New York, NY—Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may shutdown. Congress funded most of the government through September 30, but only funded DHS through February 13. This was meant to give lawmakers time to negotiate funding restrictions that address Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol’s tactics in the wake of Renée Good and Alex Pretti’s murders. Those talks have not yielded an agreement as of now, without which there likely aren’t sufficient votes to extend DHS funding past today’s deadline. Without that extension, DHS will shut down by the end of the day.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“We call on the New York Congressional delegation, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, to hold the line to ensure that there will be no more funding for DHS and its violent ICE goons. Since January 2025, 53 people have died in the custody of federal immigration authorities. ICE and CBP operate without consequence for repeated violations of law and human rights, with the Trump administration repeatedly lying to the public and skirting accountability. Awarding these agencies with more funds without significantly massive change is complicity in persistent violations of law and human dignity. There can be no agreement to forestall or end this shutdown without a firm plan to rein in, scale back, and hold ICE and Border Patrol accountable. Congress must exert itself as a co‑equal branch of government to stop the funding for the violence we are witnessing daily and ensure DHS’s accountability with the law and the Constitution. The majority of American voters want ICE reined in and so do I.”