Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said during a late-night debate on a $70 billion border funding package that no one respects Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol under President Donald Trump.
Schumer argued that with high gas prices and affordability still top of mind, Republicans should be focusing on lowering the cost of living instead of funding ICE and CBP.
“America is crying out for relief from high costs, and you’re here adding $140 billion to an agency that nobody — two groups — Border Patrol and ICE, that nobody respects in this country,” Schumer said.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) pushed back on the remarks, arguing that obstruction by Democrats was making the jobs of ICE and Border Patrol harder.
“Today’s Democrats are a rogue and radical party,” said Barrasso. “You deserve better than reckless Democrat hostage-taking. You deserve the tools and support from Congress necessary to carry out the mission Congress has given you. Our country depends on you.”
SENATE ADOPTS RESOLUTION TO FUND ICE AND CBP IN LATE-NIGHT ‘VOTE-A-RAMA’
The comments came as the Senate was voting to begin a party-line spending process known as budget reconciliation to fund ICE and CBP for the remainder of Trump’s term. Democrats have refused to fund the two agencies over Trump’s mass deportation campaign and the deployment of immigration agents to Minnesota earlier this year. The deployment ignited Democratic ire after immigration officials fatally shot two protesters for attempting to intervene in immigration enforcement matters.
The refusal by Democrats to fund ICE and CBP has led to a monthslong partial shutdown of DHS.