For Immediate Release: February 3, 2026
Contact: media@hispanicfederation.org
Hispanic Federation Calls for Congress to Enact Robust Oversight, Accountability, and Reform of DHS Field Operations to Protect Constitutional Rights and Communities
Washington, D.C. – The growing abuses and flagrant disregard for public safety has resulted in Congress reexamining Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding and its operations overall. Below is a response from Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation reacting to this news:
“Hispanic Federation calls on Congress to take immediate action to stop DHS federal agents’ brutal attacks on U.S citizens and hardworking immigrant families. Recent events have revealed how unchecked immigration operations have created a hostile environment where families suffer, businesses struggle, and public safety is put at risk.
The public has made it abundantly clear that DHS has abused its power in immigration enforcement and caused irreversible harm across the country. DHS federal agents do not have the legal authority to make civil or criminal arrests outside of immigration enforcement, yet they continue to detain U.S citizens, immigrants without orders of deportation, and stop vehicles, some at gunpoint. That is why Hispanic Federation is calling on Congress to ensure that any funding appropriated to DHS field operations include independent reporting, oversight, and accountability measures.
The path forward requires principled negotiation and commitment to safety, accountability, and transparency. We are watching closely and will hold our representatives accountable.”
Background
- Ensure DHS field operations include mandatory oversight, accountability, and transparency measures that limit rights violations while preserving overall public safety.
- Require uniform and identification standards including: visible agency identification, the removal of masks, and use of body cameras.
- End roving patrols where federal agents search for people without a judicial warrant and detain individuals who are not the focus of their search.
- Restore due process protections
- Reallocate funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to humanitarian aid, legal aid, immigration judges, and reducing the immigration backlog.
- If the Administration does not fire Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem; who has allowed these violations to go unchecked. Then Congress must move to impeachment.
About Hispanic Federation
Hispanic Federation (HF) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, founded in 1990, committed to empowering and advancing the Hispanic community, with a focus on low-income, marginalized, and immigrant Latine. With programs in 43 states and territories, HF’s focus areas include immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, disaster relief, philanthropy, education, health, and the environment. HF also maintains ongoing public education campaigns and meets the organizational development needs of its member agencies through grant-making and capacity-building assistance.
