House Democratic leadership said they will vote against the Department of Homeland Security funding bill this week, arguing it does not go far enough to rein in immigration officers despite being negotiated by appropriators in both parties.
Top Democratic leaders informed party members they would vote against the bill when it comes to the floor on Thursday unless major changes are made, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., confirmed to reporters after their weekly closed-door meeting. However, it’s unlikely that party leaders will formally encourage rank-and-file lawmakers to oppose it.
“I imagine that members will vote for their districts, and they will judge the bill on the substance,” Aguilar said. “This is truly on its own merits, on an up-or-down vote, and we’ll see where the Democrats land.”
Top appropriators released the final spending package of the 2026 fiscal year on Tuesday, which includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security — the most contentious of the 12 appropriations bills, especially after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis earlier this month.
The DHS funding bill allocates a total of $64.4 billion to the agency, including $513 million to maintain 22,000 Border Patrol agents and another $3.8 billion for custody and deportation operations. But the package also includes increased guardrails on the department, especially for ICE and Border Patrol officers — a key demand to get Democrats on board.
Democratic negotiators have framed the package as the best compromise possible with their party sitting in the minority, and they’re now pushing fellow party members to pass the bill as-is.
“There is much more we must do to rein in DHS,” Washington Sen. Patty Murray, top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, acknowledged.
“But,” she added, “the hard truth is that Democrats must win political power to enact the kind of accountability we need.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who negotiated the spending bill on the House side, echoed those sentiments, noting that the DHS funding bill includes far more than just immigration spending.
“If we allow a lapse in funding, TSA agents will be forced to work without pay, FEMA assistance could be delayed, and the U.S. Coast Guard will be adversely affected,” she said in a statement. “All while ICE continues functioning without any change in their operations due to $75 billion it received in the One Big Beautiful Bill. A continuing resolution will jettison the guardrails we have secured while ceding authority to President (Donald) Trump, Stephen Miller, and Secretary (Kristi) Noem.”
The delayed release of the bill comes amid a tense political climate as Republicans and Democrats disagree over what happened leading up to the death of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota — who the DHS says was shot as she attempted to run over a law enforcement officer, while Democrats say she was trying to get away.
Democrats demanded stricter guardrails and restrictions for ICE agents to be included in the package, accusing the agency of becoming “out of control.”
The House will vote on the DHS spending bill on Thursday, where its fate is currently uncertain with Democratic leadership in opposition and Republicans navigating a slim two-seat majority.
If it does pass, the bill will be sent to the Senate next week, and it will need to be approved before the deadline on Jan. 30.