenthal, issued a statement following the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) release of its National Veterans Suicide Prevention annual report, revealing a decrease in veteran suicides from 2022 to 2023.
“While we saw a decrease in the number of veterans losing their life to suicide in 2023, more needs to be done,” he said. “We must safeguard lifesaving resources like the Veterans Crisis Line, address the shortage of mental health professionals at VA, and ensure every single veteran seeking mental health care gets that care in a timely manner.”
VA’s report shows 6,398 veterans died by suicide in 2023. Additionally, 61% of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 had no contact with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and were not receiving VA benefits. The suicide rate among veterans in VHA care with mental health or substance use disorder diagnoses fell 34.7%.
Last month, Blumenthal released a comprehensive report, “Breaking the Pact: Impacts of Trump, DOGE, and Doug Collins’ Ongoing Assault on Veterans,” detailing the harm and impacts of the Trump Administration’s draconian directives and cuts on veterans. Among its many findings, the report revealed a historic loss of staff, dire health care staffing shortages, and spiking VA mental health care wait times. Based on these findings, Blumenthal has asked VA Secretary Doug Collins for updated facility-by-facility data for wait times on mental health care access — noting that the public data shows nearly one-third of facilities have wait times for new patients exceeding 40 days.
