Washington, DC - U.S. Representative Derek Tran (CA-45) released a statement following his vote against H.R. 7744, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act of 2026, in response to significant concerns from constituents over public safety.

"Every day, I hear from families who are scared to go about their lives because of reckless ICE enforcement operations in U.S. cities across this nation. Americans are being killed by ill-trained ICE and CPB agents without any accountability. This chaos is making our streets less safe, our businesses struggle to stay open, and our law enforcement divert precious resources from their efforts to fight crime," said Representative Tran. "I have been proud to join my colleagues in demanding common-sense reforms, including my legislation with Rep. Salinas to hold ICE and CBP agents liable for civil rights violations and Rep. DeLauro's legislation to fund agencies like FEMA and the Coast Guard while a better immigration enforcement framework is negotiated. I won't let our tax dollars be used to create chaos in our streets. I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to come together and negotiate a meaningful compromise that puts the safety of the American people first."

On February 23, 2026, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, which included a continuing resolution (CR) to fund DHS at existing levels for two weeks and allow lawmakers to continue negotiating oversight and accountability measures for ICE. Following the expiration of the CR, the House passed H.R. 7744 in a vote of 221-209, despite the absence of measures to protect U.S. citizens from unlawful detention and deportation.

Representative Tran continues to closely monitor ICE activity across Southern California. Tran has cosponsored legislation to place checks on ICE's conduct, including:

• H.R. 4176, the No Secret Police Act, to prohibit ICE agents from wearing non-tactical face coverings while on duty;

• H.R. 5973, The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, to scale back the level of force permissible in immigration operations;

• H.R. 3172, The ICE Visibility Act, to require agents to clearly identify themselves as such when interacting with the public;

• H.R. 5653, the Trust Through Transparency Act, to require all ICE officials to wear body cameras when interacting with the public in immigration enforcement operations;

• H.R. 944, The Access to Counsel Act, to ensure that U.S. citizens and individuals with lawful status are able to call an attorney or family member to seek legal assistance when they are detained;

• H.R. 5941, The Restoring Access for Detainees Act, to require DHS to allow noncitizens who have been detained to contact their legal counsel and families, and;

• H.R. 4456, Stop ICE from Kidnapping U.S. Citizens Act, to prohibit ICE from using federal funds to detain or deport U.S. citizens.

Since taking office in January 2025, Tran's office has opened over 230 cases to assist constituents related to the adjudication of their immigration status with federal agencies.

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Congressman Derek Tran represents California's 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.