Bipartisan Effort Blocks Unchecked DHS Funding

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Bipartisan Effort Blocks Unchecked DHS Funding

1/29/26 AILA Doc. No. 26012903.

CONTACTS:
George Tzamaras 202-507-7649 [email protected]	Belle Woods 202-507-7675 [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the Senate voted 55-45 to block passage of a combined spending bill, driven by opposition to increasing funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without, at the same time, enacting meaningful measures that check the unlawful abuses and violence being committed in cities across the nation. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) issued this statement to address the ongoing negotiations on DHS reform and funding:

AILA President Jeff Joseph said: "Less than a week after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents killed Alex Pretti, AILA's members in Minnesota and nationwide continue to mourn his death and that of Renee Good, and we stand in solidarity against the violence and chaos DHS has unleashed in our communities. AILA applauds all the senators who voted no and are demanding responsible governance, real oversight, and an end to abusive enforcement practices that undermine public trust and put lives at risk. Poll after poll shows Americans want this out-of-control agency reined in and want safety and sanctity restored to their communities. By imposing meaningful guardrails on DHS and restricting its funding, Congress can achieve these goals. Every law enforcement agency across this country- except Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and CBP-operates under clear standards governed by the law and the Constitution. This lawless, double standard is endangering lives and deeply eroding the public's faith in law enforcement and good government." AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson called for lasting, structural reform: "The unjustified and unnecessary killing of people in our communities is the consequence of an enforcement system operating without any restraint and with a huge windfall of a staggering $170 billion. This moment demands fair, independent investigations that ensure justice for the people whose lives have been taken. But Congress cannot settle for temporary fixes. We need lasting reform that ends the indiscriminate and warrantless arrests based on racial and other unacceptable forms of profiling that are causing violence and terror in communities, including schools, places of worship, and courthouses. Massive arrests are filling the pockets of the prison industry and filling prisons with people who pose no danger to anyone. CBP should not be operating freely in cities throughout the interior, and enforcement cannot become the permanent mission of numerous federal agencies. In the upcoming days, AILA calls on Congress to settle for nothing less than real reforms that ensure compliance with the Constitution, reduce DHS's excessive and bloated budget, and keep our communities safe."