(WASHINGTON, January 29, 2026) – Today, Independent Sector President and CEO Dr. Akilah Watkins released the following statement urging congressional lawmakers and the White House to reach a spending deal which includes critical reforms to the Department of Homeland Security in light of recent events in Minnesota.
“The killings and brutalization of protestors and residents by federal agents in Minnesota and elsewhere have brought this country to a moment of moral clarity. While the Department of Homeland Security, like the police and other law enforcement agencies, plays a critical role in the safety of our communities, those who carry out their missions must act within the law and with common sense. Recent weeks have shown that we have lost that essential balance, risking permanent harm to a civil society in which the right to peaceful protest is secure. We are heartened to see recent efforts by federal, state, and local officials to turn down the temperature and find a better path forward. As Senate lawmakers and the White House come together to craft a deal to avoid a partial government shutdown on January 31, it is critical they not waste this moment. We are encouraged by the bipartisan effort to attach meaningful reforms to the Department of Homeland Security funding bill. It is a matter of moral urgency that lawmakers take this rare and possibly singular opportunity to pass accountability measures within the Department of Homeland Security funding bill with the aim of preventing the next Alex Pretti or Renee Nicole Good from losing their life in the course of peaceful protest.”
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Media Contact: Chloe Kessock, chloek@independentsector.org, 727-433-2972
