McClellan Statement on House Passage of Republican ICE/Border Patrol Funding Bill

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) issued the following statement after House Republicans passed a partisan funding bill that provides an additional $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP):

"Last year, Republicans' Big Ugly Law gave nearly $75 billion to ICE and $65 billion to CBP to conduct an overly aggressive mass detention and deportation campaign that has caused a public safety crisis in our communities, trampled due process rights and caused the deaths of at least 50 people. Now, Republicans provide another $70 billion to these agencies without providing the same guardrails and accountability measures required of law enforcement officers across the country.

"I voted no.

"As ICE and CBP agents continue to wreak havoc and undermine public safety, Republicans have stood by them every step of the way, giving them free rein to terrorize our immigrant communities and march through our streets detaining, injuring and killing people with zero accountability. At a time when the cost of basic necessities like rent and groceries has gotten higher and higher under the Trump Administration, the American people did not vote for this and want the fear and the violence to end.

"I urge the Administration to invest in critical public safety and community programs that actually work, not their overly aggressive mass detention and deportation campaign and political theater that come at the expense of access to health care, education and improved economic opportunity."