1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

The recent report of Fabian Schmidt, a U.S. green card holder, being stripped naked, violently interrogated, and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials upon returning to the country is deeply concerning. Mr. Schmidt has lived in the U.S. since 2007 and recently renewed his green card, yet he was subjected to appalling treatment by the very agency meant to uphold immigration laws. Such egregious violations of human rights and due process cannot be tolerated. ICE's actions were an unacceptable overreach of authority and an assault on the dignity of a lawful permanent resident. While previous minor infractions should not justify this extreme response, the fact that Mr. Schmidt had no ongoing legal issues makes this incident even more disturbing. Stringent oversight and accountability measures must be implemented to prevent ICE from perpetrating such abuses in the future. The officials directly involved in Mr. Schmidt's case should face appropriate disciplinary action commensurate with the severity of their misconduct. Merely dismissing this as an isolated incident would be an injustice and embolden further civil rights violations by immigration authorities. I urge you to condemn ICE's actions, initiate a thorough investigation into this matter, and take concrete steps to safeguard the rights and humane treatment of all individuals, including lawful permanent residents like Mr. Schmidt. Upholding the rule of law and protecting civil liberties are fundamental responsibilities that must not be disregarded.