FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2026
CONTACT: press@alianzaamericas.org / (773) 638-4278
Chicago, IL – Alianza Americas, a national network of more than 55 organizations led by Latin American and Caribbean migrants living in the United States, energetically condemns the House of Representatives’ passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which increases funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and fails to significantly reform the agency. The bill’s approval represents the abdication of Congress’ duty to conduct oversight and hold federal agencies accountable, ignores the ever-growing calls of communities across the country asking for legislators to oppose ICE’s mass terror campaign, and is nothing less than an endorsement for the rogue agency’s recent actions.
The bill grants ICE a funding increase of more than $400 million for immigration detention, in addition to the more than $70 billion the agency received through the budget reconciliation process back in July 2025. Any additional dollar for ICE represents an endorsement of the agency’s recent actions, which include the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three in Minneapolis, and the deaths of three others at the hands of the agency; the shooting of 8 more in separate incidents; the homicide of Geraldo Lunas Campos and the death of 32 others while in their custody in 2025; and the numerous, documented violations of people’s constitutional rights across the country, among other abuses.
The appropriations bill also allocates specific funds for body cameras, oversight through the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General, and agent training. These measures, however, fail to realize that ICE has previously received funding for body cameras and have deployed them in the field. Other oversight mechanisms and training have also received funding, yet abuses continue, demonstrating that no amount of reform can fix an agency whose core purpose is to separate families and terrorize communities. There is no role for ICE in our communities, and Congress has enabled its impunity by failing to exercise meaningful oversight.
By voting in favor of this funding bill, the House of Representatives turned its back on rampant human rights violations. The Senate must act now and reject this appropriations bill. Congress plays a key role in the system of checks and balances, and it cannot abandon its responsibilities in these particular trying times. The Senate must demonstrate that it stands with the People. Communities nationwide are calling for accountability as a federal agency continues to operate beyond the law. The Senate must act now to uphold the Constitution, restore oversight, and protect the rule of law.
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Alianza Americas is a transnational network of migrant-led organizations in the United States. We advocate for social justice, equity and human rights in the Americas.
