While it is true that the Department of Homeland Security was given billions of dollars by Republicans as a part of their bill that cut taxes for the rich, the money is staggered out through 2029. DHS did not get all of the funds at once. The money for ICE was also appropriated for specific tasks, so it can’t be used for general spending.
In administrative terms, this means ICE still needs to be funded for the next year.
The need for funding presents an opportunity for Democrats because funding for DHS runs out in less than two weeks.
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While Democrats have momentum on a number of issues heading into the 2026 midterm election, the murder of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, MN has brought about calls for ICE to reined in, and many Democrats have already committed to not funding ICE until restrictions are passed on the activities of ICE.
Sen. Reuben Gallego (D-AZ) said on CNN’s State Of The Union that ICE needs to be totally torn down:
Well, look, I think ICE needs to be totally torn down. It has to be created in the image of what people want, right?
And what does that look like? From my experience running in Arizona, in a very hard, hard state when it comes to immigration and immigration issues, people want immigration enforcement that goes after criminals, right, and focuses on criminals, and immigration enforcement that is actually focused on security, and not the goon squad that has come from Stephen Miller and Donald Trump, one that issues warrants, one that doesn’t have people masked and acting like we’re a Third World police force.
What we’re seeing right now is not what we want from ICE. And we can create and have a force that’s actually focused on immigration and on security, and not this type of intimidation that’s happening right now.
CNN’s Jake Tapper asked about the upcoming government funding deadline:
As you know, there’s a government funding bill that comes due this month, and there’s a growing push by some Democrats in the House and Senate to freeze ICE funding as a point of contention in the government funding bill.
A year ago, you voted to expand ICE funding. What are you going to do this week, this time? Because Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said — quote — “Democrats cannot vote for a Department of Homeland Security budget that doesn’t restrain the growing lawlessness of this agency.”
Gallego can’t answer for all Senate Democrats, but there seems to be a real consensus that Democrats can’t vote for a dime for ICE unless they get changes.
Read more and watch the video of Gallego below.
