(Washington, DC) –In response to the recent shootings of Keith Porter Jr., Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigrant enforcement, Savannah, GA Mayor Van R. Johnson II, President of the African American Mayors Association, issued the following statement:

“As a former law enforcement officer, a proud member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the NAACP, and as a mayor who works every day to keep my community safe, I am deeply disturbed and outraged by the deadly actions of federal immigration agents this month in Minneapolis, and in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve.

“What we have seen from federal immigration enforcement over the past year and again with the fatal shootings of Keith Porter Jr., Renée Good and Alex Pretti is unacceptable and indefensible. Time and again, this administration has refused to work collaboratively with cities and local law enforcement, choosing confrontation over cooperation, and force over accountability.

“Mayors across this country carry the daily responsibility of building trust while keeping people safe. That trust is undermined every time federal agencies operate recklessly, without transparency, and without meaningful local coordination.

“If this administration continues to ignore the voices of mayors and community leaders, that failure will not remain confined to city halls, it will be felt at the ballot box. We demand real accountability, independent investigation, meaningful reform, and respect for the inherent dignity and value of every human life.”