{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-schiff-call-for-official-investigation-into-ices-attempt-to-enter-sacramento-immigration-law-firm/", "Padilla, Schiff Call for Official Investigation into ICE\u2019s Attempt to Enter Sacramento Immigration Law Firm", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "CA", "Alex Padilla", "P000145", "www.padilla.senate.gov", "padilla", "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, formally demanded an investigation into Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s (ICE) recent attempt to enter an immigration law firm in Sacramento, California.\n\n\u201cThe reporting of this operation is alarming. ICE officers attempted to enter private property unlawfully, with one officer allegedly threatening to return in the early morning hours of the following day and break windows to enter the law firm\u2019s premises,\u201d wrote the Senators. \u201cWe request a thorough investigation into this operation, including a review of the officer\u2019s conduct, threats made by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE personnel, and timely and comprehensive responses to our questions about ICE\u2019s perceived authorities to conduct such actions.\u201d\n\nIn their letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and ICE Acting Director David J. Venturella, the lawmakers pressed for answers on the purpose of ICE\u2019s attempted entry onto Morris Law Group\u2019s premises, ICE\u2019s failure to secure a judicial warrant prior to arriving at the firm, information about ICE\u2019s policies to enter private property without warrants, and on allegedthreats of violence made by an ICE officer during their attempt to gain entry. The lawmakers also pushed back against DHS\u2019s statement that ICE officers were not aware that this address was a law firm prior to their arrival, given the firm\u2019s name was clearly legible on its premises.\n\n\u201cAfter months of significant community indignation, unanswered congressional oversight, and commitments from DHS Secretary Mullin at his nomination hearing that DHS \u2018will not enter a home or a place of business without a judicial warrant, unless we\u2019re pursuing the individual that runs into a place of business or a house,\u2019 DHS is again failing to comply with the law, its commitment to Congress, and its promise to the American people,\u201d continued the Senators.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Secretary Mullin and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Venturella:\n\nIt has come to our attention that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted an operation in Sacramento, California on Friday, August 14 at an immigration law firm named Morris Law Group. The reporting of this operation is alarming. ICE officers attempted to enter private property unlawfully, with one officer allegedly threatening to return in the early morning hours of the following day and break windows to enter the law firm\u2019s premises. We request a thorough investigation into this operation, including a review of the officer\u2019s conduct, threats made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE personnel, and timely and comprehensive responses to our questions about ICE\u2019s perceived authorities to conduct such actions.\n\nThe behavior carried out by DHS enforcement officers and agents throughout this last year in Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; and Minneapolis, Minnesota, make clear that immigration enforcement officers and agents are capable of and have acted without regard for the safety and civil liberties of individuals. It is clear that some DHS enforcement personnel wrongly believe they can enter individuals\u2019 private properties, including places of business, without valid, judicial warrants required by the Fourth Amendment (notwithstanding exigent circumstances that could be sufficiently established in a court of law). After months of significant community indignation, unanswered congressional oversight, and commitments from DHS Secretary Mullin at his nomination hearing that DHS \u201cwill not enter a home or a place of business without a judicial warrant, unless we\u2019re pursuing the individual that runs into a place of business or a house,\u201d DHS is again failing to comply with the law, its commitment to Congress, and its promise to the American people.\n\nReporting also states that this same ICE officer claimed to have a \u201clist\u201d from \u201cWashington, D.C.\u201d which listed the building\u2019s address for inspection and that the officers wanted to \u201ctour the office for beds.\u201d Furthermore, in DHS\u2019s statement to KCRA 3 following the reporting of this incident, DHS stated that ICE officers approached \u201can unmarked door\u201d and believed it to be an address with beds, but that after learning it was a law firm, left. We are baffled by this statement. First, a Google search of this address shows that it is a law firm. Second, a Google street view image of the address shows clearly that \u201cMorris Law Group\u201d is written on the front of the entire building, right next to the building number. We find DHS\u2019s statement troubling and unsatisfactory.\n\nICE\u2019s conduct here is another example of a broader, systemic effort by this administration to intimidate immigrant communities and the attorneys and legal representatives who represent them. We refuse to tolerate these efforts to target law firms and organizations based solely on who their clients may be or their practice areas. Federal immigration officers and agents must comply with the law as all other federal law enforcement agents are required.\n\nWe are troubled by the serious allegations that ICE officers attempted to enter private property without a judicial warrant and further threatened to return to the law firm at 3 a.m. to \u201cbreak windows\u201d to enter private property. We request that DHS and ICE promptly investigate the nature of these threats by its officers, and request responses to the following questions:\n\nWhat was the purpose of the ICE operation on August 14 at Morris Law Group?\n\nWhy did the ICE officers fail to secure a judicial warrant prior to their arrival at Morris Law Group\u2019s premises?\n\nWhat is ICE\u2019s protocol or policy regarding requiring judicial warrants to enter private property since Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as the DHS Secretary? Where and when was that policy made public?\n\nWill DHS and ICE commit to investigating this incident, including the allegation that an ICE officer claimed they could return at \u201c3 a.m.\u201d to \u201cbreak windows\u201d to enter private property, and share the outcome of that investigation with our offices?\n\nWhat is ICE\u2019s policy regarding investigating officers who threaten violence during enforcement actions?\n\nAre ICE officers required to be trained in deescalation in the context enforcement actions? If so, is that training required prior to beginning employment? Are there additional and continuous deescalation trainings throughout their term of employment? Please provide all documentation regarding ICE\u2019s policy and training protocol regarding deescalation.\n\nWhy did ICE officers request to tour the law firm offices for beds?\n\nReporting indicates that ICE officers received a \u201clist\u201d from \u201cWashington, D.C.\u201d for this enforcement action.\n\nFrom whom did they receive this list?\n\nWhat is the process for creating lists of targets for ICE enforcement actions? Please provide a list of the offices and officials involved in the process, both at DHS and ICE, as well as any engagement by the White House and other federal agencies.\n\nWhat is the process for creating targeting lists of law firms or legal service providers and what factors are considered for such lists? Please provide a list of the offices and officials involved in the process, both at DHS and ICE, as well as any engagement by the White House and other federal agencies.\n\nWho are the officials responsible for creating and approving such lists and distributing them to ICE officers?\n\nWhat were the specific factors that established Morris Law Group as a target for this enforcement action?\n\nWas this enforcement action anchored in seeking a particular individual? Or does DHS believe it can target locations without a particular human target?\n\nWas the ICE San Francisco Field Office leading this enforcement operation?\n\nIf yes, what is the protocol for coordinating with the ICE San Francisco Field Office to prepare lists of individuals or law firms subject to enforcement actions?\n\nIf not, which ICE Field Office was tasked with carrying out this enforcement action?\n\nHow many officers were involved and were they wearing body cameras? If not, why not?\n\nDoes ICE have a protocol for verifying addresses before arriving at them?\n\nIf yes, why was this protocol not followed in this instance? Will ICE investigate possible lack of compliance with protocol here?\n\nIf not, why not?\n\nGiven the serious allegations of this incident, we request responses by Friday, September 11. We appreciate your attention to this matter.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-schiff-call-for-official-investigation-into-ices-attempt-to-enter-sacramento-immigration-law-firm/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4199400320649147, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}