Bonnie Watson Coleman condemns Princeton ICE arrests, calls for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s impeachment
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman condemned the detention of two Princeton residents by ICE agents in a statement Thursday evening. One man was detained shortly after dropping his son off at an elementary school, she said.
The Thursday morning ICE presence in town first drew the attention of a crossing guard who reported seeing suspicious activity near Birch Avenue and John Street around 8:30 a.m. The crossing guard observed two vehicles parked in the area. Several people approached the vehicles before they drove away. Witnesses believed the individuals inside the vehicles were federal immigration agents.
The Princeton Police Department later contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and confirmed that federal agents were operating in Princeton. Officials said ICE did not provide details about the reason for the arrests or release any official information about the two men who were detained.
In a written statement, Watson Coleman condemned the arrests and said they reflected a broader pattern of federal immigration enforcement that is harmful to families and communities.
“Yet again, it appears the misguided priorities and failed practices of ICE have led not to improvements in community safety but to the breaking up of families,” she said.
Watson Coleman said her office had received a flood of calls and messages from constituents angered by the arrests and by the presence of immigration agents in the local community.
“Constituents have called, emailed, and messaged my office, outraged at this administration’s use of ICE as a band of armed thugs seemingly sent into communities to intimidate and harass peaceful, hardworking people,” Watson Coleman said.
The congresswoman challenged the federal government’s assertion that immigration enforcement efforts are focused strictly on dangerous criminals and gang members and said it is just. pretense for arrests. She noted that the vast majority of people detained by ICE do not have criminal records.
“The rhetoric of this administration claiming this is about a ‘reckoning and retribution’ lays that bare,” she said.
Watson Coleman called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to halt violent raids and unlawful detentions. She said Noem’s leadership had failed to respond to public concerns and contributed to what she characterized as mismanagement within the department.
“Noem’s failure to heed the public and their representatives at all levels, as well as the gross mismanagement of her department, has led me to join my colleagues in calling for her impeachment,” Watson Coleman said.
She also echoed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s call for Americans who value their neighbors and their safety to protest the illegal actions of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
“Do so peacefully but loudly. And document the crimes being committed against our communities,” Watson Coleman said. “A day will come when those who have violated our rights will face justice,” she said. “It’s up to us to voice our opposition to their actions and serve as witnesses to their crimes.”
