Nearly 90% of my family immigrated to the United States from Jamaica in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Like many American families, mine believes in the rule of law. People who commit serious crimes should be held accountable. But enforcement must be humane, constitutional, and worthy of a democracy because our children are watching how power is used in their name.

What we are seeing today are masked federal agents conducting warrantless entries, anonymous policing, and intimidation tactics. It is a breakdown of accountability. I believe we can restore order and humanity by using the tools already available to us, starting at the local level and moving upward.

Empowering Communities to Protect Due Process

Cities and states cannot regulate federal agencies directlybut they can protect residents by enforcing constitutional boundaries around entry, consent, and transparency.

I support local ordinances that: Affirm the right of residents, landlords, and business owners to deny entry to masked individuals who refuse to identify themselves, absent a judicial warrant.

Forcing Accountability Through the Federal Budget

When Congress lacks the votes to pass sweeping legislation, it still holds one of the Constitution’s most powerful tools: the power of the purse. Yet Democratic leadership in both the House and Senate has been far too timid in using it.

I will challenge Democratic minority leadership to be bolder and more creative by: Conditioning Department of Homeland Security and ICE funding on compliance with due process and civil liberties, including bans on warrantless arrests and unlawful home entries. Restricting ICE’s ability to reprogram funds internally without congressional approval, preventing agencies from evading oversight. Attaching binding appropriations riders that prohibit funding for anonymous enforcement tactics and require public reporting when constitutional complaints or settlements exceed set thresholds.

Knowing Who Is Arresting You

Miranda rights protect your right to remain silent. They do not tell you who is exercising power over you. That gap has allowed anonymous federal policing to spread.

Congress cannot rewrite Miranda itself, but it can go further by statute. I support a federal law requiring any federal officer making an arrest to identify themselvesby name or badge number, agency, and legal basis for the arrestas soon as it is safe to do so.