Dear Friend,

Yesterday, I voted against the House Appropriations Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security Funding Bill, which funds Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). Below is my statement regarding my vote:

“ICE, under the leadership of Secretary Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller, has shown itself to be lawless – with fatal consequences for Renee Nicole Good and others in ICE custody. This agency must be reined in.

I fought to include policies in this bill to that end: a provision forbidding the detainment and deporting of U.S. citizens, a requirement for agents to wear body cameras, and ensuring Members of Congress can conduct lawful oversight of ICE facilities. Republicans rejected each one.

The Homeland Security funding bill is more than just ICE. It provides funding to pay TSA agents and our Coast Guard Servicemembers. It funds the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) so that Americans can get help in the event of disaster. There are agencies within the Department that do excellent work on behalf of the American people.

But ICE’s flagrant disregard for the rule of law cannot be ignored or sanctioned. More must be done, without question. ICE agents believe they can act with impunity and are behaving accordingly. The terror they are inflicting on American communities must end. For these reasons, I voted no on the Department of Homeland Security funding bill.”

To stay informed on future tele-town halls and my day-to-day work in Connecticut’s Third District and in Washington, D.C., please visit www.delauro.house.gov, subscribe to my newsletter here, and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bluesky.               

                                                                                               Sincerely,