Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Ahead Of Voting Against The DHS Funding Bill, Instead Urging Republicans To Work With Democrats To Rein In ICE

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) today spoke on the Senate floor prior to voting no on the DHS funding bill, which does not address concerns the American people have regarding ICE, instead urging Republicans to come to the table and work with Democrats on reforms to rein in ICE and stop the violence. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

Americans’ views on ICE are crystal clear: the lawlessness, the violence, the chaos must end. And the only real way to do it is through legislation.

Today Senate Democrats will vote no, because we will not support a bill that fails to make any progress on reining in ICE and stopping the violence. Americans are sick of their taxpayer dollars going to masked federal agents, warrantless searches, and violence in their communities.

Democrats have been clear that we need legislation to truly halt ICE’s abuses. Otherwise, what Tom Homan says today could be reversed by Donald Trump on a whim tomorrow. Without legislation, Donald Trump could choose to put a rogue force in any city he wants, and have them operate without guardrails at all.

The proposals that Senate and House Democrats presented last week—and keep pushing for—are very reasonable. We want ICE simply to follow the same standards that law enforcement agencies across the country already follow. I ask every Republican senator to go home, ask your police officer, ask your sheriff what rules they must abide by. They're very similar to the rules that we are asking ICE to obey. But right now, ICE is a rogue force, lawlessness prevails when ICE arrives.

If Republicans want to claim our proposals are nonstarters, then they should ask people back home what they think of masked agents, warrantless searches and using kids as bait to arrest their parents. These are not the actions of real law enforcement. This is thuggery.

The American people need to see meaningful change, and our Republican colleagues must work with us to make that change happen. No more rogue police forces roaming through our cities.

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