John,

Two civilians were killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis -- and the administration’s response has been deeply disturbing. Not only did Trump immediately blame the victims, but the agents involved were rushed out of state, and state and local law enforcement were sidelined, as evidence was sealed off from local authorities.

The only agencies given authority to investigate were those run by officials selected primarily on the basis of their personal loyalty to Donald Trump: Kash Patel at the FBI, Kristi Noem at DHS, and Pam Bondi at the Department of Justice. Under these conditions, the claim that an internal, FBI-led investigation is sufficient is just not plausible.

The FBI, DOJ, and DHS no longer operate as institutions meaningfully independent of the president. Under Trump, they are expected to function for his protection. The same logic that has insulated Trump himself -- most starkly through the Supreme Court’s finding of near-total presidential immunity for “official acts” -- is now being extended as well to his thugs in the street.

The message is clear: Violence committed in the name of Trump, will not be held to account.

This is why standards exist: In any serious use-of-force case, investigations are conducted jointly with state and local law enforcement. Collaboration is not a courtesy; it is a safeguard against conflicts of interest. Now, that safeguard has been deliberately dismantled, as local authorities have been denied access to evidence, and barred from interviewing suspects.

Call on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel to immediately stop shielding Department of Homeland Security personnel believed to be responsible for the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

The facts demand criminal investigation. An independent autopsy determined that Renee Good’s death was a homicide. Video evidence in the killing of Alex Pretti directly contradicts federal claims that he posed a threat -- he was holding a cellphone camera, not a weapon. Removing the agents from Minnesota altogether is clearly intended to prevent accountability.

Our demands are straightforward and rooted in the most basic principles of justice:

• No harboring, hiding, transferring, or insulating agents involved in these civilian deaths through administrative maneuvers or jurisdictional games.

• Immediate permission for full, concurrent state and local investigations, without federal interference.

• Preservation of all evidence -- body-worn camera footage, internal communications, weapons data, dispatch records, and forensic materials -- without alteration or deletion.

• A transparent, joint investigation with all evidence accessible to state authorities and independent oversight.

What ICE agents are being taught right now is unmistakable: that they can escalate, brutalize, and even kill -- and the president will ensure they are protected, just as he has been. This will shape training, expectations, and behavior. And it guarantees repetition.

Without justice, our nation will not heal; it will only accumulate more wounds. As long as federal power is used to shield those responsible rather than uncover the truth, the public has every reason to expect more deaths -- and more cover-ups -- unless there is an immediate and decisive change in course.

Tell Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, and Kash Patel: Open the files, stop protecting the agents, cooperate fully, and tell the public what happened -- so it never happens again.

Thank you for saying no to the cover-up!

- DFA AF Team