1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I urge you to vote against the Department of Homeland Security funding bill when it comes before the Senate next week, ahead of the January 30 deadline. This legislation fails to provide adequate safeguards against Immigration and Customs Enforcement abuses that have endangered American citizens and immigrant families. The House passed this bill with a narrow 220-207 vote, with only seven House Democrats supporting it. This near-unanimous Democratic opposition reflects serious concerns about ICE operating without sufficient accountability. Earlier this month, an ICE officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Macklin Good in Minneapolis, demonstrating the urgent need for stronger constraints on the agency's operations. Democrats attempted to insert critical protections into this bill, including prohibitions on deporting or detaining American citizens, bans on excessive force, and explicit prevention of raids at places of worship, hospitals, and schools. None of these amendments were included in the final legislation. While the bill does provide funding for body cameras and de-escalation training, these modest measures are insufficient given the severity of recent incidents. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accurately described ICE as "totally out of control using taxpayer dollars to brutalize American citizens and law-abiding immigrant families." The $115 million reduction in enforcement and removal operations and cuts to detention bed capacity represent steps in the right direction, but they do not address the fundamental lack of accountability that allows these abuses to continue. I understand the Senate will vote on these remaining funding measures as a group, but approving this package without stronger ICE oversight sends the wrong message. A vote against this bill is a vote for protecting American citizens and ensuring law enforcement agencies operate within appropriate bounds. I ask you to stand with the overwhelming majority of House Democrats who recognized this bill's inadequacies and vote no.