(TRENTON) — At a time when our federal government should be working to bring people together and keep communities safe, we are instead seeing chaos, escalation, and a dangerous breakdown in judgment regarding immigration enforcement. Rhetoric has been inflamed, guardrails have been removed, and the consequences are now measured in lives lost.

Everyone agrees that undocumented people who commit serious crimes should be removed from this country. But what we are seeing now goes far beyond that. In Minneapolis, two people are dead amid heightened federal immigration actions: Renée Good, a U.S. citizen and mother who had just dropped her child off at school, and Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and VA nurse who dedicated his life to caring for our nation’s veterans. These are not abstractions. They are real people whose families and communities are grieving and demanding answers.

When enforcement becomes reckless, rhetoric turns inflammatory, and due process and habeas corpus—the most basic protections against unlawful detention—are treated as optional, violence and unrest are the predictable result. That is not public safety. That is failure.

As legislators representing New Jersey’s 4th District in one of the nation’s most diverse states, we are deeply concerned that similar incidents could occur here. Our communities include immigrants, mixed-status families, and longtime residents who work, pay taxes, and contribute every day. Policies rooted in fear and broad-brush tactics do not make us safer—they put innocent people at risk.

Due process is not a loophole. Habeas corpus is not negotiable. These are foundational principles of our democracy and apply to everyone, regardless of citizenship status. Ignoring them undermines the rule of law and erodes public trust.

We are calling on the current administration to immediately halt these tactics, de-escalate enforcement, and focus immigration actions solely on individuals who pose a genuine threat to public safety—not families, longtime residents, or U.S. citizens. We are also demanding basic transparency and accountability, including banning masked enforcement actions and requiring body-worn cameras, as we do for law enforcement here in New Jersey. If these standards are necessary to protect the public and officers in our state, they should apply to federal agents as well.

We also call for independent, transparent investigations into the shootings that killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti. When federal actions result in loss of life, accountability is not optional—it is essential.

If we do not change course, Minneapolis will not be the exception—it will be the warning. We fear New Jersey could be next.