A week after President Trump launched strikes against Iran, Democrats are digging in against reopening the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without significant reforms to the agency.
Party leaders are amplifying their demands for tougher rules governing agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Rank-and-file Democrats appear to be fully on board. And a test vote in the House on Thursday demonstrated that, if anything, the Iran conflict has only solidified the party’s support behind the leadership position.
“My concern about DHS is their absolute disregard of the Constitution and American citizens’ civil rights,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the head of the New Democrat Coalition. “So until we see officers who abuse citizens’ civil rights held to full account, until we restore full congressional oversight, I’m not giving another penny to ICE and CBP.”
The strategy carries political risks, as Republicans warn of the threat to national security if DHS remains shuttered indefinitely during the Iran campaign, which shows no signs of ending soon. In the wake of the strikes, GOP leaders wasted no time in invoking the conflict to force Democrats to abandon their push for immigration reforms and back a GOP bill reopening DHS.
