Democrats won control of the US House and Senate on 3 November, positioning them to advance proposals stripping qualified immunity from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents when the new Congress convenes in January, potentially expanding civil lawsuits against federal officers.
The outcome follows the killings of two US citizens in Minneapolis. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was shot dead by Border Patrol agents on 24 January during Operation Metro Surge, and his death was later ruled a homicide. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, was killed by an ICE officer on 7 January. Neither was an immigration target.
