U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, who has represented Washington’s 7th district in Congress since 2017, raised concerns on February 4, 2026, about Republican priorities and the actions of federal agencies regarding civil liberties and surveillance.
In a post published at 18:26 UTC, Jayapal criticized recent congressional activity: “Republicans held a hearing on “Europe’s threat to American speech” — fully ignoring the fact that Trump and his DHS are violating the First Amendment here in American daily. We are in a crisis in this country, and Republicans are doing everything possible to distract from that.”
Later that day at 19:41 UTC, she highlighted concerns over government surveillance technology: “DHS is using biometric technology to create a surveillance state with militarized troops terrorizing communities. That’s why I’m leading the ICE Out of Our Faces Act with @SenMarkey and @SenJeffMerkley to stop the proliferation of this technology and protect our democracy.”
At 20:56 UTC, Jayapal continued her criticism by addressing alleged misconduct by immigration enforcement agencies: “U.S. citizens are facing intimidation, threats, and brutality at the hands of ICE and Border Patrol. Instead of calling this out, Republicans are trying to point the finger to free speech in Europe. We won’t let them. It’s time for accountability right here at home.”
Pramila Jayapal succeeded Jim McDermott as representative for Washington’s 7th district after serving in the Washington State Senate from 2014 to 2016. Born in Chennai in 1965 and currently residing in Seattle, Jayapal holds degrees from Georgetown University (1986) and Northwestern University (1990).
