Peters To Vote Against Funding For ICE

Washington, D.C.- Today, Representative Scott Peters (CA-50) released the following statement ahead of the House vote for the fiscal year 2026 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill. Included in the bill is funding for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"ICE was created for the orderly enforcement of our immigration laws, and President Trump promised to use it to find and deport dangerous criminals. It was never meant to operate as a militarized force in and against our neighborhoods, yet that is exactly what it has become. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE's budget has exploded, making it the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the federal government, with roughly $85 billion at its disposal. Fueled by the so-called 'One Big Beautiful Bill', the ICE budget is larger than the United States Marine Corps and many of the world's militaries. With this funding, ICE has delivered nothing but fear and chaos. Families are ripped apart, civil rights are ignored, and communities have become less safe.

"In May, ICE agents stormed Buona Forchetta, a small neighborhood restaurant in my district. They slammed the owner against a wall, handcuffed employees, and deployed flash-bang grenades on bystanders outside. All to apprehend four peaceful, hardworking dishwashers, not violent criminals or drug kingpins. Schools, small businesses, families, and children have all been caught in the crossfire of ICE's reckless tactics. How is this making anyone safer? It's not.

"ICE still lacks meaningful standards to remove violent criminals from our streets. Instead, the agency is obsessed with arrest quotas, chasing an arbitrary goal of 3,000 arrests a day, and sweeping up everyone in their path, including children and U.S. citizens. This is far from Trump's promise to target dangerous criminals. It's sloppy, dangerous, and irresponsible.

"And despite all the funding, ICE officers are not trained to observe the basic standards and procedures followed by our local police and sheriffs. Last year, I introduced the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act. This legislation would rein in ICE through strict limits on the use of military-style equipment like tear gas and flash-bangs and masks, requirements for always-on body cameras and for agents to render medical aid and intervene when colleagues act unlawfully, and increased training so agents can actually de-escalate. If these standards had been in place, Renee Good might still be alive, and American communities from Boston to Minneapolis to San Diego wouldn't be bracing for the next unaccountable ICE operation.

"The American people want a secure border and safety, accountability, and common sense from agents in our communities, not more arrests, more brutality, or more blank checks. ICE doesn't need more money, and it certainly won't be getting my vote."

###