Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today blasted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for refusing to answer questions about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who threatened an unarmed, law-abiding U.S. citizen with a gun last month.

Beyer led Democratic leaders raising questions about the incident, in which masked ICE agents pointed a gun at Carolina Molina, a Northern Virginia mother and licensed professional counselor, after trapping her vehicle on the street following a verbal exchange on August 10^th. While the Justice Department sent a short, generic letter that said “the information you have provided may be shared, as appropriate, with others in the Department for their review,” the Department of Homeland Security has failed to respond to the inquiry in any way. 

“ICE agents pointed a gun at Carolina Molina for no good reason, they were caught on video lying about it, and now DHS is refusing to answer any questions about what happened. Their silence speaks volumes. Northern Virginians will see this as yet another instance of masked thugs with guns making their community less safe because the Trump Administration is not holding anyone accountable,” said Beyer. “Today law-abiding people with legal status are beaten up, grabbed without warrants, thrown into vans, and disappeared without process of law or legal recourse under the Constitution. Citizens who ask questions or exercise their rights to free speech are harassed, threatened, or even killed. This is the environment of fear the Trump Administration has created with intention and purpose, driven by demands for deportation quotas and content for sick, twisted videos. The American people have had enough of this authoritarian lawlessness.”

Last month, Beyer issued a warning to Northern Virginians about increased ICE violence and warrantless detentions. One of the cases he cited, involving extensive injuries to Arlingtonian Jose Mejia Hernandez, is now under investigation by the Arlington County Police Department.