Jews Mobilize Nationwide to Demand Defunding of ICE Amid Ongoing Detention Crisis

Jewish communities are rising up in a powerful nationwide movement to demand that ICE be defunded and dismantled. In a statement from Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, the group condemned the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement as “pogroms right here, right now,” highlighting the deadly conditions inside ICE detention centers that hold over 70,000 people.

The activists’ persistent pressure helped prevent Congress from allocating any extra dollars to ICE during the recent government shutdown, a notable victory against the administration’s aggressive immigration agenda. But the struggle is far from over. Congressional Republicans are still pushing to secure an additional $140 billion for ICE and Customs and Border Protection, on top of the $170 billion already taken from taxpayers last year.

Bend the Arc’s CEO Jamie Beran called on supporters to keep up the fight by calling their members of Congress and demanding no more funding for ICE. “Liberation requires our continued action,” Beran said. “When constituents call, legislators listen. When we put our bodies in the streets, our communities listen.”

The group underscored that the Trump regime—not immigrant communities—is responsible for the worsening crises of housing, food insecurity, unemployment, and health care access facing millions of Americans. They pledged to remain visible and vocal in their resistance, with mass actions planned including a major event in New York City.

This Jewish Day of Action is part of a broader surge of grassroots resistance confronting the Trump administration’s authoritarian overreach and systemic abuses in immigration enforcement. As ICE aims to expand its detention capacity by thousands daily, these activists are making it clear they will not be silent or complicit.

For those ready to join the fight, Bend the Arc urges immediate calls to Congress demanding cuts and accountability for ICE. The battle to protect civil rights and democratic values is happening now—and it demands all of us.