Democrats Launch New Trump Fight
Top Democrats in the House are preparing to oppose legislation that would fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), setting up a new confrontation over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement strategy—particularly efforts targeting Democrat-run states and cities.
According to multiple lawmakers familiar with the private discussion, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark told colleagues during a closed-door caucus meeting Wednesday that they intend to vote against the DHS spending bill when it reaches the House floor.
Their opposition underscores growing unrest within the Democratic Party over Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as the Trump administration expands enforcement actions aimed at illegal immigration and interior removals.
Democrats have increasingly accused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of exceeding its authority—claims that intensified after a recent fatal shooting involving a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis. The incident has been cited by Democrats as justification for new restrictions on ICE operations, even as Republicans argue the agency is simply enforcing existing federal law.
When asked whether he would support the DHS funding bill, Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico offered a blunt response.
“No,” he said.
Despite the vocal resistance, the legislation is widely expected to pass. Democrats remain in the minority, and Republican leadership anticipates support from centrist lawmakers who are reluctant to risk a partial government shutdown or weaken border enforcement funding.
Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, is among those backing the bill. Cuellar helped negotiate the bipartisan agreement and defended it following Wednesday’s caucus meeting.
Cuellar acknowledged that Democrats did not secure all of the restrictions they sought on ICE but argued that the compromise includes limited oversight measures that are preferable to allowing DHS funding to lapse.
“We pushed for additional oversight,” Cuellar said. “But Democrats don’t control the House, the Senate, or the White House. This bill at least adds accountability instead of leaving everything unchanged.”
Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the full Appropriations Committee, also warned colleagues that rejecting the bill outright could have serious consequences. Failure to pass the legislation, she noted, would likely result in either a partial shutdown or a short-term continuing resolution.
Such stopgap measures, DeLauro said, would reduce congressional influence and shift greater authority to the executive branch and budget officials—eliminating even the modest ICE oversight provisions negotiated by lawmakers.
Still, DeLauro acknowledged intense frustration within the Democratic caucus and stopped short of committing her own vote.
“There’s a lot of anger over Homeland Security,” she said.
As Republicans press forward with border security and immigration enforcement under President Trump, Democrats remain divided—caught between pressure from their activist base and the political risk of blocking funding for a critical federal agency.
