For Immediate Release: January 26, 2026
Contact: napawf@berlinrosen.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following statement can be attributed to Christina Baal-Owens, Executive Director, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF):
“We are outraged and devastated by the escalating violence unfolding at the hands of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota and across the country, culminating in the cold-blooded execution of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs in Minnesota and an American citizen, on Saturday. Reports of federal agents storming neighborhoods, using children as bait, and kidnapping and detaining people – including asking where ‘the Asian people live’ – are a dangerous reflection of the state of our country. It is clear that unchecked immigration enforcement puts all members of our communities at risk – even St. Paul’s Hmong American mayor, Kaohly Her, shared that she was advised to carry her passport out of fear of detention.
Congress cannot credibly claim to stand with immigrant communities while continuing to funnel billions of dollars to the very agencies terrorizing them.
The Department of Homeland Security funding bill before the Senate would give more resources to ICE and Customs and Border Protection, further empowering agencies that have repeatedly abused their authority and traumatized communities of color. Senators must vote against this bill and refuse to bankroll fear and violence. Our lives are not expendable. Our families are not collateral damage.
All communities deserve to live free from harassment, racial profiling, and state violence. We deserve to raise our families and care for our elders without fear. NAPAWF stands in solidarity with immigrant communities in Minneapolis and across the country, and all the people on the ground defending and providing support to their immigrant neighbors. We will continue fighting for policies rooted in justice, dignity, and care.”
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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build collective power so that all AAPI women and girls can have full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.