LA Activist Urges DHS to Adopt ‘No-Shooting’ Policy for ICE Operations

A Los Angeles-based activist is urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to strengthen restrictions on the use of deadly force by immigration officers following two recent fatal shootings involving ICE agents.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, held a news conference Monday in downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District calling for DHS to implement a formal “no-shooting” policy during immigration enforcement operations. Hutchinson said ICE agents should only discharge their weapons when there is a legitimate and immediate threat to life.

Hutchinson pointed to DHS’s existing 2018 use-of-force policy, which states that excessive force is unlawful and subject to administrative and criminal penalties. He said his request is not for new rules, but for stricter enforcement and a clear pledge during ICE sweeps.

The call comes after two fatal shootings. Keith Porter Jr., 43, of Los Angeles was shot and killed by an off-duty ICE officer on New Year’s Eve in Northridge. Federal officials said the agent responded to what they described as an active shooter situation, while local activists disputed that characterization, noting Porter was allegedly firing a weapon into the air in celebration.

Hutchinson also cited the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 33, in Minneapolis earlier this month. Federal officials said Good was shot in self-defense after attempting to use her vehicle to strike ICE agents during an immigration enforcement operation. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem described the incident as an act of domestic terrorism, saying an ICE agent was injured.

Hutchinson said he has requested meetings with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to discuss the issue. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Federal officials continue to defend the agents’ actions in both cases, while activists warn that without clearer restrictions, future enforcement operations could lead to additional fatalities.