Larson Votes Against Additional Funding for ICE

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted against a government funding package that would continue funding for ICE, with no restrictions to rein in the agency's abuses of power. Last week, at the direction of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Larson was illegally denied entryto an ICE facility in Burlington, Massachusetts.

"While I commend my colleagues' efforts to negotiate real wins for the American people in this funding bill - including new investments in affordable housing, special education, and medical research - I cannot in good conscience approve one more penny for Donald Trump and Kristi Noem's secret police force," said Larson. "Under this administration, ICE is executing American citizens on our streets, snatching mothers from their children, and illegally blocking Members of Congress from even visiting their facilities. Last week, I was denied entry to a facility where detainees were reportedly forced to sleep on concrete floors with no access to showers. If a federal agency would rather break the law than show us what is behind their doors, we have a responsibility to act. ICE needs to be torn down and replaced with humane enforcement that is actually bound by our laws and the United States Constitution. This moment demands nothing less."

Larson introduced a bicameral amendmentto the government funding bill with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Gabe Amo (RI-01) to repeal ICE's $75 billion slush fund and redirect that money to reversing Republican cuts to Medicaid. While two Republicans joined every Democrat to advance their amendment in the Senate, Republicans on the House Rules Committee blocked it from even coming to the floor for a vote in the House.

After an ICE agent executed Renee Good, an American citizen, in January and a federal vehicle struck a protesterin Hartford, Larson and Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) filed articles of impeachmentagainst U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. He has called for tearing down and replacing ICE,and is championing legislation in Congress to require federal agents to identify themselves; bar ICE raidsin schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship; ban abusive tacticsincluding chokeholds; and redirect ICE funding from the Republican budget to lower health care premiumsand expand affordable housing.