Demand Accountability Measures in DHS Funding Before January 30 Deadline

I am writing to urge you to withhold support for any Department of Homeland Security funding bill that does not include substantial reforms and accountability measures for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The January 30 deadline for appropriations negotiations presents a critical opportunity to demand these changes, and I expect you to use this leverage effectively. The fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis by a federal agent exemplifies the urgent need for oversight. ICE has operated with insufficient accountability for too long, and the current appropriations process is Congress's constitutional mechanism to impose necessary constraints. I support the reforms being negotiated by Senator Chris Murphy and Representative Rosa DeLauro, including mandatory body cameras for ICE agents, reduced detention bed capacity, and requirements that agents remove masks during operations. Republicans have already allocated $75 billion over four years to expand ICE detention capacity and hire more officers. This massive increase in enforcement funding without corresponding accountability measures is unacceptable. Any DHS funding bill must include policy riders that bring transparency and legal compliance to agency operations, not simply expand their capacity for militarized policing. I understand concerns about a partial government shutdown affecting TSA, the Coast Guard, and FEMA. However, passing a continuing resolution without reform provisions would be worse than a temporary funding gap. A CR would give the administration more latitude over spending compared to a full-year appropriations bill with specific directives and constraints. This is precisely the wrong approach when agencies are demonstrating lawless behavior. Congress must assert its appropriations authority to check executive excess. I expect you to oppose any DHS funding bill that lacks meaningful reforms, including body camera requirements, detention capacity reductions, and transparency measures. The power of the purse exists for exactly this purpose, and constituents are watching how you use it.