The German federal government urges the United States to conduct an independent inquiry into the recent deaths of U.S. citizens at the hands of ICE officers in Minneapolis.
According to Lars Castellucci, the government’s human rights commissioner, states have a legitimate authority to regulate migration and enforce their laws. However, he stressed that such powers must be exercised within the bounds of the rule of law and fundamental human rights. The fatalities of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Peretti, he added, must therefore be investigated in an independent and transparent manner.
Castellucci described the images and reports emerging from the United States as shocking. He noted that Germany owes the U.S. its renewed democracy and warned that democracies must be resilient and decisive, yet they must not intimidate their citizens. He highlighted that the enforcement of law and order must be proportionate and that this duty extends to safeguarding human rights and the rule of law.
He observed that in times of social tension, the strength of democratic systems is seen in state actions that remain proportionate and bound by law. Finally, he expressed a wish that the United States would find a way out of its ongoing polarization and toward renewed unity.
