Voto Latino Urges Accountability Measures as Congress Extends DHS Funding
Washington, D.C. — Today, the House of Representatives passed a legislative package to fund a large portion of the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, while continuing to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) until February 13th. In response, Voto Latino issued the following statement:
“For over a year, the American people have witnessed an escalation of force and the use of drastic tactics — some now deadly — by CBP and ICE. The chaos unleashed by the Trump administration that overtook American cities has backfired. Now an overwhelming number of Americans agree that DHS’ immigration enforcement has become a threat to public safety for all, regardless of immigration status.
Our country finds itself at an inflection point where real, measurable accountability can rein in a rogue agency acting discriminatorily and with impunity. Lawmakers have a responsibility to correct course and cannot continue to write blank checks while lives are being lost.
As negotiations take place in the coming days regarding DHS accountability, the only way to move forward is through meaningful reform that reflects the will of the American people—not something haphazard or half-measured. We cannot settle for less. Lawmakers from both parties now have a clear choice: side with Americans who want safe communities and accountable government, or continue to allow for the Department of Homeland Security to operate with little to no guardrails.
Americans support a secure border, and they oppose the militarized tactics used to terrorize neighborhoods. Last year’s $170 billion investment in DHS has only served to supercharge an agency that lacks transparency, leading to expanded raids and tragic, preventable outcomes. Following the recent deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, it is clear that funding DHS without real reform subsidizes state violence. Families across the country deserve safety and justice, not fear of federal agents operating without restraint. Pouring more taxpayer dollars into ICE while ignoring these fatalities is not only fiscally irresponsible but morally inexcusable.”
Voto Latino will continue to demand transparency, accountability, and an immediate halt to enforcement practices that treat civilians as adversaries. We join the demands to rein in ICE and CBP. Furthermore, we are calling for the impeachment of Secretary Kristi Noem for her continued failure to lead the Department of Homeland Security and her disregard for the lives and rights of the communities the agency is sworn to serve.
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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 over 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.