CAPAC Chair Meng Condemns ICE Incident at Las Vegas Airport
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), released the following statement in response to a video of ICE agents tackling an elderly Asian man at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas:
“Two ICE agents, dressed in plain clothes and wearing no visible identification, tackled an elderly Asian man to the ground at an airport. They were not wearing body cameras—just like the agents who shot and killed two innocent people last week—despite receiving $20 million to purchase the equipment in the Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill.
“This is only the latest example of ICE terrorizing our communities. Just a few months ago, five federal agents surrounded an Asian woman walking down the street and abducted her. In Minnesota, ICE agents dragged a Hmong American citizen out of his house and left him standing in the freezing cold in his underwear. How can anyone trust that these masked individuals, who wear no identifiable uniforms or badges and operate with impunity, are legitimate law enforcement officers?
“Republicans in Congress must stop enabling these abuses and work with CAPAC to restore transparency, accountability, and oversight to this lawless agency.”
BACKGROUND:
Under this administration, Asian immigrants have experienced a sixfold increase in arrests and detentions and a ninefold increase in deportations. Pacific Islanders have also experienced significant increases, with arrests up 22%, detentions up 30%, and deportations up 29%. More than 50 people have died in ICE custody, at least ten of whom were individuals of Asian descent.
In June, Republicans in Congress voted to give ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) another $70 billion blank check on top of the $170 billion no-strings-attached funding they provided to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Big Ugly Bill last summer. Meanwhile, 72% of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) believe that the federal government is spending too much money on immigration enforcement. Additionally, 41% of AANHPIs now report carrying proof of immigration or citizenship status, including the majority of South Asians (53%).
CAPAC members stood united in voting against additional funding for ICE or Border Patrol.
In March, Chair Meng held a press conference with Minnesota Southeast Asian leaders highlighting the devastating impacts of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda on Asian communities. She also led 105 members of Congress in calling for the removal of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
Additionally, Chair Meng demanded answers from the Trump administration regarding the mistreatment of Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals detained by ICE and CBP, many of whom were denied their constitutional rights, including access to legal counsel and due process. She also called for a full and independent investigation into the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a blind refugee from Myanmar who was abandoned by Border Patrol officers miles away from his home in the middle of winter.
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