House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said on Wednesday that he would reject a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security for the rest of the fiscal year over concerns that it did not sufficiently curb Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

The announcement came in a closed-door meeting with Democratic caucus members, following continued ICE violence in Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge.

“We’ve heard our members speak loudly that ICE isn’t doing enough, these reforms aren’t doing enough. This lawlessness has to stop,” Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) told reporters after the meeting on Wednesday. “They are only doing this because they can. They are only doing this because the president of the United States wants to use them to terrorize communities, to terrorize U.S. citizens.”

But, according to NBC News, Democratic leaders did not state they would whip a vote to push all members to follow their “no” vote. This leaves the door open for Democrats, many of whom are facing close elections this year, to vote in favor of the appropriation bill.

  • Jessica@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    19
    ·
    1 day ago

    The bill maintains funding for ICE at $10 billion. Still, it includes some guardrails, including allocating $20 million of the budget to body cameras for ICE and CBP officers, and reducing $115 million from ICE enforcement and removal operations. It also cuts Border Patrol funding by $1.8 billion and provides $20 million for mandated, independent oversight of detention facilities

    According to House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the bill doesn’t include “broader reforms proposed by Democrats, including preventing U.S. citizens from being detained or deported and preventing non-ICE personnel from conducting interior enforcement.”

    DeLauro acknowledged the bill would frustrate many Democratic lawmakers, but said it was necessary to fund numerous agencies, such as FEMA, the US Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. She also noted that ICE received $75 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so if no appropriations legislation passed, ICE would still be able to function for years while other agencies would struggle.

    Democracy is hemorrhaging, and these fucks are worried about elections and funding other agencies. They need to bring congress to a halt. They need to stop this madness. Do whatever is possible, by any means necessary, to disrupt DHS. This is terrorism, and they want to focus on their narrow elections? If they actually get something done, they will get their blue wave, in spades. What would motivate the base more than getting results? Get these traitors off of our streets.

    We should remember, though, that the democrats are perfectly happy carrying on the mission of ICE and CBP. They just want it out of the media so they can focus on selling us out even more.

    • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 day ago

      I can’t believe she argued that because they already have it an extra $75B they should just keep giving it more because it wouldn’t stop it.

      • CainTheLongshot@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 day ago

        To preface, i want ICE fully defunded.

        That being said, this is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t. ICE already received that $75 billion which will allow them to operate for years. This $10 billion comes with some “restrictions” like body cameras, and reallocates some money towards oversight of holding facilities. Another chunk will need to go to other underfunded agencies like the Coast Guard, FEMA, and CIS.

        Democratic leadership hasn’t indicated if they will whip house Dems into voting no, because it will depend on those running in tight districts.

        The message needs to be sent via primaries. They should have never received that $75 billion in the first place.

        • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 day ago

          They can do everything you say they need to do without funding ICE. None of it requires giving them more money. Or more accurately, they can stand for all of those things. They don’t control anything, but they can refuse to cooperate with the regime that is attacking their voters, the only segment that has majority support for ICE are Republicans.

          • CainTheLongshot@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 day ago

            The time to do that and have significant public support behind them, has passed. Like I said, they shouldn’t have passed that $75 billion in the first place and kept the government shut down until every item they wanted was included, AND they had the public support to do so!

            Now? Republicans will hammer them for not funding FEMA when there’s a massive snow storm getting ready to hit 3/4 of the country, or whatever bullshit they’re scheming up this round. When other crap is loaded into a bill, their public support for not supporting it faulters, i wish this wasn’t the case.

            I want Democrats to win, and i don’t think this is the battle to do so. Safe Dems can vocally opposed this all they want, but until we start seeing immigration polls swinging 20-30+ instead of 5-10, Southern Dems in tight races will continue playing that “Middle”.

    • crusa187@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 day ago

      Agreed, abolish ICE first and foremost then we can move onto something less important.