Some Colorado lawmakers send letter to DHS, demand answers after shooting near ICE facility in Aurora

A handful of Colorado lawmakers are demanding answers about how the Department of Homeland Security is going to keep peaceful protesters safe. They sent a letter this week to DHS and asked questions about use-of-force training and policies.

The action comes after a woman was shot and injured last month near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Aurora. DHS is the parent agency of ICE. Brandon Booth, 42, is facing charges of assault and attempted assault in the shooting of Emma Landis in the crime. She was outside the facility protesting at the time and Booth was working as an employee of the GEO Group, which operates the facility.

GEO said after the shooting that they placed Booth on unpaid administrative leave.

Aurora police say there was an argument prior to the shooting. Arrest documents say Booth told police when he fired his weapon he was only trying to scare Landis, who he says yelled threats against his children. Landis wound up getting shot in the foot.

In their letter, Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat who represents Colorado's 6th Congressional District, and Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat and Colorado's junior senator, said in part: "The incident in Aurora -- and the broader pattern of shootings involving Department of Homeland Security personnel across the country -- undermine public trust and threaten community safety."

The lawmakers are requesting a response to the letter by Aug. 14.

After the shooting, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying "No ICE personnel were involved in this incident."

View the letter below. (It incorrectly states that the suspect faces a second-degree murder charge.)