In August 1992, federal officers tried to arrest Randy Weaver at his home in Boundary County, Idaho. During this attempt, officers shot and killed his 14‑year‑old son, Samuel, and the family dog. After this, there was a long standoff between the Weaver family and law enforcement. Many local, state, and federal officers were sent to the area, including the FBI’s special response team. During the standoff, Weaver’s wife, Vicki Weaver, was killed by an FBI sniper. Randy Weaver was also shot but survived. He later surrendered to authorities. At trial, he was found not guilty of most charges related to the standoff. Later, he sued the federal government and received a $3.1 million settlement. This event, known as the Ruby Ridge standoff, is often remembered in Idaho as an example of federal government tyranny.
Today, similar problems are happening again. Poorly trained federal law enforcement agencies, including those under the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have used what many believe is excessive force. Under the direction of Kristi Noem, Greg Bovino, and Thomas Homan, ICE officers have been accused of violating the rights of communities. These actions include stopping and arresting U.S. citizens, entering homes without legal warrants, and using too much force against people who are exercising their constitutional rights at peaceful protests.
One of the most serious examples involved the death of Alex Pretti, a VA nurse. According to videos and eye-witness reports, he was trying to protect a woman who was being confronted by federal officers. At the time he was shot, he was on the ground on his hands and knees and did not pose a threat to anyone. He was shot ten times by DHS officers and killed.
The continued use of excessive force and the ignoring of constitutional rights by poorly-trained federal law enforcement must stop. The people of Idaho remember what happened at Ruby Ridge. The question now is Idahoans are demanding our delegation to stand up and tell their U.S. Senators and Representatives that they will not accept unconstitutional actions or abuse of power by any federal law enforcement agency again.
Idaho’s congressional delegation took a strong stand against the government actions at Ruby Ridge by holding hearings and publicly calling for reforms; as Idahoans we demand they take a similar stand now.
Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City, Idaho].
I’m calling to urge Senator/Representative [Name] to refuse to vote for any appropriations bill funding the Department of Homeland Security that fails to set constitutional limits on ICE enforcement actions.
The unjustified killing of Alex Pretti, warrantless searches of citizens’ homes, and other actions by some ICE law enforcement officers are examples of unconstitutional actions which are a threat to all of us, not just immigrants. Idahoans like me are concerned.
We can’t allow ICE officers to continue to ignore the constitutional protections and rights that Idahoans and other Americans fought to protect. Senator/Representative [NAME] must demand restrictions on ICE, including limiting ICE access to schools, hospitals, and places of worship. In addition, we need to hold funding of ICE until they can demonstrate that they can operate within constitutional norms that other law enforcement officers are subject to.
Thank you.
State: Idaho
Party: Republican
Contact:
239 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6142
State: Idaho
Party: Republican
Contact:
1514 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6611
State: Idaho
Party: Republican
Contact:
483 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2752
State: Idaho
Party: Republican
Contact:
2084 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5531
Idahoans have a long history of opposing government overreach as exemplified in the Ruby Ridge standoff. Today, poorly trained federal law enforcement officers from ICE and DHS are trampling on the Constitutional rights of citizens. Our local Idaho law enforcement officers must enforce the law in a manner that is consistent with the U.S. and Idaho Constitutions. Federal law enforcement officers should be expected to do the same.
Congress is currently negotiating funding for DHS, which includes ICE. I request that my Idaho legislative delegation support a bill that, at a minimum,
Sincerely,
[NAME]
Fill out this form to be connected with your Senator/Representative
[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY, ID ZIP]
Dear Idaho Senator/Representative,
Idahoans have a long history of opposing government overreach as exemplified in the Ruby Ridge standoff. Today, poorly trained federal law enforcement officers from ICE and DHS are trampling on the Constitutional rights of citizens. Our local Idaho law enforcement officers must enforce the law in a manner that is consistent with the U.S. and Idaho Constitutions. Federal law enforcement officers should be expected to do the same.
Congress is currently negotiating funding for DHS, which includes ICE. I request that my Idaho legislative delegation support a bill that, at a minimum,
Sincerely,
[NAME]
