The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general is reviewing how federal immigration agents handle and respond to use-of-force complaints.
For congressional Democrats, the move can't come fast enough as they demand answers amid what they see as heavy-handed immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
A spokesman for DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari confirmed the office began examining last month whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement properly reviews excessive force complaints and whether it holds personnel accountable when policies are violated, according to The New York Times.
The review began Jan. 8, the day after Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
Democrats argued that Good's death and the shooting weeks later of Alex Pretti, another U.S. citizen, underscore the need for a faster review.
Republicans in Congress, while generally backing President Donald Trump's deportation efforts, have also called for an independent inquiry into Pretti's death.
In a letter sent Monday, 41 Democrat lawmakers, including nine senators and 32 House members, wrote that the deaths highlight the importance of an expedited review, particularly as immigration raids continue in Minneapolis and elsewhere.
The letter was backed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Dan Goldman of New York, and Lou Correa of California.
The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the killing, while Homeland Security Investigations, a DHS component, is expected to have a more limited role.
The request comes as Democrats push to add restrictions on ICE and Customs and Border Protection to a spending bill to fund DHS for the remainder of the fiscal year.
In their letter, Democrats raised concerns beyond the two fatal shootings, writing that ICE agents used what they described as "needlessly violent force" during immigration raids and in confrontations involving protesters.
They also said they were concerned about the pace of the ongoing review.
The inspector general's office generally aims to complete audits within 397 days, but a Government Accountability Office report last month found investigators often miss that target.
"We request that your office conduct this review expeditiously and share any preliminary findings with Congress and the public on an expedited basis," the lawmakers wrote.
Senate Democrats are seeking to add provisions to the Homeland Security spending bill that would limit arrests without warrants and apply use-of-force policies similar to those used by state and local law enforcement agencies.
Those policies generally call for independent investigations when officers are accused of wrongdoing in violent incidents.
Warren and other Massachusetts lawmakers previously asked Cuffari last June to review ICE tactics during raids in their state, but he said at the time that department staff were better positioned to answer questions about immigration operations, according to the letter.
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