The League sent a memo to all Senators demanding they vote no on continued funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
January 29, 2026
To: Members of the US Senate
From: Celina Stewart, CEO League of Women Voters of the United States
Re: Vote No on Additional Funding for ICE and DHS
Dear Senator,
Americans have watched in horror over the last year as agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have kidnapped, beaten, violently murdered, and deported law-abiding citizens and civilians under the guise of fighting crime. We have watched as children have been separated from their parents and used as bait to draw out family members who may be living in this country without documentation. We have also seen federal agents mace, beat, shoot, and kill civilians peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights to assemble, speak out, document, and challenge the harmful actions of these agents. These actions have no place in our democracy.
The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) demands the US Senate:
- Reject any additional funding for ICE, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), and immigration detention,
- Support a DHS appropriations bill that imposes additional guardrails and accountability measures on immigration enforcement efforts.
The House-passed DHS appropriations bill falls short by including additional funding for ICE and CBP without imposing sufficient DHS oversight and accountability measures. The Senate must do its job to provide oversight of DHS and ensure accountability for the agency’s actions.
Our communities –in Minnesota and beyond- are reeling from the irreparable harm and trauma that federal immigration enforcement efforts have caused, including multiple fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis. While activists and neighbors continue to voice their grief and demand accountability, Congress has the authority and responsibility to take decisive action immediately to support the healing of affected communities, ensure meaningful oversight of federal enforcement agencies, and protect the civil rights and safety of all civilians.
Oversight is not optional. Appropriations should not be automatic. Accountability is not discretionary.
The League is watching. Americans of all backgrounds and political affiliations are watching. We cannot allow this government-sponsored violence to continue. The Senate must do its part by ensuring accountability for the federal immigration efforts to which it has continuously given a blank check. The lives of our neighbors and the future of our democracy depend on it.