Khan and colleagues introduce resolution demanding accountability in DHS and ICE enforcement
Rep. Ben Sanchez January 25, 2026 | 4:16 PM
HARRISBURG, Jan. 25 – State Rep. Tarik Khan, D–Philadelphia, joined by colleagues in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, today introduced a resolution urging Congress to withhold additional federal appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until meaningful accountability and safety reforms are enacted.
The resolution comes in the wake of the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis in January 2026, just weeks after another U.S. citizen, Renee Nicole Good, was shot and killed during federal immigration enforcement operations in the same city.
“As a nurse and a lawmaker, I am grieving the loss of innocent life at the hands of federal agents,” said Khan. “These deaths were avoidable. No community should wake up to another killing in broad daylight, especially in a peaceful American city like Minneapolis. We deserve safety, transparency, and answers, not continued escalation and more violence.”
The resolution calls for clear and enforceable use-of-force standards, independent review of serious incidents involving federal agents, visible identification requirements during enforcement actions, timely release of body-camera footage following deaths or serious injuries, strengthened civil rights protections within DHS, and full cooperation with state and local authorities whenever serious incidents occur, including shootings and other uses of force.
Khan also criticized the federal administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.
“President Trump and his enablers have unleashed chaos and fear in American communities by politicizing and militarizing federal agencies,” Khan said. “This administration is using force and intimidation instead of accountability and answers. Violence, fear, and abuse of power have no place in a democratic society, and we will continue to push back against their normalization.”
State Rep. Arvind Venkat, D–Allegheny, voiced support for the resolution.
“Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn as a welcoming place for all. Immigration is the only source of population growth in our state. Virtually all of us have an immigration story,” Venkat said. “We need secure borders, more channels of legal immigration, and a process for regularizing undocumented immigrants who are working, paying taxes, and raising families in our community. Current ICE policies and procedures are anti-Pennsylvanian and anti-American. I am proud to join Rep. Khan and colleagues in calling on Congress to change how this agency is run.”
State Rep. Paul Takac, D–Centre, emphasized the importance of accountability alongside respect for law enforcement.
“As the proud son and grandson of police officers, I know that law enforcement is an essential and honorable profession. However, with great power comes great responsibility,” Takac said. “This resolution calls on our federal elected officials to ensure that DHS and ICE are held to the highest possible standards by protecting our communities while upholding our constitutional rights and freedoms.”
State Rep. Paul Friel, D–Chester, also voiced support for the resolution.
“One of our most fundamental values as Americans - woven into the very DNA of our nation - is a steadfast commitment to civil liberties. This commitment is enshrined in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and echoed throughout our national laws," Friel said. "I am deeply concerned that we are losing our connection to the foundational principles that define us as a nation. We are forgetting what it means to be American.
"And now violence has escalated. The federal government has taken the lives of citizens without due process and without justification, and these leaders have lied to the American people,” Friel said. "We are a people of justice, only to the extent that we defend it. We must demand accountability. The federal forces must stand down from Minnesota and elsewhere. We need a professional organization that follows and upholds the law.
"I stand with my colleagues and demand action by Congress to reform the border security organization, to protect citizens, and to make our communities safe,” Friel said.
State Rep. Chris Pielli, D–Chester, framed the moment as a test of constitutional duty.
“The eyes of history are upon us as we decide whether to continue defending our sacred rights and liberties, just as our founding fathers did 250 years ago,” Pielli said. “We must meet this moment using every legal tool at our disposal, or risk standing by as those freedoms erode. I am proud to stand with my Pennsylvania House Democratic colleagues in introducing this resolution urging Congress to delay further funding until all necessary safeguards are put in place.”
Sponsors of the resolution include state Reps. Khan, Roni Green, Jose Giral, Mary Isaacson, Malcolm Kenyatta, and Morgan Cephas, all D-Phila.; Venkat, D-Allegheny; Friel and Pielli, both D-Chester; Takac, D-Centre; Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks; Ismail Smith-Wade-El and Nikki Rivera, both D-Lancaster; Tarah Probst D-Monroe & Pike; Lisa Borowski and Greg Vitali, both D-Delaware; Ben Sanchez D-Montgomery.
Khan called on members of the Pennsylvania House to support the resolution and encouraged Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to condition future DHS and ICE appropriations on significant accountability reforms.