FAIR: Democrats’ DHS Funding Demands Would Essentially Shut Down Interior Immigration Enforcement, Amount to De Facto Amnesty

WASHINGTON—Congressional Democrats’ demands for funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would essentially end effective immigration enforcement in the interior of the country, says the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

“The conditions being set for passage of a DHS appropriations bill would return us to the dangerous and failed hands-off policies instituted by former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,” charged Dale Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of FAIR. “The bad faith demands of congressional Democrats would make it all but impossible for the Trump administration to reverse the disastrous effects of the Biden anti-borders policies that saw upwards of 10 million illegal aliens – on top of some 2 million gotaways – enter the country.

“President Trump was returned to the White House in 2024 with a mandate to secure our borders and remove millions of illegal aliens from the country. The border is now more secure than it has been in living memory and, during his first year in office, the number of illegal aliens living here has been reduced by some 3 million, including many dangerous and violent criminals. If the White House accepts the Democrats’ ludicrous conditions, meaningful interior enforcement would come to a screeching halt,” Wilcox continued.

Among the demands are requirements for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to obtain judicial warrants before arresting illegal aliens, a cumbersome process that would entrench sanctuary policies and allow targets of ICE enforcement time to escape arrest. ICE would also be prevented from targeting locations where illegal aliens are most likely to be found. And, as assaults on ICE officers have increased by some 1,300 percent, and organized anti-ICE activists have targeted their family members for harassment, officers would be barred from protecting their identities by wearing masks.

“These provisions are clearly designed to hamstring immigration enforcement and efforts to remove illegal aliens from the country. At the same time, the inability of ICE not only to go after violent criminals who endanger American communities but also enforce our laws beyond that would allow tens of millions of other illegal aliens to remain here at great financial cost to taxpayers. The administration simply cannot accede to these outrageous demands,” concluded Wilcox.

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR ([link removed]) is the country’s largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

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