House Democrats are angling to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents if they make gains in the lower chamber in the midterm elections.
Should Democrats retake the majority in the House and regain control of the Homeland Security Committee, they will pursue a list of priorities, including conditioning funding for the Department of Homeland Security to reforms for how ICE operates, Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) told Newsweek.
“I would imagine that there’s going to be conditions put on funding for the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that these accountability measures are put into place and enforceable,” Magaziner, a member of the House committee, said during an interview with the outlet.
His words come as many Democrats have raised concerns over how ICE is conducting operations targeting illegal immigrants. Unease centers around allegations that agents are targeting people based on race and physical appearance, spurring multiple hostile interactions with the press, and concealing their identities while conducting public duties, leading to accusations that the agency is operating with a lack of transparency and respect for civil rights.
Magaziner pledged that things would change if his party made critical gains in the 2026 elections. Democrats must wrest control of a handful of seats to tilt the balance of power in the lower chamber next year.
“If Democrats take control of the committee, I think you will see a robust set of guardrails being passed through the Congress to ensure accountability,” he said.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), currently the leading Democratic member on the House committee, echoed his colleague’s hopes.
“I agree with Congressman Magaziner, when Democrats retake control of the House in 2027, we will ensure the executive branch is held to account and not only follows the Constitution, but also any laws passed by Congress,” he told Newsweek.
Among the accountability measures the lawmakers say they’ll seek are policies requiring ICE agents to follow the same standards as local police officers, including no masks, the use of body cameras, visible badge numbers, and guaranteeing that anyone detained by ICE receives due process before a judge and has the opportunity to present their case before deportation.
Republicans have largely stood against a no-mask mandate, arguing that some ICE agents feel the need to conceal their identities to protect their families. They have pointed to data showing attacks on ICE are up 1,000%, saying agents are increasingly being targeted simply for seeking to enforce federal law.
“We don’t want to wear masks,” Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks, who has deployed some BP agents to help ICE, said. “But we have to,” he said, amid efforts from left-wing activists in areas such as Chicago to target ICE.
“We are proud of what we do,” he added in September. “What we don’t want is people showing up at our schools, which we’ve had, asking for our children by name. We don’t want them showing up at our spouses or husbands’ or wives’ place of employment, harassing them because they don’t like what we do, or they disagree with what we do.”
Protests against ICE continue across the country, with demonstrations centered in Portland, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Referencing recent protests, some of which have turned violent, in Portland, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) warned Tuesday he is watching “closely” to see if tensions rise to the level where he believes congressional intervention is warranted.
In Chicago, Democratic leaders have waged resistance efforts against ICE and the Trump administration’s efforts to target illegal immigrants. Among actions they have taken is an executive order from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson launching a Family Preparedness Campaign in multiple languages to “educate families on how to prepare in the event of a detention by federal agents.”
ICE DEPORTATIONS HITTING LONGTIME RESIDENTS SPARK OUTCRY
In Los Angeles, city officials voted on Tuesday to declare a state of emergency due to illegal immigration enforcement activity initiated by the Trump administration.
“What’s happening in our communities is an emergency — and Los Angeles County is treating it like one,” LA County board member Lindsey Horvath said. “Declaring a Local Emergency ensures that the full weight of County government is aligned to support our immigrant communities who are being targeted by federal actions. For months, families have lived under threat, and workers have been taken from job sites.”