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

I urge you to vote against HB7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026, until Immigration and Customs Enforcement is abolished and Secretary Kristi Noem is removed from her position leading the Department of Homeland Security. This legislation would provide over $17.7 billion to fund DHS operations through September 30, 2026. While the bill includes some modest protections like restrictions on restraints for pregnant women in custody and prohibitions on destroying records related to deaths or abuse, these measures do not address the fundamental problems with our immigration enforcement system. ICE continues to operate a detention apparatus that separates families, detains people in facilities with documented poor performance, and enforces policies that cause immeasurable harm to immigrant communities. Secretary Noem's leadership raises serious concerns about the direction of homeland security policy. Providing billions in funding while she remains in office signals approval of her approach to immigration enforcement and border security. The appropriation includes $3.8 billion for FEMA federal assistance grants and $684 million for firefighter grants, programs that serve legitimate public safety needs. However, these essential services should not be bundled with funding that enables harmful immigration enforcement practices. The bill imposes extensive reporting requirements and restrictions on agency discretion, but these oversight mechanisms are insufficient to prevent abuses when the fundamental structure of immigration enforcement remains intact. Monthly reporting on detention and removal estimates does not address the underlying injustice of mass detention and deportation. I ask you to oppose HB7147 in its current form. Congress should not appropriate funds for DHS operations until ICE is dismantled and replaced with a humane approach to immigration that does not rely on detention and deportation, and until leadership changes at DHS reflect a commitment to protecting human rights and dignity.