1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent who is deeply disappointed by your vote to fund the DHS bill that continues and expands funding for ICE. This vote directly conflicts with the values you have publicly claimed to support and the reasons I voted for you. ICE has a documented record of civil rights violations, abuse of due process, and aggressive enforcement practices that terrorize communities without meaningfully improving public safety. Continuing to fund this agency without strict accountability or structural reform is not a neutral act — it is an endorsement of the status quo. I reject the argument that this vote was “pragmatic” or “necessary.” Congress makes choices, and this was a choice to prioritize political convenience over moral clarity. If Democrats cannot draw a line when it comes to unchecked enforcement power, mass detention, and routine constitutional violations, then the party’s stated commitments to human rights and civil liberties ring hollow. I am not asking for ideological purity. I am asking for consistency and courage. There were alternatives: conditioning funding, carving out enforcement reductions, or publicly opposing the bill while working toward a better outcome. Instead, your vote sent the message that these harms are acceptable. Please understand this plainly: votes like this erode trust. I expect my representative to push back against abusive systems, not quietly sustain them. I will be watching closely how you approach immigration, enforcement oversight, and DHS funding going forward. I hope you reconsider how your actions align with the values you ask your constituents to believe in.