Fund Communities, Not Fear: Demand an End to Immigration Overreach Now!

Congress has just approved an immense $170 billion for immigration enforcement, funneling more funds into ICE than into the entire discretionary budgets of some federal agencies. That includes money for 10,000 new agents and infrastructure that reaches into local law enforcement. Experts across the political spectrum, including those at the American Immigration Council, warn that this kind of federal overreach strains community budgets, slows responses to violence, and dilutes local policing’s core mission. We already see the effects. In Houston, police now have to check with ICE before taking routine actions when an individual appears in the ICE system, which adds delays and creates legal confusion. Experts call it a constitutional gray zone that hampers public safety, not enhances it. And let’s be clear: data clearly shows that immigrant communities are not the source of rising violent crime. Sanctuary jurisdictions often report lower crime rates and healthier local economies, according to studies by the Washington Post and the Center for American Progress. This is not just policy. It is a dangerous redefinition of our shared values. We need leadership that defends local control, not state-sponsored fear. Cut ICE’s funding, re-invest in community policing, mental health services, and crime prevention. Preserve democracy. Put public safety above political posturing.