Raskin Blasts GOP for Reckless Billions to ICE Amid DHS Shutdown

House Republicans just passed S.Con.Res. 33, a legislative move to pour billions more taxpayer dollars into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) did not mince words in his response, declaring a firm “hell no” to what he calls a “scheme” to bankroll the “lawless” ICE and Border Patrol under Donald Trump and Stephen Miller’s playbook.

Raskin points to the ongoing 75-day Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown engineered by House Republicans as a critical backdrop. Despite broad bipartisan support in Congress for a DHS funding bill that would keep essential services like TSA and Secret Service running—while excluding ICE and Border Patrol—Speaker Mike Johnson refused to bring it to a vote. Instead, GOP leaders chose to extend the shutdown, leaving public servants in limbo and communities destabilized.

This latest funding push comes on top of a staggering $170 billion already allocated to ICE and CBP, which Raskin describes as a “lawless and lethal crusade” that has terrorized immigrant communities nationwide. Now, Republicans want to tack on at least $70 billion more, even as millions of Americans face rising costs for basic needs like groceries and healthcare.

Raskin’s statement underscores the stark contrast between GOP priorities and the urgent needs of everyday Americans. Rather than easing economic pain or restoring healthcare access, the Republican agenda is “bankrolling Trump’s violent Gangster State,” he says.

Most importantly, Raskin stands with millions across the political spectrum who reject the GOP’s efforts to criminalize, detain, and deport immigrants en masse. He vows to fight back and hold Trump and his allies accountable for the chaos unleashed on immigrant communities and the nation’s constitutional values.

In short, this is not just a budget fight. It is a battle over the soul of American democracy and the rule of law—one that the GOP is choosing to lose with reckless spending on ICE at the expense of the people.