Harry Dunn, former U.S. Capitol police officer, on why he’s running for Congress: “We’re in regime territory”
Ahead of November’s mid-term elections, Dunn is standing for the Democratic candidacy in Maryland’s fifth congressional district.
An ex-police officer who helped defend the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, says he sees the “same aggression” in the Trump administration’s immigration agents as he witnessed among Washington rioters five years ago.
“People are dying and we have to push back”
Harry Dunn, who this month announced he is running for Congress, told HuffPost that he decided to seek election after Minneapolis man Alex Pretti was on Jan. 24 fatally shot by federal officers identified as belonging to the U.S.’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency.
Pretti’s killing came just 17 days after another Minneapolis resident, Renee Good, was shot dead by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
Both shootings, which sparked protests nationwide, came amid a wave of deportation raids across the U.S., as president Donald Trump oversees a hardline immigration crackdown during his second term in office.
Recalling the moment he resolved to run for the U.S. House of Representatives, Dunn told HuffPost this week: “I said, ‘We’ve got to do this. We have to do this. People are dying and we have to push back and get in there.’”
Where is Harry Dunn running for Congress?
The 42-year-old is standing for the Democratic candidacy in Maryland’s fifth congressional district, after the seat’s current incumbent, the Republican Steny Hoyer, announced he will not pursue re-election in November’s mid-terms.
This will be Dunn’s second attempt at election to Congress. In 2024, he ran in the Democratic primary for the Maryland’s third district, but lost to state senator Sarah Elfreth.
“Not even an administration anymore”
Announcing his new election bid on Feb. 4, Dunn said: “January 6 was the worst day of my life. But the threat of Donald Trump didn’t end when the mob left the Capitol. That’s why I’m running for Congress: to defend this country, with the full constitutional authority of Congress.”
In his interview with HuffPost, the Maryland native declared that Trump’s second U.S. presidency is “not even an administration anymore”.
“We’re in regime territory, and we need as many people [as possible] that are going to stand up to him, especially when the Democrats take back the House in these midterms coming up, we’re going to need people,” he said.
January 6 was the worst day of my life. But the threat of Donald Trump didn’t end when the mob left the Capitol.
— Harry Dunn (@libradunn) February 4, 2026
That’s why I’m running for Congress: to defend this country, with the full constitutional authority of Congress.
I’m Harry Dunn. And I’m ready to finish the job. pic.twitter.com/8JbQwjklFT
“I believe we need to abolish ICE”
Dunn spent 15 years with the Capitol Police, before leaving in 2023. In 2022, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his actions on Jan. 6, when pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol in a bid to overturn the Republican’s 2020 presidential election defeat to Joe Biden.
The author of the book Standing My Ground: A Capitol Police Officer’s Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th, Dunn was also presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by Biden in 2023.
“I see the same aggression in these ICE agents that I saw from rioters on Jan. 6,” Dunn told HuffPost. “Maybe they are wearing their masks because they will be identified as people who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6.”
Dunn continued: “I believe we need to abolish ICE. In the way that it exists right now, I don’t see a way of functionality.”
DHS in funding shutdown amid Congress standoff
ICE and the CBP are both run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which now finds itself in funding limbo after lawmakers in Washington were this week unable to agree a year-long spending bill for the federal agency.
The impasse comes as legislators negotiate the inclusion of reforms to immigration authorities’ operations, amid Democratic pushback on DHS funding after the killings of Pretti and Good. Congress agreed a temporary DHS appropriations extension early this month, but this funding expired at midnight ET on Friday, Feb. 13.
Related stories
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment