Political Quotes

“My amendment, Madam Chair, would prohibit any Department of Defense resources from being used to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to expand its detention capacity. The fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security allows for 40,520 detention beds for ICE, which is the highest amount Congress has ever provided. Despite this historic capacity, ICE continues to exceed this detention capacity and currently has more than 52,000 migrants in detention--a record high. In fact, ICE has exceeded its detention bed capacity for multiple fiscal years in a row. To pay for this excess, ICE has, in the past, turned to Congress for more funding or siphoned off funds from other components in DHS. In 2018, when ICE went beyond its detention bed limit, it took almost $200 million from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard, TSA, FEMA, and ICE criminal investigations. ICE continually expands beyond its means and then expects to be bailed out. This cannot go on. ICE needs to operate within its appropriated limits and make more strategic decisions about whom to detain. ICE should prioritize detaining migrants who pose a serious threat to our society as well as those who will not be deported unless they are detained. ICE cannot be given a blank check. Madam Chair, my amendment restricts defense resources from being used for ICE detention.…”