The FBI will no longer conduct independent investigations into shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
First reported by The New York Times, the decision steps away from federal law enforcement overseeing its own officers during deadly force incidents, leaving primary investigative responsibility to local law enforcement agencies and internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review teams. The policy change has immediately ignited fierce political blowback and heightened concerns regarding officer accountability and civil rights.
Critics have been quick to condemn the announcement, warning that stripping federal oversight removes a crucial check on federal law enforcement power.
PabloReports: What do you make of the FBI saying it will no longer investigate killings by ICE agents?
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 21, 2026
Jackson: This echoes something very long and dark in American history, where those doing the lynchings were never brought to justice… pic.twitter.com/Nx1KBbc5AG
In an interview with PablosReports, U.S. Congressman Jonathan Jackson shared a scathing assessment of the FBI’s decision, comparing the withdrawal of oversight to some of the darkest periods in American history.
“This echoes something very long and dark in the history of American history of the anti-lynching crusade, where those that were doing the lynchings were never brought to justice,” Rep. Jackson said. “And so that took on over 4,000 people have been lynched in America and none were ever prosecuted, none were ever convicted. This is a resurrection of the old Confederacy.”
Jackson argued that dismantling the role of federal investigators sets a hazardous precedent for civil rights and voter safety, particularly heading into upcoming national elections.
“Civil rights lawyers and the federal government are tasked with doing justice, and so this is very ugly,” Jackson continued. “I anticipate that there’ll be violence at the polls this fall. And this is the precursor when you start removing the judiciary’s role to investigate.
The congressman also pointed to growing international concern over enforcement deaths, saying that the President of Mexico has requested formal answers regarding the safety and treatment of foreign nationals in U.S. custody.
Jackson cautioned that pulling federal justice officials out of accountability efforts isn’t an isolated regional issue, warning that the fallout will impact communities across the entire country.
“The Confederacy is not only killing people in the northern end of the Mississippi River and in Minnesota. They’ve done it now in the parts of Houston and all the way up to Maine,” Jackson said. “So we should be very concerned about the climate that’s being set now that they’ve pulled away the justice officials. That this is pure anarchy, chaos, and it’s going to be very dangerous.”
