San Antonio, TX - John Lira, Marine Corps veteran and candidate for Texas’s newly redrawn 35th Congressional District, issued the following statement regarding the fatal shooting of a VA Health Care Worker by a Federal Agent.

“What we are seeing in Minneapolis right now is unacceptable. Another American citizen, this time a 37 year old VA nurse, was killed by a federal agency operating without accountability, without transparency, and without respect for our Constitution.

Enough is enough.

Congress must step up its oversight over ICE and CBP. Enforcement operations must follow due process, must respect constitutional rights, and must protect the safety of our community members. There must be independent investigations into all use of force incidents, and there needs to be clear rules of engagement, proper training and de-escalation, and a halting of all enforcement actions that are not conducted in a safe, lawful, and accountable way.

We as Americans cannot allow federal power to be used to terrorize the communities it was meant to protect. No federal agency is above our Constitution. Congress must reassert its authority to make sure that this never happens again.”

John Lira - Candidate for U.S. Congress, Texas-35

John Lira is available for media interviews. Please contact Juan Rodriguez at 312-771-0263 and juan@liraforcongress.com

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About John Lira

A fourth-generation Mexican American from San Antonio’s Southeast Side, Lira enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at 17 and served 11 years, including two deployments to Iraq. Using the GI Bill, he became the first in his family to graduate from college (San Antonio College, University of Texas-San Antonio) and later earned a master’s from Carnegie Mellon University.

He continued public service in the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative fellow, a management and program analyst at the Small Business Administration and AmeriCorps, and a national commission focused on military, national, and public service. Lira has dedicated his career to helping those who serve, from veterans starting businesses and to serving as the senior presidential advisor for Americorps. John is committed to supporting all those who serve their communities and country.