Congress’s fiscal year 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill is poised to further increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) already bloated budget, allowing ICE to continue expanding its detention capacity at a time when people are dying in the system at a record pace.
The current negotiated funding bill would provide billions of new tax dollars to private contractors already profiting from the windfall of funds DHS received last summer, when Congress passed President Trump’s reconciliation bill defunding Americans’ access to healthcare and food security, affordable housing, education, and other critical services in order to increase profits for prisons, militarized immigration policing, and surveillance companies. Over the last year, U.S. communities have seen the danger of aggressive immigration policing, including the violent arrest and detention of longtime residents, children, and U.S. citizens. Giving DHS even more money to abduct and hurt our neighbors will lead to irreversible harm.
Congress already handed DHS a windfall of $170 billion dollars to supersize its deportation force and detention apparatus. Thanks to this blank check, ICE says it already has enough money to detain over 100,000 people at a time and contract 80,000 new beds. 2025 was the deadliest year ever for people in ICE detention, and six people have died in ICE detention just this month. Local investigators are looking at at least one death as a “likely homicide” at the hands of detention guards. ICE and Border Patrol agents continue to terrorize our communities, leading to violence. Renee Nicole Good’s death is a stark warning of what might still be to come. The negotiated bill provides no guardrails to prevent federal agents from abducting and deporting people at historic levels.
We urge Congress to oppose any additional funds for ICE and Border Patrol, and to use this bill to rein in the Trump administration’s reckless abuse and assault on our communities under the guise of immigration enforcement:
Jesse Franzblau, Associate Policy Director, National Immigrant Justice Center: “Congress should not provide another dime for the Trump administration's violent assault on our communities across the country. We know that the deadly arrest and detention operations will only escalate as long as ICE and Border Patrol have a blank check to operate. Congress must stop taxpayer funds from going to the private contractors profiting from the deadly system, assert its authority by demanding real accountability, cutting funds for immigration prison camps and deportations, and investing in communities.”
Marisol Hernandez, Senior Advocacy Manager at Detention Watch Network, said: “ICE kills — full stop. Decades of evidence illustrate that no one is safe in ICE custody. With a record number of people in detention and record number of deaths in ICE custody, including six deaths just this month, Trump’s cruel mass detention and deportation agenda is being executed at the expense of Americans receiving lifesaving healthcare and millions of kids having school lunches. We demand that Congress stop funding ICE, an abusive agency to its core. Now more than ever, we need real leaders who aren’t afraid to unite against Trump and advocate for the rights and dignity of everyone, including immigrants.”
Jamie Beran, CEO, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action: “Congress cannot reward ICE for the horrific daily assaults, the murder of Renee Good, the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, and the deaths in custody with yet more money. More Americans are waking up to the reality that ICE does vastly more harm than good and it is time our elected officials join their constituents in that reality. As American Jews, we have seen before what happens when a government scapegoats and targets immigrants. We have seen the violence that results when government officials use the false, antisemitic and racist Great Replacement conspiracy theory to justify harassing, deporting, detaining, kidnaping, or targeting anyone who disagrees with them. Congress must intervene and stop the flood of funding to the agencies terrorizing our communities.”
Kate Voigt, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union: “In less than one month, six people died in ICE detention facilities while federal immigration agents have recklessly arrested and even killed members of our communities in the name of immigration enforcement – and these daily horrors are being funded with our taxpayer dollars. Our message to Congress is clear: rein in ICE.”
Amy Fischer, Director of Refugee and Migrant rights, Amnesty International USA: “As ICE is terrorizing communities with brute force and warrantless arrests, and the Trump administration is expanding the cruel and deadly immigrant detention system with a total lack of accountability, it is shameful that Congress is playing business as usual and considering giving millions more taxpayer dollars to an agency with a documented track record of human rights abuses. Congress has an obligation to not fund human rights violations and should instead be cutting funds to ICE and creating guardrails against the agency's lawless behavior. This bill is not the answer, Congress must vote no.”
Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, Senior Policy Counsel, National Immigration Law Center (NILC): “After a year of lawless violence and intimidation at the hands of ICE and CBP, communities from coast to coast continue to show up for one another. It’s time for Congress to do its part. NILC calls on all members of Congress to reject any more funding for ICE and CBP in the current DHS appropriations bill.”
United We Dream released the following statement: “The American people are overwhelmingly against using their tax dollars to fund continued death, destruction and terror in our cities, all while the actual dire needs of our communities are neglected. Millions of working families are struggling to afford groceries. Health care premiums are skyrocketing. People are working two, sometimes three, jobs just to keep a roof over their heads. Our communities are fed up! We demand policies that meet our needs, not those who seek to profit off the mass detention of our immigrant neighbors, the separation of families, and the deaths of allies like Renee. We urge Congress to reject the attempts to increase funding to ICE and CBP immediately.”
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