Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner in Washington, Pablo José Hernández Rivera, said Monday he stands in solidarity with the immigrant community amid raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Puerto Rico, and demanded the federal operations be carried out without violence and with respect for human rights. 'Immigration laws can and must be enforced without violence, with compassion and respect for human rights,' he said in written statements. Hernández Rivera said that since January 2025 he has demanded explanations from federal authorities about the immigration operations in Puerto Rico, both through official communications and in public hearings.
Immigration laws can and must be enforced without violence, with compassion and respect for human rights
He cited his support for the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which would limit immigration enforcement at sensitive places such as schools and churches, and noted he denounced the Puerto Rico government’s handing over immigrants’ personal information to federal authorities. In Congress, he said he co-sponsored the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which proposes reforms to the immigration detention system, and the Immigration Enforcement Staff Body Camera Accountability Act, requiring body cameras for federal agents.
He also backed the No Secret Police Act, seeking to require agents to identify themselves during operations. In June 2026, he said, he opposed a Republican budget proposal that would have allocated an additional $70 billion to ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), considering its accountability mechanisms insufficient.