Gisele Fetterman, the wife of US Senator John Fetterman, has launched a scathing attack on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in her newly released memoir, branding the agency 'cruel' and condemning America's 'broken' immigration system.
The Second Lady of Pennsylvania, a former undocumented immigrant herself, pulls no punches in her book, detailing her own harrowing experiences and calling for sweeping reforms to protect vulnerable families.
From Undocumented to Advocate
Fetterman's personal journey forms the emotional core of her memoir. Having arrived in the US as an undocumented child immigrant from Brazil, she writes movingly about the constant fear of deportation that shadowed her childhood.
'I know firsthand how the system fails people,' Fetterman writes. 'The trauma stays with you forever - the hiding, the pretending, the never feeling safe.'
ICE Under Fire
The memoir reserves its strongest criticism for ICE, which Fetterman accuses of 'inhumane' practices. She cites numerous cases of families being separated and children being detained in 'appalling conditions.'
'What kind of country have we become when we treat vulnerable people this way?' she asks. 'ICE operates with impunity, and it needs to stop.'
Call for Reform
Fetterman proposes several policy changes including:
- An immediate end to family separations
- Independent oversight of ICE operations
- Pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
- Improved conditions in detention centres
The book comes at a politically sensitive time, with immigration set to be a key issue in the upcoming presidential election. Senator Fetterman has previously supported his wife's advocacy work, though maintains a more moderate stance on some immigration issues.
Political analysts suggest the memoir could influence the Democratic Party's platform on immigration reform as the election approaches.
