The videos I’ve seen from Minneapolis yesterday are deeply disturbing. As we mourn this loss of life, we need a thorough and objective investigation into how and why this happened—which will require full cooperation from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, along with the local authorities—and for the political rhetoric to be toned down. Immigration enforcement activities have greatly increased, leading to heightened tensions across the country. We need to ensure ICE officers have the necessary training and resources to safely—and with empathy and respect for human life—carry out these activities. As part of the investigation, I am calling for recommendations and policy changes to help prevent future tragedies. Yesterday was devastating, and cannot happen again.

I continue to hope the administration’s rhetoric on Greenland is nothing more than posturing for a new era of cooperation, because any effort to claim or take the territory by force would degrade both our national security and our international relationships. We have a long history of close cooperation with Greenland, dating back to World War II and continuing today with the Pituffik Space Base, and have always been able to achieve our mutual goals through strong diplomacy with its people. As Greenland charts its future, we must see it as an ally, not an asset, and focus on continued partnership rather than possession.

Senator Mike Lee is not trying to sell Park Service lands or ‘end the Park Service as we know it.’ Those who are claiming that should know better and need to knock it off. He filed an amendment to strike a well-meaning provision of the Interior Appropriations bill that would have unintended consequences for routine Park Service actions. There is enough to debate in our Interior bill but mischaracterizations of issues don’t help.