1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

EFFECTIVE BORDER SECURITY REQUIRES ACCOUNTABILITY As your constituent, I urge you to vote against any legislation that provides billions more to ICE and Border Patrol unless it first includes enforceable accountability, transparency, and constitutional safeguards. The Washington Post reported on April 23, 2026, in “New Republican Plan Would Fund ICE for Rest of Trump’s Term,” that Senate Republicans are advancing a plan to fund ICE and Border Patrol for the remainder of President Trump’s term. Reuters reports a $70 billion plan. BORDER SECURITY IS NECESSARY, BUT FUNDING WITHOUT SAFEGUARDS IS NOT Congress has a duty to secure the border, combat fentanyl trafficking, disrupt smuggling, and remove genuine threats after lawful process. I recognize that many members are responding to real concerns about border strain and enforcement capacity. Enforcement must be targeted, lawful, accountable, and fiscally justified. Congress should not approve funding unless it can explain what the money will buy and how success will be measured. PUBLIC SAFETY DEPENDS ON TRUST AND DUE PROCESS ICE and Border Patrol practices raise concerns about mistaken targeting, raids, detention conditions, unclear officer identification, racial profiling, and fear in local communities. When residents fear police, hospitals, schools, or courts, crimes go unreported. That makes everyone less safe. OVERSIGHT SHOULD COME BEFORE NEW BILLIONS Congress should not use reconciliation or expedited budget procedures to move massive enforcement funding while avoiding full debate over civil liberties, due process, and fiscal accountability. This decision is being made under accelerated procedures during a period of uncertainty over DHS funding, making careful oversight even more essential. Before funding is approved, Congress should require officer identification, body-camera rules, incident reporting, detention safeguards, limits on enforcement at sensitive locations, judicial-warrant standards, independent review, line-item justification, performance metrics, and Inspector General reporting. ACCOUNTABILITY IS A CONSTITUTIONAL AND FISCAL PRINCIPLE No federal agency with armed enforcement power should receive billions more without strict limits, measurable goals, and public accountability. Congress can support border security without weakening constitutional government. It can fund lawful enforcement without encouraging unnecessary fear, insufficient transparency, or overreach. I urge you to take the following actions: (1) Vote against any bill that provides additional funding to ICE or Border Patrol without enforceable accountability protections. (2) Oppose using reconciliation to avoid full debate over immigration enforcement, civil liberties, due process, and fiscal accountability. (3) Require officer identification, body cameras, incident reporting, detention safeguards, judicial-warrant standards, independent review, line-item justification, performance metrics, and Inspector General reporting before any new funding is approved. (4) Support targeted border security, due process, legal access, anti-trafficking enforcement, and community safety measures instead of large-scale enforcement expansion that lacks enforceable safeguards. Thank you.