Advocates press new Congress on ICE as a key Democrat rejects defunding the agency

Immigration advocates are pressing Democrats to use their new power in Congress to rein in federal immigration enforcement. Democrats are not united on how far to go. The disagreement is already visible less than a week after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. ¹²

Murad Awawdeh of the New York Immigrant Coalition put the advocates' demand plainly. Other voices at the center of the debate include Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, who is expected to chair the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. That panel helps write the spending bill that funds ICE, or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ¹²

Where Democrats differ

Cuellar told Fox News Digital he wants stronger guardrails on ICE, not cuts. He also questioned the agency's tactics. ²

I don't believe in defunding ICE and I think the majority of the Democrats do not believe defunding ICE.

Cuellar criticized ICE for going after people with no criminal records. He also rejected a return to Biden-era asylum policy and said he wants to work with President Trump and Republicans over the next two years. ²

From Channel GOPThompson: Trump's DHS hid ICE killing of citizenBennie Thompson · 160 plays · captioned, with the source named

Other Democrats are focused on oversight. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, set to chair the House Oversight Committee, plans to investigate ICE accountability, among other issues. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, likely the next Homeland Security chair, wants legal requirements for body cameras and a ban on face coverings for federal immigration agents. ¹

The money is already there

NPR reports that in 2026 Congress gave ICE and Customs and Border Protection about $240 billion. NPR says that is enough to fund mass deportations through the rest of Trump's term. Congress could claw the money back. ¹

That would take a bill the president signs. One analysis says ICE and Border Patrol run largely on multi-year funds that remain available through fiscal 2029, and that abolishing ICE is very unlikely before January 2029. ³ NPR says Trump is the main obstacle. After the election, he said he would welcome the nickname "Mr. Veto." ¹

Realistic tools are narrower. Committees can demand testimony and documents. Future spending bills can carry limits on how money is used. A Democratic Senate would also control confirmations. ³

We demand that the incoming Congress hold ICE accountable.

What the administration says

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin posted on Nov. 4 that deportations will continue. On Friday, Stephen Miller, a central figure in mass deportations, became White House chief of staff. ¹²

The next test is the Dec. 11 government funding deadline, which falls to the outgoing Congress. Democrats take over on Jan. 3, 2027. ³

That matters because the fight is less about whether Democrats want change than about what they can force. The party's moderates and advocates agree on oversight. They differ on cutting ICE's budget, and the president's veto pen limits what either side can do. ¹²³

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Midterm elections: Democrats won control of the House and Senate, according to analysis of what a Democratic Congress can do on ICE ³.
2. Nov 4, 2026DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin posted that deportations will continue ¹.
3. Nov 6, 2026Stephen Miller was promoted to White House chief of staff ¹.

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<h2>Advocates press new Congress on ICE as a key Democrat rejects defunding the agency</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/advocates-press-new-congress-on-ice-as-a-key-democrat-rejects-defunding-the-agency">The GOP Files</a> on Monday, November 9, 2026.</em></p> <p>Immigration advocates are pressing Democrats to use their new power in Congress to rein in federal immigration enforcement. Democrats are not united on how far to go. The disagreement is already visible less than a week after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.</p> <p>Murad Awawdeh of the New York Immigrant Coalition put the advocates&#39; demand plainly. Other voices at the center of the debate include Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, who is expected to chair the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. That panel helps write the spending bill that funds ICE, or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.</p> <h2>Where Democrats differ</h2> <p>Cuellar told Fox News Digital he wants stronger guardrails on ICE, not cuts. He also questioned the agency&#39;s tactics.</p> <blockquote><p>I don&#39;t believe in defunding ICE and I think the majority of the Democrats do not believe defunding ICE.</p><p>&mdash; Henry Cuellar, U.S. Representative, D-Texas</p></blockquote> <p>Cuellar criticized ICE for going after people with no criminal records. He also rejected a return to Biden-era asylum policy and said he wants to work with President Trump and Republicans over the next two years.</p> <p>Other Democrats are focused on oversight. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, set to chair the House Oversight Committee, plans to investigate ICE accountability, among other issues. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, likely the next Homeland Security chair, wants legal requirements for body cameras and a ban on face coverings for federal immigration agents.</p> <h2>The money is already there</h2> <p>NPR reports that in 2026 Congress gave ICE and Customs and Border Protection about $240 billion. NPR says that is enough to fund mass deportations through the rest of Trump&#39;s term. Congress could claw the money back.</p> <p>That would take a bill the president signs. One analysis says ICE and Border Patrol run largely on multi-year funds that remain available through fiscal 2029, and that abolishing ICE is very unlikely before January 2029. NPR says Trump is the main obstacle. After the election, he said he would welcome the nickname &quot;Mr. Veto.&quot;</p> <p>Realistic tools are narrower. Committees can demand testimony and documents. Future spending bills can carry limits on how money is used. A Democratic Senate would also control confirmations.</p> <blockquote><p>We demand that the incoming Congress hold ICE accountable.</p><p>&mdash; Murad Awawdeh, New York Immigrant Coalition</p></blockquote> <h2>What the administration says</h2> <p>Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin posted on Nov. 4 that deportations will continue. On Friday, Stephen Miller, a central figure in mass deportations, became White House chief of staff.</p> <p>The next test is the Dec. 11 government funding deadline, which falls to the outgoing Congress. Democrats take over on Jan. 3, 2027.</p> <p>That matters because the fight is less about whether Democrats want change than about what they can force. The party&#39;s moderates and advocates agree on oversight. They differ on cutting ICE&#39;s budget, and the president&#39;s veto pen limits what either side can do.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/advocates-press-new-congress-on-ice-as-a-key-democrat-rejects-defunding-the-agency">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/advocates-press-new-congress-on-ice-as-a-key-democrat-rejects-defunding-the-agency.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. NPR (via KPBS), “Democrats won big on issues like immigration. But ICE still has the money” (2026-11-09). kpbs.org/news/national/2026/11/09/democrats-won-big-on-issue
2. Fox News, “Border Dem poised to wield ICE purse strings rejects socialist defund push” (2026-11-09). foxnews.com/politics/border-dem-poised-wield-ice-purse-strin
3. Immigration Analytics, “Will ICE be abolished? What a Democratic Congress can do” (2026-11-04). immigration-analytics.com/2026/11/04/will-ice-be-abolished/

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