Voto Latino Raises Alarm Over DHS Funding Bill That Enables Abuse Without Oversight

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congress approved a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), without adding the basic standards of accountability, transparency, or oversight the public deserves. Voto Latino raises serious concerns about the bill’s passage, warning that it undermines public trust and threatens civil rights and accountability.

In response, Voto Latino issued the following statement: 

“Today’s vote reflects a troubling disconnect between Congress and the reality that many  communities are facing under the Trump administration’s extreme immigration enforcement. By passing this funding bill without basic guardrails to hold agents accountable, lawmakers are disregarding concerned citizens and the families whose fundamental civil rights have been violated. At a time when trust in federal agencies is eroding, lawmakers chose to expand enforcement power without demanding accountability and oversight in return.

Make no mistake: this legislation will funnel more taxpayer dollars into detention operations while leaving communities across the country vulnerable to the systemic failures that have already caused irreparable harm. At a time when the American people are seeking safety within their own neighborhoods, this funding choice will do the opposite by deepening injustice. Americans want solutions that uphold constitutional rights and human dignity. This bill does neither.”

Kristi Noem and ICE have demonstrated a reckless disregard for human life and the rule of law. Public funds are fueling violent enforcement that has already cost U.S. citizens their lives, including Renee Nicole Good. This abuse of power cannot continue.

Voto Latino will continue to stand alongside immigrant communities, demanding the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and accountability from elected officials who continue to enable and defend harmful enforcement policies that put families and communities at risk.

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Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered nearly two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.