House Democrats to Check ICE Funding if They Regain a House Majority…

That could be a year and half away….

But with the Democrats looking Good on gaining a US House Majority back?

ICE and Stephen Miller WILL be under a microscope come 2027….

(Miller could very well be gone by then…)

The Departrment won’t be defunded….

But it’s policies on where it goes and who it goes after WILL be a target for some House members ….

And deportation policy woule be something they will be looking at….

Why it matters: ICE-focused protests and pressure from their grassrootsare forcing Democrats to inch away from their instinctively defensive crouch on immigration. But there is internal division on how far to go.

• “You’ve got a situation where our base is demanding more and more of us every day,” said one House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

• The lawmaker added that “a number of us have been told by constituents that we have to be willing to get shot” while trying to conduct oversight at ICE facilities and “be able to make news out of it.”
• Many Democrats are still scarred by GOP attacks on the #AbolishICE movement and hesitant to take steps that appear to be aimed at dismantling or downsizing the agency.

State of play: Just over the weekend, House Democrats in California and New York were refused access to ICE facilities in their respective states to perform checks on detained migrants.

• Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) have alleged that ICE officials even sprayed “some type of irritant into the air to push us back.”
• Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) is being prosecuted by the Justice Department for allegedly assaulting law enforcement — which she denies — during a visit to an ICE facility in her state during which she was initially refused entry.

What they’re saying: Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) said he believes Democrats should “reassess the funding possibilities. Absolutely.”…

…

Between the lines: A clash is already brewing over how far to go — with some progressives eyeing actual funding cuts as moderate border hawks draw a bright red line in opposition to that idea.

• “Some of us would like to see it completely broken down … I’ve been talking about reducing funding,” said Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.).
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) criticized “hypocrisy” among Democrats, “where folks want to campaign against ICE when we’re in the minority, but then when we’re in the majority, we continue to funnel unfettered funds with absolutely no guardrails.”
• Centrist Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), a member of the Appropriations Committee, told Axios he is “sure there will be a push,” but he “will not support reducing ICE” funding….

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