Seven House Democrats voted with the 220-207 majority that passed a new funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes $10 billion for ICE.
None of them are ours.
Fun fact: if the seven – Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Don Davis, D-N.C., Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, and Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. – had voted the other way, the bill would have failed.
The vote moves the measure to the Senate; we can assume that Tim Kaine, D-Va., in the interest of bipartisanship, will help Republicans get cloture so that they can get more money for ICE to the Oval Office.
We were sent statements from the offices of three Virginia Democrats who voted “no.”
Don Beyer
“The Department of Homeland Security under Donald Trump and Kristi Noem is a lawless, corrupt organization that is bringing violence and mayhem to peaceful American communities. ICE, CBP, and other DHS entities are pursuing a mission to sow division and fear that is inflicting unimaginable cruelty on law-abiding immigrants and even U.S. citizens, sadly exemplified by the murder of Renee Good. They are engaging in deeply unlawful conduct, including breaking into homes without proper warrants, refusing to comply with court rulings, and blocking Congress from conducting meaningful oversight. DHS is fundamentally broken and completely out of control, and I certainly will not vote to fund their systematic violations of the Constitution.
“The other appropriations bills contained in the minibus have good elements, particularly in the provisions funding health research and aviation safety. But the Trump administration is already threatening to withhold appropriated funding from numerous states Trump lost in 2024, including Virginia, after this legislation passes. I cannot support a funding deal that is premised on bad faith and punishing Virginians for exercising their right to vote. The absence of clear language barring further federal purges will also put my constituents’ jobs at risk. This bill will, I fear, lead to renewed illegal and unconstitutional acts by Trump and Russ Vought that do extensive harm to Virginia.
“I also cannot support passing a defense funding bill without sufficient guardrails under a president who is making overt threats to invade numerous countries and who is increasingly untethered from our national interests and security. The massive cuts of billions from the IRS further imperil our nation’s fiscal outlook, while making life even easier for wealthy tax cheats. And after promising a vote on restoring funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which hundreds of constituents contacted me to support, Republicans simply refused to honor their agreement. The bad elements in this bill outweigh the good ones, and that is why I voted no.”
Jennifer McClellan
“This past year has seen alarming and horrific breaches of fundamental constitutional rights at the hands of ICE. Overly aggressive agents have entered homes without a warrant; detained people — including citizens — without due process, some in horrendous conditions; terrorized immigrant communities and shed the blood of American citizens. In Virginia’s Fourth, I hear from communities in Chesterfield, Henrico, Petersburg, Richmond and beyond about ICE escalating its tactics to the detriment of public safety and civil liberties.
“None of this has served to make us safer, and this disturbing pattern of behavior demands drastic action. Yet today’s bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security does not go nearly far enough to rein in an out-of-control ICE and hold it accountable for the chaos and fear it has unleashed. I voted no.
“The DHS funding bill does allocate additional funding for body cameras, limit the Department’s transfer authority and provide robust support for FEMA. While these provisions are encouraging, they fall short of addressing the lack of transparency and widespread impunity afforded to ICE by the Trump administration — and the moral rot it has allowed to fester.
“The bare minimum requires that we protect our communities from operations that make people afraid to leave their houses and erode trust in our local and state law enforcement. ICE agents cannot be allowed to ignore the Constitution and do as they please, dragging people into the streets and even killing them. I stand alongside all those who have continued to sound the alarm on ICE’s lawlessness and will continue to advocate for measures that will restrict and end this Administration’s heightened campaign of terror.”
Eugene Vindman
“My family and I came to this country as a refugee fleeing Soviet Ukraine with just $800 in our pockets, and sadly, my story is no longer possible in Trump’s America. We are a country of immigrants and let me be clear: we can have secure borders without being cruel.
“After conversations with the Stafford community about a proposed ICE mega detention center that could house up to 10,000 detainees, it is clear that this would be cruel to the core and unacceptable in our community.
“I am also particularly concerned about the life, health, and safety in and around these detention centers. To date, I have received zero guarantees from ICE that this facility would avoid potential locations near hospitals, schools, or daycare centers. I will always fight for the health, safety, and security of my neighbors and could not support this appropriations bill as written.”